Taft Community Correctional Facility: What It Is and How to Reach Someone There

The Taft Community Correctional Facility is the large institution on the east edge of town, and its history explains most of the confusion around it. It opened in the early 1990s holding California state inmates, closed in 2011 during prison realignment, reopened in 2014, and closed again as the state wound down its contract facilities — accounts differ on the exact year.

According to local reporting in 2023, the city then spent roughly a million dollars on renovations — flooring, kitchens, plumbing, HVAC — hired about 50 staff, and reopened under an intergovernmental agreement with the United States Marshals Service, holding detainees for federal authorities rather than people arrested locally. Facility arrangements change, so call to confirm anything current.

That distinction is the whole point of this page.

Facility information

Name

Taft Community Correctional Facility

Address

330 Commerce Way, Taft, CA 93268

Phone

661-765-2840

Fax

661-765-2856

Inmate mail

PO Box 925, Taft, CA 93268

Operated by

City of Taft

Holds

Federal detainees under a U.S. Marshals Service agreement (per 2023 reporting)

Not to be confused with

Taft PD jail, 320 Commerce Way (local arrests) — or the former Taft Correctional Institution, which closed in 2020

Why bail works differently here

This is the part worth understanding before you spend any money.

When someone is arrested on California state charges — a Taft PD arrest, a Sheriff’s arrest, almost everything we handle — bail is set from a county schedule, and a licensed bondsman can post a bond for a premium that is most commonly 10% of the bail amount (sureties file their rates with the California Department of Insurance, and 8% filed rates exist for qualifying cases). That’s the system this whole website is about.

Federal custody is a different system. There is no county bail schedule and no standard 10% commercial bond. Release is decided by a federal magistrate judge at a detention hearing, usually within a few days of the initial appearance, under the federal Bail Reform Act. The judge weighs flight risk and danger to the community and either releases the person on conditions — supervision, travel limits, sometimes a bond secured by property or a family member’s signature — or orders them detained.

We say this as a bail bonds company: on a federal detainer, we are usually not the right people. Where we can help is when someone also has a California state case — a Kern County charge, an out-of-county warrant, an old bench warrant — running alongside the federal matter. That part we handle every day. Call and we’ll tell you honestly which situation you’re in.

Sending mail and money

The facility handles inmate mail through a post office box rather than the street address:

• Mail: PO Box 925, Taft, CA 93268. Include your loved one’s full name as it appears on their booking record. Facilities return mail that doesn’t follow their rules exactly, so call first if you’re unsure about photos, books or enclosures.
• Money: funds are deposited through Access Corrections.
• Commissary: care packages and commissary orders go through Access Securepak.
• Legal visits: attorneys arrange meetings with detainees by email through the facility.

Vendor procedures and fees change, and so do visiting rules. Call 661-765-2840 and confirm before you send money or drive out.

Which facility do you actually need?

If your loved one was picked up by Taft police or a Kern County deputy in the last day or two, you want the city jail. Start with our Taft jail guide or the first 48 hours timeline, and if they’ve already been moved to Bakersfield, the Kern County inmate search walkthrough will find them.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as the Taft city jail?

No. The city jail is the Taft Police Department facility at 320 Commerce Way — short-term holding for people arrested locally. The Community Correctional Facility at 330 Commerce Way is a separate, city-operated contract facility housing federal detainees.

Is this the same as Taft Correctional Institution?

No. Taft Correctional Institution was a separate federal prison on Cadet Road, operated under contract by a private company for the Bureau of Prisons; it closed in 2020. The similar names and the same small town make this a common mix-up.

Can you bail someone out of this facility?

Generally not. Federal detainees are released on conditions set by a federal magistrate judge, not by posting a 10% California bail bond. If there’s also a state case or warrant in the mix, that part we can help with.

How do I find out if someone is being held here?

People held for federal authorities won’t appear in the Kern County inmate search. Call the facility at 661-765-2840. If you’re not certain your loved one is there at all, call us and we’ll check the local and county systems.

What are visiting hours?

Be careful here: an old state corrections listing for this address still shows weekend visiting hours, but those date from when the state ran the facility and no longer apply. Rules for federal detainees are set in coordination with the holding agency. Call 661-765-2840 before making the drive.