Assistant Sheriff Erika Frierson oversees the Detention Services Bureau. The Detention Services Bureau provides for the care and wellbeing of individuals incarcerated within the seven detention facilities. In addition to providing medical and dental care, the Sheriff's Department is the largest mental health provider in the County of San Diego.

Assistant Sheriff Erika Frierson joined the San Diego County Sheriff's Department in July of 1996 and graduated from the 25th Corrections Academy in October of 1996. She was assigned to the Las Colinas Detention Facility (LCDF) where she was a training officer, corporal, inmate worker deputy, and facility training coordinator. In October of 2004, she was assigned as a Jail Population Management Unit (JPMU) deputy at the San Diego Central Jail.

She promoted to Sergeant in April of 2005 and was assigned to the George Bailey Detention Facility (GBDF). During her time at GBDF, she was the facility training sergeant and also the administrative sergeant. In June of 2007, she was selected as the Detentions Career Path Sergeant and assigned to the Personnel Division.

In May of 2008, Erika promoted to Lieutenant and assigned as a team watch commander at the Vista Detention Facility (VDF). In June of 2009, she was transferred to LCDF as a team watch commander. In May of 2010, she was assigned to manage JPMU and the Detentions Investigations and Gang Unit. In November of 2011, she was assigned to the Detentions Support Division. In this role, Erika was heavily involved with the Sheriff's Department's efforts to manage the implementation of California's Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011.

In March of 2013, Erika was promoted to Captain and assigned to oversee the Vista Detention Facility. There she implemented a number of innovative programs and concepts, such as the Veterans Moving Forward Program and incentive-based housing. In November of 2014, she was transferred to oversee the Detentions Support Division and worked on several bureau initiatives and projects. She was later assigned as the Captain at the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility in January of 2016. Under her leadership, the facility was transformed into a Gender Responsive/Trauma Informed Reentry Facility.

In November of 2018, she was assigned to oversee the Medical Services Division (MSD). Under her leadership, MSD began to work towards obtaining accreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, implementing the new Electronic Health Record system, expanding mental health services, and strengthening suicide prevention efforts in custody.

After her promotion to commander in 2019, Erika oversaw the Medical Services Division, Reentry Services Division, Inmate Processing Division, Detentions Support Division, County Parole and Alternative Custody Unit, and the Jail Population Management Unit.

In December of 2020, Erika was appointed to assistant sheriff of the Detention Services Bureau.

Erika is a Lifetime Member of the American Jail Association (AJA) and served on the 2019/2020 AJA Board of Directors.

Erika and her husband James have three young adult children. Their oldest daughter, Jocelyn, a special education teacher in north county, and her husband Kevin, just welcomed their first grandson Jaxon. Their middle child, Sydney, is pursuing her master's degree in Psychology and their youngest son, Alonzo, is majoring in Child Development. Erika and her family live in North County.

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