Los Colinas Jail Info – Bail, Visiting, Contacting Inmates

Address:	451 Riverview Pkwy, Santee, CA 92071 Map
Phone:	(619) 402-1312
Website:	Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility

The Los Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility (LCDRF) is located in Santee, CA. Re-built in 2014, the Los Colinas Jail serves as the primary intake point for women arrested in San Diego County. The inmate population is comprised of adult women detained and sentenced for California misdemeanor and/or felony crimes.

With a rated capacity for 1,270 inmates, the Los Colinas Detention Facility is one of seven correctional facilities operated by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. This jail is in the East County area of San Diego, located about 19 miles northwest of the city. The address and phone number are:

451 Riverview Parkway
Santee, CA 92071
(619) 402-1312

Below, detailed information regarding Los Colinas Detention Center policies is provided by the California criminal defense lawyers team. For the benefit of family and friends of detainees in the jail, the following topics are covered:

• 1. SD County Inmate Information
• 2. Bail Bonding
• 3. Communication with Inmates
• 4. Inmate Cash Accounts
• 5. Jail Visitation
• 6. Inmate Mail Policies
• 7. Life in Custody
• 8. Alternative Incarceration

1. Inmate Search

An online inmate search can be conducted using the Sheriff’s Department website, which includes a Who’s in Jail” link. Women in custody in San Diego County will most often be “guests” of the Los Colinas Detention Facility. Individuals are identified online by their birthdate, height/weight, and other descriptive features.

The search engine provides detailed information pertaining to your friend or loved one’s arrest. You will find:

• The date/time of arrest
• Criminal charges
• Booking number
• Court date
• Projected release date (if available)

Alternatively, you can call the jail at (619) 402-1312 to obtain specific information.

2. Posting Bail

Often, arrested individuals are granted an opportunity to gain temporary freedom from incarceration by posting bail. If so, bail payment is generally handled at the jail or by going through a licensed bail bonding agency. To get specific bail amounts and payment options, it is best to call the facility directly at (619) 402-1312.

3. Phone Calls and Email

Under California law, incoming jail detainees are given opportunity to make at least three, local phone calls, free of charge. These calls may be used to contact friends/family about the arrest and to seek counsel from a criminal lawyer.

Inmates in the Los Colinas Correctional Facility cannot take incoming calls from family and friends. They have access to telephones in incarceration, from which collect calls can be placed. You can set up an account online through Securus to facilitate payment for inmate calls.

You can also call Securus at (800) 844-6591 to set up and fund your inmate phone account. Available options include direct monthly billing, an “Advance Connect” plan, or you can provide debit funds for an inmate to use as desired for personal calls. Note that fees are charged for all inmate phone services.

Opportunities to e-mail a Santee inmate are also offered. You can send a message through the online “Who’s in Jail” link on the Sheriff’s website, which provides information and instructions for e-mailing.

Please know that all inmate phone calls and messages at the Los Colinas Jail are subject to monitoring and recording. For this reason, it is best to avoid speaking or writing about pending criminal charges.

4. Commissary Account Funding

All San Diego County inmates receive meals and basic necessities, but they may purchase comfort items through the weekly commissary. Options available include snacks and treats, hygiene items, and correspondence materials.

Any money carried into the LCDF by an inmate is deposited into an inmate cash account to be used for commissary and incidental expenses. Family and friends can also add funds to an inmate account in the following ways:

• In person – There are “TouchPay” kiosks located in the public lobby of the jail, accessible daily from 6:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
• Online – You can make a deposit through the “Who’s in Jail” application or go to sdsheriffcommissary.com, where you can also order gift packs for an inmate.
• Mail — Money orders are accepted for inmate cash account deposits, but personal checks are not.

Note: Los Colinas Detention Center inmates are limited to a $500 balance in their commissary account. For help specific to adding funds or ordering commissary items, call (619) 661-2860.

5. Inmate Visitation

Visitation options at the Santee Jail include remote video visitation or onsite jail visits. Using your personal computer or Android device, you can schedule 30-minute video visits from home.

All visitors for LCDF inmates must make reservations 24-hours ahead of the desired visiting time. This can be done online through the Securus website or by calling the jail at (619) 402-1312, option #3. (Days to book visitation appointments are Tuesday through Sunday.) No walk-in visitors are accepted at this facility.

Visiting hours at the Los Colinas Detention Facility are determined by the individual housing unit within the jail. Visits can be canceled at any time due to rule violations, incarcerated person transfers, or for jail security.

The Sheriff’s Department provides a visitation schedule with details about visiting hours for each LCDF housing unit.

Visitation rules at the Los Colinas County Jail are as follows:

• Due to Covid-19 protocols, face masks are mandatory during visitation.
• You must check in 30 minutes before your appointment. (Visitors arriving late for their appointment may have the visit cancelled.)
• Each visitor age 16 and older is required to present valid government issued photo identification or current high school identification.
• A maximum of one adult and one child is allowed per visit.
• Minors must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian.
• You cannot bring any items into the visitation area except for your identification and car keys. This includes purses, bags, baby items, food/beverages or pets.
• Do not enter the facility carrying any type of weapon or smoking device, drugs, or alcohol.
• If you are a convicted felon, are currently on parole, or have been released from jail in the past 90 days, you must have advanced written permission from the jail administrator to visit. Use this form to request a visit.

Please keep in mind: all visits may be monitored and recorded, which means you should refrain from discussing details of the inmate’s criminal case.

6. Rules for Postal Mail

Quantities of incoming and outgoing postal mail are unlimited for inmates at the San Diego County Los Colinas Jail. Inmates can purchase correspondence materials and stamps through commissary, and if without necessary funds, will be provided with materials to send out two personal letters a week.

All inmate mail should include your name and return address. Address the envelope as follows:

Full name and booking number
Los Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility
451 Riverview Pkwy
Santee, CA 92071

Most types of enclosures within an envelope are disallowed at the jail. You are permitted to send in standard photographs size 4” x 6” or smaller. The following items are expressly forbidden:

• Cash
• Tobacco products
• Polaroid photos
• Postage stamps/blank envelopes/stationary
• Greeting cards containing embedded music or pop-ups
• Sexually explicit material
• Any material related to gang activity or that advocates violence, crime, or racial hatred
• Any item larger than 8.5” x 14”
• Items containing metal, glass, wood, rubber, hard plastic
• Colored paper, tracing paper, confetti, glitter
• Crayon, paint, chalk, markers,
• Whiteout, glue or tape
• Organic material (Hair clippings, plant material, flowers etc.)
• Items containing fragrance of any kind, lipstick marks or any type of stains

New, soft-cover books and magazines can be ordered and sent to Los Colinas inmates, but must arrive directly from a publisher or vendor, such as amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.

7. Life and Health at LCDF

This facility has an “Open Booking” policy, so incoming inmates are generally seated in an open area during the booking process. This policy does not apply to detainees whose behavior or charges mandate immediate separation and secure holding.

There is a wide range of housing options at the Los Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility, including for those with special medical or psychiatric needs. Housing classification levels are determined after the inmates are assessed and medically screened.

The Los Colinas Jail does not generally accept prescription medication provided by family members. Prescriptions are ordered through the jail pharmacy. If you would like to discuss an inmate’s medication needs, call the jail at (619) 402-1312. Co-pays of $3.00 for “sick calls” are assessed and can be paid for out of the inmate cash account. (No inmate is denied necessary treatment because of a failure to pay.)

This correctional facility was built in 1967 and was used as a juvenile center until 1979, when it was repurposed as a women’s facility. The original structure was replaced in 2014. There are now “improved facilities” with an emphasis on reentry services. The San Diego Sheriff’s Inmate Programs page has a list of educational, vocational, psycho-social and other inmate programs that may be offered at the Santee Jail.

San Diego County Corrections provides detailed information on their approach to the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). There is stated a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual assault, sexual harassment, or sexual misconduct at the jail. In addition to inmate complaints, third-party incident reports are accepted.

8. Alternative Custody Programs

Work release and other alternative custody options are available for inmates who receive judicial approval. In San Diego County, options include a Work Furlough program run by the Probation Department. Inmates are housed in downtown San Diego at a designated Work Furlough Facility. A daily fee of $42 is collected from program participants.

There is also a home monitoring detention program, which utilizes GPS technology, and a “Fire Camp” opportunity. More information about alternative sentencing can be obtained on the San Diego County Sheriff’s website or by calling the jail.