The establishment of Trumbull County precedes the statehood of Ohio. When Trumbull County was founded in 1800, three years before Ohio became a state, a "temporary jail" was built two blocks south of where the present jail stands. The present location for the jail was chosen on November 23, 1815, after a fire destroyed the temporary jail. The present jail, a seven-story Full Service Jail and, a two-story minimum-security Jail were completed in 1997 replacing a facility that was built in 1966.

The facility operates under the Ohio Administrative Code and is reviewed by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections Bureau of Adult Detention. During the last jail inspection in 2021, the Trumbull County Jail was a compliant jail by meeting the standards outlined in the Ohio Administrative Code. Since Sheriff Monroe took office, there were several upgrades and additions of safety and security equipment, including a body scanner for contraband detection, a multi-million-dollar upgrade of cameras, locks, and generators, and a new Jail Management System.