Santa Cruz County Released Inmates

Released inmate records in Santa Cruz County are managed by the sheriff's office, which runs the county jail in Santa Cruz. The sheriff provides a Web Jail Viewer where you can search for current inmates and check recent releases for free. Santa Cruz County handles bookings from cities like Watsonville, Scotts Valley, and Capitola as well as the unincorporated areas. State prison releases are searchable through the CDCR CIRIS tool. This page explains how to find released inmates in Santa Cruz County, what records are public, and the California laws that apply to inmate data.

Santa Cruz County Web Jail Viewer

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff runs a Web Jail Viewer at jailviewer.co.santa-cruz.ca.us. This tool lets you search for people in the Santa Cruz County Jail. You can look up inmates by name or booking number. Results show the charges, booking date, bail amount, and current custody status. When someone gets released, the record reflects that change. The search is free and open to the public. You do not need an account to use it.

The Santa Cruz County Jail sits in the city of Santa Cruz and processes people arrested throughout the county. Police departments in Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Capitola, and the Santa Cruz Police Department all book arrestees here. The sheriff's department also handles patrol for unincorporated parts of the county. All of these bookings show up in the Web Jail Viewer. This makes it the single best place to search for released inmates in Santa Cruz County.

How to Find Santa Cruz Released Inmates

Start at the Santa Cruz County Web Jail Viewer page. Type in the person's last name. Adding the first name narrows the results. Hit search. The system checks the jail database and shows all matching records. Each result lists the charges, bail amount, and whether the person is in custody or released. Some entries also show the arresting agency and case number. The tool is simple and loads fast on both computers and mobile devices.

Records you can find for Santa Cruz County released inmates typically include:

• Full name and date of birth
• Booking number and arrest date
• Charges at the time of booking
• Bail amount if set by the court
• Release date and type of release
• Arresting agency in Santa Cruz County

The Web Jail Viewer focuses on current and recent jail activity. For older records about released inmates in Santa Cruz County, contact the sheriff's records division. You can submit a public records request under the California Public Records Act. The sheriff must respond within 10 calendar days. Include the person's name and approximate booking date for faster results.

Note: The viewer shows county jail bookings only, not state prison data for Santa Cruz County inmates.

California Law on Santa Cruz Inmate Records

California law mandates that the Santa Cruz County Sheriff share booking and arrest data with the public. Government Code 7923.610 lists the required details. They include the full name, occupation, date of birth, physical description, time of arrest, time of booking, arrest location, charges, bail, and manner of release. This law covers every person booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail. An agency can hold back a specific item only if releasing it would put a person in danger or interfere with an active case. The statute took effect on January 1, 2023.

Parolees released from California state prison to Santa Cruz County are governed by Penal Code 3003. Under this law, CDCR must share parolee details with local law enforcement. The information covers names, physical descriptions, tattoos, scars, prior offenses, and the address where the released inmate will reside. Parolees go back to the county where they last lived before prison. CDCR can grant transfers to another county, but the default rule sends each person back to their home county. Released inmates receive $200 in gate money and get a ride to a bus or train station if no one picks them up.

VINE Alerts for Santa Cruz County

The VINE system provides free custody alerts for inmates in Santa Cruz County. Register for phone calls, emails, or text messages. When someone is released from the Santa Cruz County Jail or transferred to another facility, VINE sends the alert within minutes. The service runs around the clock in over 200 languages. Anyone can sign up.

Call 1-877-411-5588 to register by phone. You can also use vinelink.com to set things up online. VINE covers roughly 2,900 facilities across 48 states. That includes Santa Cruz County's jail and California state prisons. For victims and families, VINE is the fastest way to know when a released inmate leaves custody. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff recommends it as a reliable notification tool for anyone tracking an inmate's status.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Web Jail Viewer at jailviewer.co.santa-cruz.ca.us is shown below. This tool is the main way to search for current and released inmates in Santa Cruz County.

Search by name or booking number to view charges, bail, and release details for people booked at the Santa Cruz County Jail.

State Prison Records for Santa Cruz County

The county jail viewer only shows local bookings. For state prison inmates tied to Santa Cruz County, use the CIRIS database from CDCR. Search by name or CDCR number. Results include facility location, admission date, commitment county, and parole hearing outcomes. CIRIS covers current inmates and those who have been released from California state prisons. The search is free and available 24 hours a day.

To request specific documents about a state inmate from Santa Cruz County, go to the CDCR Public Records Portal. CDCR must respond within 10 calendar days and can take an extra 14 days in unusual situations. The California DOJ PRA page covers requests for records held by the Attorney General. For your own criminal history, the DOJ record review page explains how to submit fingerprints and the $25 fee.

Nearby Counties

If your search for a released inmate in Santa Cruz County comes up empty, the person may have been booked in a neighboring county. Transfers between facilities happen as well. Check these nearby counties.