Century Regional Detention Facility: Information Regarding Jail Guidelines

In this post, I will explain everything you need to know about century regional detention facility if you or a loved one is being housed in this facility.

Let’s get started…

Since 2006, all Los Angeles County female inmates are housed at the Century Regional Detention (CRDF), also known as the Lynwood Jail or the Los Angeles Jail for Women.

The facility detains female inmates awaiting arraignment or trial or who are unable to post bail while their cases wind their way through the courts.

Also, women convicted of certain crimes serve their sentences here.

How Many Inmates are at CRDF?

CRDF has the capacity for 2,100 inmates. It has an East and West tower.

Is CRDF Used for Anything Else?

The jail is also used as a booking area for male inmates from the Compton and Century stations before being transferred to Twin Towers or the Men’s Central Jail.

What Services Does CRDF Provide?

CDRF provides a number of services:

• Library
• Substance abuse counseling including Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
• Commissary from which to purchase food, drinks, grooming items, prepaid calling cards
• Religious counseling
• Medical and mental health services
• Education Based Incarceration (EBI) programs including vocational, academic and life-skills training

What Is The Procedure For Posting Bail At Century Regional?

Important Note: On October 1, 2019, the bail system in California is scheduled to change with the passage of Senate Bill 10.

This bill will provide for the elimination of cash bail and for it to be replaced by a system of judicial discretion. Judges will be tasked with making individual assessments for bail in felony matters while misdemeanors will no longer require bail under any circumstances.

What Is Bail Exactly?

Bail is a legal process whereby a person arrested and detained or incarcerated may be released on the payment of a certain sum of money so as to ensure their attendance at all future court appearances until their matter is concluded.

How Do I find The Amount Of The Bail?

In many instances, you can find the bail for a particular crime listed on a county bail schedule but these may be higher if the inmate has been accused of a very serious offense such as homicide or a sex offense, have prior felony convictions, pose a danger to the community or are considered a flight risk.

You can call Inmate Information at (213) 473-6080 to see if bail has been set for an inmate and the amount. You will need the inmate’s birth date and booking number. You can also go online at the Inmate Information Center to obtain this information or a bondsman can make the inquiry if you are using one.

Where Can I Find The Bail Schedule?

Misdemeanor Bail Schedule https://www.lacourt.org/division/criminal/pdf/misd.pdf

Felony Bail Schedule: https://www.lacourt.org/division/criminal/pdf/felony.pdf

When Do You Get Your Bail Money Back?

Once the inmate’s court proceedings are resolved by the plea agreement, verdict or dismissal, the cash is returned to the inmate. This does not include the funds you paid to the bail bondsman.

How Can You Pay Bail?

Bail can be made by:

• Cash
• Certified check on a California bank or credit union
• US Postal money order
• Bail bond

How Do You Pay Cash And Avoid A Bail Bondsman?

For any bail, you can pay cash for the entire amount owed. If doing so, have a valid, government-issued photo ID with you. This can be:

• Driver’s license
• California ID
• US passport
• Geen card
• Foreign passport with supporting documents.
• Military card

Even with cash, it can take up to 6 hours for processing before the inmate is released.

What Are Bail Instructions For Certified Check or Money Order?

Your certified check or money order is to be made out the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and include the inmate’s name and 7-digit booking number. Certified checks must be from a California bank or credit union. Only US Postal money orders are accepted.

Once you have the cash, check or money order, you can deposit it at the Lynwood Jail or go to the LA Inmate Reception area at 441 Bauchet Street, which is open 24 hours per day, every day of the week.

Process For Bail Bond

Bail bonds are obtained from a bail bondsman who can verify the amount of the bail. You will need some kind of collateral such as a car, house or other property of substantive value.

You will pay 10% of the bail amount, which is nonrefundable. Bail bond companies can be found on the internet and are usually in close proximity to the jail or courthouse.

If the inmate for whom you posted bail or bond fails to appear at any mandatory court appearance, the court can forfeit the bail and you will lose the cash. Also, the bail bondsman will come after you for the bail that can be in the thousands of dollars.

While using a bond may shorten the time for the inmate to be released, the process usually takes at least 4 hours.

Locating An Inmate At Century Regional Detention Facility

You can locate an inmate at CDRF by either going to the LA Sheriff website for Inmate Information Center or by calling the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department inmate information line at (213) 473-6080 or (213) 473-6100.

Have the inmate’s full name and birth date and booking number if you know it.

What Information Will They Provide You?

You can obtain the following information by phone or website:

• Inmate’s booking number
• Location or where housed
• Next court appearance
• Bail information

For additional information on the inmate’s pretrial hearing, trial date or sentencing, go to the LA County Court Information link.

How Long Does It Take to Book An Inmate?

After an arrest, it may take at least 2 hours before the inmate is booked.

Once detained, inmates must be arraigned within 2 court days of their arrest. This does not include weekends.

What Are The Visiting Hours At CRDF?

Visiting hours are on the following days only¹:

Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday

Hours: 7:30 am to 12:20 pm and 1:20 pm to 3:30 pm

You should always schedule a visit since trying to do so without a confirmation will not allow you to visit an inmate unless there is a cancellation. You can make an appointment in the following ways:

• Self-service kiosk in the main lobby of CDRF
• Online by registering with the Inmate Visitation Scheduling Center and selecting an open slot. By going to this website, you can see if the inmate has visiting privileges and see what open slots are available.
• Call (323)568-4520 (Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, except between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm.

When visiting, be sure to have your confirmation number from the website unless you are a walk-in.

All visitors 14 years of age and older must have acceptable forms of identification. Visits are limited to 30 minutes only. Only 2 visitors are allowed at one time. Acceptable ID consists of:

• California driver’s license–must be valid and not suspended, revoked or expired
• California ID card
• US passport
• Foreign passport with supporting documents such as alien registration card or US visa
• US military card
• Consulate card from Mexico or Argentina
• School photo ID card for children 14 to 17

Holiday visits are permitted on:

• New Year’s Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas

You are not permitted to visit if you are of the following status:

• On formal probation
• Have an outstanding warrant
• Previously served time in a California state prison

You can still visit if you are on formal probation if you receive permission from the unit commander at the jail before you arrive and submit a completed Visiting Questionnaire for Probationers and Ex-Felons. All visitors are subject to a records check.

You are not permitted to bring anything to an inmate and you can be searched before you can visit the inmate. Be aware that your vehicle is also subject to being searched. Also, please leave the following items behind and do not bring them into the visiting lobby or leave them in a locker located in the visiting lobby:

• Purse
• Cash
• Cell phones
• Pads or other writing tablets
• Camera
• Recording devices
• Weapons including knives or firearms regardless if you have a license to possess one
• Tobacco items
• Cosmetics
• Health products
• Stationery
• Lighters or matches
• Hand sanitizers with alcohol

These items should be left in your vehicle or may be stored at a locker at the jail.

Do not wear revealing clothing, short skirts, tube tops, strapless tops, bare midriffs, muscle shirts or sleeveless shirts. You must have a shirt and shoes. Provocative clothing in the opinion of the staff will bar you visiting the inmate. No clothing that is suggestive of gang affiliation or is indicative of drugs or violence is allowed or your visit will be denied.

Be aware that visiting hours may be suspended if there is a lock down or other emergency.

Also, the inmate you are visiting may have lost visiting privileges for disciplinary reasons.

Always check before you visit to see if the inmate has visiting privileges and if visits in general are allowed that day.

How To Phone An Inmate

Before booking, female inmates can make calls. After booking, they may make collect calls or calls using a prepaid calling card during certain hours². If you are not receiving calls from an inmate, contact your phone provider to see if it is blocking collect calls or even calls from prepaid calling cards.

Inmates can purchase prepaid calling cards at the commissary. You can also use these methods:

1. Deposit funds in the inmates in-house bank account so the inmate may purchase one
2. Purchase one yourself at the jail commissary and have it sent to the inmate via the commissary
3. Go to Global Tel Link and click on Inmate Communications Solutions or call the company at (800) 483-8314 to set up an inmate account so that he can call you or anyone else

How To Collect Or Pick Up Property

Inmates entering CDRF must surrender any items in their possession that are then stored. Surrender of personal property includes vehicles if the inmate was arrested while driving one or if it was involved in the commission of a crime such as robbery or transporting drugs.

All items are inventoried and stored. When the inmate is released, these items are returned to the inmate. Inmates can designate another person to collect these items for them but must have a Property Release Form, which can be obtained at the check-in window at the visiting window. The forms are processed at the Inmate Reception Center. Property other than motor vehicles may be retrieved between the hours of 8:00 am and 8:00 pm. The designated individual may have to wait 24-48 hours after submitting the form before the property may be collected.

If a vehicle needs to be retrieved, you or your designate must contact the arresting agency, such as the CHP or FBI. The department will advise you of where the vehicle is located. If it has been impounded, however, it will likely not be released depending on whether it was used as evidence in a crime or if it is awaiting a search for contraband or even DNA. Vehicles are often impounded for offenses such as vehicular manslaughter, transporting controlled substances or for DUI. You will need to contact an attorney regarding your options for retrieving it as it may be impounded for a specific time.

For information on inmate property, call (213) 473-6191.

Sending Mail To An Inmate

You can send unlimited correspondence to an inmate but not packages unless they come from the jail commissary or directly from a bookstore, publisher or online bookstore.

Send mail to:

Century Regional Detention Facility
11705 South Alameda Street
Lynwood, CA 92062

Attn: Inmate’s Name and 7-digit booking number

Your letters may not contain any sexually suggestive markings or artwork on the outside or that makes references to a gang.

You may not send any of the following:

• Food
• Drugs of any kind, legal or illegal
• Stationary
• Cosmetics
• Stamps
• Blank envelopes
• Jewelry including rosary beads
• Cash
• Prepaid calling cards
• Traveller’s checks
• Blank money orders, non-US Postal money orders or money orders from outside California
• Paper clips
• Glued or gummed labels
• Balloons
• Any tape on an envelope
• Lottery tickets
• Prepaid calling cards
• Greeting cards or postcards larger than 6” x 9”
• ID cards
• Picture in picture photographs
• Head shots

You may send:

• Up to 5 photographs that are a minimum of 2”x 3” and a maximum of 4” x 6”. No nude or sexually suggestive photos are permitted. No inmate may possess more than 5 photographs at a time.
• 3 books or magazines per week delivered directly from a bookstore, publisher or online bookstore. No hardback books are permitted. No book or magazine may be sexually explicit in the opinion of the facility staff.
• Packages through the Keefe Commissary–go to the web site and order them for the inmate
• Certified checks drawn only on a California bank or credit union or an in-state US Postal Service money order. These must be made out to the inmate and contain his 7-digit booking number. No money order can be for more than $200.

No packages sent from any other source will be permitted. If you do send a controlled substance in the mail, you risk prosecution³.

Transferring Funds To An Inmate

You can deposit cash, certified check or money order in-person for the inmate’s in-house account at the cashier’s office at the LA Inmate Reception Center located at:

441 Bauchet Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Mailed money orders or certified checks may not exceed $200. Mail them to:

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
P.O. Box 86164 Terminal Annex
Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164
Attn: Inmate Name, Booking Number

For information, call the cashier’s office at (213) 893-5875. Deposits may be made 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Shopping Privileges For Inmates At CRDF

Inmates can find a number of items at the Keefe Commissary including:

• Food
• Snacks
• Books and magazines
• Grooming items
• Prepaid calling cards
• Clothing

Safety & Medical Care

The Los Angeles Sheriffs Department’s Medical Services Bureau offers medical and mental health services that rival those of many states. It has physicians, nurses, dental staff, pharmacies, radiology and labs to serve between 15,000 and 20,000 inmates throughout the county correctional system.

Mental and Physical Health

When an inmate is brought to the Inmate Reception Center (IRC) before transfer to one of the jails, he is given a mental health screening⁴.

If your loved one has been housed at a local city jail, not a county jail, and you are concerned about your loved one’s condition, contact the Watch Commander and let him know that your relative has mental illness issues and describe the condition and diagnosis.

You can ask that the person be transferred to the County Jail IRC if you are advised that he will not be released soon. In circumstances where your relative have severe mental health issues, you may ask that a “5150” hold be placed on the individual, which is a 3-day involuntary hold at a psychiatric facility.

Be sure that the staff is aware of what medications the inmate has been taking, though you should send a fax to Mental Health Services with certain detailed information and ask that the inmate be transferred to the mental health unit and include the Inmate Medication Information Form.

Mental Health Services

Fax: (213) 972-4002

If the inmate has medical issues, then also send the same fax to:

Medical Services Bureau

Fax: (213) 217-4850

Include the following information in your fax:

• Inmate’s complete name
• Birth date
• Booking number
• Facility inmate is housed in
• Diagnosis
• Name and contact information of psychiatrist
• Medications including dosage and when to be administered
• Side effects
• History of suicide or aggression with brief description of episodes
• Urgent medical conditions that may require immediate attention such as diabetes, heart problems or high blood pressure
• Name of treating physician and contact information to verify the inmate’s condition
• Ask that the inmate sign a waiver of confidentiality or you can fax one if the inmate/relative has signed a previous one

Inmates with mental or physical health issues may be sent to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility for care.

Safety Issues

Upon booking, inmates are classified for safety reasons. Mental health screening helps to segregate those inmates with mental health issues so that their safety and that of the staff and other inmates is safeguarded.

Inmates at the jails are classified at maximum, medium and minimum security levels and housed accordingly:

Maximum: custody levels 8 and 9. These inmates are accused of violent and sexual crimes or have a history of disciplinary problems when in custody.

Medium: custody level 5, 6 and 7. These inmates do not required a high level of security but otherwise do not qualify for minimum security.

Minimum: custody level 1,2, 3 and 4. Misdemeanants and certain felons. They have no hold on them and have displayed a degree of cooperation towards staff and adherence to the rules and regulations. They are eligible for outside work crew, work and educational release.

The majority of guards and staff are concerned with safety for inmates though inmates should be cautious and wary when dealing with other inmates and to avoid provocations or confrontations.

Century Regional Detention Center Jail Address & Phone Number

Century Regional Detention Facility is located at:

11705 South Alameda Street
Lynwood, CA 90262

General Phone: (323) 568-4500
Inmate Information: (213) 473-6100
Inmate Booking Number: (213) 893-5327
Cashier Office: (213) 473-6049
Inmate Property: (213) 893-4428
Release information: (213) 893-5347
Medical Services: (213) 974-0149

1. Century Regional Detention Visiting Hours [↩]
2. CRDF Care Packages & Pre-Paid Calling Account [↩]
3. CRDF Inmate Commisarry & Care Packages [↩]
4. CRDF Mental Evaluation [↩]