Santa Cruz County Main Jail, CA Bail & Bonds

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Santa Cruz County Main Jail

Address:
259 Water Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone:
831-454-7800

Paying an Inmate's Bail or Bond in Santa Cruz County

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff recommends that you use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Santa Cruz County.

You can pay a cash bond yourself, or use your home in Santa Cruz County, or in some cases the state of California, but the benefit of using a bail bond agent is that they take responsibility for making sure the inmate shows up for court in Santa Cruz County, and if they don't, then they take the financial responsibility.
The typical fee for a bond will be between 10-20% of the bail amount; usually 15%. So if an offender has a bail of $10,000.00, their bond will be $1500.00.

Call 831-454-7800 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Santa Cruz County inmate locator.

Who do I call to find out the Bond for an Inmate?

Please call the jail at 831-454-7800 for the type of bond and any information that is required for a particular individual at Santa Cruz County Main Jail.
A bond is set according to a court-approved schedule.
The purpose of the bond is to assure the offender's appearance in court.

Instructions on how to post Bail or Bond in Santa Cruz County

Because Santa Cruz County and California can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Santa Cruz County Main Jail at 831-454-7800, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, right after an arrestee has been booked.

Ask the staff at the Santa Cruz County Main Jail or the Santa Cruz County Court Clerk these specific questions:

Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
Where do I go to pay it?
Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released.

This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.

Option 1 - How to Post Bail using Cash for a Defendant at Santa Cruz County Main Jail

The first option, a cash bond, is to pay the full bail amount in cash, cashier's check, or money order. Personal Checks are not accepted.

Depending on the crime, this amount could be anywhere from $100 to $75,000 or more.

To pay a cash bond, go to Santa Cruz County Main Jail or to the court where the bail hearing occurred. Going directly to the jail will quicken the release of the defendant as any bail paperwork processed at the court will have to be transferred to the jail.

Cashier's Checks and Money Orders may be made out to Santa Cruz County Main Jail where the defendant is being held, but usually to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office or to the Santa Cruz County Court.

To purchase money orders visit any Western Union, Moneygram or Post Office.

Option 2 - How to Post a Private or Surety Bond for a Defendant at Santa Cruz County Main Jail

In the event that someone does not have the full bond amount available to him or her, there is what is called a private bond or surety bond.

This is an agreement made with a bail agent or bondsman who will post the full bail amount. In return, the defendant and/or cosigner will pay a premium to the bail agent. This premium will be 10-15% of the full bail amount.

For example, if bail is posted at $5,000, then the premium will cost approximately $500-$750.

A bail agent will often require some form of collateral, for example, a lien on a house, a car or jewelry. This is to ensure that if the defendant skips bail, or does not appear in court, the bail agent has some sort of compensation for the full bail amount being paid.

Remember, by making an agreement with a bail agent the signatory takes responsibility for paying the full bail amount if the defendant does not appear in court.

Option 3 - How to Post a Property Bond for a Defendant at Santa Cruz County Main Jail

If you are a landowner in Santa Cruz County you may be able to post a property bond. Property within Santa Cruz County may be used as collateral to bail someone out. All owners of the property must be present to sign the bond in order for this to happen.

To find if property located outside of Santa Cruz County can be used as collateral, call a local bail or bond agent or contact a defense lawyer.

Click here for additional information on how to post bail at Santa Cruz County Main Jail.

Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Santa Cruz County Main Jail?

Anyone over the age of 18 who can produce a valid government-issued photo ID can post bail. Accepted forms of ID include a Photo Driver's License, Passport, or Motor Vehicle issued ID.

In many circumstances, if the defendant has the resources, they can post their own cash bail from jail.

Surety Bonds are arranged by a third party, typically a California state licensed Bail Bond firm.

Juveniles may only be bailed or bonded out of custody by a parent or legal guardian.

Santa Cruz County Justice System Flowchart

When will the Cash Bail or Collateral be returned to me?

Money or collateral will not be returned until the defendant's court case is finished, so realistically it could take several months to years, depending on the severity of the charges. If a defendant posts his or her own bail, Santa Cruz County Court may retain whatever amount of fines or fees have accumulated throughout the trial.

What happens to my Bail or Collateral if the Defendant misses Court?

The Santa Cruz County Judge may order a failure to appear warrant for the person's arrest or the Judge may order a Bail Commissioner's Letter be issued that will be sent to the person with a new court date.

If cash bail was paid, the entire amount may be forfeited.

Santa Cruz County Bail Bond Information

Ask the staff at the Santa Cruz County Main Jail or the Santa Cruz County Court Clerk these specific questions:

Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
Where do I go to pay it?
Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.

Depositing Money in an Inmate's Commissary Account at Santa Cruz County Main Jail

Whatever cash the inmate has on their person when booked into the facility will automatically deposited and credited to their account. When released any money left in the account will be returned to them in the form of a check from the Sheriff's Department or the Santa Cruz County Main Jail Trust Account. There may be circumstances where the inmate can give permission to have his money released to a family member or friend.

Option 1 - Dropping Money at the Jail
Bring money to the jail in person.
Use the self-serve kiosk in the lobby that accepts cash, debit or credit cards.
Santa Cruz County Jail
259 Water Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Option 2 - Mail the Inmate Deposit to the Jail
Mailing a deposit takes more time to process than the other methods but can be done if you live too far away to bring it in person.
Never send cash. Always send a Money Order from the US Post Office, a reputable bank or Western Union.
Make the Money Order out to the inmate and put their Inmate ID# in memo section of the Money Order.
Mail to:
Santa Cruz County Jail
259 Water Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

For complete information on depositing money at the Santa Cruz County Main Jail, including limits, where to drop or mail them and anything else, check out our Inmate Money page.

How Inmates Can Use a Tablet to Access Services at Santa Cruz County Main Jail

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 Cruz County Main Jail 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.

Santa Cruz County Main Jail Inmate Mail Types

Postcards
The Santa Cruz County Main Jail 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 Cruz County Main Jail also allows regular postcards and envelopes to be mailed to inmates as well.

Personal postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate's Full Name & ID or S Number
Smart Communications-Santa Cruz County Jail-CA
P.O. Box 9143
Seminole, FL 33775-9143

Legal Mail
Legal Mail is mail from Attorneys, law enforcement, the courts, bail companies, etc.

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 Cruz County Main Jail allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address above.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Santa Cruz County Main Jail 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 legal mail, newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Inmate's Full Name & ID or S Number
Santa Cruz County Jail
259 Water Street
Santa Cruz, CA. 95060

Depositing Money for Communicating with an Inmate

How to Make a Deposit for Phone, Email or Visitation using GettingOut.com

Santa Cruz County Main Jail uses GettingOut for some or all of its communication services with an inmate.

If you want to deposit money using this company for your use or your inmate's account, there are four ways to do it:

Online - They accept all major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.
At the Santa Cruz County Main Jail using the kiosk in the jail lobby - (cash, debit or credit card) NOTE - Santa Cruz County Main Jail may require identity verification so bring your driver’s license or some other form of ID.
By phone by calling 866-516-0115 - They have bi-lingual operators are standing by 24 hours 7 days a week to assist you with your deposit. Major credit cards accepted are Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.
By using their app, either Android or iphone. - All credit cards mentioned above are accepted.

For all the information you need to know, including tips, guidelines and warnings about depositing money in a Santa Cruz County Main Jail inmate's account for communication services, check out our Send Money page.

How to Communicate with an Santa Cruz County Main Jail Inmate by Mail and by Email

To mail or email an inmate in Santa Cruz 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 Cruz County Main Jail 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 Cruz County Main Jail 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 Cruz County Main Jail,
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 Cruz 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 Cruz County can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.

How Do You Visit an Inmate in Santa Cruz County Main Jail?

To visit an inmate in Santa Cruz County, whether by video or in person 'at the jail', follow these steps:

Other than 'at the jail' visits between you and your inmate, which is explained and outlined in detail on our Visit Inmate Page, Santa Cruz County remote video inmate visitation can be done using the services of GettingOut.

There are three ways to remotely visit your inmate in Santa Cruz County Main Jail:
1. Using the GettingOut Kiosk at the jail.
2. Using your computer from home.
3. Using your phone on the GettingOut apps.

To remotely visit an inmate in Santa Cruz County follow these steps:
1. Start by confirming that Santa Cruz County Main Jail's Video Visitation is working correctly by looking up Santa Cruz County here.
2. The next step is to create an account here for GettingOut.
3. Then add funds to your account.
4. Last, select Santa Cruz County Main Jail, and then the inmate you wish to communicate with.

Other Santa Cruz County Services provided by GettingOut:
- Phone Calls & Voicemail
- Email, Photo & Video Sharing
- Inmate Tablet Rental
- Deposits

Customer Service
If you have any questions about the Santa Cruz County Main Jail Visitation Services you can call them at 866-516-0115.
Frequently Asked Questions

* All the information you need to have complete knowledge about inmate visitation; policies, rules, fees, schedules, tips, dress codes, and children, lawyers and clergy visitation in Santa Cruz County, can be found on our Visit Inmate Page.

Santa Cruz County Main Jail Phone: 831-454-7800

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

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

Select California, then select Santa Cruz County Main Jail, and then select the 'Send a Package Order' option.
Register and create an account with Access Securepak, for Santa Cruz County.
Choose the inmate and 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 Cruz County at any one time.

For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Santa Cruz County Main Jail check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Santa Cruz County.

How to Send Money to an Inmate in Santa Cruz County

To send commissary money to an inmate in Santa Cruz County Main Jail follow these steps:

Register with Access Corrections by creating an account.
Select California, then select Santa Cruz County Main Jail, and then the inmate you want to send money to.
Choose the amount of money you want to send, and input your payment method.

For all information on how to Send Money to an inmate's account check out our full money and commissary guide for Santa Cruz County Main Jail.

How Do Inmates in Santa Cruz County Main Jail Make Phone Calls?

To receive phone calls from inmates in Santa Cruz County, or to assist them in making phone calls to other people, follow these steps:

Santa Cruz County Main Jail uses the services of IC Solutions.
Register with them online or call them at 888-506-8407.
Agents are available 24 hours a day, and speak both English & Spanish.
Services for Santa Cruz County inmates and their families and friends include Collect Calling, PIN Debits, Purchasing Calling Cards, Voicemail & Prepaid calls. In addition, IC Solutions provides secure messaging, sending photos, video phone calls and online deposits for inmates and their families in Santa Cruz County.
Although rates are subject to change, they generally run about $0.21 per minute for phone calls.

Note: All your calls with an inmate are recorded, stored and shared with law enforcement if the conversation deals with your case or any criminal activity. Anything communicated can be used against you or your inmate in court.

For all the information regarding phone calls with Santa Cruz County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, limits and more visit our Inmate Phone Page.