Santa Cruz Main Jail

259 Water Street
Santa Cruz, CA. 95060
(831) 454-7800

• Main Jail Visitation Scheduling
• Main Jail Visitation Scheduling (Spanish)

Rules and Regulations

Attorneys

Attorneys licensed to practice law in the State of California and who possess a California Bar Card, or an attorney who is registered with the California Bar to represent an inmate pro hoc vice, may access jail inmates at any time. Access may be subject to procedural delays due to other priority activities occurring in the jail such as inmate feeding, counts or emergencies.

Mail

• All mail will be opened and checked for contraband.
• Postage stamps are NOT allowed to be mailed for inmate use.
• Pictures (4"x6" or smaller). Five or less photos.
• All mail will be scanned and available for viewing by the recipient on the tablets or kiosks in their housing unit.
• Once mail is recieved at the facility it will be destroyed 30 days after scanned.
• Please do not mail originals of important documents like marriage certificates, birth certificates, social security cards or pictures; as they will be destroyed after being scanned (you can send copies of these items).
• Greeting cards must be single layer (no plastic coating or oversized).
• Books, newspapers and periodicals can only come from the publisher or Internet distributor (no hardbound books allowed).
• Publications that are obscene, pornographic, intended to incite murder, arson, riot, racism, violence or material concerning gangs or gambling will not be allowed.
• Mail to/from other penal institutions is prohibited unless authorized by the Facility Commander.
• Mail must be addressed as follows:

  Smart Communications-Santa Cruz County Jail
  Attention To: (INMATE NAME - ID or S NUMBER)
  P.O. Box 9143
  Seminole, FL 33775-9143

Money

Money can be left daily at the kiosks located in the Main Jail Lobby or the Rountree - Medium Facility Lobby. Reception staff cannot accept inmate deposits. Lobby kiosks accept cash and credit cards. Credit card deposits can also be made on line by visiting www.inmatedeposits.com or by phone at (866) 345-1884. Money orders (payable to the inmate) can be sent via US mail and must be addressed as follows:

Inmate Name, Inmate S#
C/O Sheriff Fiscal
Santa Cruz County Jail
259 Water Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Commissary items may be purchased for inmates by visiting www.santacruzpackages.com.

Property Release

Upon the request of an inmate or officer, excess personal property may be released. This only pertains to property in the inmate’s possession in the housing unit. A property release form must be signed by the inmate. Releases occur Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Property left upon release will be stored no longer than 60 days.

Preparing for Release

It is important to prepare your loved one and yourselves for the transition from jail back into the community. There are many local programs, services, and community resources that can help ensure that returning to jail is not an option. Please follow this link for a list of resources and information for incarcerated persons and their loved ones: https://www.namiscc.org/uploads/9/0/2/6/9026727/community_resources.pdf

Visiting

Visitor lists may only be updated every 30 days. The inmate is responsible for submitting a Visitor Clearance Form. The inmate will need each visitor’s full name, address, phone number, date of birth and a Government ID number (i.e. Drivers License, Passport). The inmate submits the completed form to the Jail Staff for visiting clearance. Anyone who has been in custody within the past 60 days, is on parole or formal probation, has a warrant or restraining order prohibiting contact, may not visit.
We schedule appointments Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Visiting slots are available every Saturday, Sunday, and are scheduled according to the inmate housing assignments. You may call (831) 454-7800 to schedule an appointment. Visits may be scheduled up to one week in advance.

Visiting Rules and Information

• Inmates must be in custody for 72 court hours prior to having any visit.
• Visits at Main Jail and the Rountree Facility are non-contact.
• Appointments are required and must be made Monday through Friday with the Reception Staff, at least 24 hours in advance. 24 hour notice must also be given to cancel an appointment, so that the appointment may be offered to another visitor.  Failure to provide 24 hour notice will be counted as a missed appointment.
• Visitors must arrive and register 30 minutes prior to their scheduled visit to avoid cancellation.
• Visitors that cancel or miss total of three (3) visits will be banned from visiting for 30 days.
• All visitors must bring and wear an N95 mask when checking into the facility and during the visit; as determined by the Sheriff’s Office in accordance with current County health and safety regulations.
• Each visit may include up to two (2) adults or one (1) adult and up to two (2) minors. The number of visitor’s allowed per visit is determined by the Sheriff’s Office in accordance with current County health and safety regulations and facility need.
• Adult visitors must present a valid photo ID (i.e., Driver’s License, Passport). A parent or legal guardian must accompany visitors under the age of 18. The parent must bring the minor’s birth certificate and the legal guardian must present court papers showing they are the legal guardian or provide a notarized letter along with the minor’s birth certificate. Minors cannot be left unattended in the lobby area, parking lot or any other area on the jail property.
• All visitors must be appropriately dressed. Attire, which is revealing, offensive, gang related or distracting to others will not be allowed. Shoes and shirts are required. Jail Staff will determine the appropriateness of the clothing.
• Visitors will not be allowed to bring ANY food, tobacco, or personal property into the jail (i.e., cell phones, purses, pagers). Lockers are available for 25 cents. Any beverage needs to be in a sealed, plastic container. No alcohol will be permitted.
• All visitors are subject to screening with a metal detector and/or pat search for weapons and/or contraband.
• Parent or Guardian may bring 1 diaper, 1 bottle and a small package of wipes for babies. Older children may bring a small toy, subject to officer approval.
• Misconduct or violation of the jail rules will result in immediate termination of the visit and the possibility of being banned indefinitely.

DRESS CODE RULES STRICTLY ENFORCED

All visitors must wear shoes and clothing that is appropriate for visiting at the MAIN JAIL. Your visit will be cancelled and you will be denied entry into the facility if these rules are not followed. Any questions or clarification of these rules must be directed to the day shift supervisor.

THE FOLLOWING ARE NOT ALLOWED:

• Dresses, skirts, skirts with slits that are more than 2 inches above the knee
• Clothing that exposes any part of the back, shoulders, chest or midriff
• Visible undergarments
• Transparent clothing, strapless, halter, spaghetti straps, bare midriff clothing, tank tops
• Unfastened buttons and zippers (they must remain fastened)
• Clothing that resembles jail / inmate clothing
• Law Enforcement or military patterned clothing>
• Clothing or footwear containing metal
• Hats
• Medical attire (scrubs)
• Attire displaying obscene or offensive language or drawings
• Visitors with tattoos of an offensive nature, or visible gang-associated tattoos or clothing, will not be allowed to visit
• Anything else deemed inappropriate by the Facility Commander or his/her designee will not be allowed>

All visitors entering the secure area of the jail are subject to being searched. Any person refusing to be searched will be denied the visit and escorted from the facility.