Anyone seeking inmate information can call the 200-bed Rock Mountain Detention Facility 24 hours a day at 619-409-5000.
This facility takes in adults arrested in the county on misdemeanor and felony charges for booking and processing. Inmates stay in custody until they post bond, are released on their own recognizance, or until their trial is concluded, depending on the charges against them.
The inmate search tool displays the facility’s roster of people currently in custody.
Those convicted and sentenced to less than a year remain at the jail to serve their sentence. Those sentenced to more than a year are transferred to the California State Prison System or the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
This page includes details on the visitation schedule, funding an inmate’s account, sending mail, phone calls, voicemail, email and texting, tablet rentals, bail bond instructions, and commissary orders.
Get the inmate’s booking number or jail ID and keep it. You’ll need it for most correspondence. If it’s not online, Rock Mountain Detention Facility can provide it at 619-409-5000.
Phone: 619-409-5000
Physical Address:
446 Alta Rd., Suite 5300
San Diego, CA 92158
Mailing Address (personal mail):
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate Booking #
Rock Mountain Detention Facility
Mail Processing Center
451 Riverview Parkway, Building C
Santee, CA 92071
Mailing Address (legal mail or subscriptions):
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate Booking #
Rock Mountain Detention Facility
Mail Processing Center
451 Riverview Parkway, Building C
Santee, CA 92071
Other Jails and Prisons
To search for an inmate in the Rock Mountain Detention Facility, review their criminal charges, the amount of their bond, when they can get visits, or even view their mugshot, go to the Official Jail Inmate Roster, or call the jail at 619-409-5000 for the information you are looking for. You can also look up a list of criminal courts for San Diego County and every other county in California. The San Diego County District Attorney also has a helpful website where you can look up an offender's criminal court case online.
The San Diego County Sheriff provides a resource for looking up Active Arrest Warrants for this county.
Rock Mountain Detention Facility Inmate Search
This is a link to all of the city and county jails, and juvenile detention facilities in San Diego County.
The Rock Mountain Detention Facility maintains an average of 200 offenders in custody on any given day. The Rock Mountain Detention Facility has a monthly turnover of 40% of their inmate population, another 30% turnover every 90 days, another 20% every six months, and approximately 10% stay incarcerated between six and twelve months. Every year San Diego County law enforcement agencies arrest and detain approximately 128,820 offenders.
The following charts of San Diego County inmate population demographics are updated daily. The information shown is for today. For research purposes we have broken down the inmates by sex, age, ethnicity, and criminal charges.
The information is compiled from the San Diego County Corrections Department, the state of California Department of Corrections, as well as the United States Department of Justice and Census Bureau records. It represents every person in custody in San Diego County.
For complete information on how to get directions, bond, visit, mail, send and receive email and texts, receive phone calls, and send money or commissary to an inmate, find arrest information for San Diego County and other counties surrounding this one, scroll down this page. We have a section for each.
We also provide photos of the jail that we have collected over the years.
⇓ Learn more ⇓ Show lessHelpful links for all San Diego County Jails:
Once someone is arrested, they are taken to Rock Mountain Detention Facility for booking. This process involves identifying the individual, determining charges, and deciding if they will be released on their own recognizance, released on bail, or held in custody until their court date.
It’s important for the arrestee to stay silent, as anything they say can be used against them. The best advice is to avoid answering any questions about the arrest until legal counsel is present.
The booking process at Rock Mountain Detention Facility typically includes the following steps:
For questions about paying an arrestee’s bond or bail amount, contact the facility at 619-409-5000.
After an individual is apprehended and taken to Rock Mountain Detention Facility in San Diego for booking, their release options vary based on the situation:
1. They might be released without bail, on the condition they appear in court on a scheduled date.
2. They may be detained until their court appearance.
3. They may be eligible for release after posting a bail or bond. Call 619-409-5000 for the exact bail amount.
There are different ways to settle an individual's bail or bond.
For more information on the bail process in San Diego County, California, visit the Rock Mountain Detention Facility Bail Information Page.
⇓ Learn more ⇓ Show lessHow Do You Visit an Inmate in the Rock Mountain Detention Facility? What is the Schedule?
To schedule a remote visit, register with Smart Inmate
How Video Visitation Works
SmartJailMail.com provides a two-way, real-time video visitation system which can be used to speak to your loved ones directly in their housing location within the jail.
At some locations you may also use a lobby kiosk at the facility to visit for free when scheduling a local / on-site visit.
Remote visits from home cost 50 cents per minute and are scheduled in 15 or 30 minute increments.
To schedule a video visit you must first open a Smart Communications account.
Remote Video Visits From Home
Once you are connected with an inmate you can use the visitation section of the website to schedule a visit.
Remote visits from home are billed on a credits-per-minute model and are scheduled in 15 or 30 minute blocks.
Local / On-Site Video Visits
Once you are connected with an inmate at a location where you have a visitation kiosk in the lobby, you may use the visitation section of the website to schedule a visit.
Local / on-site visits are provided free of charge.
This link explains everything you need to know about Smart Communications Video Visitation.
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Rock Mountain Detention Facility’s Inmate Visitation Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 619-409-5000 for further assistance.
⇓ Learn more ⇓ Show lessCan I Use My Computer or Phone to Have a Remote Video Visit with an Inmate in the Rock Mountain Detention Facility?
How Video Visitation Works
SmartJailMail.com provides a two-way, real-time video visitation system which can be used to speak to your loved ones directly in their housing location within the jail.
At some locations you may also use a lobby kiosk at the facility to visit for free when scheduling a local / on-site visit.
Remote visits from home cost 50 cents per minute and are scheduled in 15 or 30 minute increments.
To schedule a video visit you must first open a Smart Communications account.
Remote Video Visits From Home
Once you are connected with an inmate you can use the visitation section of the website to schedule a visit.
Remote visits from home are billed on a credits-per-minute model and are scheduled in 15 or 30 minute blocks.
Local / On-Site Video Visits
Once you are connected with an inmate at a location where you have a visitation kiosk in the lobby, you may use the visitation section of the website to schedule a visit.
Local / on-site visits are provided free of charge.
This link explains everything you need to know about Smart Communications Video Visitation.
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Rock Mountain Detention Facility’s Video Remote Visitation Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 619-409-5000 for further assistance.
⇓ Learn more ⇓ Show lessHow Do You Deposit Money for an Inmate in the Rock Mountain Detention Facility?
Friends and family of inmates in the Rock Mountain Detention Facility can purchase commissary online and have that shipped directly to an inmate.
Commissary items range from snacks to hygeine products to stationary. You can even deposit money so that your inmate can purchase their own items.
To learn everything you need to know about how to deposit money for an inmate, purchase commissary for them, and limits to how much you can deposit, check out our Inmate Money Page.
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Rock Mountain Detention Facility’s Inmate Money and Trust Fund Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 619-409-5000 for further assistance.
⇓ Learn more ⇓ Show lessHow Do I Receive Phone Calls from an Inmate in the Rock Mountain Detention Facility?
To communicate by telephone with a San Diego County inmate, follow these instructions:

For all the information you need to receive phone calls from a Rock Mountain Detention Facility inmate, including how it works, how much it costs, how often you can receive calls and when you can receive them and more, check out our Inmate Phone Page.
NOTE: Your phone calls will be monitored and stored. You may want to refrain from discussing your inmate's court case. Anything discussed on the calls may be used in your inmate's court case.
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Rock Mountain Detention Facility’s Inmate Phone Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 619-409-5000 for further assistance.
⇓ Learn more ⇓ Show lessHow do I Mail an Inmate in the Rock Mountain Detention Facility, and what can I send them?
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Rock Mountain Detention Facility’s Inmate Mail Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 619-409-5000 for further assistance.
⇓ Learn more ⇓ Show lessCan I purchase Commissary Online for an Inmate in the Rock Mountain Detention Facility, and what can I purchase?
Friends and family of inmates in the Rock Mountain Detention Facility can purchase commissary online and have that shipped directly to an inmate.
Commissary items range from snacks to hygeine products to stationary. You can even deposit money so that your inmate can purchase their own items.
Friends and family of inmates in the Rock Mountain Detention Facility can purchase commissary online and have that shipped directly to an inmate.
Commissary items range from snacks to hygeine products to stationary. You can even deposit money so that your inmate can purchase their own items.
To learn everything you need to know about how to purchase commissary for an inmate, and limits to how much you can deposit, check out our Commissary Page.
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Rock Mountain Detention Facility’s Commissary Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 619-409-5000 for further assistance.
⇓ Learn more ⇓ Show lessHow Can I Communicate with an Inmate in the Rock Mountain Detention Facility using an Online Messaging Service?
Search for the inmate on Who’s in Jail site using the incarcerated person’s name. To prevent conflicts in spelling, you may search using only the first two letters of the first and last name.
Next, do the Captcha code to verify you are not a bot.
You should see a list with one or more names. Click on the last name of the correct person to view the inmate's page in the Who’s in Jail system.
Halfway down the page you will see an envelope icon you can click in order to send a message. Follow the instructions on submitting your email address.
Then open your email account, click on the link and send your message.
Every Rock Mountain Detention Facility inmate is allowed to send and receive two digital messages per day, each totalling no more than 2,500 text charcters.
Search for the inmate on Who’s in Jail site using the incarcerated person’s name. To prevent conflicts in spelling, you may search using only the first two letters of the first and last name.
Next, do the Captcha code to verify you are not a bot.
For complete instructions on how to exchange emails with an inmate in the San Diego Corrections system, check out our Inmate Email page.
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Rock Mountain Detention Facility’s Text and Email Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 619-409-5000 for further assistance.
⇓ Learn more ⇓ Show lessDo Inmates in the Rock Mountain Detention Facility have Access to Tablets or Computers?
They may not be directly connected to the internet, but inmates at Rock Mountain Detention Facility are provided free tablets to use within the jail that allow them to have access to the following services and information:
The availability of tablets may seem like something that inmates who are serving time do not deserve, but here are some of the benefits for inmates in San Diego County:
They may not be directly connected to the internet, but inmates at Rock Mountain Detention Facility are provided free tablets to use within the jail that allow them to have access to the following services and information:
The availability of tablets may seem like something that inmates who are serving time do not deserve, but here are some of the benefits for inmates in San Diego County:
For more information about Tablets and how your inmate can get one to use while he is in jail, chek out our Inmate Tablet page.
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Rock Mountain Detention Facility’s Tablet Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 619-409-5000 for further assistance.
⇓ Learn more ⇓ Show lessWhat are the other City and County Jails in San Diego County?
What are the other Jails in the Neighboring Counties surrounding San Diego County?