Santa Clara Main Jail Facility Inmate Tablet Rental

Santa Clara Main Jail Facility

Address:
150 W. Hedding Street
San Jose, CA 95110

Phone:

408-299-2305

Using or Renting a Tablet at the Santa Clara Main Jail Facility

Santa Clara Main Jail Facility allows inmates access to tablets to use for the services provided by 'gettingout'.


The devices are similar to common handheld tablets, but are made exclusively by GettingOut, a GTL / Viapath company.
Tablets offer specialized content and services for inmates to use during their stay at Santa Clara Main Jail Facility, such as:

  • Music
  • Books
  • Games
  • Education
  • News
  • Radio
  • Television
  • Read mail and messages
  • Video visits

-  Free services are already available for use on the device at Santa Clara Main Jail Facility.
-  Subscription services are funded separately by family and friends with deposits made into an inmate’s Debit Link account.
-  Santa Clara Main Jail Facility Inmates will then be able to purchase subscription services and premium content to enjoy.

What Does a Tablet Cost?

  • Tablet devices include some services and the content is free.
  • The subscription services require additional funding.
  • There may be multiple options such as 7-day or 30-day subscriptions.
  • Costs are dependent upon the available services and what the Santa Clara Main Jail Facility charges.

To estimate costs for phone calls, sign in to your account and click “Rate & Fees Calculator” in the footer (bottom of the page) or call 866-516-0115 for assistance.

Does Santa Clara Main Jail Facility have tablets for the inmates to use?

You can find information about the Santa Clara Main Jail Facility’s tablet program at the top of this page. If there is no information about it, it is because they either have recently changed companies or are not yet providing this service for inmates. Call 408-299-2305 to confirm.

What can the inmates use the tablets for?

Inmates in jails and prisons are using tablets for all the communication services available such as video visitation, video phone calls, regular phone calls, and electronic messaging – which is like texting and email.

Tablets are also used for entertainment, such as watching movies, television shows, listening to music and reading e-books. It is also used for education, self-help information, and legal research.

Are the jail’s tablets connected to the internet?

No, they are not connected to the internet. All the messages, visits and programming goes through a system controlled by the company that provides the tablets, and through the jail. They control what each inmate sees. All messages are carefully screened and not delivered if the sender or the inmate violates jail policy.

How much do the tablets cost to use?

For accessing visits and messages, the tablets are free to us. Each unit has many of them, all provided by the company that has contracted with the jail. Of course, the video visits and messages have a fee and those are paid for by the inmate’s family and friends who use the service.

If inmates are supposedly being punished, why do they get access to tablets?

That’s the question a lot of people ask and don’t fully understand.

The way the jail staff looks at it, is that if they can keep the inmates busy and distracted, it makes it safer for them. 

Tablets also give them a certain power over controller an inmate’s behavior. For example, if an inmate knows that they will lose the privilege of having access to a tablet if they get into a fight or violate another rule or policy, they will be better behaved. 

Tablets are one of the few things that make an inmate feel as though they are free, and they don’t want to lose the privilege of having access to one.

What companies have tablets for jail and inmate use?

CIDNET
City Tele Coin
Gettingout
GTL
Homewav
IC Solutions
Inmate Sales
JailATM
J Pay
NCIC
Oasis
Paytel
Reliance
Securus
Smart Communications

What if an inmate breaks a tablet, do they have to pay for it?

Yes, if an inmate breaks a tablet, then they are responsible for paying for it. The money will come out of their commissary funds, so not only do they lose access to having a tablet as punishment, but they also won’t be able to purchase snacks on commissary.
 

How do you Deposit Money in a Santa Clara Main Jail Facility Inmate's Account?

There are five ways to deposit money in an inmate's account in the Santa Clara County Jail system:

  • Mailing a payment - Money Orders or Cashiers Checks only.
  • Cash or Credit Card Deposit by Kiosk in Jail Facility Lobbies.
  • Online Deposits Using Touchpay.
  • Deposit by Phone Using Touchpay - Call 866-232-1899 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • Depositing Money in a Touchpay Retail Location 

To use any of these methods, you need:

- Main Jail Facility Location Number: 295110
- Inmate’s name
- Inmate’s inmate's booking number (CEN#)

1.  Mailing a Payment
Sending an inmate a Money Order or Cashiers Check by mail... no government checks, personal checks, etc.

**Important Notes**
The money order must be payable to the Santa Clara County Department of Correction.
They must include the inmate’s name + PFN number and sender’s contact information (in case there is no record of the inmate or the inmate has been released).
Mail without a return address will be rejected.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department reserves the right to decline or return deposits that violate Department Policies.

Mailing Address:
Santa Clara Main Jail Facility
885 North San Pedro Street
San Jose, CA 95110

2.  Dropping off a payment - Depositing money in the Jail Lobby Kiosk
When dropping off an inmate's money in person, the Santa Clara Main Jail Facility kiosk will only accept:

  • Cash (nothing smaller than $5 bill)
  • Visa, Mastercard

Location to drop off inmate money:
150 W. Hedding Street
San Jose, CA 95110

  • To either deposit money into an Inmate’s Trust Account that is incarcerated in the Santa Clara Main Jail Facility or to pick-up money from an inmate’s account in person, you MUST bring a valid governmental issued ID with photo) with you.

3. Online Deposit Using Touchpay - Visa, Mastercard only.

4. Deposit over the phone using Touchpay by calling 866-232-1899 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

5. Depositing Money in a Touchpay Retail Machine (Machine Locator)

For complete information on depositing money in an Santa Clara County inmate's account using the phone, online, by mail or in person, check out our Inmate Money page.


 

Santa Clara Main Jail Facility Inmate Mail Guidelines

Postcards
The Santa Clara Main Jail Facility allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature.

Envelopes
The Santa Clara Main Jail Facility also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates.

Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Santa Clara Main Jail Facility
885 North San Pedro Street
San Jose, CA 95110



Legal Mail

Send all legal Mail to this Address:
Santa Clara Main Jail Facility
885 North San Pedro Street
San Jose, CA 95110



Newspapers
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher.

Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.

Books
The Santa Clara Main Jail Facility allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as AmazonBarnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address below.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Santa Clara Main Jail Facility standards will be disposed of. No more than three books may be shipped at any one time.
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.


All newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Santa Clara Main Jail Facility
885 North San Pedro Street
San Jose, CA 95110


 

How Do You Communicate with an Inmate in the Santa Clara Main Jail Facility by Phone

Follow these instructions on how to open an account with GTL Connect Network (aka Viapath Technologies)

  • Advance Pay - This phone account allows you to prepay so that your inmate can call you (and only you) whenever he/she wants and the cost of each call is deducted from your balance. You can even be notified by text when your balance gets low. You still have the option of accepting or rejecting each call.
  • Pin Debit  -  This option allows you to fund an inmate's commissary account and lets him pay for phone calls to you and others with the money. You will have no control over who your inmate calls.
  • Voicemail  -  You can leave a secure voicemail without having to contact the facility. When you call the local phone number for a facility offering Inmate Voicemail (call Customer Service at 877-650-4249 to get the local voicemail number for Santa Clara Main Jail Facility, you will be informed of the cost for leaving a message. To leave your message, simply select the inmate by ID number. Then, record your voicemail.

For full instructions on the Santa Clara Main Jail Facility Inmate Phone System, what the costs are, how it works, and tips and guidelines on rules, regulations and saving money on calls, check out our Inmate Phones Page.


 

How Inmates Can Use a Tablet to Access Services at Santa Clara Main Jail Facility

To find out how to get access to a tablet for inmate read the following:

1.  First, Register or Sign In to GettingOut/GTL

2.  Purchase the services you want for your Santa Clara Main Jail Facility inmate.
3. All inmates have free access to the tablets to read their letters from family & friends, but there are many other services available to keep your inmate busy while incarcerated... such as Games, Books, Music and Movies. These other services come with fees that you can pay for when you pay for phone service.

To learn more about Tablet Rentals for inmates, including the cost, all the services available and everything else you need to know, check out our Tablet Rental Page.


 

How to Communicate with an Santa Clara Main Jail Facility Inmate by Mail and by Email

To mail or email an inmate in Santa Clara County follow these steps:

When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please follow these instructions:

  • All mail sent to an inmate at the Santa Clara Main Jail Facility must include the sender's name and mailing address in the top left corner of the envelope or postcard.
  • All mail must include the facility's address, as well as the inmate's name and assigned number.
  • Failure to include your return address will most likely result in your mail NOT being delivered and your letter destroyed.
  • The Santa Clara Main Jail Facility has a zero-tolerance policy regarding mail violations. 
  • All the information you need to understand mail and email policies can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.

Emailing Messages & Photos

Facility_name_1} contracts with GTL GettingOut, the same service that handles iInmate Phone Systems and Video Visitation, for sending secure messages and photos between you and your inmate.
 
If you are not already registered, do so here, or Log in.

Then use the Facility Finder to:
1.  Select Santa Clara Main Jail Facility,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.

  • Messages can be up to 500 characters long, including punctuation. At the bottom of your message there is a 'character countdown' feature.  
  • After you click the “CONTINUE” button, you can review the cost to send your message to your inmate. You can also attach credits for your inmate to reply to your message.  Be sure to accept the Terms and Conditions and click the “SEND” button for your message to be successfully delivered to your inmate.
  • You can also send your Santa Clara County inmate photos and videos.

Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call   866-516-0115

Go here to this FAQ to get answers to how the transition to ViaPath from GTL and gettingout will affect your account.

All the information you need to understand mail and email policies for Santa Clara County can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.


 

How to Deposit Money into an Inmate's Account in Santa Clara Main Jail Facility

To deposit money into the account of an inmate in Santa Clara County, follow these instructions:

  • Create an account with Touchpay Services, a GTL company.
  • Select California.
  • Select Santa Clara Main Jail Facility
  • Enter the Inmate ID of your inmate.  This can be found by calling 408-299-2305 or by looking up the inmate's name in the Inmate Search link.
  • Enter your billing information and send money.
  • You can also deposit cash using the kiosk at the Santa Clara Main Jail Facility.  To do this you need the Inmate's ID Number and the Facility Locator Number for Santa Clara County.

For all the information you need regarding making an inmate deposit, what it costs, how much you can send, how long it takes for your inmate to receive funds and more, and to get the Facility Locator Number, check out our Send Money Page.


 

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Santa Clara County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Santa Clara Main Jail Facility follow these steps:

  • Register here to create an account with icaregifts for Santa Clara County.
  • Choose California, then Santa Clara Main Jail Facility, and then the products you want shipped to them, and input your payment method. 
  • NOTE: There may be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in Santa Clara County at any one time.
  • There are a total of fourteen (14) pre-determined icaregift packs available to choose from. 
  • The gift packs for inmates in Santa Clara County range in price from $10.49 for ten pre-stamped envelopes, 2 pens and a pad of writing paper, to $104.99 for a box of 85 snack and food items.

For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Santa Clara Main Jail Facility, as well as sending money to the inmate so that they can purchase their own items, check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Santa Clara County.


 

Photos of this facility
1 / 5
2 / 5
3 / 5
4 / 5
5 / 5