Custody – FAQ

FAQ - Custody Operations

Frequently asked questions for custody operations and jail facilities.

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

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.

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.”

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.

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.

Good Time/Work Time Credits

At the time of sentencing, inmates receive 2 days credit for every 2 days served.

Example #1:

An Inmate sentenced to 100 days, serves 50 days and receives credit for 50 days.

Conservation Camp/Vocational Shops programs

In addition to the above credits, inmates who work in a conservation camp/vocational shops program receive an additional .5 days credit for every day worked.

Example #2:

An inmate sentenced to 100 days, serves 40 days and receives credit for 60 days.

Fire Camps

After completing fire training, inmates assigned to the camp, receive 2 days credit for every day served.

Example #3:

An inmate sentenced to 100 days, serves 34 days and receives credit for 66 days.

Milestone Credits

Sentenced and unsentenced  inmates qualify to earn Milestone credits. The minimum number which can be earned is 1 week, with a maximum of 6 weeks in a 52 week period.

Legal

Medical

All inmates are medically evaluated during the booking process and prior to housing at any custody facility. On a daily basis all facilities staff a Jail Mental Evaluation Team (JMET) 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.

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 MCJ lobby:

5AM – 9PM or sent via U.S. mail to:

Men’s Central Jail
Attention: Legal Unit
441 Bauchet Street, Los Angeles, California 90012

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.

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.

Inmates may have in their possession one pair of orthopedic shoes if there is an existing 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.

Visiting

When minors are visiting with their parent, minors (under age 15) need a birth certificate, over age 15 they can use a school ID, state ID, or Passport.  If they are visiting with someone other than their parent, such as, a grandparent or aunt, the minor needs to also have a notarized letter from the parent giving that adult permission to bring a minor under age 16 onto a jail facility property. If the minor is with their legal guardian, then they would need to show proper paper from the court.

Each General Population inmate is provided with at least two (2), thirty (30) minute, in-person or video visits per week – totaling at least one hour. Special handle inmates will be provided with at least two (2), (30) minute in-person or video visits, or if/when available, one (1) sixty (60) minute visit per week – totaling at least one hour.

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. 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.

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. 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.

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