What to do if Santa Clara County Sheriff or County inmate pages block you (how to report the Cloudflare message)

Several Santa Clara County Sheriff website pages - including the one for scheduling jail visits - use a security service that protects against online attacks. When the system flags a request as suspicious, it blocks the page and shows a Cloudflare error instead. The county eServices "find inmate" page has the same protection and can trigger the same block.

Why You Might See This

• ✓ The security service flags the specific action you just took on the page as potentially unsafe
• ✓ Something about your request looks like an “online attack” to the automated protection
• ✓ The page’s protections are triggered during normal use, even when you’re just trying to visit or look up inmate information

1. Stay on the block page - don’t close it right away; you may need details from the screen.
2. Find the Cloudflare Ray ID - it’s shown at the bottom of the block message.
3. Copy (or screenshot) the Ray ID - the site specifically asks for this number.
4. Write down what you were doing - for example, which tool you were using (Sheriff page vs. eServices inmate search) and what you clicked or entered right before the block appeared.
5. Email the site owner - the block page instructs you to contact the site owner and include what you were doing and the Cloudflare Ray ID from the bottom of the page.

What to Include in Email

• ✓ What you were doing when the block appeared (what you clicked/entered right before it happened)
• ✓ The Cloudflare Ray ID from the bottom of the block page
• ✓ Which page or tool you were trying to use (Sheriff page or the eServices “find inmate” page)
• ✓ The page address (URL) you were on when it happened
• ✓ The date and approximate time the block happened
• ✓ A screenshot of the block page (optional, but often helpful)

Keep the email short and factual. You’re giving the site owner enough information to locate the block event and decide whether your access should be allowed, so the Ray ID and a clear description of what you were doing matter more than a long explanation.

Still blocked after reporting? Try again later and change one thing at a time: a different browser, a different device, or a different connection (cellular instead of Wi‑Fi, for example). If the block keeps appearing, send another message with the new Ray ID and note what you tried. The block screen tells you to email the site owner - use whatever contact method appears on your specific block page, since the captured excerpts don't include a specific email address.

Save a copy of what you sent - or take a screenshot - and hang onto any auto-reply you get. The block page doesn't promise a response time, so keeping your Ray ID and original details makes follow-up easier if needed.