Imperial County Jail – El Centro, CA

Imperial County Jail is in Imperial County, California and is the jail for that area. Do you know somebody in jail at Imperial County Jail? This guide tells you information about everything you might want to know about Imperial County Jail,like the following: Learn how to locate an inmate. How to view Imperial County Jail mugshots. The jail’s phone number and address. Bailing out of jail. Intake procedures and booking. Imperial County court information. And much more…

The thought of going to jail is a scary and stressful thought, not only for whoever goes to jail, but also that person’s family and friends. This guide is designed to give information and tips that you’ll need to make helping a friend or family member get out of jail easier. If you have questions, please feel free to ask it, and also any tips or comments that would help others will be welcome.

Do you know someone that has gone to jail and need to locate them?

Has a family member or friend who has been arrested and you want to find out what jail they’re in?

To search who’s in jail at Imperial County Jail you need to go to their web site and perform an inmate search.

The Imperial County Jail Inmate Search has information on people who have been arrested, including current status, bail amount, and visiting schedule. Also, you can get information for anybody who has been arrested or discharged in the past 24 hours. Prisoners are shown in alphabetical order by last name. You will be able to get their arrest information more quickly if you enter your friend or family member’s full name, birth date, or inmate ID Number.

If the person you are looking for is in another jail you should check our California county jail guide: California County Jails Listing

A mugshot, or booking picture, is the picture that the police take when you get processed at jail intake. A mugshot is actually one face photo and a side picture. Your full name and jail ID number will be in the mugshot, and they are stored.

Mugshots of Imperial County Jail inmates can be viewed on the website, or you can go in person to the Imperial County Jail. When viewing online you will need to input the person’s name, and the booking date.

Want to get your mugshot taken down from the Imperial County Jail site? This will be difficult, because your mugshot is a public record. To get your mugshot removed you will need to file a ‘Petition to Expunge’. Basically, this means that your arrest record will be sealed, so no one will be able to access them. It is difficult to do this, and you will most likely need the services of a lawyer.

To learn more about getting your mugshot taken down, the many different mugshot websites, and the websites that offer to remove your mugshot for you: Mugshot Removal

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Naturally, if you’re in jail, your only thought is about when you get out. After you’ve gone through the intake process, a bail amount is decided using the bail schedule or the magistrate will decide it. In cases where no bail is set this might mean that you will either be released, or you have to stay in jail until your trial.

If you do bail out you must promise to be in court on your court date, and you must not leave the area.

Usually, prisoners will be given an early release in exchange for good behavior if they respect the rules and act right while they’re in jail.

If you do exhibit good behavior and the jail believes you can be trusted, you may be granted work release. You will have to return to jail each day after work, or you might be permitted to move to a halfway house instead of living at the jail.

Bail is how much money that you will be required to pay to get out of jail until you go to court. The amount of bail that is set is dictated by the seriousness of your charges. Someone will have to pay 10 percent of the total amount set so you are able to get discharged from jail. If you don’t go to your court appearance, the person that paid your bail won’t get their money back.

To find out someone’s bail amount you will have to call the jail. If know the person’s information, like name, address and date of birth, they will let you know how much their bail is. Also, you can find out how much their bail is on the Imperial County Jail website.

Posting bail to get out of jail is an unpleasant situation, but most of the time, its easy if you have the money. To start with, find out if they have a “Cash Bond Only” situation. If this is the case, you can’t get a bondsman. Take cash only to the jail – they can’t accept checks. When you’ve paid bail, the person will be discharged. If they don’t violate the terms of their bail, the bail money you posted will be returned to you.

If the bail amount is too high, or you can’t afford it, you should use a bail bondsman. They usually charge you a fee of 10-15% of the total bail amount, and sometimes with a minimum of $100. The money you pay to the bail bondsman is non-refundable and bondsmen usually only accept cash. If the bail is extremely high, the bail bondsman may use your assets, such as home, property or cars, as collateral for the bond.

To contact a bail bondsman go to: Find a Bail Bondsman in Imperial County

Have you ever had to use a bail bondsman to bail someone out of jail? If so, leave a comment below and tell your story, and let us know how it worked out for you.

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In California the amount of bail you pay is already set by the California Felony Bail Schedule, but keep in mind that the magistrate or judge has the final word on where your bail is set. The bail schedule lists each and every crime defined by California and the exact bail you will have to pay for each of the crimes.

• Early Release For Good Behavior
• Work Release Programs
• Get Out For Time Served
• Be Released on a Pre-Trial Release Program
• Get Out on House Arrest
• Be Released on Your Own Recognizance

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The intake process takes you through these steps:

• You will be placed in a holding cell. If there are a lot of arrests, you may not be processed immediately.
• First, have to answer some simple questions, such as what is your full name, address, birthdate and contact person.
• They’ll also ask about your mental and medical history.
• You’ll be given an inmate ID number.
• Your fingerprints will be taken.
• You will get your mugshot taken.
• All of your personal property will be taken from you and stored until you get released from jail.
• You will get to use the phone to contact a family member, friend, or bail bondsman.
• If they expect that you will make bail and be released quickly, they will let you wear your own clothes, but if you are not expected to make bail quickly you will have to change into a jail issued jumpsuit.

Have you ever been booked into jail? If you have, you should tell us what happened. How long did it take? How did the guards treat you? Do you have any secrets that might help other people that get arrested get through jail processing?

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When you post bail, you will be allowed to go home after you get discharged. Getting discharged takes between 30 minutes to quite a few hours. In simple terms, the faster you can post bail, the sooner you can get out of jail. How quickly you get discharged depends on whether or not you have a cash bond or if a judge needs to decide on how much to set your bail at. For minor charges, you will be booked and released on your own recognizance. When you have completed your jail sentence and know the date of your release, expect to get discharged in the morning.

out against you, or if you have to start a jail sentence, you really should follow the law and go down to the jail and turn yourself in. For a warrant, report to the jail intake area, and let them know that you think there is a warrant for your arrest. They will check their system to see if there are any outstanding local, state or federal arrest warrants out for you, and if they verify that you have one, they will ask that you surrender yourself and you will be taken into custody. If you have a jail sentence to serve, report at the time and date that the sentence order states. Make sure that you don’t show up late. Be sure to only bring required items when you go to jail, for example your driver’s license or even state issued ID, any prescription medication you might take, as well as the sentencing order.

In order to have visitors, inmates must give information about each visitor to the jail. Your visitor’s names will go in a log of approved visitors for the requesting inmate. All visitors must provide acceptable photo identification. Anyone arriving late or that is not an approved visitor will not be allowed to attend visitation.
Visitation procedures can change, so you should double-check the jail site before you go to visitation.

The only phone calls that inmates are allowed to make are collect calls or through a pre-paid phone account. These phone calls are typically more expensive than phone calls made outside of jail. Phone calls are restricted on when and how often you can use the phone, but inmates must keep in mind that a long line can form at the phones, because everyone wants to use the phone, too. If you break the rules, an inmate’s ability to use the phone could be reduced or forbidden completely.

The Imperial County Jail phone number is: (760) 339-6301

All mall sent to inmates must be sent via the actual US Postal Service, and not courier or delivery, or hand delivered. You can’t use any other method of mail delivery. Clearly write or type the person’s name, inmate ID number, and the jail address on the letter. Do not mail a box or package, padded envelope, plastic bag, or an envelope containing metal parts. All mail sent to inmates will be opened and examined by the jail staff, and the mail will get sent back if the jail decides it is inappropriate.

Use this address when sending a letter to someone incarcerated at Imperial County Jail:

Imperial County Jail
328 Applestille Road
El Centro, CA 92243

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Imperial County Jail
328 Applestille Road
El Centro, CA 92243

The mail policy at Imperial County Jail changes frequently, so we suggest that you check the the Imperial County Jail website when you send a letter.

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If you have been arrested, you still have certain rights, the most important of which is that you have the right to request a lawyer. You won’t get many phone calls in jail, so you would be wise to get a friend or relative to locate a lawyer when you call them. You might be thinking ‘do I really need a lawyer?’ While you are not required to have one, an attorney will advise you about your rights, look after your best interests and help you navigate through the criminal justice system. The faster you get an attorney working on your charges, the better your chances.

To read more about this subject, click here: How to Find an Attorney in Imperial County

If you’ve been arrested and cannot afford a lawyer, you will get a public defender. The Public Defender Office is staffed by private investigators, crime scene and forensics experts and social workers. You will be reassured to know that Public Defenders are real attorneys, admitted to the State Bar and are completely licensed to practice law as an agent of the court.

Have you or someone you know had to use a Public Defender or court appointed attorney? How did they do?

Court records are public records and are available upon request. Court records are comprised of a case file with a sheet called a docket sheet and each of the documents and motions filed in the course of your case. You are able to access court records using the Imperial County website, or at the Clerk’s office of the Court where the case was filed.

A Clerk of Court is a member of the court who maintains court records. The Clerk of Court also administer the oath in a court case, and also read the court verdict when the jury has finished deliberations. All court records related to your case are kept and available to you at Clerk of Court’s office.

Court fees are all costs from your court case, which include filing fees, motion and claim fees, and court charges. If you cannot afford these fees and have court appointed legal counsel or a Public Defender, you may not have to pay the fees.

The Imperial County court magistrate is the person who presides over your case in court. Magistrates are judges that do a number of things, which include setting your bail amount, issuing warrants, and overseeing initial court appearances and detention proceedings.

Your pre-sentencing report is prepared to include information about the defendant’s background and as much detail about the arrestee’s life history, which the magistrate will review when decide your sentence. Information will be requested from the defendant, his or her family members, and in some cases the victim of the crime. Be sure to remember that you can request to have a copy of your pre-sentencing report before sentencing, so you get the chance to correct the mistakes.

If you get convicted of a crime during your trial, you will be sentenced. The presiding judge in your case will weigh several options when determining your sentence, ranging from community service and probation, to incarceration in either jail (short term) or prison (long term). Depending on the severity of the crime, you may be locked up immediately, or given a date that you must to surrender and report to jail to serve your sentence.

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Do you need to find out if some you know is incarcerated, or has ever been locked up?

To do so, you will have to query the Imperial County jail website, and search using:

• Name.
• Birthdate.
• Their approximate booking date.
• or jail ID.

If you think this person is in jail, you can call the jail to find out.

If you think you might have an outstanding warrant, you can access arrest warrants inquiry on the website or you are able to call the court. You have to have their first and last name. Or, you can just go down to the jail and ask one of the officers. Keep in mind that there is an outstanding warrant for your arrest, you will be taken into custody immediately.

If you know the person’s first and last name, as well as the date of their arrest, contact the Imperial County jail, on the phone, in person, or check online. An arrest is in the public record and these records are freely available.

Civil processes are when you get served with legal papers, such as a court order. You can access civil process orders by getting in touch with the Imperial County Sheriff’s office, on their website or by phone.

All registered sex offenders must be registered and listed on either a national or state sex offender database. The people on these databases have been convicted of a sex offense. You are able to view these offenders on the internet, but keep in mind that you won’t find the precise address, rather the address block they live on.

Court Records are considered public records, so they are accessible to anyone who requests them. Court Records include a court case file that contains a docket and all of the documents filed in the court case. You are able to access the court records on their website, or at Clerk of Court office in the county where the case was filed.

Each and every state maintains records of a person’s criminal history. These online databases are linked together so you are able to track criminal histories from other states. Go to the Imperial County Courthouse and inquire in person, or you can check the website. It helps to know the county, and if it was in a completely different state, you may have to pay for a more comprehensive search.

A search of someone’s criminal history you will be able to get a listing of all the arrests, charges, or convictions for any crimes, which can include:

• Driving Under the Influence (DUI).
• Drug offenses.
• Kidnapping.
• Sex offenses which could include rape, and sexual assault.
• Violent crimes.
• Theft.

When you do a criminal history search, you generally will not find if someone has had any:

• Speeding.
• Drivers license revoked or suspended.
• Any accidents.
• Minor infractions or moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To find this kind of information, you will have to do a driving history search.

Have you ever needed to find criminal records? Was it a difficult process? Was your search online or did you have to make a phone call to the Imperial County courthouse? Was it correct? There are plenty of reasons that folks look up criminal backgrounds and records, and your feedback could help other people.

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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

Everyone knows that being incarcerated in Imperial County Jail is no fun, you will soon get used to the daily routine there. All inmates get an alarm to wake up at about six in the morning, and then roll call. You will then have breakfast. When you finish eating breakfast you will work in the program that has been assigned to you. This could be working in the kitchen, laundry, or some sort of manufacturing job. While this may seem tedious, it may help you when you leave jail, as you are gaining experience in a certain field of work. Other inmates go to school, while some take part in mandated treatment programs. After lunch, there will be another roll call, then back to work. Your evening will be spent either in your cell or a common room. During this time dinner is served and you will be expected to take a shower. After another roll call, it’s lights out. Even though you will be confined to your cell, there may be enough light to read or write letters. Then again, most inmates welcome lights out, and try to get as much sleep as they can.

Most people are frightened at the idea of jail because they don’t know what to expect. If you have spent any time in Imperial County Jail, your experiences would be welcomed, if it can help another person to deal with it.

Dress Code

When incarcerated, all inmates are expected to wear the Imperial County Jail uniform. This is normally a jumpsuit or scrubs. Of note to anyone visiting an inmate – you must be properly dressed. Any clothing considered inappropriate will not be permitted.

How To Send Money to an Inmate

You will have your own ‘bank account’ while in jail. This money is used to purchase items from the Commissary. Family and friends can deposit money into this account for you, and any money you earn while in prison will also be deposited into your account. Outside money can be paid in to your account via a money order, cash or check. If someone sends a check or money order, make sure that they write your inmate ID on it. The maximum amount you are allowed in your account is $290 per month.

The procedure to send funds to inmates might change, so it would be best to check the site when send money to someone in jail there.


Commissary

The commissary is the jail store. You can purchase a number of things here, such as toiletries, snacks and writing supplies. Bear in mind that you will probably want to use the commissary daily, and any infractions will get that privilege taken away from you.

Inmate Medications

If you are on any type of prescription medication, you will be allowed to continue taking it while in jail. When you are first processed, you will be asked what medication you take. You will then be referred to the jail nurse or doctor who will be in charge of monitoring your health and prescribing your medication.

Meals

You will get three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. As expected, they are very basic, but healthy. A typical breakfast might be cereal, toast, coffee and fruit. Lunch might be spaghetti, salad, bread and milk. Dinner could be chicken casserole, rice, vegetables, dessert and milk. Contrary to popular belief, prison food has greatly improved over the years, and you might find that it’s not much different from what you would eat at home.

Pods / The Yard

The jail is designed in a ‘pod’ layout, with self-contained housing arranged around an outdoor yard. Each pod has a central control station and a common room, and the inmates take turns in using the yard. The jail is designed this way to keep certain inmates together, and others away from the general population.

Gangs

As with life in general, gangs are a part of prison life. Obviously it is best to avoid becoming a part of this environment as it will only lead to trouble. When you first enter prison, you might find yourself being ‘primed’ to join a gang, or worse, you might get their attention in a negative way. The best thing to do is keep your head down and don’t get involved.


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News and Media

News

Photos / Pictures

Videos


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Jobs

Types of Jobs at Imperial County Jail

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Imperial County Jail, overseeing the day to day operations and administration of the jail. An inmate is unlikely to have much interaction with the Deputy Sheriff, unless they have committed an infraction. Detention Officers are responsible for the custody and care of the inmates. They maintain order in the jail, and handle security. A Detention Officer is assigned to a certain pod, and therefore is responsible for the same inmates each day. They get to know the inmates on a certain level and are well equipped to handle any problems that may occur.

Apply for a Job at Imperial County Jail

Requirements:

• You have to be over the age of 21.
• You have to possess a High School Diploma or GED
• You have to be a US Citizen.
• You have to pass a Criminal, Credit and Driving History background check.
• You have to pass a drug test.
• You have to have a good level of fitness.
• You have to be in good health.
• You have to have a valid Driver’s License
• An applicant for Deputy Sheriff must possess a Law Enforcement Certification.


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Family Resources

There are resources for families of both the perpetrator of the crime and the victim. The social and emotional impact of crime is far reaching, affecting many. Families can receive professional counseling, court related assistance, social services assistance and help in navigating the criminal justice system.

If you are a family member, which resources did you find to be particularly helpful? Please let us know, as this will be helpful to other families in the same situation.

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Victim Resources

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.

Victim’s Rights

The Victim Rights Act grants victims the following rights:

• The right to protection from the accused.
• The right to notification.
• The right to attend proceedings.
• The right to speak at criminal justice proceedings.
• The right to consult with the prosecuting attorney.
• The right to restitution.
• The right to a speedy trial.
• The right to be treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

The definition of victim includes:

• Spouses and children of all victims.
• Parents and guardians of minor victims.
• Parents, guardians and siblings of mentally or physically incapacitated victims or victims of homicide.
• Foster parents or other caregivers, under certain circumstances.

There are a number of services and programs designed to help victims and their families. You can find out about these services by contacting the courthouse, or local law enforcement agency.

Victim Notification

The Department of Justice Victim Notification System (VNS) is a system that provides victims with information pertaining to their case and/or any defendants in the case. You will receive a Victim Identification Number (VIN) and a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that will allow you to access VNS via the internet or by phone. Here, you will find information about future court hearings, historical court events, and detailed information about the defendant. This will include criminal charges filed, the outcome of charges, sentence imposed, custody location, projected release date and any other release information. The VNS website is updated daily. You will also receive any ongoing information by mail or email.

Have you, a family member or friend ever used the Victim Notification System? If so, was it effective? Did you get the information in a timely manner? Was the system difficult to use? We would like to hear from you, so please post any comments here.

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Sex Offender Information and Search

All people registered as sex offenders are registered on either a national or state sex offender database. The people on these databases have been convicted of a sex or kidnapping crime. You can access this information online, but bear in mind that you will not get the exact address, rather the block that they live on.

Domestic Violence

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are services to help you. Your county will have a Domestic Violence Services office. They provide free and confidential services, such as emergency shelter information, legal advocacy, support groups and domestic violence education. They will work to help you create a safe and violence-free life, and heal from the trauma of abuse.

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.


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Reviews

Reviews of this Jail

Have you ever spent any time at Imperial County Jail? Do you have a family member or friend that is a prisoner there? Have you ever visited someone at Imperial County Jail?

If yes, then we would like you to write your review about it. Write down your jail experience because others can find out what to expect.

Things you could put in what you write:

• Conditions in Imperial County Jail.
• Jail and pod layout and facility
• Guards and staff
• Food and commissary
• Visitation Days
• The other inmates – what are they like?
• Prisoner safety
• Gang activity
• Inmate activities and programs


Write a review about Imperial County Jail

Tell Your Story

Anybody that’s ever been locked up has a story about it. How’d you get locked up? Did you experience fair treatment? What happened to you while you were locked up? How did you get along with the other inmates? How did getting locked up affect your life?

Click here to post a comment

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Make some good friends in jail? Need to find a friend from jail? Say hello here, just leave a message below.

Post a message to people incarcerated at Imperial County Jail

Links and Resources

Main Imperial County Jail Link


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