Pitchess Detention Center – Wayside Jail – Key Info

Address/phone	29320 The Old Rd. Castaic, CA 91384 (map) (661) 295-8840
Find an inmate	Inmate locator
Visiting hours	8am – 2pm on weekends and certain holidays
Send care packages	AccessSecurepak

The Pitchess Detention Center – commonly referred to as the Wayside jail – houses only male inmates. About 40 miles from Los Angeles, the Pitchess Jail consists of four separate adjacent complexes:

1. The East Facility, located at 29310 The Old Rd.
2. The North Facility, located at 29320 The Old Rd.
3. The South Facility, located at 29330 The Old Rd.
4. The North County Correctional Facility (“NCCF”), located at 29340 The Old Rd.

In this article, our Los Angeles County criminal defense attorneys will explain the following:

• 1. How can I post bail at the Los Angeles Pitchess Detention Center?
• 2. Is my loved one at the Pitchess Jail?
• 3. How do I receive calls?
• 4. When can I visit Pitchess Jail inmates?
• 5. Where do I send inmate mail to?
• 6. How do I transfer money to an inmate at Pitchess Jail?
• 7. What inmate services are there?
• 8. How can Pitchess inmates release their property to me?

If, after reading this article, you would like more information, we invite you to contact us at Shouse Law Group.

1. How can I post bail at the Los Angeles Pitchess Detention Center?

You can pay bail 24/7 at the L.A. Inmate Reception Center (“IRC”) located at

450 Bauchet Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 893-5875

The Pitchess Detention Center does not have its own cashier and does not accept any money directly at the facility.

You can pay bail in one of four ways:

1. Cash (for full bail amount)
2. California bank-drawn cashiers check (for full bail amount) made payable to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and including the inmate’s name and booking number
3. U.S. Postal Service money orders (for full bail amount) made payable to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and including the inmate’s name and booking number
4. Bail bonds, where a bondsman posts the entire bail amount on your behalf in exchange for a non-refundable fee of 10% of the entire bail amount.

Bail money gets returned to you at the end of the case as long as the defendant shows up to every required court appearance. No-shows result in the bail money being forfeited.

The bail amount largely depends on the Los Angeles County bail schedule for misdemeanors and felonies. Note that a skilled Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer can schedule a bail hearing to argue for a lower bail or own recognizance release (O.R. release).

2. Is my loved one at the Pitchess Jail?

Search for a Los Angeles County inmate online or by calling the sheriff’s inmate information line at (213) 473-6080 or (213) 473-6100.

Inmate information is usually not available until at least two hours after the time of booking.

3. How do I receive calls?

Pitchess inmates may not receive calls, but they may make outgoing calls to you during designated times.

4. When can I visit Pitchess Jail inmates?

Schedule visits in advance online. Visiting hours at Pitchess Jail are 8am to 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays as well as

• New Year’s Day,
• Memorial Day,
• Independence Day (the 4^th of July),
• Labor Day,
• Thanksgiving Day, and
• Christmas Day.

Each inmate is allotted one hour of visiting per weekend, though the hour can be split into two half-hour visits. An additional visiting hour is allowed on the above holidays.

Pitchess Jail policies have been in a state of flux since COVID-19, so call the jail at (661) 295-8840 for the latest visiting hours and instructions.

Public transportation to get to the Pitchess Jail is available through the Metrolink and the Santa Clarita Valley Transit System.

5. Where do I send inmate mail to?

If your loved one is incarcerated at the Pitchess Jail, address any letters to:

[Inmate’s complete name and seven-digit booking number]
Terminal Annex
P.O. Box 86164
Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164

Packages are prohibited, though you may send up to five photos (either 2×3 or 4×6 inches).

You may also have up to three softcover books and three magazines sent to your loved one each week as long as they are mailed directly from an actual or online bookstore or publisher.

Finally, you can order care packages through the Keefe Commissary website.

6. How do I transfer money to an inmate at Pitchess Jail?

Pitchess Jail does not permit you to put money on an inmate’s books online. Instead, you can deposit money in person 24/7 at the Inmate Reception Center, located several miles away from the jail at:

450 Bauchet Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 893-5875

Your other option is to mail either a California bank-drawn cashier’s check, U.S. Postal Service Money Order or a California state money order to this address:

[Inmate’s complete name and seven-digit booking number]
Terminal Annex
P.O. Box 86164
Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164

Make sure to include make the check or money order payable to the inmate’s name and booking number.

7. What inmate services are there?

Because the Pitchess Detention Center is so large, it offers a number of services to its inmates  Some of these include:

• a variety of vocational training programs,
• education classes, including the ability to earn a General Education Degree (“GED”),
• a commissary where inmates can purchase a variety of items such as food, reading materials, hygiene products, games, etc.,
• outdoor recreational activities,
• television privileges,
• chapel services for all major religious denominations, and
• Alcoholics Anonymous “AA”, Narcotics Anonymous “NA” and other substance abuse and alcohol counseling programs, and
• domestic violence counseling.

8. How can Pitchess inmates release their property to me?

If the inmate fills out a property release form naming you as the recipient, you may pick up the property during visiting hours. Though call the jail at (661) 295-8840 for the latest instructions.

Note that if you are trying to get an inmate’s vehicle released, you must contact the arresting agency. They will be able to provide details about the particular vehicle in question, such as where the vehicle is located and whether or not it has been impounded.