San Joaquin County Jail South Jail

South Jail is one of three facilities operated by the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office. The other two are Jail Core and the Honor Farm. Inmates housed at the South Jail have not made bail and are awaiting trial, or they have been sentenced to county jail time.

Inmate Search

To find out if your loved one is being held in one of the San Joaquin County Jails, 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 San Joaquin County Jail and Annex 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. 

Bail and Release Procedures

Inmates at San Joaquin County South Jail are eligible for release in the following ways:

• Pretrial Services (a liaison unit between the jail and the courts) releases inmates under the Misdemeanor Citation Release Program and also the Felony Own Recognizance Program.
• Own Recognizance release by the courts following arraignment.
• Cash Bail for the full amount of the bail posted at the jail. The jail accepts United States currency or a Cashier’s check. The Cashier’s check must be made out to the San Joaquin County Superior Court. 
• Bail Bond for the full amount of the bail posted at the jail. Bail agents generally charge a 10% fee for posting a bond. This is usually payable upfront to the bail agent and is not recoverable or refundable.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours at South Jail are Monday through Friday between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm. Visiting is closed between 11:45 am and 1:00 pm for lunch and institutional count. 

Public visiting sessions at the San Joaquin County Jail—South Jail are on a first come first served basis. You must arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the visiting time you want to sign up for to allow time for check-in. There is limited visiting space and times available.

Visits last for a maximum of 45 minutes, and they begin on the hour. Inmates are allowed two visits per week, based on availability. 

COVID protocols are in place in the visiting room. Which means appropriate facemasks are required in the lobby and for admittance. Children under 2 are not required to wear a mask. The visiting room does not provide masks, all visitors will need to have their own masks.

Due to unforeseen events, visiting hours may be temporarily changed or suspended. A notice will be placed at the entry of the affected area with further detail of the next available visiting time or instructions to call the site for updated information.

General Visiting Rules

• You must present a valid government-issued photo ID in order to visit an inmate.
• A maximum of three visitors are allowed to visit an inmate at South Jail, including infants and children.
• No eating, drinking, or smoking is allowed in the visiting room
• If you leave the visiting room after the visit has started, you will not be permitted to return
• No handbags, diaper bags, strollers, infant seats, or other large containers may be taken into the visiting room. These articles must be kept outside the facility. A limited number of lockers are available to secure small personal items. 
• If you have a baby, you may bring in a clear plastic bag containing 1 bottle, 1 small blanket, 1 diaper, and wipes to complete a diaper change
• Visitors under the influence of alcohol and or drugs will be excluded from visiting and may be subject to arrest
• Visitors are subject to search of their persons and property
• Visitors convicted of a felony, on parole or probation, or who have been released from any San Joaquin County custody facility within the past thirty days are excluded from visiting.
• Visitors determined to be a victim or are named in an active protective order prohibiting contact of the inmate they are attempting to visit are prohibited from visiting that inmate.

The following items are not allowed in the South Jail visiting room:

• Smoking material (including lighters and matches)
• Weapons (including knives and pocket knives)
• Food
• Purses, briefcases, diaper bags, strollers
• Electronic Devices (cell phones, tablets, cameras, recording devices, etc…)
• Drugs or Alcohol
• Cosmetic bags, nail clippers or files

Dress Code

Visitors are expected to wear clothing that meets the constraints of an institutional setting. Attire should be conservative and not too revealing. Those who fail to comply with the dress code will be excluded from visiting.

All visitors must be fully clothed: NO SAGGING  All visitors must wear shoes  Visitors are NOT ALLOWED to remove any article of clothing during the visit.  Doing so will violate the dress code standards, terminating the visit.

Unacceptable attire includes, but is not limited to: 

• Sexually suggestive, provocative, sheer or “see through” clothing 
• Sleeveless, strapless, halter, spaghetti straps, swim suits or bare midriff clothing 
• Pajamas or slippers/house shoes 
• Undergarments must not be visible 
• Shorts or skirts exposing more than three inches above the knee (including slits) 
• “Gang” related attire or color such as hats, belts, bandanas, shoes, sportswear… 
• Attire displaying obscene or offensive language, drawings, or images 
• An article of clothing in poor repair, torn, ripped or shredded clothing 
• No coats or jackets 
• No hooded apparel

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at San Joaquin County South Jail cannot receive incoming phone calls. However, they have access to phones and can make outgoing calls from the inmate housing area on a daily basis. 

California law has established the right of an arrested person to make at least three free local telephone calls when they are 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.

How to Send Money

In Person

You can send money to your inmate via the kiosk located in the 24-hour lobby of Jail Core -- as well as the visiting lobbies of the South Jail and the Honor Farm. The kiosks accept Cash, Credit Cards, and Debit Cards with the Visa or MasterCard logo on them.

US Mail

Postal Money Orders are accepted via USPS when mailed directly to the inmate at:

South Jail
999 West Matthews Road
French Camp, CA. 95231

Mailed money orders must have the inmate’s name, booking number, and a return address.

Online

The money deposit process can also be done online via www.smartdeposit.com. Or call them at (866) 394-0490.

**To deposit money in the kiosk at the jail and on the website you will need:  Inmate name OR inmate LAR number.

Care Packages

Programs For Inmates

The County Office of Education provides classes at the San Joaquin County South Jail. They include GED, Adult Diploma, Life Skills, Ownership/Re-Entry, and Office Technology/Job Readiness.

Friends Outside—a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for families, children, and communities impacted by incarceration—provides programs like Parenting, Creative Conflict Resolution, Anger Management, Fresh Start (Substance Abuse), Women's Wellness, Dads Peer Support, and Individual Case Management.

Vocational Program C-TECH

The Joaquin County Sheriff's Office offers a vocational program called C-TECH, which provides students with the necessary skills and credentials to obtain an entry-level position in a high-demand occupation. Inmates get hands-on training with portable equipment, and an opportunity to earn a certificate in:

• Introduction to Telecommunications
• Network Cabling for both fiber optic and copper-based systems
• Home Entertainment Residential Audio/Video Systems
• Introduction to Telephone Systems, and 
• Connecting to Business

Upon completion of each course, inmates earn an Industry-Recognized Certificate from CTECH.

Alternative Work Program (AWP)

This program allows participants to serve their sentences by working full-time (between eight and ten hours per day) at an assigned AWP work site. They are required to work five days per week if unemployed. Inmates in the AWP are also subject to alcohol monitoring and or drug testing.

Electronic Monitoring Program (EMP)

This program allows participants to serve their sentences in an approved home while monitored by a GPS device. Inmates who are accepted into the EMP are subject to alcohol monitoring and or drug testing.

The residence will be inspected randomly. No alcohol, firearms, contraband while in the program. Inmates are required to stay inside their home when not at work. No garage, back yard, front yard, etc.

For more information about inmate programming, call the Inmate Program's Director at (209) 468-4656 or an Inmate Caseworker at (209) 468-4373 or (209) 468-4370.

Pictures of San Joaquin County Jail South Jail

Careers at San Joaquin County Jail South Jail

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