FAQ



General Facility FAQ's are separated into the following categories :

Visiting Inmate Inquiries Arrest Medical Court Legal



Inmate Information Center: (213) 473-6100 or (213) 473-6080

http://app5.lasd.org/iic/ajis_search.cfm

Schedule Visiting:

https://visit.lasd.org/

Inmate Mail Regulations [IRC]:

http://shq.lasdnews.net/pages/PageDetail.aspx?id=1512

General Custody Operations: -

http://shq.lasdnews.net/pages/tgen1.aspx?id=AS1

General Court Information:

http://civil.lasd.org/

Inmate Care Package - Commissary Network:

https://www.accesscatalog.com/shop/index.html?ProgramID=282

Pre-Paid Calling Account:

http://www.gtl.net/familyandfriends/index.shtml?Pid=75



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Q. What other jails comprise the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department?

A. Please click on the following link to visit the list of jails in Los Angeles County, http://shq.lasdnews.net/pages/PageDetail.aspx?id=1419 or visit our menu options for further information.





Q. What is the nearest patrol station to my residence?

A. To find the nearest patrol station visit our L.A. County Patrol Stations link http://sheriff.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/lasd/residents/patrolstations





VISITING QUESTIONS:

Q: What are the visiting guidelines and times?

A: Public visiting guidelines differ for each jail facility.



- Men's Central Jail: http://www.MCJ.lasd.org



- Click here to view other the list of facilities. http://www.Custody.lasd.org





Q: How can I speak to a real person, I have a question that isn't on your list?



A: The Inmate Answering Service is staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can reach them at (213) 473-6080.





Q: Who should I contact if I am having difficulties receiving collect calls from a jail facility?

A: If it is a local call, please call (888) 815-9102.

If it is a long distance call, please call (888) 286-3849.





Q. What is meant by a visit status "N"?

A. visit status of "N" indicates that the inmate is unable to receive visits at this time due to classification, discipline, security, etc. You may contact inmate information (213) 473-6100 to verify if the inmate visit status is correct.





Q. Who is not allowed a visit?

A. If you have been to state prison or are currently on parole or probation you must first receive approval from the Unit Commander to visit any inmate in County Jail. If you have a warrant or do not have a valid form of government issued identification, you are not allowed to visit any inmate in County Jail. To receive approval to visit an inmate from the Unit Commander, see Question #5.





Q. Is there a play area for children? Can I leave my children outside while I complete my visit?

A. No. County Jails do not provide any child play areas. Children left unattended may be cause for future banning of visiting privileges.





Q. How many visits can an inmate get per day or week?

A. Each inmate is provided with at least two visits totaling at least one hour per week. General population inmates may receive four 15 minute visits per week totaling one hour, and special handle inmates may receive two 30 minute visits per week totaling one hour.







Q. I am currently on parole or probation, can I visit an inmate incarcerated in County Jail?

A. Individuals who are currently on parole or probation must complete the Visiting Clearance for Probationers and Ex-felons form and submit it to the Legal Unit for processing.

http://shq.lasdnews.net/content/uoa/MCF/VisitingClearanceForProbatione .....



The approval can take up to one month depending on the clearance and validity of all information submitted. Once the verification has been completed, you will receive a letter from our Unit Commander granting or denying you permission to visit the specified inmate.

Your primary contact for submission and status of your request is our Legal Unit 213-974-0103.





Q. I am a convicted felon, can I visit an inmate incarcerated in County Jail?

A. Individuals who have been convicted of a felony must complete the same process as ABOVE.

You must complete the Visiting Clearance for Probationers and Ex-felons form and submit it to the Legal Unit for processing.





Q. Can I complete a property, money or vehicle release at visiting for Men's Central Jail?

A. Please refer to the following link http://shq.lasdnews.net/pages/PageDetail.aspx?id=1436

or visit through our main menu option for further information.





Q. Why do some inmates get visits faster than others?

A. Several reasons exist as to why an inmate attends his visit faster than another inmate. Some of the reasons include:

- the inmate is housed in closer proximity to the visiting area

- the inmate is currently out on another pass

- daily operations (i.e. pill call, showers, school, exercise, recreation, etc.) may be interfering in the transfer of the inmate to visiting







INMATE INQUIRY



Q. What is the inmate mailing address? What items are not allowed via mail?

A. Please refer to the "Inmate Mail" menu option for further information or click on the following link

http://shq.lasdnews.net/pages/PageDetail.aspx?id=1512





Q. How do I find out an inmate's booking number?

A. Call inmate information at (213) 473-6100. You will need the inmate's complete name, date of birth and/or date of arrest.





Q. What is meant if the inmate is "unclassified"?

A. Inmates who are unclassified are pending a permanent housing location therefore they are unable to receive phone calls or visits at this time. Once the inmate has been interviewed by our Liaison, we are able to safely house him in a location within the facility. Classification can take two weeks to a month before it is completed. Once classified, phone calls and visits can be made.





Q: The inmate I am inquiring about has been sent to State Prison. How do I find out where he/she is so I can send a letter?

A: The information number for the Department of Corrections in Sacramento is (916) 445-6713. They will need the person's name and birth date to search their records.





Q: When I try a search, I get an error message that says "we are unable to process your request...please try again later". What's wrong?

A: The record page is unable to be displayed due to a technical problem on our end. Please try back after a few minutes; we can usually fix things quickly. If the system is going to be down for an extended period, we will post a message.





Q: I know this person was in jail, but my search comes back "no record found". What happened?

A: The person was probably released or sent to State Prison a long time ago and their information has dropped off line. We currently keep about one year of history available on the Internet.





Q: Does your Inmate Information Center search page support wild card searches?

A: No. Wild cards could cause the search function to slow to an unacceptable level, and we want to keep performance fast.





Q: Does a name have to be spelled correctly to find someone?

A: Yes. The site requires at least a first and last name and they must match the name the person is booked under.





Q: I see more than one booking number for one person, is your information correct?

A: Every time a person is booked, they get a new number. The older numbers will show a release reason and date. Old numbers don't go away; they become part of a person's history.





Q: I see one booking number with more than one name? How can this be?

A: The person has what are called "AKAs". This stands for "Also Known As". These other names are added after the initial booking, most often when their true identity becomes known after fingerprint identification returns from the State Department of Justice.





Q: An inmate's family member just died, how can I let them know right away?

A: The Office of Religious and Volunteer Services can be reached at (213) 974-8085 on week days between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. They will assist in making a death notification to any inmate.





Q. What is inmate discipline?

A. Inmates in jail are required to follow jail rules. Violation of jail rules results in disciplinary action, including loss of privileges. Privileges include visits, use of telephone, exercise time, and/or commissary. Any or all of these privileges may be suspended during a specified disciplinary time, known as "lockdown."





Q. What is a lockdown?

A. Lockdown is a term used within the jail when all inmate movement has seized due to safety and/or security reasons. Personnel do not have any prior knowledge of the lockdown and are unaware how long the lockdown with be in effect.





Q. Do I get notified when my inmate is moved to another facility?

A. No. You are more than welcome to contact the inmate information line to get up-to-date information on the whereabouts of your inmate (213) 473-6100.





ARREST INFORMATION



Q: I was released from jail, but my record still shows. When will you take it off?

A: Arrest records are not deleted; they become part of your criminal history. If the database grows too large and the search function slows down, we may periodically remove older records. At the moment, there is six months of historical information available on the Internet.





Q: How can I have my record sealed so it doesn't show?

A: For a record to be removed, you have to go back to the sentencing court and obtain a court order from the judge. If the judge orders your record "sealed", the Sheriff's Department will do so. Please remember that if you have more than one arrest you will have to get a separate order for each one.









MEDICAL



Q. What if my significant other is incarcerated in County jail and has a mental illness? Who can I notify? How can I make sure he is being provided adequate care?

A. All inmates are medically evaluated during the booking process and prior to housing. On a daily basis each jail has a Jail Mental Evaluation Team

(JMET - http://shq.lasdnews.net/pages/PageDetail.aspx?id=1456 ) on hand tasked with providing outreach mental health services to inmates in the jail, identifying inmates who develop new mental health symptoms while in jail, or identifying inmates who have evaded detection during the regular booking process. Inmates showing signs of mental illness are escorted to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility for further evaluation. If it is determined that the inmates requires further medical attention due to a mental illness, he will be transferred to be permanently housed in a location accommodating his medical condition. For further information on mental illnesses please visit our departments Mental Health page:



http://www.lasdhq.org/lasd_services/correctional/mental_illness.html





Q. How do I provide medical glasses to an inmate incarcerated in County Jail?

A. Inmates are authorized (w/ a medical court order) to have one pair of prescription eyeglasses in their possession. If there is no medical need for the eyeglasses, the inmate will not have the eyeglasses provided.

- The Legal Unit (213-974-0103) is tasked with the processing of inmate prescription eyeglasses.

- All approved prescription corrective/reading eyeglasses must be in a plastic case and have non-metal frames.

- Eyeglasses may be received during regular business hours at the County Jail lobby:

- 5AM - 9PM or sent via U.S. mail to the jail where your loved one is incarcerated:

- Please make sure to provide your complete contact information so our unit can notify you on the status of the eyeglasses. The processing of glasses (from the time of receipt to inmate's hands) can take a minimum of one week.





Q. How do I provide medical footwear to an inmate incarcerated in a County Jail?

A. Inmates may have in their possession one pair of orthopedic shoes if there exists a medical need for the shoes. All shoes are approved through the Sheriff's Department Chief Physician Medical Services Bureau. Court orders for orthopedic shoes are not valid until the medical need has been approved by our Chief Physician of Medical Services Bureau. If no medical need is found, the court order shall be voided.

Orthopedic shoes must meet the following standards:

- shall only come in either tan, brown or white color

- shall only use Velcro straps with a round soft toe

- commercial tennis shoes or insoles are not orthopedic shoes

- a flat foot is not considered a medical need for orthopedic shoes

- outside doctors providing a request for orthopedic shoes will not be valid if the shoes do not meet custody standards.





COURT INQUIRY



Q: The person I'm checking on was in court today but their record hasn't been updated yet. Why not?

A: Approximately 1600 inmates are transported to court every day, and each one comes back with a least one document telling us what happened. This information has to be entered into our jail computer system by Sheriff's Department record clerks. This, as you can imagine, takes time. The most urgent cases, like releases and next day court appearances, are done first. So if an inmate has a court date that's a few days or weeks away, or they were sentenced and will be with us for a while, their record might not be updated for anywhere from a few hours to possibly a couple of days. Keep checking back!



Q: What does "removal" mean when I see it next to a court date?

A: Removal means that a judge has ordered the Sheriff's Department to remove an inmate from jail and take him/her to court on a certain day. This removal order can be for various reasons including pre-trial motions, bail hearings, being a witness, or other court proceedings.



Q: How can I find out who the attorney is on a case?

A: We don't have that information, you would have to call the court with the case number or attend the next scheduled appearance.





Q: What does the code SP3 mean next to a case?

A: SP3 means that there was a sentence to State Prison and all the inmate's paperwork has been processed and he/she waiting for transportation to the Department of Corrections. Once the inmate has left County jail, the release information section will show the date and time they were sent.





LEGAL



Q. What is the process to marry an inmate incarcerated in a County Jail?

A. An inmate who wishes to marry should first petition the Court of the jurisdiction in which his or her criminal prosecution is pending and request the Judge of that court to perform the marriage solemnization during normal Court hours in that Court. If the Court refuses to marry the inmate, then the inmate is encouraged to delay the marriage until he is released or transferred to where he will be confined (i.e., State or federal prison). As a last option if the prior options are not feasible, an inmate may be married at visiting, in accordance with the provisions of law and this procedure, subject to the prior approval of the Watch Commander.

- Please refer to the following:

http://shq.lasdnews.net/pages/PageDetail.aspx?id=1593



- Your primary contact for submission and status of your request is our Legal Unit213-974-0103. The approval can take up to one month depending on the clearance and validity of all information submitted.





Q. How do I apply to become a legal runner?

A. Individuals who are applying to become a legal runner must complete and submit a Legal Runner Application



http://shq.lasdnews.net/content/uoa/MCF/PPO16LegalRunnerApplicationForm.pdf



The approval can take up to one month depending on the clearance and validity of all information submitted. Only those inmates who have been granted Pro-Per status by the court and our Legal Unit can request for a legal runner. A legal runner may visit and confer with the inmate during normal visiting hours for a maximum of 30 minutes. A legal runner's status may be terminated for disruptive conduct and/or violations of security.

- Your primary contact for submission and status of your request is our Legal Unit 213-974-0103. Once the verification has been completed, you will receive a letter from our Unit Commander granting or denying you status as a legal runner.





Q. How do I get documents signed in the Attorney room?

A. Please view our Attorney Room information, or visit our main menu and click on "Attorney Room" for further information regarding attorney room hours and document restrictions.