Are California Inmate Records Public Information?
Yes. Under the California Public Records Act, inmate records are public information. Residents and other individuals can determine who's in custody at a California prison (for example, find a person serving a life sentence) or find someone in jail by contacting the appropriate corrections department. A California inmate search can be conducted through official government repositories or third-party sites. However, it should be noted that certain California inmate records have restricted access to protect the rights of incarcerated individuals, ensure public safety, or for other legal reasons. One example is an inmate's medical records.
California Inmate Search
California inmate records are official documents containing information about persons booked or incarcerated in state prisons, conservation camps, and county or city jails in the State of California. The data contained in these records include California inmate mugshots, names, genders, dates of birth, registration numbers, locations, and custody status. Interested members of the public may obtain this information by conducting a California inmate search through one of the several government-run repositories or their third-party-operated alternatives.
Inmate records are considered public in the United States and, therefore, are made available by both traditional governmental agencies and third-party websites and organizations. Third-party websites may offer an easier means to search, as these services do not face geographical limitations. However, because third-party sites are not government-sponsored, the information obtained through them may vary from official channels. To find inmate records using third-party aggregate sites, requesting parties must provide the following:
- The location of the sought-after record, including the state, county, and city where the inmate resides.
- The name of the person listed in the record, unless it is a juvenile.
How to Find Someone in Jail in California
The most efficient way to find out what jail someone is in California or find out why someone is in jail is to query a local law enforcement agency. This could either be a county sheriff's department or a city police department. The public can also search online inmate databases maintained by correctional agencies to locate incarcerated individuals serving time in California. Typically, a California inmate search will require the requesting party to provide information to facilitate the lookup; this may include the inmate's full name, DOC number, date of birth, and/or gender.
How Can I Find an Inmate in California for Free?
Inquirers can conduct a free inmate search by name using the CDCR portal or the Federal Bureau of Prisons Database.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) features information about all incarcerated individuals currently under the department's jurisdiction, including their name, date of birth, and current physical address. Users who conduct a California inmate search on the site can also obtain information about whether an inmate is housed at a state prison or county jail and their parole status. To conduct a California inmate search using the CDCR database, the inquirer may enter the inmate’s first and last name, date of birth, and/or booking number.
Alternatively, the Federal Bureau of Prisons also maintains an online database that lists all federal inmates incarcerated since 1982. Inquirers can use this resource to search for someone who has been sentenced to a prison term in a federal court. The website lists the inmate's name, race, gender, sentence length, and details about any parole or supervised release they may be serving.
How to Perform a California Jail Inmate Search
California cities and counties have jails for offenders awaiting trials and inmates serving short sentences. Previously, these jails only held inmates serving sentences no longer than one year. However, overcrowding in state prisons has led to city and county jails holding individuals serving longer or life sentences. Currently, California prisons are reserved for inmates convicted of serious felonies such as robbery and murder. Inmates sentenced under the state's Three Strikes Law are also held at state prisons.
County sheriff's departments usually run county jails in California. A few cities also have local jails. These are managed by the cities' police departments. To learn how to find out if someone is in jail or conduct a California jail inmate search, contact the Sheriff's Department in charge of the county jail. If the inmate is in a city jail, parties can contact the city police department.
Many counties provide online access to inmate records on their websites through a California county jail inmate search. To find a person in jail, it is necessary to determine the county or city website and navigate to the Sheriff's or Police Department section. Such sections may provide resources such as inmate locator, jail contact information, and jail visitation information. An individual can also call or visit the Police or Sheriff's Department in charge of a local jail to inquire about obtaining inmate records.
Facilities Operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) operates 35 adult detention facilities, four youth facilities, and 44 conservation/fire camps. The physical addresses and contact information of these facilities are available in the facilities directory. California conservation camps are minimum-security facilities jointly operated by the CDCR, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), and the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Inmates at these camps are trained to help combat fires, floods, and other natural and manmade disasters. Meanwhile, the California Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) oversees the state's youth correctional facilities and conservation camps. California jail inmate search queries may be directed to the concerned facilities.
The following are addresses and contact information of state-operated adult facilities in California:
Avenal State Prison (ASP)
#1 Kings Way
Avenal, CA 93204
Phone: (559) 386-0587
California City Correctional Facility (CAC)
22844 Virginia Blvd.
California City, CA 93505
Phone: (760) 246-7600
California Correctional Center (CCC)
711-045 Center Rd.
Susanville, CA 96127-0790
Phone: (530) 257-2181
California Correctional Institution (CCI)
24900 Highway 202
Tehachapi, CA 93561
Phone: (661) 822-4402
California Health Care Facility (CHCF), Stockton
California Health Care Facility
7707 Austin Road
Stockton, CA 95215
Phone: (209) 467-2500
California Institution for Men (CIM)
14901 Central Avenue
Chino, CA 91710
Phone: (909) 597-1821
California Institution for Women (CIW)
16756 Chino-Corona Road
Corona, CA 92880
Phone: (909) 597-1771
California Men’s Colony (CMC)
Highway 1
San Luis Obispo,
CA 93409
Phone: (805) 547-7900
California Medical Facility (CMF)
1600 California Dr.
Vacaville, CA 95696
Phone: (707) 448-6841
California Rehabilitation Center (CRC)
5th Street & Western
Norco, CA 92860
Phone: (951) 737-2683
California State Prison, Corcoran (COR)
4001 King Avenue
Corcoran, CA 93212
Phone: (559) 992-8800
California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC)
44750 60th Street West
Lancaster, CA 93536-7620
Phone: (661) 729-2000
California State Prison, Sacramento (SAC)
100 Prison Road
Represa, CA 95671
Phone: (916) 985-8610
California State Prison, Solano (SOL)
2100 Peabody Road
Vacaville, CA 95696
Phone: (707) 451-0182
Calipatria State Prison (CAL)
7018 Blair Road
Calipatria, CA 92233
Phone: (760) 348-7000
California State Prison, Centinela (CEN)
2302 Brown Road
Imperial, CA 92251
Phone: (760) 337-7900
Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF)
23370 Road 22
Chowchilla, CA 93610
Phone: (559) 665-5531
Chuckawalla Valley State Prison (CVSP)
19025 Wiley’s Well Rd.
Blythe, CA 92225
Phone: (760) 922-5300
Correctional Training Facility (CTF)
Highway 101 North
Soledad, CA 93960
Phone: (831) 678-3951
Folsom State Prison (FSP)
300 Prison Road
Represa, CA 95671
Phone: (916) 985-2561
High Desert State Prison (HDSP)
475-750 Rice Canyon Rd.
Susanville, CA 96127
Phone: (530) 251-5100
Ironwood State Prison (ISP)
19005 Wiley’s Well Road
Blythe, CA 92225
Phone: (760) 921-3000
Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP)
3000 West Cecil Avenue
Delano, CA 93216-6000
Phone: (661) 721-6300
Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP)
4001 Highway 104
Ione, CA 95640
Phone: (209) 274-4911
North Kern State Prison (NKSP)
2737 West Cecil Avenue
Delano, CA 93215
Phone: (661) 721-2345 (General)
Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP)
5905 Lake Earl Drive
Crescent City, CA 95531
Phone: (707) 465-1000
Pleasant Valley State Prison (PVSP)
24863 West Jayne Avenue
Coalinga, CA 93210
Phone: (559) 935-4900
Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility (RJD)
480 Alta Road San Diego,
CA 92179 Phone: (619) 661-6500
Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP)
31625 Highway 101
Soledad, CA 93960
Phone: (831) 678-5500
San Quentin State Prison (SQ)
San Quentin, CA 94964
Phone: (415) 454-1460
Sierra Conservation Center (SCC)
5100 O’Byrnes Ferry Road
Jamestown, CA 95327
Phone: (209) 984-5291
Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison
900 Quebec Avenue
Corcoran, CA 93212
Phone: (559) 992-7100
Valley State Prison (VSP)
21633 Avenue 24
Chowchilla, CA 93610
Phone: (559) 665-6100
Wasco State Prison (WSP)
701 Scofield Avenue
Wasco, CA 93280
Phone: (661) 758-8400
How to Send Money to an Inmate in California Prisons or Jails
The CDCR provides certain guidelines for sending money to inmates incarcerated in California prisons. There are three ways to fund inmates' accounts:
- By electronic funds transfer
- By mailing a check or money order to a JPay address
- By mailing a check or money order directly to the prison
To send money to an inmate in a state prison, an individual must know the inmate's name and CDCR number. For electronic funds transfer (ETF), the CDCR approves three vendors: Access Corrections, GTL/ConnectNetwork, and JPay. These vendors charge processing fees and post funds to inmates' accounts in 1 – 3 days.
It takes ten business days for an inmate to receive a check or money order from JPay. Personal and cashier's checks are accepted. Make the check or money order payable to JPay. The vendor also requires the sender to complete a Money Order Deposit Form. Send the check or money order to:
JPay
2202 South Figueroa Street
Box #3001
Los Angeles, CA 90007
There are no processing/vendor fees for checks and money orders sent directly to California state prison addresses. However, there is a 30-day hold before the funds appear in inmates' accounts. The sender's name and address must be on a check or money order mailed to the state prison. Make it payable to CDCR and include the receiving inmate's name and CDCR number.
California county and city jails have varying rules about funding inmates' accounts. Visit the county/city website or call the Police or Sheriff's Department in charge of the jail to find out the steps required. Commonly used methods for sending money to inmates in California jails include:
- Cash and card deposits at payment kiosks in jail lobbies
- Card deposits over the phone via numbers provided by approved ETF vendors
- Checks and money orders sent directly to county jails or approved payment processors
- Card deposits made on ETF/payment processors' websites
How to Get Approved to Visit an Inmate in California Prisons and Jails
The CDCR establishes rules and guidelines for visiting adults and juveniles in California prisons and other detention facilities. While planning your visit, make sure to read the CDCR's Guidelines for Visiting Adult Prisons and Juvenile Facilities.
It is also important to know the exact facility where the inmate is housed. You can use the California prison lookup tool to obtain this information. Next, create an account on the Visitor Processing Appointment Scheduling System (VPASS) and proceed to schedule visits. After scheduling an inmate visit, you can check the visitation status of the California prison from the VPASS Visiting Status webpage.
Alternatively, call (800) 374-8474 to check a CDCR facility visiting status. Since state prisons can unexpectedly cancel visitations, it is best to confirm the facility's status on the day of your visit. Meanwhile, note that visitation rules vary from one local jail to another. Visit the website of the county or city where the jail is located for information about visitation hours, ID requirements, and other specific regulations.
Note that California houses some federal prisons. Hence, if the goal is to execute a federal prison inmate search in California, an interested person must utilize the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator. The state's inmate lookup system cannot be used for a federal prison inmate search. Federal prison inmate searches through the BOP's inmate locator are free.
How to Use a County Inmate Roster in California
County sheriff's offices are typically responsible for supervising locally incarcerated individuals. These departments also produce and maintain records on the incarcerated population per the law. Hence, when attempting to find a county inmate roster in California, one should check the supervising sheriff's department's website. This roster may be accessible as a "California inmate search," "jail info," "who's in jail," or a similarly named web application that requires specific keywords like inmate's name or jail number to retrieve information. It may also be a simple, browseable list of who's in custody.
How to Perform a California Prison Inmate Search
The CDCR maintains the records of inmates held in state prisons. It provides a handy inmate lookup tool on its website for anyone trying to find incarcerated individuals in various state-owned prisons and detention facilities. Members of the public can access inmate records by performing a free inmate search by name or the inmate's CDCR identification number.
Note that this online access only provides the records of adult inmates. The records of juvenile inmates in California Youth Facilities are not publicly available. The records of adult inmates recently admitted or transferred to California prisons may not be immediately available either. It takes a few days for such records to be processed and added to the database. Lastly, the CDCR often restricts public access to the information of certain prisoners due to safety and security concerns.
Any individual who has trouble finding an inmate's whereabouts using this California inmate locator tool can contact the Department's Identification Unit at (916) 445-6713.
How Do I Look Up an Inmate in California?
A California inmate lookup is best performed at the county level in the judicial district where the detainee is held. Typically, municipal jails in California maintain inmate lists or jail rosters on the official website of the local law enforcement - sheriff's office or police department. Interested persons may look for an inmate in California using these websites by reviewing the roster or entering a search query into the provided search bar (if applicable). Searches are typically conducted by the inmate’s name, DOC number, birth date, and/or gender. Alternatively, inquirers may look up an inmate in California using the CDCR’s Public Inmate Locator System, which offers state-wide search options for finding detainees across all municipalities within the state’s jurisdiction.
How to Perform a California Jail Inmate Search
Municipal jails in California generally maintain inmate lists or jail rosters on the official website of the local law enforcement - sheriff's office or police department. Interested persons may conduct a jail inmate search using websites to find a person in jail. Alternatively, an interested person may call or visit the jail administrator during business hours to find someone in jail.
California State Prisons and County Jails: Understanding the Difference
California's state prison and county jail system is the largest in the United States. It houses over 165,000 inmates, which is more than any other state. The majority of these inmates are serving time for non-violent offenses. However, there are a significant number of violent offenders as well.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) oversees the state prison system. The CDCR has a budget of over $10 billion, making it one of the largest agencies in the state government.
The prison system has an inmate population that exceeds the system's capacity by nearly 25%. This has led to poor conditions and a lack of access to basic services. The county jail system also has an average daily population that exceeds the capacity of the jails by nearly 10%.
The California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA) is the union that represents prison guards and other correctional employees.
How Do I Find Out an Inmate Release Date?
The release date of a California inmate is available online and can be obtained following a California inmate search. Interested persons can also contact the administrative desk at the correctional facility to get the release date directly. This information is publicly available unless a court or the record custodian seals the information for privacy or safety reasons. In such cases, only the inmate's immediate family members, crime victims, attorneys, and authorized criminal justice officials will have access to the inmate's exact release date. A typical California inmate search will require the inquirer to provide information to facilitate the inmate’s record search.
