Contacting a Defendant

Please be aware there is no way anybody outside the jail can initiate a direct contact with any detainee. It is just not possible for you or anybody else to call into the jail and talk to your loved one. You must wait for them to call you collect, email, or you can choose to schedule a visit if you wish to not post bail.

If a defendant has called you, let them know you have called Abierto 24/7 Bail Bonds and to not hire or work with another agency. If more than one agency becomes involved, a lot of confusion might occur, which will delay a defendant’s release from jail.

General Information about e-mailing an inmate

* There is no expectation of privacy for e-mail messages. Every message will be reviewed by jail staff; therefore this system should not be used for legal or confidential mail, or any other privileged communications.
* Please limit your correspondence to one message per day in lieu of a conventional letter.
* Messages are limited to a single page and may not contain pictures or other attachments.
* Inmates will not receive the message electronically. The message will be received by jail staff, printed and delivered in printed form to the inmate, generally the following morning.
* Inmates will not be able to respond via e-mail. Outgoing correspondence will continue to be by U.S. Mail.
* When prompted to enter your address, please enter the address that you prefer the inmate to use for any written return correspondence.
* Do not use the inmate email system to solicit business or advertise services. Messages that appear to be unsolicited advertisements will not be forwarded to the inmate.
* E-mail received for inmates who are no longer in custody will not be delivered.

Instructions for Sending an Inmate Message

1. Search for the inmate on the Who’s in Jail site using the inmate’s last name.
2. From the list of inmate(s), click on the inmate’s last name to bring up a detail screen for that inmate. Please note that the last name may not look like a link, but it is.
3. Near the middle of the page is an envelope icon to “Email this inmate.” Click that icon, and you will be directed to an e-mail verification screen.
4. Enter your email address in the verification field and click on “Validate.”
5. Shortly after clicking “Validate,” a new email message should appear in your Inbox from netwebmaster@sdsheriff.org. Open the email, click the link included in the message, and you are ready to begin your message to the inmate. Remember that you will be entering text into a web form, not your email program.
6. When you are done, click “Send” and your message is complete. You should get another email message indicating your message was received. Do not reply to the message as the netwebmaster account is part of an automated system and not regularly monitored.

Visiting hours for San Diego County Jails vary and are subject to change without prior notice.

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.

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.

San Diego Mail Format

San Diego Central Jail
PO Box 122952
San Diego, CA 92112-2952

Vista Detention Facility
325 S. Melrose Dr, Ste 200
Vista, CA 92081

South Bay Detention Facility
500 Third Ave
Chula Vista, CA 91910

Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility
9000 Cottonwood
Santee, CA 92071

East Mesa Detention Facility
446 Alta Rd., Suite 5200
San Diego, CA 92158

George Bailey Detention Facility
446 Alta Rd., Suite 5300
San Diego, CA 92158