Mendocino County Jail – Ukiah, CA

Mendocino County Jail is located in Mendocino County and is the main jail for this county. Are you looking for somebody locked up in Mendocino County Jail? This guide will tell you info about everything you might want to know about Mendocino County Jail,such as: How to locate an inmate. Find mugshots. The jail’s phone number and address. Bail and how to get out of jail. Intake procedures. Court information. And much, much more.

The chance of going to jail is a daunting and scary thought, not only for the person who is incarcerated, but also that person’s family and friends. The purpose of this guide is to give you all the advice and information you need to make helping someone get out of jail a lot easier. If you have questions, just ask them, and please leave any tips or comments that might be beneficial to other people in the same situation would be welcome.

Do you have a family member, loved one, or friend that is in jail and want to find them?

Has somebody that’s been arrested and you need to find out what jail they’re in?

To search who is in jail at Mendocino County Jail you need to go to their website and do an inmate search.

The Mendocino County Jail Inmate Lookup has information on people currently in custody, which includes status, how much their bail is, and schedule for visitation. Also, you can get the same information on anybody processed or released within the last 24 hours. Jail inmates are listed alphabetically by last name. You’ll be able to find their arrest information more quickly if you’ve got the arrestee’s full name, birth date, or inmate ID Number.

If the inmate you are looking for may be at another county jail you can check the other California county jails in our California County Jail Guide: California County Jails Listing

A mugshot, also called a intake picture, is a photograph that the police take during jail intake processing. A mugshot is made up of one full face photo and a side picture. Your name and jail ID number will be in the photos, and they’re stored.

Mugshots of Mendocino County Jail inmates can be searched online, or you can go in person to the Mendocino County Jail. When viewing mugshots online you have to enter the person’s legal name, and the arrest date, if you have it.

Want to get your mugshot taken down from the Mendocino County Jail website? This is difficult, since your mugshot is a matter of public record. You have to file a ‘Petition to Expunge’. What this means is that the record of your arrest would be sealed, and unavailable to the public. Depending on your situation, this may be a longshot.

For a more in-depth article about removing your mugshot, the many different websites with mugshots, and the mugshot removal websites: How To Get Your Mugshot Taken Down

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Of course, if you are arrested and put in jail, your primary thought is about when and how you will get out. After you’ve gone through the booking process, a bail amount will be set either through a preset bail schedule or a magistrate. In cases where no bail is set this may mean that you will either be released, or you must remain in jail until your trial.

If you do bail out of jail you are required to promise to be in court on your court date, and you must not leave town.

In most cases, a prisoner will earn time off for good behavior if they respect the rules and conduct themselves properly while locked up.

If you do exhibit good behavior and the jail believes you can be trusted, you might be given work release detail. You will have to return to jail each day when you’re finished working, or you could be allowed to sleep in a halfway house instead of the jail.

Your bail is the amount of money that you have to pay to the courts to get out of jail until you go to court. The amount you have to pay all depends on the seriousness of your crime. You will have to pay 10% of the amount that was set in order for you to get discharged from jail. If you fail to show up for your court appearance, that person will lose that money.

In order to find out how much someone’s bail is, you have to call the jail. If know the person’s info, like name, address and date of birth, they will let you know what their bail is set at. You can also check their bail amount and status on the jail website.

Having to bail someone out of jail is never a fun thing, but in some cases, it’s easy if you have the money. To start with, you have to find out if they have a Cash Only Bond situation. If it is, you will not be able to get a bail bondsman. Take cash only to the jail – the jail can’t take checks. As soon as you’ve posted (paid) bond, the prisoner will be released to your care. If the conditions of bail are not violated, you’ll get your money back.

If bail is set too high, or you can’t afford it, you should use a bail bondsman. Bail bondsmen will generally have a fee of 10-15% of the total amount of bail set, and usually with a minimum fee of $100. The amount you pay to the bondsman will not be returned to you and the bondsman only accepts cash. If the bail is extremely high, the bail bondsman will ask to use your assets, such as home, property or cars, as collateral for the bond in addition to whatever their charges are.

If you need a bail bondsman visit our page about: Find a bail bondsman

Have you ever hired a Bail Bondsman because you or someone you know got arrested? If so, post a comment below and tell about it, and let us know how things turned out.

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In California bail amounts are set by the California Felony Bail Schedule, but keep in mind, though, the magistrate or judge has the final say on where your bail is set. The bail schedule lists all of the crimes defined by California and the exact bail amount for each one.

• Early Release For Good Behavior
• Work Release
• Released 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 jail intake procedure includes the following steps:

• You will be placed in a holding cell. When the jail is busy, it will take a while to get processed.
• The first thing you will have to is you will have to answer some simple questions, like what is your full legal name, street address, date of birth and an emergency contact person.
• They’ll also ask about your medical and psychological history.
• You will be given an inmate number.
• You will get fingerprinted.
• You will have your mugshot taken.
• All of your personal property will be taken away from you and stored until you get released from jail.
• You will be allowed to make a phone call so you can call a member of your family, friend, or bail bondsman.
• If you are expected to be released quickly, you might be able to skip the jumpsuit and keep wearing your own clothes, but if you are not expected to make bail quickly you will have to wear a jail issued jumpsuit.

Have you ever been booked into jail? If so, please tell our readers about your experience. How long did it take to get through intake? Were you treated fairly? Do you know any tips that will help other people that get arrested get through the process?

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Once bail has been posted, you will be allowed to go home after you get discharged. Getting discharged will take from 10 minutes to all day. So, the faster bail is posted, the sooner you will get discharged from jail. It also depends on whether or not you’ve been given a bond amount or if the magistrate still needs to determine how much your bail will be. For minor charges, you will simply be booked and get released without having to post bail. If you have served a sentence in jail and are given a release date, you should plan to be released anywhere between the hours of 9am and 12pm.

warrant out for your arrest, or if you need to begin your sentence in jail, it is recommended that you follow the rules and turn yourself in. For a warrant, go down 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 there is one, 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 requires you to. Be very careful that you aren’t late. Only bring things that are allowed when you go to jail, such as a driver’s license or photo ID, prescription medication, and the official sentencing order.

The inmate need to give each visitor’s name to the jail in advance of any visit. This information will go into the visitors log for the inmate that requested the visitor. All visitors will have to provide acceptable photo identification. Anyone showing up late or that is not an approved visitor will not be allowed to visit the inmate.
Visitation procedures at Mendocino County Jail are always changing, so it would be wise to review the jail site before you go to visitation.

All phone calls from jail are with a pre-paid phone card or account, or are collect calls . These phone calls are usually more expensive than phone calls made outside of jail. Inmates are able to make phone calls, with restrictions on when and how often you can use the phone, but bear in mind that there are a limited number of phones, so all the inmates must share phone time. If you break the rules, an inmate’s phone privileges may be limited or cut altogether.

The Mendocino County Jail phone number is: (707) 463-4411

All mall sent to inmates has to be mailed using US Postal Service. You must not use any other type of delivery. Clearly write or type the person’s name, prisoner number, and the address of the jail on the letter. Do not send anything in a box or package, padded envelope, plastic or paper bag, or an envelope with metal inside. Any mail sent to inmates is opened and read and examined by the jail administration, and will get returned to the sender if they decide it is inappropriate.

If you would like to send a letter to an inmate at Mendocino County Jail, use this address:

Mendocino County Jail
951 Low Gap Road
Ukiah, CA 95482

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Mendocino County Jail
951 Low Gap Road
Ukiah, CA 95482

The mail policy at Mendocino County Jail changes often, so it would be best to check the official website when you send a letter.

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Even if you’ve been arrested, you need to be aware that you still have rights, one of these being that you have the right to request an attorney. You don’t get to make many phone calls when you get arrested, so make sure you get a friend or family member to locate a lawyer when you talk to them. You may be asking yourself ‘but do I really need an attorney’ While you are not required to have one, a criminal defense lawyer will make sure you know your rights, look after your best interests and guide you through the legal system in your county. The sooner you hire an attorney to represent you and work on your situation, the better off you’ll be.

To read more about how to find an attorney, click: How to Find an Attorney

If you are in trouble, but can’t afford an attorney, a Public Defender will be assigned to you. The Public Defender Office has a number of staff such as investigators, crime scene and forensics experts and case workers. All Public Defenders are actual lawyers who are admitted to the State Bar and are legally licensed to practice law.

Have you or someone you know used a court appointed attorney or Public Defender? Are you satisfied with how they handled your case and represented you in court?

Court records are public records and are available upon request. They contain a file containing a docket sheet and each of the documents and motions filed in the case. You, and anyone else, can access your court records via the website, or by going to the Clerk of Court’s office where the case was filed.

A Clerk of Court is a member of the court that maintains court records. They also administer the oath for anyone testifying in court, and also read the verdict when delivered by the jury. All records, documents, and evidence from your case are kept and available to you at Clerk of Court’s office.

Court fees are the charges and fees from your court case, such as for example filing fees, motion fees and various court charges. If you cannot afford these fees and have been assigned a Public Defender, you can get a waiver for these fees.

The Mendocino County magistrate is the judge that rules on your court case. They do different tasks, like setting bail, writing arrest warrants, and overseeing first court appearances and detention proceedings.

A defendant’s pre-sentencing report is prepared to include your background information and information about the defendant’s life history, which the magistrate will consider when determining the sentence. Information and personal details will be solicited from the defendant, their family, and if necessary the victim in the crime. Be sure to remember you are able to request to have a copy of the report before sentencing, and make sure that you correct the mistakes.

If you get convicted of a crime during your trial, you will be sentenced. The judge will have several different options when sentencing you, which include community service, house arrest, and probation, to even incarceration in either jail (short term) or prison (long term). Depending on how serious your crime was, you may be locked up immediately, or given a date to report to jail to do your time.

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Do you want to find out if somebody you know is incarcerated, or has ever been in jail?

To find this out you need to visit the jail website and do an inmate search, and search using:

• Name.
• Birthdate.
• Their booking date.
• and their inmate ID.

If you think that they are currently in jail, you can call the jail confirm whether they’ve been arrested or not.

If you think you have a warrant out for your arrest, you can check the court records on the Mendocino County jail website or you are able to call the court. This requires a first and last name. Or, you can just go the jail in person and inquire at the information desk. Keep in mind that if there is a warrant for your arrest, they will take you into custody immediately.

If you know the person’s first and last name, as well as their arrest date, contact the jail, either by phone, in person, or you can check online. An arrest is public record and the information is freely available.

Civil processes are when someone has been served with papers, such as , subpoenas, and arrest warrants. You can find these civil process orders by getting in touch with the Sheriff’s office, online or by phone.

All people registered as sex offenders have to be registered on both a national and state sex offender database. Those listed on these databases have been convicted in a court of law of a sex crime. You can access these offenders on the website, but you should know that you will not be able to see the precise address, rather the neighborhood block of the address that they registered.

Court Records are public records. They include a court case file containing a docket and any documents filed in your court case. You are able to access your court records via the internet, or at Clerk of Court office in the county where the case was filed.

Each state keeps a record of people’s criminal background. These online databases are linked together and you can track criminal backgrounds from another state. Go to the Mendocino County Courthouse and check in person or you can check the website. It helps to know which county the crime occurred in, and if it was in a totally different state, you may have to pay for a more complete search.

When you look up someone’s criminal record you can get a listing of all the arrests, charges, or convictions for any crimes, which can include:

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

But, when you do a criminal records check, you generally will not be able to see if someone has had:

• Tickets for speeding.
• Drivers license suspended or revoked.
• Any accidents.
• Moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To search for this kind of information, you have to do a search for their driving record.

Have you ever tried to search for someone’s criminal records? How hard was it? Was your search online or did you make a phone call to the local courthouse? Was it correct? There are lots of reasons that folks look up criminal records, and your comments may make it easier for others.

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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

Just the thought of serving a jail sentence in Mendocino County Jail is very scary, in time you will get used to the routine that is set for you in jail. You will get a wake-up alarm at 6am, and next they’ll do roll call. Next, you will have breakfast. Following breakfast you will be required to 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 Mendocino 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 Mendocino 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 money to jail inmates might change, so it would be best to double check the the Mendocino County Jail website when you send money to an inmate 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 Mendocino County Jail

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Mendocino 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 Mendocino County Jail

Requirements:

• You must be over the age of 21.
• You must possess a High School Diploma or GED
• You must be a US Citizen.
• You must pass a Criminal, Credit and Driving History background check.
• You must pass a drug test.
• You must have a good level of fitness.
• You must be in good health.
• You must 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 at Mendocino County Jail? Do you have a family member or friend there? Have you ever visited an inmate at this jail?

If so, then please write your review about it. Tell us about your experience so others can find out what to expect.

Things you could include in what you write:

• Conditions at the jail.
• Jail and pod facility and layout
• Staff and guards
• Commissary and food
• Having Visitors
• Inmates.
• Prisoner safety
• Gang activity
• Prisoner activities and programs


Click here to review Mendocino County Jail

Tell Your Story

Anybody that’s ever been locked up has some stories to tell about the whole experience. How’d you end up in jail? Did you experience fair treatment? How was life in jail? What about the other inmates? How did it affect you to go to jail?

Tell the World All About It

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Did you meet some cool folks in jail? Need to talk to someone you met in jail? Post a message to them below.

Say Hello to someone at Mendocino County Jail

Links and Resources

Main Mendocino County Jail Website


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