Sacramento County Main Jail

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office in Sacramento, California, operates the Sacramento County Main Jail. This facility 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.

The Main Jail provides custodial and security services for incarcerated and detained individuals for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, the Sacramento Police Department, and other area law enforcement agencies.

The goals of the Sacramento County Main Jail are to provide safety and security for the public, inmates, and employees within the facility.

Inmate Search

To find out if your loved one is being held at the Sacramento County Main 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 Sacramento 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

Each inmate at the Sacramento County Main Jail is allowed at least two 45-minute social visits per week, Sunday through Saturday. Sentenced inmates, sentenced inmate trustees, and non-sentenced trustees (7E) at the Main Jail may receive three 45-minute social visits per week. Weekend visit days are usually very crowded at the Main Jail. Visitors should plan for a potential delay, and out of town visitors should plan accordingly.

Morning/Afternoon visiting hours: 7:30, 8:30, 9:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, and 2:30.
Evening visiting hours: 4:30, 5:30, 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30.

The last visitor must be registered no later than 9:30 p.m. All visitors must leave the visit area by 10:15 p.m. No more than three people, including infants and children, are allowed to visit at one time. 

A valid photo ID is required. You will only be allowed to visit one inmate per visit and visits are scheduled on a “first come first served” basis, time and space permitting.

ONLY your identification, keys, and small wallet will be allowed in the visit area. ALL other items, including purses, cell phones, and backpacks must be secured in your vehicle or storage locker prior to visiting. All visitors are subject to search and metal detection scan. 

Cell phones, smart watches, tablets, pens, pencils, papers, purses, pictures, lighters, cigarettes and/or e-cigarettes, are prohibited in the visiting area.

Dress Code

All visitors are required to wear footwear (shoes, sandals or boots). The following clothing is not allowed in the visiting room at the Sacramento County Main Jail: 

• Revealing clothing, tube tops, see-through mesh materials
• Short shorts, micro-mini skirts, tank tops with thin straps
• Backless or sleeveless tops, midriff or cutout shirts or bathing tops
• Clothing with logos that inherently promote violence, hate, drug use, profanity, sex acts or gangs

Visit Notifications

All correspondence, including money orders, must have a complete return name and address and be addressed in the manner listed above.

The Sacramento County Main Jail has strict mail procedures that must be followed. Due to the large population of inmates in custody, you must include the inmate’s X-Reference number and housing location on all items mailed to the Main Jail. Do not draw on the envelope, and neatly print all information.

Please follow these rules to reduce mail delays. The following is a list of unacceptable items which will be returned to the sender or confiscated:

• Drugs, weapons, hazardous materials
• Stationery, stamps, envelopes, post-its
• Paperclips, metal, plastic, laminations, balloons, jewelry, etc.
• Stickers, labels, tape, glue, or any adhesives on the inside or outside of the envelope/letter
• Musical cards, glitter, paint, string, etc.
• Mail containing bubble wrap or plastic
• Padded envelopes
• Polaroid photographs or photos larger than 4"x6"
• Photographs or pictures that are pornographic, nude, suggestive, showing gangs, gang tattoos, or hand gestures (signs) are not allowed
• Cash or checks (Only money orders are accepted). Money orders must be completely filled out with the inmate’s full name, X-Reference number, housing location, and the purchaser’s full name and address.

Identification cards and phone cards are not allowed in inmate mail. Mail that does not have a return address will be labeled “Dead Mail” and returned to the postal service. Mail that does not have a complete return address (Nicknames or full name) will be returned to the sender.

Books,Magazines, and Other Subscriptions

The Sacramento County Main Jail does not accept books, newspapers or magazines mailed from a book store or an individual. Books, newspapers, and magazines will ONLY be accepted directly from the publisher or through online services (Amazon, Barnes and Noble….etc.) on behalf of the inmate. No hardcover books are allowed.

Books, Magazines, and Newspapers that contain photographs or pictures that display drugs, pornography, nudity, gangs, gang tattoos, or hand gestures (signs) are not allowed.

No CDs, DVDs, or tapes allowed in inmate packages. No food products, cosmetic items, board games, personal clothing, etc. No stationary, note pads, envelopes, stamps, pens, pencils, etc. (These items may be purchased through the commissary.)

Any material that appears to be obscene or tends to incite murder, arson, riot, racism, or otherwise compromises security will not be accepted.

Inmate Email

Friends and family members can email their inmate via the inmate information system. As a rule, emails are printed out and delivered to inmates the next day. Which means that the inmates do not have access to a computer system to reply to emails. For instructions about emailing an inmate, click here.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at the Sacramento County Main Jail cannot receive incoming phone calls. However, they have access to phones and can make outgoing collect calls from the inmate housing area. 

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.

If you would like to create an account to accept calls from an inmate, please contact ICSolutions online or call 1-888-506-8407.

In Case of Emergency

In case of a serious family emergency, contact the Main Jail Social Worker at 916-874-6345 or the Jail Chaplain at 916-874-7724, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m.

Inmate Voice Messaging

Voice messaging allows you to leave a 30-second voicemail message for an inmate or detainee. The service is available to you 24/7 and the inmate/detainee is not charged for a call. 

To leave a voicemail message for an inmate/detainee, you must have a Prepaid Account. If you would like to leave a voicemail message for an inmate/detainee please call: (916) 277-0500.

To learn more about Inmate Voicemail Messaging, please CLICK HERE.
To create an account or sign in to an existing Prepaid Account, CLICK HERE.

How to Send Money

To deposit funds into an inmate's account at the Sacramento County Main Jail with cash, credit card or debit card deposits, use the TouchPay Kiosk in the Main Jail lobby. 

You can also use TouchPay Direct by phone, online, or at a TouchPay retail location. 

To use any of these methods, you need:

• Main Jail Facility Location Number: 257501
• Inmate’s name
• Inmate’s X-reference number

TouchPay Direct by Phone: 1-866-232-1899
TouchPay Direct Online: https://www.gtlfsonlinepay.com/portal/
To find TouchPay retail locations go to: http://touchpayonline.com/locator/.

Cashier’s Checks and Money Orders payable to the inmate/detainee with their x-reference and housing location can be mailed to the inmate at this address:

Inmate’s Name, X-Reference number, Housing Location
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

DO NOT send personal checks, government issued checks, or state/federal tax refund checks. DO NOT endorse the back of the money order.

Programs For Inmates

This information is not publicly available.

Pictures of Sacramento County Main Jail

Careers at Sacramento County Main Jail

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