How to Email Someone in San Diego County Jail: step-by-step, limits, and troubleshooting
San Diego County Jail uses an online "Who's In Jail" lookup to start the message process. Once you find the person and verify your email, you write a plain-text message that staff prints and delivers as a hard copy. Knowing the limits and common fixes upfront will save you time.
Head to the Sheriff's
You'll need to verify your email address before sending anything. This step links you to the message form and identifies you as the sender. Watch for an automated email from netwebmaster@sdsheriff.org. Check your spam or promotions folder if it doesn't show up - verification emails often end up there.
- Check your inbox and spam/junk folders - the verification email can be filtered.
- Open the verification email and click the link - the link is only valid for a limited time.
- Re-submit your email address if the link is expired - submitting again generates a new verification link.
Messages max out at 2,500 characters and must be plain text. If you're pasting in something you wrote elsewhere, watch the character count - better to trim before you submit than scramble to rewrite.
- ✓ Keep it to a single page
- ✓ Don’t include pictures
- ✓ Don’t include attachments
Privacy warning: There is no expectation of privacy for these messages - every message is reviewed by jail staff. Don’t use this system for legal, confidential, or other privileged communications.
You submit the message online, but it doesn't arrive electronically. Staff prints it out and delivers a paper copy to the person in custody.
Replies don't come back through this system. The person you're writing can only respond by U.S. Mail, so make sure you include a return address where you'll actually get it.
The messaging system has two caps. Each incarcerated person can receive up to 10 messages total per 24 hours - from everyone combined. And you personally can only send two messages to that same person within 24 hours.
If you hit the limit: The system blocks additional messages until 24 hours pass from your last one. Plan on two messages per day max.
Troubleshooting
- ✓ Check your spam/junk folders for the verification email
- ✓ If you clicked the verification link and it’s expired, re-submit your email address to get a new link
- Double-check your search entries - the “Who’s In Jail” search requires at least two characters for the last name and at least two characters for the first name.
- Try the search again if the page is looping or acting stuck - if you keep getting blocked by the CAPTCHA, refresh and re-run the search.
- Call the jail information line for the facility you believe they’re housed in - staff can verify whether the person is in custody if you can’t find them in the search.
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