Sacramento County Jail
Sacramento County jail services include locating someone in custody, arranging a visit, sending correspondence, depositing money, reporting health concerns, and collecting personal property. This article explains the differences between the Main Jail and Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center, how to use the Sheriff’s Office inmate information system, and which requirements to review before visiting or sending anything to an incarcerated person.
Main Jail and Rio Cosumnes Facilities
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office operates the Main Jail in downtown Sacramento and the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center, commonly called RCCC, in Elk Grove. These facilities have different visiting procedures, public hours, and property-release arrangements. Confirm the person’s housing location before planning a trip or choosing instructions for a particular service.
The Sacramento County Main Jail provides custody and security services for people detained or incarcerated by the Sheriff’s Office and other agencies. Its responsibilities include the health, safety, care, and welfare of people housed there. Public hours are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Those hours are separate from individual visiting sessions and do not mean that every jail service is available throughout the day.
The Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center is the primary custody facility for people sentenced to county jail by Sacramento County courts. It also houses pre-sentence detainees and people held for other jurisdictions. RCCC accepts newly arrested people booked by law enforcement agencies in the southern part of the county. Administrative hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
Inmate Searches and Custody Notifications
The Sheriff’s Office Inmate Information system allows searches by name or X-reference number. Have the person’s name available before searching. If you already know the X-reference number, use that search option to reach the person’s information.
Keep the X-reference number and housing location available for later tasks. The jail uses the X-reference number for services such as account deposits, correspondence, and health-related inquiries. The housing location determines which facility’s visiting and mailing instructions apply. A name alone does not provide all the information required for these transactions.
Release and Custody Status Alerts
The Sheriff’s Incarcerated Persons Release Elective Notification System, or SIRENS, allows victims and other concerned members of the public to register for custody-status notifications. Notifications can be delivered by email, text message, or telephone.
To register online, search for the person in the inmate information system, open the custody information page, and select the SIRENS link near the bottom. Registration is also available by contacting the Main Jail. This service is intended to provide information when an offender’s custody status changes.
Main Jail Social Visits
Under the Main Jail visitation rules, each incarcerated person is authorized two 45-minute social visits per week. The visiting week runs Sunday through Saturday. Visits are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to available time and space.
Morning and afternoon visiting times are 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. Evening times are 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 9:30 p.m. The last visit must be registered by 9:30 p.m., and everyone must leave the visiting area by 10:15 p.m.
No more than three people may attend a visit together, including infants and children. A visitor may visit only one incarcerated person per visit. Weekends are usually crowded, so allow for delays, particularly if traveling from outside the area. Unforeseen circumstances can also cause visits to be canceled without advance warning.
Identification and Children’s Documents
Main Jail visitors must present one of the following current, valid forms of identification:
A driver’s license or DMV identification card from any of the 50 states or Mexico.
A military identification card.
A passport.
A Mexican Matricula Consular identification card.
Adult visitors must be at least 18. A parent or legal guardian accompanying a minor must provide proof of the relationship, such as a birth certificate or court-ordered guardianship papers. Emancipated minors may visit without a guardian but must present original court documentation establishing emancipation.
Children must remain inside the visiting booth with the supervising adult. Adults accompanying minors may not visit someone else during the same visiting period. Disruptive behavior by anyone in the group, including a child, can end the visit.
Clothing, Belongings, and Screening
Only identification, keys, and a small wallet are allowed in the Main Jail visiting area. Secure other belongings before entering. Prohibited items include cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, purses, backpacks, pens, pencils, papers, pictures, lighters, cigarettes, and electronic cigarettes.
Visitors must wear footwear. Clothing restrictions include revealing garments, tube tops, see-through mesh, short shorts, micro-mini skirts, thin-strap tank tops, backless or sleeveless tops, midriff or cutout shirts, and bathing tops. Clothing displaying material that promotes violence, hate, drug use, profanity, sex acts, or gangs is prohibited.
All visitors are subject to a search and metal-detection screening. Refusing these conditions is grounds for denial of a visit. People released from either county jail facility within the previous 30 days, and people previously convicted of a felony resulting in confinement in a California state prison, need the consent of the Jail Commander or watch supervisor before visiting.
RCCC Visiting Schedules and Restrictions
The RCCC visitation schedule assigns visiting periods according to housing, population category, and, for some groups, the incarcerated person’s last name. Registration times and visiting times are separate. Match the person’s housing information to the appropriate schedule before traveling; arriving for the visiting period without meeting the registration window can disrupt your plans.
For the male general-population groups covered by the published schedule, daytime visits are divided by last name across Saturday and Sunday. Evening visits are divided by last name from Sunday through Thursday. Female housing units, protective custody, special populations, and administrative segregation have separate schedules. The general-population timetable should not be used for someone assigned to one of those groups.
RCCC allows no more than three visitors per incarcerated person, including infants and children. Adult visitors must show acceptable photo identification when registering and whenever a uniformed officer requests it. Accepted identification includes a driver’s license or state identification card that is not temporary, military identification, specified immigration or permanent-resident identification with a photo, a Mexican Matricula Consular card, a passport, or official foreign identification.
Minors and Visitor Eligibility
A person under 18 may visit RCCC when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who provides a birth certificate or court-ordered guardianship papers. The rules also permit a minor who is married to the incarcerated person and has a certified marriage certificate, or a minor with a certified emancipation declaration.
RCCC prohibits visits by people released from the Main Jail or RCCC within the previous 30 days, people on parole from any state, and people actively participating in a work-release or work-furlough program. A previous felony conviction resulting in state-prison confinement requires prior consent from the Jail Commander or watch supervisor. Once a visitor leaves the visiting room after a visit begins, the visitor may not return.
Security and Permitted Baby Supplies
Visitors and vehicles are subject to search on jail property. Visitors undergo a pat-down or metal-detector screening before admission. RCCC’s restrictions include belts, underwire bras, excessive jewelry, electronic devices, headwear, and various other personal items. Clothing must meet the facility’s dress code, and footwear must be suitable for potentially uneven ground.
Permitted items include wedding or engagement rings, medical-alert tags, one car key or door remote, and one acceptable identification document. A visitor with a baby may bring a clear plastic bag containing one bottle, one diaper, one baby blanket, and baby wipes. Diaper bags, strollers, car seats, and carriers are prohibited. Money is not allowed in the visiting area.
Mail, Publications, and Email
The Sheriff’s Office separates ordinary correspondence, legal or confidential mail, publications, and money orders into different processing routes. Review the current incarcerated-person mail instructions before addressing an envelope. General correspondence must not be mailed directly to either jail facility.
General Correspondence and Digital Processing
Ordinary incoming mail is processed through the designated digital mail center. It is scanned in color and uploaded for access through the incarcerated person’s tablet. Include the person’s name and X-reference number, using the general-mail address provided in the official instructions.
The published upload period is within 48 hours after the processing center receives the mail, excluding weekends and holidays. That period does not include postal transit time. Jail inspection can further delay delivery. If an item violates facility rules, the entire letter and its photographs can be rejected.
Physical mail is held for 30 days and then destroyed unless the sender includes a self-addressed, stamped envelope for its return. People without an assigned tablet still have their mail processed digitally; custody staff print and deliver it. After release or transfer from Sheriff’s custody, digital mail must be downloaded within 60 days before it is permanently deleted.
Prohibited content includes descriptions or images of drugs and drug paraphernalia; weapons, gangs, violence, or criminal activity; sexually explicit photographs or nudity; photographs containing hand signs; and descriptions or images of money. Review the contents of the entire mailing because one prohibited item can cause all of it to be rejected.
Legal Mail and Publisher Deliveries
Legal or confidential correspondence goes directly to the person’s housing facility. It must be clearly marked “LEGAL MAIL” or “CONFIDENTIAL MAIL” and addressed with the person’s name, X-reference number, and housing location. Include the sender’s full name and return address. Legal or confidential mail sent to the digital processing center will be rejected and returned.
Staff inspect legal or confidential correspondence for contraband in the incarcerated person’s presence but do not read it. Keep this mailing route separate from the route for ordinary personal letters.
Books and magazines must come directly from the publishing company to the person’s housing facility. Only paperback books smaller than 8 by 11 inches are accepted, and a person may possess no more than five books at a time. Publications presenting safety or security concerns may be rejected.
A sender may appeal rejection of publisher material in writing to the Jail Commander within 15 days of the rejected delivery date. The appeal should explain the disagreement and include relevant information. The Jail Commander or designee provides a written decision within 10 days after receiving the review request.
Email Through the Inmate System
Family members can access the email option by locating the person in the inmate information system and selecting the email link on the person’s page. The Sheriff’s Office describes these emails as printed messages that are usually delivered the next day. This email feature does not give the recipient computer access to send a reply. Business solicitation through the system is prohibited.
Account Deposits and Commissary Purchases
Money deposited into an incarcerated person’s trust account can be used for commissary purchases, including selected foods, hygiene supplies, writing materials, and some art supplies. Disciplinary restrictions can affect commissary privileges. The Main Jail cashier’s office and RCCC gatehouse cashier window are closed to the public.
The Main Jail inmate funds instructions explain lobby-kiosk deposits. The Main Jail lobby kiosk accepts cash, credit cards, and debit cards. Have the incarcerated person’s name, X-reference number, and facility location number, 257501, available. Deposit-service fees apply.
For commissary orders at either facility, deposited funds must be in the person’s trust account before 7 a.m. Sunday. The Sheriff’s Office states that this cutoff can change without notice. Account for the time needed to receive and process a mailed deposit rather than treating the mailing date as the deposit date.
Money Orders and Return Addresses
Money orders for people at either facility must be sent to the RCCC IWF Office. Clearly write the recipient’s full name and X-reference number on the money order, make it payable to the incarcerated person, and include the housing location as directed by the funds instructions. Do not endorse the back.
The envelope must include the sender’s name and address. The deposit address accepts deposits only; other items are returned. Money orders are deposited within 24 hours of receipt. Personal checks, government-issued checks, and state or federal tax-refund checks are not accepted.
Money Releases During Custody
Main Jail money releases are unavailable on weekends and holidays. Its property-release instructions require an exact requested withdrawal amount and limit withdrawals to once per custody period and to the amount the person had when booked.
The RCCC funds and money-release procedures require the incarcerated person to request a Property/Money Release form from the floor officer, sign it, and submit it for approval. Reviews occur Monday through Thursday. Approved releases may be collected at the gatehouse between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., seven days a week. Review and pickup operate on different schedules.
Personal Property Collection Procedures
Main Jail Property Releases
At the Main Jail, complete a Property Release form from the public lobby registration table or front-counter scheduling officers. Present acceptable identification and submit the completed form to the public-counter officer. You must collect all of the person’s personal property rather than selected items, and clothing cannot be released to you.
After submitting the form, remain in the public lobby until the property is delivered. Processing generally takes one to three hours, depending on staff duties and activity on the housing floor. Allow for that waiting period when arranging transportation or time away from work.
RCCC Property Release Hours
RCCC processes property releases daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. The incarcerated person should submit the release form in advance. Forms are also available at the gatehouse, but processing a request made there can involve substantial delay. Staff may recommend returning several hours later or the following day.
Anyone collecting personal property must take the entire package. Clothing generally cannot be collected unless the incarcerated person is going to state prison. Items essential to health and well-being that are unavailable at the facility may be accepted at the gatehouse officer’s discretion.
Health Concerns and Family Emergencies
Adult Correctional Health provides physical health, behavioral health, dental, pharmaceutical, and related services within the county jail system. Family members and other concerned parties can use the Inmate Patient Care contact process when they are unsure whether staff know about a significant physical or mental health condition.
Prepare the following information for a patient-care inquiry:
The incarcerated person’s name and X-reference number, if known.
Whether the person is housed at the Main Jail or RCCC.
The nature of the concern.
Your name and callback number.
Additional family or attorney contacts.
When a response is needed.
Inmate Patient Care operates Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Federal and state privacy laws restrict disclosure of physical and mental health treatment information to family and friends. An incarcerated person who wants information shared can complete a Release of Information form naming authorized recipients. Providing information about a concern does not itself authorize staff to disclose treatment details.
For a serious family emergency involving someone at the Main Jail, contact the Main Jail Social Worker or Jail Chaplain. Their published contact hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
RCCC Release Pickup and Reentry
For a scheduled RCCC release pickup, report to the gatehouse between 4:30 and 5 a.m. and bring your driver’s license. The RCCC visitation instructions describe scheduled releases between 5 and 6 a.m. People without a ride are transported by a Sheriff’s Office bus for release at the Main Jail. Confirm the pickup arrangement so the person providing transportation goes to the correct facility.
People released from either facility with money remaining in their accounts receive a debit card rather than cash or a check. Transfers to other agencies are handled through transfer checks under Sheriff’s Office policy.
The Sheriff’s Office Reentry Services Unit at RCCC provides educational, vocational, employment-readiness, and treatment programming. Educational offerings include English as a Second Language, Adult Basic Education, and high school equivalency preparation, with official GED testing available on-site after successful practice tests.
Vocational offerings include food service, custodial work, engraving and sign printing, landscaping, welding, and automotive training. Employment preparation covers resumes, interviews, job searches, and workplace expectations. An in-house employment specialist can arrange interviews for participants while they remain in custody, potentially allowing conditional job offers before release. The unit also provides a Sacramento Community Resource Guide for the transition back into the community.
Jail Offices and Contacts
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-874-6752
Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center
12500 Bruceville Road
Elk Grove, CA 95757
Phone: 916-874-1927
Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center, IWF Office
12500 Bruceville Road
Elk Grove, CA 95757
Adult Correctional Health, Inmate Patient Care
Phone: 916-875-9782
Main Jail Social Worker
Phone: 916-874-6345
Jail Chaplain
Phone: 916-874-7724