Monterey County Inmate Population

Monterey County inmate population records are managed by the Sheriff's Office, which operates the county jail in Salinas. The facility is officially called the Monterey County Jail. It serves a county of more than 430,000 people. The sheriff provides inmate information through the county website and also works with the statewide VINELink system. Monterey County sits along California's Central Coast and handles bookings from Salinas, Seaside, Marina, Monterey, and other communities. Call (831) 755-3782 for direct help with Monterey County inmate queries.

Monterey County Sheriff Inmate Lookup

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office maintains an inmate information page at montereysheriff.org/inmates. This page provides tools for the public to find people in Monterey County custody. The system runs through the sheriff's own website rather than a third-party platform. You search by name to see who is currently held at the Monterey County Jail. Results show the person's charges, bail amount, booking date, and other details. The system is free and open to anyone.

The Monterey County Jail has a rated capacity of about 825 beds. According to the BSCC Jail Profile Survey, the average daily population runs around 700 to 900 inmates. The facility sits in Salinas and handles every booking in the county. From minor misdemeanors to serious felonies, all arrests in Monterey County go through this one jail for processing. The jail has dealt with crowding at times, which led the county to explore alternatives like electronic monitoring and pre-trial release programs to manage the Monterey County inmate population.

Note: The Monterey County inmate page shows current custody data and may not include people who were just released or are being transported.

How to Search Monterey Inmates

Go to the sheriff's inmate page first. That is the most direct source for Monterey County inmate population data. Enter a last name and review the matches. If you can not find someone, they may not be in Monterey County custody. People get transferred between counties. They also get released on bail or on their own recognizance. Not everyone who gets arrested stays in jail.

VINELink covers Monterey County and all other California counties. Use it when you want to search statewide or if the sheriff's site is not loading. VINE stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday. Anyone can use it though, not just victims. Search by name across all 58 counties or narrow to just Monterey County. Register for alerts to get a call, text, or email when an inmate's status changes. The VINE phone line is 1-877-411-5588.

State prison inmates from Monterey County are tracked through CIRIS. This is CDCR's online tool for all California state prisons. It covers people who were convicted and sentenced to more than a year. Once someone leaves the Monterey County Jail for state prison, only CIRIS has their location. Search by name or CDCR number. The tool is free.

Monterey County Jail in Salinas

The jail sits at 1414 Natividad Road in Salinas. All bookings for Monterey County come through this location. The Salinas Police Department, Monterey Police, Seaside Police, Marina Police, and other local agencies all book their arrests here. The California Highway Patrol also sends its Monterey County arrests to this facility. The booking process follows the same steps as other California jails. Fingerprints, photos, personal data, and a medical screening happen first. Then bail gets set from the Monterey County bail schedule.

Salinas is the county seat and the largest city in Monterey County. It has the highest arrest volume in the area. Gang-related activity and agricultural community dynamics affect crime patterns in Salinas. The Monterey County Sheriff and Salinas Police work together on cases that span city and county lines. Both agencies book people at the same jail. You search for inmates from either agency using the same Monterey County inmate lookup tools.

• Jail address: 1414 Natividad Road, Salinas, CA 93906
• Sheriff phone: (831) 755-3782
• Booking available 24 hours a day
• Visiting schedule posted on the sheriff's website
• Valid ID required for in-person visits

Monterey County Inmate Records Law

Booking information in Monterey County is public under Government Code 6254(f). This California law requires law enforcement to share arrest and booking data with anyone who wants it. The Monterey County Sheriff makes this data available through the online inmate page. You can also request it by phone or in person. Names, charges, bail, and booking details are all covered. There is no cost to access this information in Monterey County.

Full criminal history stays restricted in California. Penal Code 11105 places criminal history records under DOJ control. The Monterey County Sheriff can share current booking data but not a person's full criminal background. That requires a DOJ request. Get your own record by visiting a Live Scan location in Monterey County. There are sites in Salinas, Monterey, and Seaside. The DOJ fee is $25. Processing takes a few days.

Note: Monterey County booking data is free to view, but full criminal background checks through the DOJ cost $25 and require fingerprints.

California DOJ FAQ Page

The DOJ FAQ page shown below answers common questions about accessing criminal records in California, including records connected to Monterey County.

This page covers how to check your record, fees, processing times, and what happens if you find errors. It applies to all California counties, including Monterey. Start here if you have questions about your own criminal history or how inmate records work in California.

Monterey County Cities

Salinas is the main city in Monterey County and handles the bulk of jail bookings in the area.

Nearby Counties

Counties near Monterey each run their own jail system. Check these pages for inmate population search tools in surrounding areas.