California State Departament Of Corrections Inmate Search

California has the largest prison and jail system in the United States. The state can hold more than 165,000 offenders, which is way above any other state in the country. Most inmates are for nonviolent offenses, but a few are also violent offenders. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) administers the prison and jail. The agency is the largest in the state government, with over a $10 billion budget. 

The state prison system has a population above its capacity by almost 25 percent. This has resulted in a lack of access to essential services and poor conditions. The county jail system has a daily population that exceeds its capacity by almost 10 percent.  

Some county and state jails hold offenders of misdemeanor crimes or those waiting to be taken to court. The 32 state prisons hold those who have committed violent crimes or felonies such as arson, robbery, and rape. Inmates can be released with parole supervision or to a community program after being in the state prison.  

The 11 Federal prisons hold inmates who have committed federal crimes like money crimes, bank robbery, kid kidnapping, etc. The prisons work under various levels, such as low, medium, and high. Federal Bureau of Prisons manages them.  

California has juvenile facilities housing inmates below 18 years who have committed nonviolent crimes.  

How to Search for an Inmate in California  

County Sheriff's Departments run county jails in California. Some cities also have local jails that are run by police departments in the cities. To perform an inmate search in the county jails, contact the Sheriff's department managing the jail. To search for an inmate in a city jail, you should contact the police department.  

Most counties also offer online access to inmate files on their site via a California county jail inmate search. To search for an inmate, you should determine the city or county website and go to the police department of the Sheriff's section, where you will find the inmate locator.  

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation keeps records for inmates in state prisons. You can use an inmate lookup tool on its site to perform an inmate search using their name or the inmate identification number.  

Note that you can only search for adult inmates because juvenile inmate records are not public. The agency also limits information about some inmates because of security and safety concerns.  

How to Contact an Inmate in California 

You can send mail to an inmate using their full name, institution name, address, and return address. All letters are opened and checked by facility authorities. To get contacts of a facility, visit here.  

It's also possible to send an email to an inmate through Viapath Technologies (VPT). The email is printed and forwarded to an inmate to read. They can also send back the email to you. Inmates are also allowed to make calls. Phone calls are limited to fifteen minutes.  

Sending Money  

You can send money to an inmate account through a money order or check directly to the prison or JPay address and electronic funds transfer. To send money, you should know the inmate's full name and CDCR number.  

For electronic transfer, you can use Jpay, Access Correction, or GTL/ConnectNetwork. 

County jails have different rules regarding sending money, so you need to enquire from a specific jail on how to do it. The common methods include money orders, cards, and cash deposits at kiosks in the jail lobbies.  

Visiting an Inmate  

Before visiting an inmate in California, you should read the guidelines and rules of The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Knowing the specific facility where the inmate is held is also good. Search using the California prison lookup tool to get this information. 

You should then create an account on the (VPASS) or Visitor Processing Appointment Scheduling System to schedule a visit. Check the visitation status from the status web page. 

Visiting rules differ from one local jail to the other. So, it's good to check information like visit hours and ID requirements from the specific jail you want to visit.