Search for an inmate at San Diego Metropolitan Corrections and get help with contacting an inmate, visitation, and sending money.
Enter first and last name to look up an inmate at San Diego Metropolitan Corrections.
Finding someone connected to San Diego Metropolitan Corrections can take a few steps because county, state, and federal systems cover different populations and update on different schedules. Start with San Diego County's "Who's In Custody" or booking logs for local arrests. Check CDCR for state inmates and the Bureau of Prisons for federal detainees. Third-party inmate lookup sites are often outdated or incomplete—if you need exact confirmation for legal or time-sensitive decisions, stick with official county, state, or federal locators. When searching, use the person's full first and last name and try alternate spellings. Missing results usually mean a name variation, different jurisdiction, or recent release. You can also sign up for custody-status notifications through services like VINE. For phone or video service questions, contact Smart Communications at 1-727-349-1561.
Search coming back blank? Check the name fields first. San Diego County's Who's In Jail requires at least two characters for the last name and two for the first name. Not sure about spelling? Start simple—enter just the first two letters of each name, then narrow down from there.
Check San Diego County’s “Who’s In Custody” or booking logs for local detainees, CDCR for state inmates, and the Bureau of Prisons for federal inmates. For accuracy—especially for legal matters—confirm results using the official county, state, or federal source.
They may be in a different jurisdiction (state or federal), the name spelling may not match, or they may have been released recently. Search using the full first and last name and try alternate spellings.
Yes. You can register for automated custody‑status notifications through services such as VINE. Sign‑up steps and available alert types vary by system, so follow the official service instructions.
Your first visit to GBDF will go much smoother if you handle the reservation early and show up prepared. Use the checklist below to get everything scheduled and avoid common last-minute problems.
Sending mail is one of the simplest ways to stay connected with someone in custody—but it only works if you use the county's central Mail Processing Center and address it correctly.
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.
