John Latorraca Correctional Center Overview
John Latorraca Correctional Center, often shortened to JLCC, is a sheriff-operated Type II county jail facility at 2584 W. Sandy Mush Road in El Nido. It is part of the Merced County Sheriff's Office adult corrections system under Sheriff Vernon H. Warnke. Unlike the downtown Main Jail, JLCC sits on the Sandy Mush Road correctional campus and handles a large share of the adult county jail population, including longer-term county jail housing and program or reentry units.
The facility was constructed in 1990 and renamed in fall 2004 for former Sheriff John J. Latorraca. The county's history page for Sheriff John J. Latorraca gives the local naming context, while the Merced County jail information page identifies JLCC as one of the county's two adult jail facilities. It is not the same as Iris Garrett Juvenile Justice Correctional Complex, even though both are in the Sandy Mush Road area.
The 2024-2025 Civil Grand Jury described JLCC as having male and female inmates in segregated housing units. The current facility story is tied to expansion and construction. The grand jury reported that construction began January 27, 2022, two dormitories were closed, remaining dormitories were clean but crowded, and projected expansion completion was February 2027. CEQAnet describes the project as including a program/services building, intake/transfer/admin building, two-story jail, kitchen/laundry building, dorm remodel, and infrastructure upgrades.
John Latorraca Correctional Center Capacity and Population
The Civil Grand Jury reported 564 rated beds at John Latorraca Correctional Center and counted 502 people housed during its October 25, 2024 inspection. Those numbers are facility-specific and date-specific. They should not be blended with Merced County's 2025 annual average daily population without explaining that ADP, inspection counts, live roster totals, and annual booking volume measure different things.
Capacity at JLCC also has an operational side. The grand jury reported two dormitories closed because of construction, and the remaining dormitories were crowded. A page that only compares 502 to 564 would miss the practical point that rated capacity and usable housing can differ during construction.
How to Look Up an Inmate at John Latorraca Correctional Center
JLCC inmates are searched through the same Merced County Sheriff Public Services inmate inquiry used for the Main Jail. The roster's Housing Facility dropdown includes JOHN LATORACCA CORRECTIONAL CENTER. Use that filter only after you have tried a broad name, booking number, or subject number search, because the record may use a custody status or transfer category instead of the facility name you expect.
- Open the county inmate inquiry and leave In Custody checked for current custody.
- Search by name, subject number, or booking number.
- Choose the JLCC Housing Facility filter when you need to narrow the results.
- Open the profile and confirm the person's status, booking history, charge table, court dates, and bond fields.
The roster is for Merced County sheriff custody. It is not the place to search CDCR state prisoners, BOP prisoners at USP Atwater, or confidential juvenile facility records. If a person is not found after a recent arrest, call JLCC at (209) 385-7575 or the Main Jail for booking routing. For records that are not in the roster, the Sheriff's Records Bureau is the official records request fallback.
The official roster search form appears in the screenshot below from Merced County inmate inquiry.
John Latorraca Correctional Center Address and Contact
JLCC has a separate facility phone from the downtown Main Jail. The address used for the physical facility is El Nido, CA 95317, while the jail handbook's mail format uses a Merced ZIP for incarcerated-person mail. Because that conflict appears in official materials, confirm the mailing format before sending anything time-sensitive.
John Latorraca Correctional Center
2584 W. Sandy Mush Road
El Nido, CA 95317
(209) 385-7575
Call before visiting because schedule and housing assignments can change.
Visiting Someone at John Latorraca Correctional Center
JLCC visiting follows Merced County adult jail rules. The incarcerated person submits proposed visitors during intake and may submit a new visitor form between the 1st and 5th of the month. Staff approve or deny visitors after reviewing criminal history, warrants, and local incident records. Visitors must have valid picture ID, complete sign-in at least 15 minutes before the visit, obey searches and dress code rules, and stay within the two-visitor limit for the visiting day.
The JLCC schedule is by housing area. The PDF revised October 11, 2023 lists Monday and Sunday slots for housing areas such as 191 through 194, Eastside, Westside, 301, 303, 304, and 601 through 607. If the public profile does not show the housing assignment, call the facility before travel.
| Housing Area | Published Times | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 191-194 | Monday evening and Sunday evening slots vary by unit | In-person, approved list |
| Eastside / Westside | Monday afternoon/evening and Sunday evening slots, with some if-needed listings | In-person, approved list |
| 301, 303, 304 | Monday 3:30pm, 6:00pm, or 7:00pm; Sunday 3:30pm, 6:00pm, or 7:00pm | In-person, approved list |
| 601-607 | Monday 8:00am through 2:00pm; Sunday 8:00am through 2:00pm by unit | In-person, approved list |
Mail, Phone, and Money at John Latorraca Correctional Center
The jail handbook gives the JLCC mail format as the incarcerated person's name, 2584 W. Sandy Mush Rd., Merced, CA 95341. County location material lists the physical facility as El Nido, CA 95317. Treat this as a real official-source conflict and verify the format with JLCC before mailing books, documents, or time-sensitive letters. Incoming mail is screened, legal mail may be inspected for contraband in the recipient's presence, and publications are generally accepted only when sent by the publisher.
Money deposits follow the county adult jail process on the Inmate Funds page. Use TouchPay/GTL with Site ID 295340, Merced County, CA, the inmate ID number, and the inmate name. Deposit routes include lobby kiosk, phone at 1-866-232-1899, and online payments through TouchPay/GTL Financial Services. The county says a convenience fee applies but does not publish the exact fee amount.
| Service | Provider / Detail |
|---|---|
| Mail Address | Handbook: Incarcerated Person Name, 2584 W. Sandy Mush Rd., Merced, CA 95341; confirm due to physical address conflict |
| Phone / Video | No official adult phone-rate or adult tablet page was located in the research |
| Money Deposit | TouchPay/GTL, Site ID 295340, convenience fee not published |
Booking, Housing, and Programs at John Latorraca Correctional Center
Many county arrests begin at booking or transfer through the sheriff's adult system before final housing is assigned. Classification can place someone at the Main Jail or JLCC based on charges, behavior, medical and mental-health needs, gender identity, age, criminal sophistication, and safety concerns. The handbook allows classification review no more often than every 30 days from the last review, with appeals moving through classification supervisors and facility leadership.
JLCC's role includes housing and program access beyond the first public search result. County materials list reentry and behavior-intervention programming such as GED, life skills, job placement, Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, parenting, anger management, and Celebrate Recovery. The grand jury also reported collaboration with Probation and community partners for post-release supervision, mental-health counseling, transitional housing, and employment assistance.
About John Latorraca Correctional Center
JLCC is the Merced County jail page where construction context matters most. Official materials describe a facility built in 1990, renamed in 2004, and now part of a major expansion and remodel plan. Recent grand jury findings noted crowded remaining dormitories while construction closed two dorms, plus maintenance issues, possible mold growth in female dorm bathroom areas, missing trim near showers, a nonfunctional public drinking fountain, staffing shortages, and a new kitchen under construction. Present those as dated inspection findings and confirm current access directly with the facility.
Note: Confirm custody, housing, visiting approval, and the correct mail format with JLCC before traveling or sending funds.