Monterey County Jail

The Monterey County Jail is operated by the Detention Division of the Monterey County Sheriff's Office. This facility is located in Salinas, California. In addition to the jail, the Detention Division also oversees the Rehabilitation Facility and the Classification Unit.

The Detention Division receives prisoners and inmates from all police agencies in the county; from the California Department of Corrections for parole violations, the Probation Department for probation violations, and the Superior Court of California (County of Monterey), once the individual is sentenced.

The jail houses adult males and females who have been arrested by county or municipal law enforcement and are awaiting trial and have not made bail, inmates who have been sentenced to the county jail, and inmates being held for transport to the California Department of Corrections.

Approximately 1,100 inmates are housed in 31 separate housing units that range from single cells to open dormitory settings. Sentenced inmates live in open dormitories and provide manpower for the Monterey County Jail work crews. 

Work crews inside the jail are used for kitchen work, cleaning, and general maintenance. Work crews sent outside the facility provide basic grounds keeping around the Sheriff’s Office and perform litter pick-up along highways and roads throughout Monterey County. 

Unsentenced inmates are held in a secured housing unit and do not participate in work crews. 

The Classification Unit

The Monterey County Classification Unit is responsible for the evaluation of inmates and placing them in the proper housing area. Placing inmates with others who have similar backgrounds and characteristics helps maintain the security of the facility and the safety of inmates and staff.

Classification evaluation is based on criminal sophistication, seriousness of crime charged, presence or absence of assaultive behavior, age, and other criteria that may impact the safety of the prisoners and staff. 

At least 30 percent of the population in the Monterey County Jail is affiliated with a major gang. Approximately 15 percent of the population has a psychiatric illness that requires medication.

The Unit is also responsible for developing gang intelligence, follow-up investigations, and assisting outside agencies when needed.

Inmate Search

To find out if your loved one is being held in the Monterey County Jail, click here or use VINE (see below). 

VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday)

Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) is a free and anonymous telephone service that provides victims of crime both information and notification. VINE monitors the custody status of offenders in the Monterey County Jail and receives updated information every 15 minutes.

The Toll Free Number for California VINE is 1.877.411.5588. Anyone can call the California State VINE line to determine an inmate's custody status. To search for offender information, callers will need one of the following items:

• Offender name or alias
• Secondary search option (if there is more than one offender with the same name), such as:
  • Arrest date
  • Date of birth
  • Middle initial
  • Offender identification number

VINE will let callers know about the offender's current custody status, the location of the inmate, and their offender number.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

In-person visiting hours at the Monterey County Jail are currently canceled due to the pandemic (as of January 2022). 

Visiting schedules change to accommodate the needs of the facility. When visits are allowed, the most up-to-date schedules are posted throughout the Monterey County Jail, on the Sheriff’s website, on the information board in the Lobby, and on the Jail phone messaging recording.

COVID Vaccination Visiting Requirements

Visitors (age 2 and up) must present either a valid COVID-19 vaccination card or a copy of a COVID-19 test that shows negative results within the past 72-hours. Visitors without proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test will not be allowed to visit.

Visitors (age 2 and up) must wear a face mask/covering during the entirety of their visit. If a Deputy observes any visitor not wearing their mask, the visit will be ended.

General Info

Click here for a visitor application. This must be filled out and approved before you can visit an inmate at the Monterey County Jail.

Inmates are allowed a minimum of one hour of visiting per week. Time may be divided among 2 adult visitors in 30-minute increments. One child and one adult are allowed in the secured visiting rooms at one time.  To book a visiting appointment, click here.

It is recommended that Visitors check in 30 MINUTES PRIOR to the start of the inmate's scheduled visiting time in order to acquire their visit.

Visiting is on a first come – first served basis. It is highly suggested that visitors check in at least 30 minutes early.

Quarantine and Observation Housing units are not allowed in-person visits.

Scheduling a Visit

Schedule an appointment at https://montereysheriff.org/detention/jailvisitor/. An appointment is not required, but highly recommended due to room availability. Visiting availability can be viewed on the website by selecting a visiting room.

Video visiting rooms are only for video visits. All visiting time slots are in 30-minute time periods. If you need more time, book additional appointments.

Type of Visit Box- Enter “In Person” for an In-Person visit or "Video" for a video visit.

To initiate a scheduled visiting appointment:

• Call the jail 30-minutes prior to your scheduled appointment at 831-784-5949 (Jail Lobby).
• Tell the lobby Corrections Specialist your visitation details.
• Check-in at the Jail Lobby 15-minutes prior to your appointment.
  • You will be required to provide documentation showing you are fully vaccinated for Covid-19 or received a negative Covid test within 72-hours of the visit. You will be required to have your temperature taken and answer a Covid symptoms questionnaire. You will be required to wear an N95 mask throughout the duration of your visit.
  • The lobby Corrections Specialist will provide you a N95 mask (if you do not have one).

Visiting Rules

Visitors must provide valid photo identification (i.e., driver’s license, identification card, Military ID, passport, Matricula Consular ID Card, or government issued identification). Unacceptable identification includes Social Security cards, bank cashing cards, student ID cards, or other unofficial identification and any expired valid identifications/documents.

Visitors must complete an Inmate Visiting Card for each inmate visited.

All Mail, Book Orders, Magazine and/or Newspaper Subscriptions must be legible and addressed properly or it will be returned to sender.

Incoming mail is inspected and forwarded to inmates daily. When incoming mail is determined to be unacceptable, it will be returned, in its entirety, to the U.S. Postal Service to be returned to the sender. 

Inmate mail is opened by mailroom staff and scanned to identify any security violations or threats, and to verify that the contents are acceptable.

Authorized inmate mail items:

• Money Order/Cashier Check paid to the order of :
  • MCSO Prisoner Trust Fund (Include inmate name and booking number on the top left corner)
• Paperback books, Newspaper and/or Magazine subscriptions mailed directly from vendors ONLY (Shipping label MUST include inmate name and booking number).
• Letters/photos in standard letter size envelopes ONLY.

Unauthorized inmate mail items:

• Cash or personal checks.
• Hardcover or Spiral Bound books, Notebooks, Calendars.
• Lipstick stains, glitter, stickers, scented items.
• Greeting cards, postcards, cardstock paper, laminated items.
• Inmate to Inmate forwarded mail.
• Postage stamps, blank paper, blank envelopes.
• Photos larger than 5x7 inches, polaroid photos.
• Photo images of drugs, sexually suggestive, or gang related.
• Manila Envelopes, Priority mail envelope, Bubble mailer.
• Any items available for purchase from the Jail Commissary.
• Obscene material.

For further clarification or questions contact the Mailroom at (831) 755-3867.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at the Monterey County Jail cannot receive incoming phone calls. However, they have access to phones and can make outgoing collect calls from the inmate housing area. To set up a phone account so you can prepay for calls from your inmate, click here.

California law has established the right of an arrested person to make at least three free local telephone calls upon being booked: one call to an attorney, one to a bail bond agent, and one to a relative or other personal contact. Phone calls are recorded and may be monitored at any time.

Inmate Phone Service
866-516-0115
www.gettingout.com

How to Send Money

Money can be deposited into a Monterey County Jail inmate's account via the kiosk machine in the jail lobby. Friends and family members can also send a money order through the mail that is made payable to MCSD Prisoner Trust Fund. The inmate's name and booking number must be written on the edge of the money order.

Programs For Inmates

The Monterey County Jail has an infirmary with in-house medical, psychiatric and dental staff available to inmates. There is an on-site full-scale laundry, professional kitchen, library, commissary services, building maintenance shop, and a chapel.

Sentenced inmates at the jail have access to a number of programs. Including educational and vocational classes, religious services, library services, and drug and alcohol programs. 

Work Alternative Program

Inmates who have been ordered by the court to serve a jail sentence of 40 days or less may apply to serve their sentence in the WORK ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM (WAP) as an alternative to being incarcerated in the jail. 

Applications to this program are required within five days of the inmate's court date. To schedule an appointment, call (831) 759-7230, 759-7231, or 759-7262. Once you have a confirmed WAP appointment, do not surrender to the jail.

Pictures of Monterey County Jail

Careers at Monterey County Jail

If you are interested in a career with the Monterey County Sheriff's Department and would like more information about the job openings at the Monterey County Jail, click here.