Santa Cruz Main Jail
259 Water Street
Santa Cruz, CA. 95060
(831) 454-7800
Rules and Regulations
Attorneys
Attorneys licensed to practice law in the State of California and who possess a California Bar Card, or those registered with the California Bar to represent an incarcerated person pro hac vice, may access incarcerated persons at any time. Access may be delayed due to operational priorities within the facility, such as meal service, counts, or emergencies.
Mail
To maintain the security and safety of incarcerated persons and staff, all incarcerated person's routine mail must be sent to the following address:
Smart Communications-Santa Cruz County Jail
Attention To: (INCARCERATED PERSON NAME - ID or S NUMBER)
P.O. Box 9143
Seminole, FL 33775-9143
All regular postal mail (Postcards, Letters, Greeting Cards, etc.) will be scanned into the system and available to the incarcerated person to view via the kiosk/tablets.
When a routine piece of mail is mailed to the above address, the original document(s) will be destroyed. Concerning important documents like marriage certificates, birth certificates, social security cards and pictures, please do not mail original documents. Only mail copies of these documents or pictures. These will be scanned into the electronic system and destroyed after 30 days.
- Pictures must be 4" x 6" or smaller, with a limit of five photos per mailing.
- Greeting cards must be single layer (no plastic coating or oversized).
- Materials containing content, including but not limited to sexually explicit material, pornography, the promotion of violence, or any unlawful activity will not be permitted.
Books, Magazines, and Newspapers
All publications must be sent directly from the publisher or an internet distributor to the following addresses: (Hardbound and soft leather books are not allowed.)
Main Jail: 259 Water St, Santa Cruz, Ca, 95060
Rountree Facilities: 90 Rountree Ln., Watsonville, Ca, 95076
Money
Funds may be deposited daily using the kiosks located in the Main Jail Lobby or the Rountree Medium Facility Lobby. Reception staff cannot accept deposits. Lobby kiosks accept cash and credit cards. Credit card deposits can also be made online by visiting www.accesscorrections.com or by phone at (866) 345-1884.
Money orders (payable to the incarcerated person) can be sent via US mail and must be addressed as follows:
Incarcerated person Name, Incarcerated person S#
C/O Sheriff Fiscal
Santa Cruz County Jail
259 Water Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Commissary items may be purchased for incarcerated persons by visiting www.santacruzpackages.com.
Property Release
Requests for release of property to another person while an individual is in custody are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are limited to specific items, such as keys for a vehicle that may be towed or other items deemed necessary. The release of excess personal property is not guaranteed and must be approved by facility staff.
A Property Release Form must be completed and signed by the incarcerated person to authorize the release. Forms are available upon request.
Approved property releases occur Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Items will only be released during these designated hours.
Preparing for Release
It is important to prepare your loved one and yourselves for the transition from jail back into the community. There are many local programs, services, and community resources that can help ensure that returning to jail is not an option. Please follow this link for a list of resources and information for incarcerated persons and their loved ones: Sheriff's Office Community Resources (en espanol).
Visiting
FAMILY CONTACT VISITS are scheduled once a month and are only available to incarcerated individuals with minor children who are housed at the Blaine Street Facility or the Rehabilitation and Reentry Facility. Click here for more information in english. (En espanol)
NON-CONTACT VISITS Weekly visits are available to incarcerated persons housed at Main Jail, Blaine, Rountree and the Rehabilitation and Reentry Facility. Click here for more information in english. (En espanol)
Only individuals listed on the incarcerated person’s approved visitor list are permitted to visit. Visitor lists may be updated once every 30 days. The incarcerated person is responsible for submitting a Visitor Clearance Form. The visitor’s full name, address, phone number, date of birth and a Government ID number (e.g., driver’s license, passport) are required. The incarcerated individual submits the completed form to the Jail Staff for visiting clearance. Anyone who has been in custody within the past 60 days, is on parole or formal probation, has a warrant or restraining order prohibiting contact, may not visit.
- To schedule a visit, contact Reception Monday through Thursday between 8:00 A.M. and 3:30 P.M. Same-day scheduling is not available. Visiting slots are available every Saturday and Sunday and are scheduled based on the incarcerated persons’ housing assignments. Weekend visits may be scheduled starting on the Monday of the same week.
- Main Jail & Blaine - (831) 454-7800
- Rountree & Rehabilitation and Reentry - (831) 454-7873
Non-Contact Visitation Rules and Information
- Incarcerated individuals must be in custody for 72 court hours prior to having any visit.
- 24-hour notice must be given to cancel an appointment.
- Visitors must arrive and register 30 minutes prior to their scheduled visit to avoid cancellation.
- If a visitor fails to cancel in advance, does not arrive on time, or is unprepared to enter the facility with the Officer at the time of escort, the visit will be considered a “no show.” Visitors who have three (3) “no shows” within a 12-month period will be restricted from visiting for 30 days.
- Non-contact visits may include up to two (2) adults or one (1) adult and up to two (2) minors. The number of visitors allowed per visit is determined by the Sheriff’s Office in accordance with current County health and safety regulations and facility need.
- Adult visitors must present a valid photo ID (e.g., driver’s license or passport). Visitors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
- A parent must present the minor’s birth certificate.
- A legal guardian must present court documentation verifying guardianship or a notarized letter along with the minor’s birth certificate.
- A passport or school ID will NOT be accepted in place of a birth certificate.
- Minor children cannot be left unattended in the lobby, parking lot or any other area on jail property.
- Parent or Guardian may bring 1 diaper, 1 bottle and a small package of wipes for babies. Older children may bring a small toy, subject to officer approval.
- Visitors will not be allowed to bring ANY food, tobacco, or personal property into the jail (i.e., cell phones, purses, pagers). Lockers are available for 25 cents.
- All visitors are subject to screening with a metal detector and/or pat search for weapons and/or contraband.
- Misconduct or violation of the jail rules will result in immediate termination of the visit and may lead to an indefinite ban from visiting.
DRESS CODE RULES STRICTLY ENFORCED
- All visitors must wear closed-toe shoes and clothing that is appropriate. Visits will be cancelled and entry denied if these rules are not followed. For any questions or clarification, please contact the day shift supervisor.
THE FOLLOWING ARE NOT ALLOWED:
- Dresses or skirts
- Clothing that exposes any part of the back, shoulders, chest or midriff
- Visible undergarments
- Transparent clothing, strapless, halter, spaghetti straps, bare midriff clothing, tank tops
- Unfastened buttons and zippers (they must remain fastened)
- Clothing that resembles jail / incarcerated person clothing
- Law Enforcement or military patterned clothing
- Clothing or footwear containing metal
- Hats
- Medical attire (scrubs)
- Attire displaying obscene or offensive language or drawings
- Visitors with tattoos of an offensive nature, or visible gang-associated tattoos or clothing, will not be allowed to visit
- Anything else deemed inappropriate by the Facility Commander or his/her designee will not be allowed
All visitors entering the secure area of the jail are subject to being searched. Any person refusing to be searched will be denied the visit and escorted from the facility.