Inyo County Jail Overview
Inyo County's official jail page identifies Inyo County Jail as the county's jail facility in Independence. The jail is operated by the Inyo County Sheriff's Office, and the sheriff describes it as the only correctional facility in the county. That matters for custody search work because a person arrested by the sheriff, Bishop Police, CHP, or another local agency may be routed to this jail after the initial arrest process.
The jail holds two main groups: people awaiting court proceedings and people serving county jail sentences. It is not the same as CDCR state custody, even though a state conservation camp is physically located in Inyo County. Booking at the jail includes identity questions, health questions, a custodial search, fingerprinting, a booking photograph, a wristband, and assignment to a bunk or housing area. These intake steps come from the Inyo inmate handbook and custody manual cited in the research file.
The official jail page names Lieutenant Shane Scott as Jail Commander and lists the jail office as open all day, every day. It also posts a key warning for families: the jail does not receive incoming calls for inmates. The phone line is a jail information channel, not a way to speak directly with a person in custody.
The official jail page screenshot in the manifest fits this facility because it shows the county jail contact, visitation, mail, and commissary information from the sheriff source.
The sheriff's jail page is the source for the facility rules shown in the image below.
The page is useful as a starting point because it provides official contact details and operating rules even though it does not publish a searchable jail roster.
Inyo Jail Capacity
The official county jail page does not publish a rated capacity. Public jail lists commonly show Inyo County Jail at 96 beds, but the research file flags that number as a public-list figure rather than a figure confirmed on the county page. Vera's 2021 Inyo County fact sheet reports an average day of 45 people in the county jail. For the broad Inyo County inmate population, the BSCC Jail Profile Survey is the official state data route, while the Vera number is a sourced county-level reference point.
| Measure | Figure | Source Note |
|---|---|---|
| County jail role | Local jail | Sheriff page says it is Inyo County's only correctional facility. |
| Bed figure | 96 | Public jail lists only, not confirmed on official county page. |
| Average day | 45 people | Vera Institute Inyo County fact sheet, 2021. |
| Pretrial share | 79% | Vera Institute Inyo County fact sheet, 2021. |
Search Inyo Jail Custody
No official public Inyo County Jail online roster, booking report, recent booking gallery, or mugshot feed was located in the county and sheriff sources. A practical Inyo County Jail custody search therefore uses the jail phone, the sheriff records route, the county public-records portal, and separate state or federal locators when the person has moved out of local custody. The county jail search should not be treated as a CDCR, BOP, or ICE search.
- Start with the official jail page to confirm current jail contact information and the no-incoming-inmate-call notice.
- Call Inyo County Jail at 760-878-0370 for custody information, but do not expect the call to be transferred to the inmate.
- For booking, arrest, or report records, use the Sheriff's Records Department at 760-878-0336 during records hours or submit through Inyo County NextRequest.
- If the person was sentenced to state prison or a fire camp, search CDCR CIRIS instead of the county jail.
- For federal or immigration custody, use the BOP inmate locator or ICE ODLS.
Important: Inyo County Jail can confirm local custody channels, but the county page says inmates cannot receive incoming calls.
Inyo Jail Contact
The jail contact card is the core facility contact point for Inyo County custody questions. Use the street address for official visits and the PO Drawer for inmate mail. The sheriff's administrative office has a separate public phone, but the jail phone is the facility line identified for custody operations.
Inyo County Jail
550 South Clay Street
Independence, CA 93526
760-878-0370
Fax: 760-878-0404
Office hours: 24 hours, seven days per week
Inmate Mail
PO Drawer 456
Independence, CA 93526
Use the jail's mail rules before sending photos, books, magazines, or newspapers.
Inyo Jail Visits
Inyo County Jail visits are in person and non-contact. Visitors must call on the day of the intended visit between the posted reservation hours, or they may arrive without an appointment and wait for the next available period. All visitors must be signed in before the posted deadline. A late arrival cancels the appointment, and the visitor may have to wait for another available slot.
| Item | Rule | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Visit days | Saturday and Sunday | In-person |
| Visit hours | 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. | Non-contact |
| Closure | 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Lunch closure |
| Reservation call | 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. day of visit | Phone scheduling |
| Length | One 30-minute visit per inmate per day | Non-contact |
| Visitors | Maximum two at one time, including children | ID may be required |
Visitors under 18 must be with a parent or guardian, except that children ages 12 to 18 may visit a biological parent without an adult present. The research file does not locate remote video visitation, a phone vendor, tablet visits, or visit pricing for Inyo County Jail, so those vendors should not be assumed.
Inyo Jail Mail
Mail and money rules at Inyo County Jail are narrow. Inmate mail goes to the PO Drawer address, not the jail's street address. Photographs may be accepted only if they comply with the jail's size and security rules. Packages are not accepted for inmates. Books, magazines, newspapers, and periodicals must come through the jail library or a subscription sent directly by a publisher or bookstore.
| Service | Official Detail |
|---|---|
| Mail address | PO Drawer 456, Independence, CA 93526 |
| Photos | Unadorned, no larger than 3 inches by 5 inches, subject to security review |
| Packages | No packages accepted for inmates |
| Inmate items | Purchased through commissary only |
| Money deposits | Money orders accepted for inmates |
| Not accepted | No cash, personal checks, debit cards, or credit cards for inmate items or funds |
Inyo Jail Booking
Inyo County Jail booking begins before the person reaches the housing area. The custody manual says the transporting agency and the jail share responsibility for safe admission. The transporting officer should notify dispatch with the estimated time of arrival, identity information, and charges or status. Jail staff then receive the person through the booking sally port, check for injury, illness, and security risks, and review required paperwork.
The inmate handbook says each person entering the jail is subject to search and must answer identity and health questions. The person is photographed and fingerprinted, issued a wristband, and assigned a bunk. The wristband matters for daily custody life because the handbook ties commissary access to wearing it. Classification means the jail's process for assigning custody level and housing based on security, health, paperwork, and facility needs.
About Inyo Jail
Inyo County Jail sits in Independence near county government and court functions. The county's rural geography affects travel to the jail. Visitors coming from Bishop usually travel south on U.S. 395, while visitors from Lone Pine and southern Inyo usually travel north. From Death Valley and remote eastern Inyo routes, road conditions, heat, winter closures, and distance can affect arrival time.
Records requests are separate from a custody call. The sheriff's records process says report release depends on authorization and California law, with juvenile and some sex-related reports restricted. The records page lists a $10 report-copy fee unless exempt or waived, and the form says the office may take up to 10 business days to determine whether a report may be released.
Note: Confirm custody, visit availability, and mail rules with Inyo County Jail before traveling or sending funds.