Contra Costa Inmate Population

Contra Costa County tracks its inmate population across two main detention facilities run by the Sheriff's Office. The county holds over 1.1 million residents in the East Bay area, making it one of the larger California counties by population. The Martinez Detention Facility and the West County Detention Facility in Richmond house most Contra Costa County inmates. The sheriff provides inmate information through the county website and works with ConnectNetwork for inmate communication. You can search for people in Contra Costa County custody online or call (925) 646-4496 for jail inquiries.

Contra Costa Sheriff Inmate Search

The Contra Costa County Sheriff provides inmate information through the sheriff's inmate information page. This page guides you through the options for finding someone in Contra Costa County custody. The sheriff runs a native search tool on the county site. Enter a name to see if that person is currently being held at either the Martinez or West County facility.

Results from the Contra Costa County search show the inmate's name, booking number, charges, bail amount, and facility location. You can see which detention center the person is housed at, which matters for visiting and communication. The Martinez Detention Facility handles most bookings since it sits next to the courthouse. The West County Detention Facility in Richmond is the larger of the two and holds more long-term inmates. Both are part of the same Contra Costa County jail system, and one search covers both locations.

The search tool is free. You do not need to create an account. It works on desktop and mobile. For best results, search by last name and narrow down from there. Common names in a county this size will return multiple hits, so adding a first name or approximate age helps. The Contra Costa County inmate search updates throughout the day as new bookings and releases get processed.

Contra Costa Detention Facilities

Contra Costa County runs two main facilities for its jail population. The Martinez Detention Facility is at 1000 Ward Street in Martinez. It handles the intake and booking process for most Contra Costa County arrests. People brought to this facility go through processing, which includes fingerprinting, photos, and a health screening. After booking, some inmates stay at Martinez while others get moved to West County.

The West County Detention Facility sits at 5555 Giant Road in Richmond. This is the larger facility. It holds inmates serving longer county sentences and those awaiting trial on serious charges. The West County facility has more bed space and handles the bulk of the Contra Costa County inmate population on any given day. Both facilities fall under the sheriff's control and share the same booking database. When you search for a Contra Costa County inmate online, you see results from both facilities.

Note: Inmates may transfer between Contra Costa facilities, so always check both locations if you plan an in-person visit.

Contra Costa Jail Communication

ConnectNetwork handles phone calls and messaging for Contra Costa County Jail inmates. Family members and friends set up accounts through ConnectNetwork to receive calls. You can also add money to an inmate's phone account so they can make calls. Rates follow California state caps. ConnectNetwork may also offer video visit options for Contra Costa County, which lets you talk face to face through a screen without driving to the jail.

In-person visiting requires a valid photo ID and a spot on the schedule. Each facility has its own visit hours. Martinez and West County run on different schedules. Call (925) 646-4496 to find out the current visiting times for the facility where your person is housed. Visits get suspended during lockdowns. If you are driving from across the county, call first to make sure visits are happening that day. Contra Costa County is a big area, and the two jails are not close to each other. Martinez is inland. Richmond is near the bay. Plan your trip based on the right facility.

Contra Costa Inmate Record Laws

Public access to Contra Costa County inmate data falls under Government Code 6254(f). This California statute makes booking data public. Names, charges, bail amounts, and booking dates are all available to anyone. The Contra Costa County Sheriff shares this data through the online search tool and by phone. You do not need a reason to ask. The law says it is public, so it is public.

Detailed criminal history is another matter. Penal Code 11105 restricts who can see full criminal records in California. The Contra Costa County Sheriff can tell you about current bookings. Past criminal history goes through the DOJ. If you need your own record, use a Live Scan site. Contra Costa County has several Live Scan locations in Concord, Walnut Creek, Antioch, and Richmond. Pay the $25 DOJ fee and you get your record back in a few days to two weeks.

VINELink also covers Contra Costa County for custody status checks. Call 1-877-411-5588 or use the site to search by name across all California counties. VINE is free and works well as a backup when the sheriff's site is slow or down for maintenance.

Contra Costa County Jail Data

The BSCC Jail Profile Survey collects monthly jail population data from Contra Costa County and every other county in California.

Use the BSCC tool to pull historical data on Contra Costa County jail capacity, average daily population, and booking counts. The survey has been running since the 1970s and provides one of the most complete pictures of California jail trends over time.

Cities in Contra Costa County

Several Contra Costa County cities are large enough to have their own inmate population pages. All jail services in these cities run through the Contra Costa County Sheriff.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Contra Costa in the greater Bay Area and Central Valley region. Each runs its own jail system separately.