Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility

The Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility is located in Ventura, California and is operated by the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. The jail accepts arrested from every law enforcement agency in Ventura County, with over 29,000 bookings and releases processed each year.

The Pre-Trial Detention Facility opened in 1980, and currently houses approximately 890 adult men and women. This jail houses both sentenced and unsentenced inmates. The types of inmates housed here are general population, violent/assaultive offenders, psychiatric, and inmates needing medical services. 

Inmate Search

To find out if your loved one is being held in the Ventura County Jail, call the facility directly at (805) 654-3335 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 Ventura County Claybank 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 his/her offender number.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Masks are required for ALL visitors at the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility. ALL contact visits require visitors to wear the N95 MASK and follow social distancing guidelines.

In-person visiting schedules are now in use post-pandemic, and efforts have been made to maximize visiting opportunities. If there is high demand for in-person visiting, video visitation, tablets, mail, email, and phone calls are also options. 

Visitors are expected to check in with the staff at the Public Reception Lobby one hour prior to the start of visiting.

• Inmates receive two — 30 minute visits per week
• Two visitors per visit. 2 adults or 1 adult 1 minor
• Visiting days are on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
• There are various visiting sessions each day
• The Public Desk business hours are, 6am — 11pm Monday through Sunday

*The Public Reception Counter at the Main Jail is closed from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.  A phone is available in the lobby if you need assistance.

Visiting Guidelines

• All visitors are subject to a search of their persons and property. Any person found violating any law will be arrested and prosecuted.
• Any person that has been booked into the Ventura County Jail may not visit for one calendar year from the date of their release.
• Minor children must be accompanied by either the child’s parent, grandparent, or legal guardian. In addition, minors may not be left unattended anywhere on jail grounds. 
• Photo identification is required.
• No food, beverages, or smoking is allowed inside the visiting area.
• The following items are ALLOWED in the visiting area:
  • Personal key ring;
  • Personal identification;
  • One baby bottle and/or blanket (if bringing in an infant)

Dress Code

All visitors at the Ventura Pre-Trial Detention Facility must adhere to the following dress code. Refusal to comply with this dress code may result in the visit being denied or terminated.

• Shirts WITH sleeves only and shoes are required. Pants that are torn are not allowed
• Shorts/Skirts should be no more than one inch above knee
• No sheer, see-through, or provocative clothing
• No strapless or midriff tops are permitted

The following items are NOT allowed in the visiting area:

• Purses, wallets, backpacks, diaper bags, infant carriers, strollers,cell phones, smart phones, and smart watches;
• Books, magazines, newspapers, pictures, or other miscellaneous papers;
• Candy, food, cigarettes, matches, lighters, pens, pencils;
• Cameras

Possession of items not allowed in the visiting area may result in your visit being terminated. Facility staff will not “hold” any item for you and there are no storage lockers available.

Video Visits

The Securus Video Connect system allows friends and family members to schedule and participate in video sessions with an incarcerated individual at the Ventura Pre-Trial Detention Facility from anywhere with internet access using the free Securus app, computer, or tablet. 

All incoming mail must be properly addressed with the inmate's name and booking number. Inmates may receive unlimited enveloped mail and postcards through the US Postal Service, plus soft bound books, newspapers, and periodicals sent directly from the publisher via the USPS, UPS, FedEx, or DHL. 

Acceptance of these items is subject to the security procedures. The jail does NOT accept publications ordered through Amazon Marketplace third party sellers.

Marriage and birth certificates are allowed through the mail. All incoming mail is opened and screened for contraband and money, as well as for jail management and law enforcement issues. 

The following rules govern inmate mail privileges:

• All correspondence must be clearly addressed.
• Postcards may not be altered from their original form, including added layering, backing, wrappings, laminate, buttons, bows, glue or ribbons.
• No gang codes or markings will be accepted.
• No drugs or other contraband may be enclosed in the mail.
• Enveloped mail or postcards may not be marked with paint, heavy crayon, foil, heavy ink, glitter, cloth, string, watermarks, stains or stickers (excluding US Postage Stamps)
• Enveloped mail or postcards cannot contain any perceived biohazard, i.e., lipstick, gloss, scents, etc.
• Publications, photographs, postcards, and letters cannot show images, drawings, artwork or photographs of fully exposed genitalia, buttocks or female breasts, and/or graphic depictions of sexual acts.
• Correspondence or pictures that tend to incite violence, riot, racism, or threaten the security of the facility are prohibited.
• Blank postcards, envelopes, writing paper, greeting cards, or postage stamps will not be accepted.
• Publications and enveloped mail may not contain wire, spiral bindings, pens, pencils, or any other items determined to be inappropriate or unacceptable for safety or security reasons.

Email

Inmate email is available by clicking here. Only text is allowed in the email, each with a maximum of 4500 characters (equivalent to one page).

The price list is as follows (plus a $1.75 processing fee):

• 1 email for $1.00
• 5 emails for $5.00 
• 10 emails for $10.00 
• 25 emails for $23.75 
• 50 emails for $45.00

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at the Ventura County Pre-Trial Facility cannot receive incoming phone calls, however, they have access to phones and can make outgoing calls from the inmate housing area. Phone calls are recorded and may be monitored at any time. 

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. 

To accept inmate calls, you can set up an Advance Connect prepaid calling account by using credit cards, money orders, checks, Western Union, or in-person via lobby kiosks located at the Pre-Trial and Todd Road Facilities. 

For more information, visit https://securustech.net/phone-services.

How to Send Money

There are three ways to send money to an inmate at the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility.

• Online payments

You can send money to an inmate/offender online using JPay.com. Click here to learn about sending money online. To access JPAY click here.

• Over the phone

To send money to an inmate/offender over the phone just call: 1-800-574-5729.

•  Lobby kiosk

Lobby kiosks are located at the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility. There are also kiosks located at the Todd Road Jail facility. You can use a credit card/cash at the lobby kiosk to send funds to an inmate/offender.

Programs For Inmates

This information is not publicly available.

Pictures of Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility

Careers at Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility

If you are interested in a career with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department and would like more information about the job openings at the Ventura Pre-Trial Detention Facility, click here.