Mesa County, Colorado Inmate Search
A Mesa County inmate search is an inquiry that any citizen or resident can direct to the Sheriff’s Office Detentions Division regarding an individual who was recently or previously detained by law enforcement. The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office oversees the locally incarcerated population and the safety and security of the county’s only jail, where this population is housed.
The Mesa County Detention Facility (Jail) serves various law enforcement agencies in the County of Mesa, Colorado, as a centralized detention hub, incarcerating adult persons accused of or sentenced locally for state- or municipal-level offenses. These agencies include the Grand Junction Police Department and Fruita Police Department, which operate in the county’s largest cities.
Results from a Mesa County inmate search include details about an arrestee’s or inmate’s detention in the county jail, including charges and bond. When the inquiry seeks information about a county arrestee who was later transferred to a state or federal prison, the appropriate contact is the Colorado Department of Corrections (for state offenders) or the Federal Bureau of Prisons (for federal offenders). Inmate records preserved by the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office do not track these types of prisoners, as they are beyond county control.
How to Find an Inmate in Mesa County Jail
Any inmate presently confined in the Mesa County jail can be located using resources provided directly by the Sheriff’s Office:
- Access the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Locator
- Access the Sheriff’s Mesa County Blotter Reports System to check the Booking Summary Report.
The Booking Summary Report displays persons booked into the county jail within the last 24 hours of the report date. The system retains a history of these daily logs for the most recent 30 days.
- Search By Phone Inquiry: Call (970) 244-3930 for live assistance. Each caller must know either the last name, date of birth, or booking number of the inmate.
- Search Through the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Records Unit: This option is particularly useful when seeking historical inmate records or more information than what is available through the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Locator or Booking Summary Report.
The Records Unit accepts record requests by email, in person, or via mail. Consult the Sheriff’s Open Records Requests page for request guidelines, as well as the applicable copy fees (e.g., $3 per mugshot).
For additional information, call the Records Unit at (970) 244-3500 or email so-records@mesacounty.us.
Mesa County Sheriff’s Office & Jail
215 Rice Street
Grand Junction, Colorado
How to Use the Mesa County Jail Roster
Mesa County’s jail or inmate roster is featured on the Sheriff’s Office website as a searchable database, formally referred to as the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Locator. The roster is accessible to anyone-for free-in a few different ways, but this is the most direct method:
- On the official website of the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, scroll down past the Sheriff’s welcome message, and from the list of services the office offers, select "Inmate Locator."
- On the Locator homepage, enter the inmate’s last name, birth date, or booking number in the search box, then hit "Search."
- Identify the correct name and booking number from the results list, and click "Select" in the corresponding third row to view the inmate’s jail profile.
What Information is Included in the Mesa County Inmate Roster
Members of the public typically receive the following information about an inmate after a search of the Mesa County inmate roster:
- Full Legal Name: Written in first, middle, last order
- Booking Number: A unique (although temporary) jail ID that starts with the year of detention, followed by a hyphen and a sequential numerical identifier (e.g., 2025-XXXXXXXX)
- Date of Birth: Displayed in MM/DD/YYYY format
- Bonds Information: Includes
- Bond number
- Bond type (e.g., Cash)
- Total amount payable
- Associated charges (the offense, statutory code, and offense level, such as M2 for Class 2 Misdemeanor)
The roster also indicates whether an inmate has a hold that may prevent them from being released after posting bond, or if they are eligible for release after posting bond. It also states where bonds may be paid, typically at the Sheriff’s Office in Grand Junction.
Colorado’s Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA) (C.R.S. § 24-72-301) and, where applicable, Colorado’s Open Records Act (CORA), underpins the public’s access to the Mesa County inmate roster. CCJRA is the primary law for criminal justice records, mandating that official actions-including arrests and pre- or post-trial releases from custody-be made available to the public.
Notably, the CCJRA is more limited than CORA because, while it facilitates disclosure, it grants criminal justice agencies broad discretion to withhold records whose release is found to be "contrary to the public interest." (C.R.S. § 24-72-305).
Examples of discretionary or protected records are investigative reports, juvenile offender records, witness statements, personally identifiable data (e.g., home addresses), certain victims’ information, and medical records.
Contact Details for Mesa County Jail or Sheriff’s Office
The table below assists individuals who wish to contact the Mesa County Detention Facility (Detentions Division) or Sheriff’s Office for an inmate inquiry or other jail information (e.g., inmate mail or bond procedures), as well as contact the Sheriff’s Office for services.
Contact Item | Details |
|---|---|
Mesa County Detention Facility (Jail) | |
Physical Address | 215 Rice Street Grand Junction, CO 81501 |
Mailing Address | P.O. Box 20,000 - 5016 Grand Junction, CO 81502-5001 |
Main Phone | (970) 244-3500 |
Inmate Locator (Phone System) | (970) 244-3930 |
Jail Information Line (Recording) | (970) 244-3536 |
Official Webpage | |
Mesa County Sheriff’s Office | |
Physical Address | 215 Rice Street Grand Junction, CO 81501 |
Non-Emergency | (970) 242-6707 |
Main Phone | (970) 244-3500 |
Administration | (970) 244-3900 |
Civil | (970) 244-3521 |
Records | (970) 244-3500 (Press Option 2) |
Records (Email) | |
General Questions (Email) | |
Directory (Other Sheriff’s Office Contacts) | |
Official Webpage |
Jail Facility Overview in Mesa County
Mesa County operates a single detention facility: the Mesa County Detention Facility, which is the primary intake center for all persons (adults) arrested by local, state, or federal agencies in Mesa County.
A 553-bed, state-of-the-art facility located in downtown Grand Junction-directly adjacent to the Mesa County Justice Center-the county jail operates under a direct supervision model, which places detention deputies directly inside housing units to supervise and interact with inmates.
The inmate population at the Mesa County Detention Facility consists primarily of adults awaiting court dates or sentenced to short-term imprisonment (often < 364 days).
Mesa County does not operate a locally managed juvenile detention center for justice-involved adolescents. Instead, when the Assessment Team for the Mesa County Department of Human Services (DHS) determines that secure detention is necessary after a youth’s apprehension, the youth is placed in the Grand Mesa Youth Services Center (GMYSC).
Located in Grand Junction, the GMYSC is a secure, multipurpose youth center with a capacity of 53 beds. It serves as a regional facility for 18 counties-Mesa included-and is managed by the Colorado Division of Youth Services (DYS).
Agency | Office and Mail Address | Phone Number | Office Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mesa County Detention Facility | 215 Rice Street Grand Junction, CO 81501 Mail Address: P.O. Box 20,000 - 5016 Grand Junction, CO 81502-5001 | (970) 244-3500 | Detention Lobby Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Mondays through Fridays (excluding holidays) Detention Facility: 12:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Sunday to Saturday | |
Grand Mesa Youth Services Center | 360 28 Road Grand Junction, CO 81501 | Facility Main Phone: (970) 245-2516 (See relevant contacts for the DYS Youth Services) | Open 24 hours | Send inquiries to the appropriate department or staff email. |
How to Send Money to an Inmate in Mesa County Detention Facility
These two channels enable families and friends to properly credit the commissary account of an inmate in the Mesa County Detention Facility:
- Lobby Kiosk: The Detention Facility’s lobby features a kiosk for depositing money in an inmate’s commissary account. To use the kiosk system, the depositor must have a government-issued ID.
Deposits can be made at the kiosk during lobby hours-8:00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays (excluding holidays) -by cash or credit card. $1 bills and coins are not accepted.
A service fee is typically incurred for each transaction; it is displayed on the screen while the transaction is in progress.
- Jail Vendor: The Mesa County Detention Facility contracts with a private vendor to offer phone and online commissary account deposits via credit card. This option is convenient for out-of-county depositors, county residents unable to visit the Detention Facility lobby, or persons depositing money outside lobby hours. Transaction or service fees apply and can be verified through the vendor.
Inmate Search by Jail Facility
Inmate searches directed to the Mesa County Detention Facility allow individuals to find official information about current or former inmates. Anyone may conduct these searches by accessing tools/resources provided by the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, such as the Sheriff’s online Inmate Locator.
Searches aimed at juveniles in detention at the Grand Mesa Youth Services Center cannot be performed online, as Colorado seals juvenile justice records from general public access.
Direct inquiries regarding a justice-involved youth can be made to the Mesa County Department of Human Services or the Colorado Division of Youth Services. However, information is strictly reserved for legally entitled parties, such as the minor named in the record, the minor’s parent or counsel, law enforcement, the juvenile probation department (for presentence investigations or reports preparation), the adjudicating court, and others identified in C.R.S. § 19-1-304.
Mesa County Visitation Rules and Schedules
Personal visits at the Mesa County Detention Facility occur via remote video. Visitors are expected to register for a free account and schedule online with the jail’s visitation service provider. The merchant requires each applicant to have adult status (be 18 years or older) and provide a non-expired government ID.
Once registration is successful, the account holder can proceed to schedule a virtual (video) visit, which requires
- A 24-hour advance notice, at a minimum
- Proper equipment (a smartphone, tablet, or computer with an internet connection)
- Payment of applicable service charges, and
- Compliance with all jail and vendor rules.
Inmate Eligibility & Limitations
Only eligible inmates can attend a visit, meaning that the inmate must not be on disciplinary sanction or otherwise barred from participation. Inmates who have been in jail for less than 72 hours are disqualified.
Duration and Frequency of Visits
- Up to 20 minutes
- Available seven days a week
Fees
- The Detention Facility offers one free virtual visit per week per inmate.
- Visitors may schedule additional visits for a fee, typically $2.50 to $6.25 per session. The current rates can be confirmed through the vendor.
Personal visits are typically recorded or monitored. At all times, every inmate and visitor is expected to maintain proper conduct and behavior; any violation can result in the immediate termination of a visit, permanent loss of visiting privileges, or even criminal charges.
Professional visitors are directed to call the Jail Visitation office at (970) 244-3500 for scheduling and inquiries.
Mailing and Commissary Information
The Mesa County Detention Facility employs a digitized mailing system for personal inmate mail, in which all incoming correspondence is routed through a third-party scanning service, scanned into electronic format, and delivered to the inmate via a tablet.
Families and friends directing letters, drawings, or photographs to a Mesa County inmate must use the following mailing address:
Mesa County Detention Facility
Inmate’s Full Name and Booking Number
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
Personal mail is sent through the U.S. Postal Service.
The following items, nevertheless, are received directly at the Detention Facility:
- Legal Mail: Must be clearly marked.
- Paperback Books and Magazines: Only when sent directly from the publisher or an authorized retailer (e.g., Barnes & Noble, Amazon). The contents, however, must be appropriate; otherwise, the book/magazine will be returned to the sender. Books/magazines can be sent via the U.S. Postal Service.
Mailing Address for Legal Mail or Books/Magazines:
Mesa County Detention Facility
Inmate’s Full Name and Booking Number
P.O. Box 20000-5017
Grand Junction, CO 81502-5017
As an alternative to postal mail, individuals can correspond with a Mesa County inmate by email. This service is provided by the jail’s vendor. Senders should ensure content remains appropriate for a correctional setting, as all inmate personal emails are monitored.
Note: The Mesa County Detention Facility does not accept money orders or checks by mail or email. To credit an inmate’s commissary account, visit the jail lobby kiosk or opt for the authorized online vendor’s service.