| Address: | 12501 Hawthorne Blvd, Hawthorne, CA 90250 Map |
| Phone: | (310) 349-2700 |
| Website: | Hawthorne Police Custody |
A division of the Hawthorne Police Department (HPD) in Los Angeles County, the Hawthorne Jail is a booking station/ temporary holding facility as well as a “Pay to Stay” detention unit for sentenced inmates. The jail houses men and women arrested for a California misdemeanor and/or felony crime in the Hawthorne, CA area.
One of several California “Pay to Stay” detention facilities, the Hawthorne Jail/Police Station accommodates selected individuals who are allowed to serve their sentence in a unit segregated from the general L.A. County inmate population. But, the majority of individuals booked at this jail are held for just a few days pending payment of bail, release on their own recognizance (also known as “O.R.” release), or transfer to another facility.
The Hawthorne Detention Facility is located about 15 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles, about 5 miles from the coastline.
Provided by our team of California criminal defense lawyers, the following information may assist friends/family members of current detainees in the Hawthorne Police Department Jail. We cover key topics below:
- 1. How do I search for an inmate in LA County?
- 2. How do I post bail at Hawthorne Jail?
- 3. Can I call an inmate?
- 4. What are the visiting hours and policies?
- 5. What is “Pay to Stay”?
- 6. Property Release
1. How do I search for an inmate in LA County?
You can locate an inmate arrested in the Hawthorne area by going online to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s “Inmate Information” search engine. Inputting a first and last name will bring up a link to detailed data, which includes the subject’s birthday, date of arrest, and identifying physical characteristics. You may also obtain:
- Detention location
- Booking number
- Criminal charge, with felony or misdemeanor classification
- Bail amount, if granted.
Alternatively, you are free to call the jail at (310) 349-2700 to obtain specific information about a current detainee.
Note: Most Hawthorne criminal detainees will be transferred elsewhere after their arraignment hearing, which takes place within a few days of arrest (weekends and holidays excluded). Male defendants who must remain in custody (either because they can’t post bail or are convicted on criminal charges ) will often be transferred to a larger Los Angeles County jail, such as the Los Angeles Twin Towers Jail or the Los Angeles Men’s Central Jail. Women are generally transferred to the Century Regional Detention Facility (also known as “Lynwood”).
2. How do I post bail at Hawthorne Jail?
Most criminal detainees can gain temporary release from incarceration through payment of a bail bond. “Bail” is an amount of money meant to ensure that a defendant will show up for scheduled court appearances after being released from jail. Bail for Hawthorne PD Jail inmates is set according to Los Angeles County Court guidelines.
Once an inmate’s bail has been set, a friend or family member may post bail* on his/her behalf. (See “How to Post Bail in California”.) It is important to understand: if the inmate does not attend his/her court appearances, the defendant forfeits your money to the court.
You can obtain bail information from the online inmate search page or by calling the jail. Bail payment is accepted at the Hawthorne Police Department/Jail 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call the jail at (818) 349-2700 to verify payment amount/accepted methods.
If you choose to use a licensed bail bondsman, you pay just a percentage of the total bail amount, however, this money is nonrefundable — the bonding agency will keep your payment as a fee for services. And, if the inmate doesn’t make required court appearances, you must repay the entire bail amount to the bondsman.
*Note: An experienced Hawthorne criminal defense lawyer can schedule a bail hearing, and argue that the defendant’s bail should be reduced or eliminated.
3. Can I call an inmate?
California law states that new jail detainees must be allowed to make free (local) phone calls as part of the booking process. With these calls, arrested individuals can inform friends and family members of their custody status and/or to seek the assistance of a criminal attorney.
However, the Hawthorne Jail does not accept incoming, personal telephone calls for detainees and inmates. Phones are available to inmates daily in the common areas, where they can place outgoing (collect) phone calls.
Like other L.A. County detention facilities, the Hawthorne Detention Facility is served by an outside vendor, Global Tel, to facilitate prepaid inmate calls. To set up and fund your account, go online to Global Tel ConnectNetwork or call the company at (877) 650-4249. The inmate phone service allows you to set up an “advance pay” phone account for calls to your number or pay for a “pin debit” the inmate can use to make calls to other parties.
(Note: because inmate phone calls are subject to monitoring and recording, it is important to refrain from speaking about any pending criminal charges.)
Hawthorne Jail Visiting Hours
4. What are the visiting hours and policies?
Due to ongoing Covid-19 concerns, visitation at Hawthorne Jail has been temporarily halted, but is expected to resume in the summer of 2022.
5. What is “Pay to Stay”?
https://hawthornepolice.com/custody
With approval from the court, eligible sentenced inmates (generally considered to be “low risk” offenders) may pursue an option to pay a per-day fee to stay in the small Hawthorne Jail. Pay to Stay participants choose to pay for accommodations in order to avoid staying in more crowded county jail facilities.
Like other California “Pay to Stay” jail programs, Hawthorne Police Department provides a separate unit where inmates remain segregated from general population detainees. The cells and the common areas, including shower facilities, are separate from the holding area for short-term detainees housed at the jail.
Once approved by the court and screened by a HPD sergeant, Pay to Stay inmates can choose whether to serve their sentence on consecutive days or on weekends or weekdays. One 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. period of time spent in custody at the jail constitutes a day of the sentence served. Inmates are generally given work to do, such as laundry duties, cleaning, and/or yard work.
In Hawthorne, the Pay to Stay option costs $75 a night, with all fees generally paid up front at check in.
There is also a Hawthorne Jail “Daily” program, which is free of charge for eligible inmates. Participants in the Daily program are also accepted by approval of a judge and other screening requirements.
The “Daily” incarceration schedule involves serving the sentence from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with no overnights required. Time can be served weekdays or weekends, as preferred. Daily participants are assigned chores similar to those performed by Pay to Stay inmates.
6. Inmate property
Property brought into the jail by incoming inmates is confiscated pending their release from custody. If desired, inmates who are staying on (or transferred) can authorize a friend or family member to pick up property stored at the jail. (Note: If stored property is not picked up within 60 days from the date of arrest it will be auctioned off or otherwise disposed of.)
A property release authorization form must be signed by the inmate. Individuals approved to pick up inmate property will then need make a property release appointment. (Proper photo identification will be required for property pick up.) The phone number to call regarding inmate property pick-up is (310) 349-2780. Office hours are Monday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.