Madera County Jail – Madera, CA

Madera County Jail is located in Madera County, California and is the main correctional facility for this region. Know someone incarcerated at Madera County Jail? This site gives you about anything you might need to know about Madera County Jail,like the following: How to locate an inmate at Madera County Jail. Find inmate mugshots. The jail’s phone number and address. Posting bail. Intake procedures. Court information. And much more…

The prospect of going to jail is a scary and daunting prospect, not only for whoever gets arrested, but also that person’s family, friends, and loved ones. The purpose of this guide is to give information that you’ll need to make the process a little less stressful. If you have a question, feel free to ask it in the comment section below, and please leave any feedback or comments that would be a benefit to others will be much appreciated.

Do you have a family member or friend that has gone to jail and don’t know how to find them?

Has someone who’s been arrested and you want to find them?

To see who is in jail at Madera County Jail you will need to navigate to their link and use the inmate search.

The Madera County Jail Inmate Lookup has information on persons who have been arrested and are in custody, which includes current status, bail amount (if applicable), and times the inmate can have visitors. You can also get the same information about anyone arrested and booked or released in the past 24-hour period. Prisoners are listed in alphabetical order by their last name. You can find the information fast if you have their full name, birth date, or arrest number.

If your friend or family member could possibly be in another county jail you can check our California county jail guide: Other Jails in California

A mugshot, also known as a jail booking photograph, is a photograph taken by the police when you are processed at the jail intake. They take one full face and a side-view photo. Your name and booking number will be in the photos, and they are stored at the jail.

Mugshots of inmates are online, or you can go in person to the Madera County Jail. When viewing online you need to enter the person’s first and last name, and the arrest date.

Trying to figure out how to have your mugshot taken down from the Madera County Jail website? This can be tricky, as your mugshot is a matter of public record. You have to file a Petition to Expunge with the court. What this means is that the record of your arrest will be sealed, and unavailable to the public. It is difficult to do this, and you will most likely need the services of a lawyer.

To learn more about getting your mugshot removed, the many different mugshot sites, and the mugshot removal services: How To Get Your Mugshot Removed

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Naturally, once you’re in jail, your only thought is about when and how you will get out. After you’ve gone through the booking process, your bail amount will be set by a special judge called a magistrate. If there is no bail set this might mean that you will either be free to go until your trial, or you are kept in jail until your court date.

If you do bail out of jail you will have to agree to be in court on your court date, and until then you are not permitted to leave town.

Usually, inmates are given an early release in exchange for good behavior if they don’t break the rules and conduct themselves properly while locked up.

If you follow the rules, you might be allowed to do work release. You will either have to return to the jail at the end of the day after work, or you might be allowed to live in a halfway house when you are not working.

Your bail is the amount of money that you have to pay to be released from jail until your court date. The amount you will have to pay all depends on the seriousness of your charges. You will have to post 10 percent of the total that was determined before you can be released. If you fail to show up for your scheduled court date, that person will not get their money back.

In order to find out how much someone’s bail is, you have to call the jail. If you’ve got the person’s information, including name, address and date of birth, they’ll tell you what their bail is set at. You can also check their bail amount and status on the Madera County Jail site.

Posting bail to get out of jail is no fun, but thankfully, it’s really easy if you have the money. First of all, you have to find out if it is a Cash Only Bond situation. If so, you can’t get a Bail Bondsman. Take cash only to the jail – the jail can’t accept a check. As soon as you’ve paid the bail bond, the person will be released to your care. If the conditions of bail are not violated, you’ll get the bail money back.

If the amount of bail set is large, or you can’t afford it, you will need to use a bail bondsman. They will generally charge a fee of 10-15% of the total amount of bail set by the magistrate, and sometimes have a minimum of $100. This money is non-refundable and must be paid in cash. If bail is very large, the bail bondsman may require that they use assets as collateral for the bond.

If you need a bail bondsman go to: Find a bail bondsman

Have you ever had to use a Bail Bondsman because you or someone you know got arrested? If you have, leave a comment below and tell your story, and let us know how it worked out for you.

Click here to tell your story

In the state of California bail amounts are pre-determined using by the California Felony Bail Schedule, but keep in mind, though, the judge or magistrate has the ultimate say on where your bail is set. The California Felony Bail Schedule contains every crime defined by California and the specific amount of bail for each crime.

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

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The intake procedure is made up of the following steps:

• You will get put in a holding cell. When the jail is busy, you will have to wait, sometimes for many hours, before you get processed.
• Firstly, you will have to answer a number of questions, like what is your full name, your address, date of birth and an emergency contact person.
• They’ll also ask you about your psychological and medical history.
• You will be given an inmate number.
• Your fingerprints will be taken.
• You will have your mugshot taken.
• All personal property will be taken away from you and stored until you are discharged.
• You will then be allowed to use the telephone to call a member of your family, friend, or bail bondsman.
• If they expect that you will make bail and be released quickly, you might get to keep wearing your own clothes, if not you will have to wear a jail jumpsuit.

Have you ever been arrested and gone through the jail intake procedure? If so, please share your experience. How long did it take? How did the guards treat you? Can you share any things that might help other people that get arrested to get through the process?

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Once you are able to post bail, you will get released from jail. This process takes anywhere from 15 minutes to hours or even all day long. In other words the faster you can post bail, the quicker you can get released from jail. It also depends on whether you’ve been given a cash bond amount or if a judge needs to determine the amount of bail to be set. For a minor charge, you will get booked and get released without having to post bail. When you have served your sentence and know the release date, expect to be discharged at any time that day – but usually in the morning.

issued for your arrest, or if you must report to start a sentence, it is recommended that you follow the law and go down to the jail and turn yourself in. For a warrant, report to the jail, and tell an officer that believe that there could be an outstanding warrant for your arrest. The officer will verify that you have an outstanding arrest warrant, and if so, you will be taken into jail custody. If you have a jail sentence to serve, go to the jail at the time and date that the sentence order lists. Be very careful that you aren’t late. Make sure that you only bring allowed items when you go to jail, for example your driver’s license or even state issued ID, prescription medication, and the sentencing order from court.

The inmate must list each visitor’s full name to the jail in advance. Your visitors will go into the visitation log as an approved visitor. Each visitor is required to provide a photo ID when visiting. Anyone that arrives for visitation late or without a visiting order will not be able to attend visitation.
Jail visitation policies can change, so visit the official jail site before go to the jail to visit an inmate.

Phone calls that inmates are allowed to make from jail are made through a jail approved pre-paid phone account or phone card . These phone calls are usually pricier than phone calls made outside of jail. Phone calls are restricted on when and how often you can use the phone, but you should keep in mind that you are just one of many people who want to talk to their loved ones. If you break the rules, phone privileges might get cut back or eliminated completely, as part of the punishment.

The Madera County Jail phone number is: (559) 675-7951

All mail has to be mailed using the actual US Postal Service. You shouldn’t use any other method of mail delivery. You should write or type the inmate’s name, prisoner number, and the jail address on the letter. Do not mail anything in a box or package, padded envelope, plastic bag, or an envelope with metal in it. Any mail gets opened and inspected by the jail administration, and will be sent back to the person who mailed it if they decide it is inappropriate.

The mailing address for Madera County Jail is:

Madera County Jail
14191 Road 28
Madera, CA 93638

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Madera County Jail
14191 Road 28
Madera, CA 93638

The mail policy at Madera County Jail is always changing, so be sure to check the site before you send a letter.

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If you get arrested, you have rights, one of these is that you have the right to request an attorney. You won’t get many phone calls in jail, so make sure you have a friend or relative find a lawyer for you. You may be thinking ‘but do I really need a lawyer’ You are not required to have an attorney for some criminal charges, an attorney can advise you of your rights, look after your best interests and guide you through the court system in Madera County. The sooner you hire an attorney to represent you and work on your situation, the better.

For more info on the benefits of hiring a lawyer, read: Find a Lawyer

If you are in trouble, but can’t afford an attorney, a Public Defender will be assigned to you. The Public Defender Office has access to independent investigators, crime scene and forensics experts as well as social case workers. Public Defenders are actual attorneys who are members of the State Bar and are completely licensed to practice law in California.

Have you or someone you know used the services of a Public Defender? Do you think they properly handled your case?

All court records are a matter of public record. Court records contain a court case file containing a sheet called a docket sheet and each of the motions, documents, and evidence that have been filed in the case. You, and anyone else, can access the records and documents in your court case via the online service, or at the Clerk of Court’s office.

The Clerk of Court is a member of the court that manages access to court records. They also administer the oath during court cases, and also read the court verdict when the jury has finished deliberations. All court records related to your case are maintained at Clerk of Court’s office.

Court fees are the charges from your court case, such as for example filing fees, motion and claim fees, and court charges. If you cannot afford these fees and have a court appointed attorney, you may get out of having to pay them.

The Madera County court magistrate is the type of judge that presides over your case. Magistrates do different functions, like setting bail, issuing arrest warrants, and presiding over initial court appearances and detention hearings.

Your pre-sentencing report is prepared to include your background information and information about the defendant’s life and history, which the magistrate will review and take into account when deciding on the sentence. Information will be collected from the defendant, his or her family, and in some cases the victim of the crime. Bear in mind you can ask to get your own copy of your pre-sentencing report before you are sentenced, and make sure that you review it for accuracy and completeness, and correct any mistakes.

After being convicted of a crime, you will be given a sentence for your crime. There are a number of different options, including community service to probation, to even incarceration in jail or prison. Depending on sentencing guidelines and the severity of your crime, you may be taken into custody, right there in court, or you could get a date that you must turn yourself into jail to serve your jail time according to your sentence.

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Are you trying to find out if a family member or friend is incarcerated, or has ever been locked up?

This is pretty easy to do, simply you will have to visit the jail’s website, and search by:

• Their name.
• Birthdate.
• Their approximate booking date.
• and their inmate ID.

If you think this person is in jail, you can call the jail confirm whether they’ve been arrested or not.

If you think you might have a warrant out for your arrest, you can check arrest warrants on the website or call the jail. You have to have the person’s first and last name. Or, you can just go down to the jail and ask them. You should know that if there is an arrest warrant out for you, you should be prepared to get taken into custody immediately.

If you have a first and last name, as well as the date of their arrest, contact the jail, by phone, in person, or find out online. An arrest is public record and the information is accessible to anyone.

Civil processes are when you get served with legal papers, which can be warrants. You can find these by going to the Madera County Sheriff’s office, online or by phone.

All convicted sex offenders must be registered on either a national or state sex offender database. The people listed on these databases have been convicted in a court of law of a sex crime. You are able to view these offenders online, but remember that you won’t see the exact address, but only the address block that they live on.

Court Records are public records and available to anyone. These records include a court case file that contains a docket sheet and any of the filings and documents filed in your case. You are able to access court records on their website, or at the clerk’s office of the court in the county where the case was filed.

Every state maintains records of a person’s criminal past. These online databases are linked together so you can track criminal backgrounds from any other state. You can go to county courthouse and check in person or you can check online. It helps to know which county the crime occurred in, and in the event that the crime was in a different state, you may have to pay a fee for a more comprehensive search.

When you look up a person’s criminal records you can get a report detailing any arrests, charges, or convictions that may be on a person’s record for any of the following crimes:

• DUI.
• Drug Possession of Drug Trafficking.
• Kidnapping.
• Rape or other sexual assault.
• Violent crimes including assault, battery and murder.
• Breaking and entering, theft, larceny.

If you do a criminal records check, you will not find out if that person has had:

• Speeding tickets.
• Drivers license revoked or suspended.
• Traffic accidents.
• Other moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To get this information, you must do a search for their driving history.

Have you ever searched for criminal records? Was it a difficult process? Was your search online or did you make a phone call to the courthouse? Was the information you received correct? There are many reasons that folks search for criminal records, and your story could help other people.

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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

Everyone knows that getting locked up in the Madera County jail is something you wish you could avoid, in time you will become accustomed to the daily routine there. All inmates get a wake-up alarm at 6am, and then roll call. Then you will have breakfast. Following breakfast you will work in the work program that you’ve been assigned to. 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 Madera 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 Madera 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 rules for sending money to someone in jail at Madera County Jail is likely to change, so check the site before you send money to an inmate.


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 Madera County Jail

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Madera 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 Madera 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 been locked up in this jail? Do you know someone that is an inmate there? Have you ever visited someone there?

If your answer is yes, then you should write your review about it. Tell us about what you experienced so other people will know what to expect.

Things you might want to write in your comment:

• Conditions at the jail.
• Jail layout and facility
• Guards and staff
• Food and commissary
• Having Visitors
• The other inmates – what are they like?
• Safety
• Jail gangs
• Programs and activities


Click here to write your review

Tell Your Story

Anyone who’s ever been arrested and sent to jail has a story about it. How’d you get locked up? Did you experience fair treatment? What was it like in jail? Were the other inmates cool? Did going to jail affect your life? How?

Click here to tell your story about Madera County Jail

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Make some good friends in jail? Need to talk to a friend from jail? Send a message to them here.

Say Hello to people still locked up at Madera County Jail

Links and Resources

Main Madera County Jail Website


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