To find out whether someone is in custody at the Glenn County Jail, start with the Glenn County Sheriff's Office, which runs the county's one adult jail, through its pages on the county website, countyofglenn.net. You can also ask the agency that made the arrest, or call Glenn County Superior Court at (530) 934-6446 and ask for the right office.
How do I find out if someone is in custody at the Glenn County Jail?
Glenn County's own website is the place to find the Sheriff's Office and any inmate search tool it offers; call the courthouse's general line for help finding the right department.
- Visit the Sheriff's Office pages on countyofglenn.net for current contact information and any online custody lookup the county offers.
- On a weekday during court hours, call Glenn County Superior Court's main line, (530) 934-6446, and ask to be pointed toward the Sheriff's Office or jail if you cannot find a direct number.
- If the person may have been arrested by the Orland Police Department or the California Highway Patrol, ask that agency whether the person has been taken into county custody. Willows has no working city police department today: the City of Willows says its Police Department is not yet operational and sends reports to the Glenn County Sheriff's Office.
- If the person may be serving a state prison sentence rather than held in the county jail, use the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's own inmate locator instead.
- Write down the exact spelling of the name and any booking number you are given. You will need it again for bail and for the court date.
For custody in a different California county, see our courthouse and jail guides by county.
Where does Glenn County hold people after an arrest?
California's Board of State and Community Corrections lists one adult detention facility for Glenn County, which the Sheriff's Office runs, and one separate court holding facility.
| Facility | Role |
|---|---|
| Glenn County Adult Detention Facility | The county's one jail, run by the Sheriff's Office under state law |
| Glenn County Court Holding Facility | Listed by the state as a separate court holding facility, not the main jail |
How does release work before trial in Glenn County?
California law generally requires a misdemeanor arrest to be released on a written promise to appear, and a judge can grant own recognizance release at arraignment under state law.
Two different paths lead out of custody before trial in Glenn County, and which one applies depends on the charge. For most misdemeanors, the officer writes up a notice to appear and lets the person go on a signed promise to come back, booking them first if the officer chooses; this is the default under Penal Code section 853.6, and it only breaks down when something on the statute's own list gets in the way, such as an open warrant, a medical issue, or documented doubt that the person will show up. For anyone who stays in custody past that point, the first court appearance brings another chance at release: a misdemeanor defendant who is arraigned while still in custody must be granted own recognizance release unless the judge puts a specific finding on the record that it would endanger public safety or fail to reasonably guarantee the person's return (Penal Code section 1270). A violent-felony charge removes that automatic path entirely; own recognizance release in that situation needs its own open-court hearing, with the prosecutor notified in advance (Penal Code section 1319).
How do I post bail for someone at the Glenn County Jail?
Glenn County Superior Court's own Jail Bail Schedule, effective January 1, 2026, sets a starting bail amount by offense; a judge can set a different amount.
Judges in Glenn County adopt a Jail Bail Schedule every year under Penal Code section 1269b(e), and the version now in effect took hold on January 1, 2026. Treat it as a placeholder number rather than a fixed price: posting it can get someone released without waiting for a judge, since jail staff, a sheriff's or police employee assigned to collect bail, or the superior court clerk can accept it in cash or as a bond from a certified, admitted surety insurer (Penal Code section 1269b(a)), and anyone at all, not only the person arrested, may hand cash bail straight to the court clerk instead (Penal Code section 1295). That placeholder stops controlling the moment a judge actually looks at the case, though; from the first court appearance forward, the judge's own figure replaces it (Penal Code section 1269b(b)).
That first appearance is not the earliest chance to argue the number. Penal Code section 1269c opens the door before arraignment: the person in custody, their attorney, or a relative or friend acting on their behalf, can ask a judge directly for a smaller figure or for release on a promise instead of cash, with the exception of the charges Penal Code section 1270.1 carves out. Two California Supreme Court rulings bound what the judge can do with that request. In re Kowalczyk, decided April 30, 2026, holds that in a noncapital case a judge may deny bail only for the offenses listed in article I, section 12(b) and (c) of the California Constitution, and that money bail must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable for the person. In re Humphrey, from 2021, requires judges to consider the person's ability to pay, and it pushes them toward a nonfinancial alternative, such as supervision, whenever that alternative would reasonably protect the public and the victim and still reasonably assure the person's return to court, rather than relying on cash the person cannot pay. For the mechanics of making that request, see our motion for a bail reduction and how California bail amounts are set pages.
When is the first court date after an arrest in Glenn County?
A person held in custody must see a judge within 48 hours, not counting Sundays and holidays; Glenn County's arraignments are at its one courthouse, in Willows.
Penal Code section 825(a)(1) requires that
"the defendant shall in all cases be taken before the magistrate without unnecessary delay, and, in any event, within 48 hours after his or her arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays."
That rule is about a person held in custody; someone cited and released gets a court date on the citation instead. Nothing in it touches when charges get filed, and reaching the 48-hour mark does not by itself open the jail doors; it only fixes when the person must be brought before a judge. A clock that would otherwise expire during a stretch when court is not sitting carries over through the close of the court's next session, the one held on the following court day (Penal Code section 825(a)(2)). Someone arrested on a Wednesday after court has closed must be brought before a judge by Friday, if neither day is a court holiday. Glenn County Superior Court's Main Courthouse, at 526 West Sycamore Street in Willows, handles criminal matters through option 2 of its main line, (530) 934-6446. Our Glenn County Courthouse guide covers the arraignment process, case lookup, and interpreters in more depth, along with what happens at arraignment generally.
How do I ask about visiting, mail and money at the Glenn County Jail?
Visiting, mail and money rules can change; the county's website is the place to check current rules before visiting or sending anything to the Glenn County Jail.
The Sheriff's Office keeps the county jail (Penal Code section 4000), so its pages on countyofglenn.net are the place to check visiting, mail and money rules. Check them again before a visit or before sending anything, so you have the current rules rather than an outdated one.
What should I do right now if someone was just arrested in Glenn County?
Confirm custody, find out whether a bail amount has already been set, arrange bail if needed, and contact a lawyer before the Glenn County arraignment.
- Figure out custody status first. Try countyofglenn.net for the Sheriff's Office, or call the courthouse at (530) 934-6446 and ask them to point you toward the right department.
- Learn whether a bail figure already exists. That single fact decides whether you are looking at cash, a bond, or a conversation with the judge instead.
- Pick a bail strategy, among cash, a licensed bond agent, or a formal request for a lower figure or release on a promise to appear.
- Save everything from the arrest, since the paperwork is often the fastest way to confirm the exact charge and the next court date.
- Bring in a lawyer before, not after, the arraignment. Our criminal defense lawyer page is the place to start.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an online inmate search for the Glenn County Jail?
Look on the Glenn County Sheriff's Office pages on the county website, countyofglenn.net, for any custody lookup it offers, or call Glenn County Superior Court at (530) 934-6446 and ask to be directed to the right office.
How much is bail in Glenn County?
Glenn County Superior Court's 2026 Jail Bail Schedule, effective January 1, 2026, sets a starting amount by offense. A judge can set a different amount at arraignment, and when money bail is needed it must generally be an amount the person can reasonably attain (In re Kowalczyk, 2026).
Can I ask for a lower bail amount before the Glenn County arraignment?
Yes, and the request does not have to wait for arraignment. Penal Code section 1269c allows the person in custody, a lawyer, or a relative or friend speaking for them to go directly to a judge and ask for a smaller figure, or for release on a promise instead of cash. Charges on the Penal Code section 1270.1 list, including serious and violent felonies other than residential burglary, domestic battery, and stalking, are carved out of that shortcut and need a hearing instead.
What happens if someone is arrested for a misdemeanor in Glenn County?
Penal Code section 853.6 points officers toward release on a signed promise to appear rather than a trip before a magistrate, and booking the person first at the scene or station does not change that. The statute carves out specific situations where the officer can skip this route instead, among them an active warrant, a medical need, or a stated basis for believing the person will skip court.
Which court handles Glenn County criminal arraignments?
Glenn County Superior Court's Main Courthouse, 526 West Sycamore Street, Willows. Call (530) 934-6446 and choose option 2 for the Criminal Division.
Can I get an interpreter for a Glenn County criminal case?
Yes. California's Constitution entitles anyone charged with a crime who cannot follow English to an interpreter for the whole case (article I, section 14). The Evidence Code makes the court pay for it rather than the person charged, so there is no cost to the defendant (section 752(b)(1)). Glenn's own Local Rules ask counsel to tell the court fourteen days before the hearing that an interpreter is needed, or on shorter notice for good cause.
Does Glenn County have a court holding facility separate from its main jail?
Yes. The facility list kept by California's Board of State and Community Corrections shows the Glenn County Court Holding Facility in addition to the county's one adult jail, the Glenn County Adult Detention Facility.
Talk to a lawyer
The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free, confidential consultation, available 24 hours a day, including for a family member calling about someone just arrested in Glenn County. Call (800) 755-5174, request a free consultation online, with payment plans available and service in Spanish, or visit our criminal defense lawyer page to learn more.