Santa Clara Main Jail Complex

(A resource guide for anyone whose family members or friends are inmates at the Santa Clara Mail Jail Complex)

The Santa Clara County Main Jail Complex is 1 of 4 detention facilities operated by the Santa Clara County Department of Corrections that make them the 5th largest correctional system in the state of California and among the 20 of largest in the country. The Santa Clara County Jail is divided into the Main Jail North and Main Jail South facilities both accommodate approximately 65,000 inmate bookings annually.
The Santa Clara County Main Jail South section of the jail complex was established in 1956 and houses up to 674 prisoners. Due to the old-fashioned design of the building, the interaction between the officers and the prisoners is limited, which is not the standard approach of modern jail facilities.

The Main Jail North section of the Santa Clara County Main Jail Complex is supervised in a manner that combines modern architectural design that allows for a more efficient inmate management system with specialized personnel training. This system is utilized in third generation correctional facilities like the Main Jail North.

With a maximum capacity of up to 919 detainees, the Main Jail North section of the Santa Clara County Main Jail Complex provides individual cells with their own toilets, sinks, mirrors, and beds. The prisoners are also provided with a common area equipped with tables, chairs, and telephones where they all gather and participate in programs that are part of their daily routine while incarcerated in the facility.

Located at 150 West Hedding Street, San Jose, CA 95110 right in the heart of downtown

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In this article, our San Jose criminal defense attorneys will discuss:

• Procedures on how to post bail at the Santa Clara County Jail



• How to get inmate information at the Santa Clara County Main Jail



• How to contact an inmate



• Inmate visiting policies and visiting schedule at the Santa Clara County Main Jail



• Rules and regulations for mail correspondences with inmates



• How to put money "on the books" for inmates at the Santa Clara County Main Jail



• Procedure on "return of property"



• Special programs available for inmates at the Santa Clara County Main Jail

Procedures on how to post bail at the Santa Clara County Main Jail

Once an inmate completes the booking process, a bail amount will be set according to the Santa Clara County Bail Schedule. Bail amount depends on the criminal offense with which the inmate is charged. Bail guarantees the inmate to appear in court after he or she is released pending trial. Anyone may post bail at the main jail desk to issue the release of the inmate at anytime.

Below are accepted methods of payment as bail at the Santa Clara County Jail:

• Cash



• Cashier's Check



• Bail Bond

Cash - Anyone may post bail in cash provided that the person posting bail has the full amount. As soon as bail is posted, the process of releasing the inmate will begin. It usually takes between 3 to 6 hours before the inmate is released. Once the court proceedings are concluded, a small administrative fee will be charged and the remainder of the posted bail will be refunded.

Cashier's Check - Posting bail using a Cashier's Check is similar to posting bail with cash. The full amount of bail is required for bail to be posted. In this instance, verification of funds is critical before bail takes effect to issue the release of the inmate. Once funds are verified, bail is posted and the release process follows immediately.

When using a Cashier's Check, make sure that the funds are from a bank in the state of California. It must be made payable to the "Santa Clara County Department of Corrections" or otherwise it will not be accepted. Make sure to reference the inmate's name, booking number and personal file number on the Cashier's Check.

Bail Bond - This method of payment does not require the person posting bail to come up with the full amount. Bail bond agents normally charge between 8 to 10% of the actual amount of bail. A bail bond functions as a guarantee that the inmate will appear in court after release pending trial.

You may access information on hiring bail bond agents on the internet or in the Yellow Pages. It is important to verify that they are licensed bail bond agents before hiring their services. Furthermore, asking for copies of all documents to keep for your records is highly recommended.

For further discussion, visit our page on bail and release procedures in California jails.

How to get inmate information at the Santa Clara County Main Jail

Obtaining inmate information at the Santa Clara County Jail can be done by contacting the Administrative Booking section at (408) 299-2306. Since this is the main information line, it happens to be "busy" most of the time and callers need to be patient to get through to a representative. You may also contact a toll number to avoid long waits.

For local toll calls, please dial (408) 976-5245. For all calls outside the (408) area code, you may dial (900) 226-9920. When inquiring about an inmate, it is essential to know the complete and correct spelling of his or her name (middle name if it applies). Upon inquiry, you may also request the inmate's personal file number, which is essential in mail correspondence and other ways of making contact with the inmates at the Santa Clara County Main Jail.

For general information, you may contact the main office at (408) 299-3438 daily during normal business hours.

How to contact an inmate incarcerated at the Santa Clara County Main Jail

As a standard procedure in all county jails and state prisons, incarcerated adults do not have the privilege to receive incoming calls from anyone. This policy is strictly enforced at the Santa Clara County Jail. However, the inmates are provided access to a telephone to communicate with their loved ones. All outgoing calls are collect or may be assisted through a billing service operated by Evercom Systems, Inc. or Correctional Billing Services.com

To set up an account for the inmates, please contact 1-800-844-6591. You may also set up an account online if you go to their website at https://www.correctionalbillingservices.com/

If the inmate is placed on a disciplinary action, his or her telephone privilege will most likely be taken away and will be restored once disciplinary action is lifted.

Another way of making contact with an inmate held in custody at the Santa Clara County Main Jail is through mail correspondence. Mail correspondence is perhaps the most efficient and easiest way to communicate with the inmates since phone privilege is very limited.

Inmate visiting policies and visiting hours at the Santa Clara County Mail Jail

At the Santa Clara County Jail, all persons will be required to provide proof of identification upon entering the facilities for purposes of visiting an inmate. Everyone will be subject to search of their person and belongings as a safety provision. Below is a list of the appropriate forms of identification accepted at the Santa Clara County Main Jail:

• A California driver's license



• A California identification card



• A U.S. passport



• An Alien Registration card



• A U.S. Military card

Inmates incarcerated at the Santa Clara County Jail are entitled to up to 2 visits per week: 1 visit on the weekends and 1 visit during the week. Each visit is a maximum of 1 hour but may be split into 2 - 30 minute visits if the inmate has more than 1 visitor. Only 1 visitor is allowed at a time, and visitors are not to exceed more than 2 per day.

Split visits must be coordinated upon registration. All visitors must be present to register at the same time. A reasonable number of children may visit an inmate provided that they are accompanied by their parents or legal guardians at all times. If the children are not exhibiting good behavior, the visit will be terminated for their safety and to keep proper accord in the facility.

All visits are accommodated on a first-come, first served basis and requires registration 1 hour before the desired scheduled visit. Registration starts at 7:00 am on weekdays, and at 6:00 pm on weekends.

Below is the breakdown of the visiting time slots for both facilities (Main Jail North and Main Jail South):

Main Jail North

Main Jail South

NOTE: Schedule is subject to change without prior notice. It is advisable to call prior to arriving to the facility to be aware of any changes.

Dress code is strictly enforced during visits. All visitors must be dressed in proper attire as defined below:

• No revealing clothing or anything that is sexually provocative in nature



• Clothes with writing or with images that is obscene or offensive to others



• Footwear must be worn at all times

Consumption of food and drinks is never allowed while visiting an inmate. Drugs and alcohol are also prohibited. Anyone who appears to be intoxicated or is under the influence of any controlled substance will be denied entry. Anyone in possession of any contraband or illegal drugs will be arrested and will face possible prosecution. Visitors with exposed tattoos that are gang-affiliated will not be allowed to visit the inmates for security reasons.

Visitors with a prior conviction who served jail time in a state prison or who has a history of arrest at the Santa Clara County Jail will not be allowed to visit without authorization from the Jail Commander. Approval from the Jail Commander must be received prior to arriving at the facility. Visitors who are on parole will go through the same procedure.

Inmates who are placed on a disciplinary action will not be allowed to receive visitors. Compliance with the above regulations is highly recommended to ensure a smooth process of visiting the inmates. The Jail Commander has the right to refuse visiting privilege to anyone whom he or she feels is a threat in the security of the inmates and the staff.

Rules and regulations for mail correspondence with inmates at the Santa Clara County Main Jail

The inmates at the Santa Clara County Jail are allowed to correspond with anyone through mail as often as possible. They are provided with sufficient amounts of supplies in order for them to do so, hence these items are not allowed to be mailed to the inmates. The list below indicates items that will not be accepted in the mail:

• Only letters mailed through the United States Postal Service. UPS, Fedex, and other mail carriers will not be accepted as a standard procedure.



• Cardboard, plastics, items that are laminated, greeting cards exceeding maximum size of (5'x7'), postage stamps, staples, paper clips, envelopes (especially padded ones), envelopes or any items with tape, blank paper



• Photographs exceeding maximum size of (4'x6'), Polaroid pictures, photos that depict gang-related activities or with sexual undertones



• Homemade items, items that have stains or suspicious prints or markings on them



• Food items, drugs, contraband, packages of all kinds and CASH

Newspapers, magazines, periodicals, and books (no hardbound books allowed) will only be accepted if mailed directly from the publishing company and mailed through the United States Postal Service. All mail correspondence must have a return address and must be addressed as indicated below:

Santa Clara County Department of Correction
Main Jail Complex (for both Main Jail North and Mail Jail South)
Inmate Name/Booking Number/PFN (personal file number)
885 North San Pedro Street
San Jose, CA 95110

How to put money "on the books" for inmates

This procedure provides convenience to all inmates incarcerated at the Santa Clara Jail which allows them to purchase items at the jail's commissary. Once an inmate is situated in a designated housing assignment upon completion of their booking process, an account is set on his or her behalf where family members or friends can make deposit.

Anyone can make a deposit into an inmate's account by sending money through the mail. Only money orders or cashier's checks are allowed and must be mailed through the United States Postal Service. Funds must originate from banks in the state of California or otherwise will be returned to sender. All money orders and cashier's checks must be made payable to the "Santa Clara County Department of Corrections".

There is a $300 limit for each deposit. When making a deposit into inmates' accounts, you must know the complete and correct spelling of their names (middle names if applicable) and must reference their booking numbers and their personal file numbers (for money orders and cashier's checks) for proper endorsement.

Once the inmate is transferred into a different housing facility or finally discharged, his or her account will be closed and the balance may be retrieved at the time of release.

Procedure on "return of property" of inmates at the Santa Clara County Jail

All property in the possession of the inmates, upon their arrest, will be confiscated and stored for them while they are held in custody. Cash will be deposited into an account set up for them where others may also make a deposit for them to access. Inmates may release their money or property to anyone upon signing a consent and release form.

If an inmate decides to release his or her property, all items must be released except personal clothing. Personal clothing may only be released if the inmate is being transferred into a state prison. The designated recipient may claim the inmate's property during normal business hours. Property will only be released upon verification of the recipient's identity. Only Government issued identification will be accepted.

Special programs available for inmates at the Santa Clara Jail

The inmates held in custody at the Santa Clara County Main Jail are privileged with the opportunity to participate in special programs that teach them to be better citizens once they are ready to immerse back into the community. The list below is of the special programs offered at the Santa Clara County Main Jail:

• Regimented Correctional Program (RCP)



• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)



• Narcotics Anonymous (NA)



• General Education Diploma Classes (GED)



• Substance Abuse Classes



• Occupational Training



• Computer Skills Training



• Literacy Training (reading and writing skills)



• Stress Reduction, Nutrition & Personal Hygiene Training



• Anger Management



• Trauma Recovery



• Parenting Skills Training

These programs are available to all the inmates. All programs are free of charge and mandated by the Santa Clara County Department of Corrections.

For further information and to discuss the case with a San Jose criminal defense attorney, we invite you to contact us at (408) 347-1200.

Join us to discuss your DUI case at any of our
local offices: You can also contact us 24/7 at
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