San Diego County Jail Inmate Visiting

Inmates are allowed two social visits per week, each visit lasting 30 minutes. For the purpose of counting weekly visits, the week begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday. Inmate workers are allowed additional visit time, but their visit schedule is dependent on their work schedule. Social visits are normally non-contact, conducted through a visit window using telephone handsets. Contact visits are allowed at the East Mesa and Facility 8 Detention Facilities.

The following guidelines are important to remember when visiting:

Reservations should be made one day in advance by calling the number listed on the facility visit page.

When calling for a visit reservation, please have the following information available for each visitor:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Home address
• Telephone number

When visiting, each visitor age 16 and older must have one of the following unexpired types of identification:

• Driver's license
• Federal, state, local government identification card (any state)
• Military identification
• Passport
• U.S. Immigration identification (including visas)
• Border crossing card issued by the United States Department of Justice
• Current high school identification
• Matricula Consular ID card issued after April 22, 2002 by the Consul General of Mexico

Walk-in visits will be accepted, on a space available basis—and first come, first served—as long as the visitors check in one hour before the visit time. Once a visit is scheduled, no “add-ons” will be made over the phone. Additional visitors may be allowed, up to the maximum of three, by arriving one hour prior to the visit and checking in with the other visitors. Cancellations are not accepted over the phone. Due to security reasons, East Mesa and Facility 8 Detention Facilities do not accept "walk-in" visits.

While we attempt to honor all visit reservations, visits may be changed or cancelled without notice. Also, changes in the inmate’s housing assignments may automatically cancel a scheduled visit. Visits will not be scheduled if the inmate has been previously scheduled for court on the same date.

Visitors must check in together one hour before the scheduled visit. If a visitor is late, the visit may be cancelled.

A maximum of 3 visitors (including children) may visit an inmate at any one time, and only one visit is allowed per day.

Minors must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian.

Visit times are subject to change or cancellation due to facility security or disciplinary reasons.

Disabled access visiting areas are available. If you have special needs, please inform our staff when you reserve the visit.

If you are on probation, Watch Commander approval is necessary to visit.

There is no expectation of privacy in a jail facility. Social visits may be monitored or recorded.

If you have previously been convicted of a felony and served time in state prison, you may not enter the grounds of a county jail without the permission of the Facility Commander. That permission should be obtained in writing before attempting to schedule a visit. Entry to the facility grounds without such permission is a felony (California Penal Code §4571).

An excessive pattern of late arrivals or “no-shows” for visits will result in the loss of phone reservation privileges or the suspension of visits.

RULES FOR EAST MESA AND FACILITY 8 DETENTION FACILITIES

Due to the privilege of having contact visits at these facilities, the following additional visit regulations must be observed:

• Nothing is to be brought into the facility except I.D. and car keys. One blanket, one diaper, and one bottle can be brought in for a baby. The following items are specifically prohibited: purses or bags, food or beverages, pets, firearms, knives, or other weapons, drugs or alcohol, and cigarettes. Keys are to be hung on board provided. All visitors must have a reservation to visit. Visits may be cancelled due to inclement weather.
• Dress Code: No strapless garments, no halter-tops, no bare midriffs, no see-through, wrap around skirts, tops or dresses. No mini-skirts or short dresses. Shorts must not be shorter than mid-thigh in length. No slits on skirts or dresses. No latex or skintight pants, skirts or shorts.
• No reclining together on the grass or tabletops. Visitors and inmates must sit across from each other, no laying or sitting on laps, no draping of legs, no body rubs/massages, no hugging, no straddling benches.

HOSPITAL VISITS

Occasionally, inmates may be admitted to hospitals for medical treatment. Visits may be allowed for hospitalized inmates, subject to approval of the Watch Commander. Persons wishing to visit a hospitalized inmate must check in at the San Diego Central Jail and register for the visit. The Watch Commander will be consulted concerning the inmate’s suitability to have visitors. If the visit is approved, a visit pass will be issued, which can be taken to the hospital and presented to the assigned Deputy or Guard. In addition to normal visiting guidelines, the following rules apply to visits occurring in hospitals:

• All visits must conform to the hospital’s regular visiting hours and policies
• Only two visitors are allowed at a hospital visit for the duration of 30 minutes.
• Two visits per week are allowed, Sunday through Saturday.
• Inmates cannot receive items of any type from social visitors.
• Any deviation from the above rules requires Watch Commander approval.

Each facility has a visit schedule. You can get visit information specific to each facility by selecting the facility below: 

Las Colinas Detention Facility	East Mesa Detention Facility
San Diego Central Jail	Facility 8 Detention Facility
South Bay Detention Facility	George Bailey Detention Facility
Vista Detention Facility	Â