Pomona Jail Info – Bail, Visiting, Contacting Inmates

Address:	490 W Mission Blvd, Pomona, CA 91766 Map
Phone:	(909) 620-2131
Website:	Pomona Police Department

The Pomona City Jail and Police Station is located on the border of San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties, but falls within Los Angeles County.

This Jail serves as a temporary holding facility.  That means that individuals who are arrested in the city of Pomona will be booked into this facility and held only until they

• are released on their own recognizance (known as an “O.R.” release),
• post bail, or
• are taken to court for their arraignment.

Male defendants who must return to jail…either because they can’t post bail, have moved past their arraignment or because they have been convicted of their offense…will generally be transferred to a larger Los Angeles County jail such as the Los Angeles Twin Towers Jail, the Pitchess Detention Center, or the Los Angeles Men’s Central Jail.  Women will be transferred to the Century Regional Detention Facility.

In this article, our Pomona criminal defense attorneys will explain the following:

• 1. Procedures on How to Post Bail for an Inmate at the Pomona City Jail
  • 1.1. Cash bail
  • 1.2. Bail bonds
• 2. How to Get Inmate Information
• 3. How to Contact an Inmate at the Pomona City Jail
• 4. Visiting Hours and Policies
  • 4.1. Release of property
• 5. The Pomona City Jail’s Inmate Worker Programs

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

1. Procedures on How to Post Bail for an Inmate at the Pomona City Jail

After an inmate has been booked into the Pomona Jail, his/her bail will be set according to the Los Angeles County Bail Schedule and based on the crime(s) for which the inmate was arrested.

“Bail” is the amount of money that is designed to assure the arresting agency and the court that the defendant will make his/her court appearances after being released from jail.  Anyone can pay (or “post”) bail on an inmate’s behalf.

If you choose to post bail for an inmate, the Pomona City Jail accepts two forms of bail: cash bail and bail bonds, both of which are discussed in detail in our article “How to Post Bail in California”.  You may post bail directly at the Pomona Police Station (where the jail is located) 24 hours a day/7 days a week.

Free parking is available on the west side of the building facing Park Avenue.  There is also limited street parking in front of the station.

1.1. Cash bail

If you elect to post cash bail, you must post the full amount.  Once you post cash bail, the inmate is released pending his/her arraignment.  If the inmate attends his/her court appearances, the bail will be returned following the conclusion of the criminal case.  If he/she does not, the defendant forfeits your money to the court.

And although the Jail used to accept California cashier’s checks as a type of cash bail, they no longer do due to the rise in fraud that frequently occurred in connection with this type of bail.

1.2. Bail bonds

Most people opt to post a bail bond instead of cash.  This is because you are only required to pay a maximum 10% of the total bail amount.

This means that if, for example, the inmate’s bail is set at $50,000, a cash bail payment would have to be for the full $50,000.   However, if you elect to use a bail bond, you would only pay a maximum of $5,000 to a bail bondsman, and he would pay the rest.

The catch is that the bail bondsman will keep your 10% as his/her fee.  If the defendant makes all of his/her court appearances, you pay nothing more, but you do not get that 10% back.  If the inmate doesn’t make those appearances, you will be liable for repaying the entire bail amount to the bondsman.

Bail bondsmen advertise on the Internet and in the phone book.  Make sure you verify the bondsman’s license and keep copies of all documents for your records.

∗NOTE:  Once you post bail, you should immediately consult with one of our experienced Pomona criminal defense lawyers who can schedule a bail hearing to argue that the bail should be reduced or eliminated.   A skilled local attorney will also review the case to help develop the most comprehensive legal defense to help your loved one fight his/her case.

2. How to Get Information about an Inmate at the Pomona City Jail

In order to obtain information about an inmate at the Pomona City Jail, you may

1. call the Pomona Jail directly at (909) 620-2131,
2. call the L.A. Sheriff’s Department Inmate Information line at (213) 473-6080, or
3. access information via the web on the Los Angeles Sheriff Department’s inmate information website.

Before a deputy will release information, you must provide the inmate’s correct full legal name or his/her booking number.

Typically, inmates who are being held in custody must be arraigned within two (2) days of being arrested.  At that point, the judge will either continue the arraignment or will set the case for a pre-trial hearing.  This type of case information is available for inmates being housed at the Pomona City Jail on the Los Angeles County case information website.

3. How to Contact an Inmate at the Pomona City Jail

Inmates at the Pomona Jail are allowed to make three (3) free local telephone calls when they arrive at the facility.  Beyond that, any outgoing calls must be collect or paid with a calling card.  If you know you have a loved one in jail, you may want to contact your local telephone carrier to make sure that collect and/or calling calls are not blocked on your plan.

Unfortunately, inmates are not allowed to receive incoming calls.  And because inmates are only temporarily housed at the Pomona Jail, they are not there long enough to receive mail…that is, unless they are part of the inmate worker program, discussed below under Section 5. The Pomona City Jail’s Inmate Worker Program.

But as long as you comply with the facility’s visiting hours and policies described below, you may visit an inmate at the Pomona City Jail.

4. Visiting Hours and Policies

Inmates at the Pomona City Jail may see visitors during the first 24 hours after they are booked into the facility or prior to their arraignment, whichever comes first.

Visiting hours are from 10:00am to 2:45pm seven (7) days a week.  Visitors are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.  Each inmate can have one (1) daily visit from a maximum of two (2) visitors.  And…depending on how busy the Jail is…visits may last anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.

Attorneys are not bound by these hours and, essentially, have unlimited access to inmates.  That said, they must call the Jail ahead of time at (909) 620-2131 to schedule a visit.

All visitors must bring valid picture identification, including

• a California driver’s license or identification card,
• a U.S. Passport,
• an alien registration card, or
• a U.S. military card.

In addition, all visitors are subject to a search of their person and property.  Visitors may not bring anything illegal to the facility nor may they bring anything to the inmates.

∗∗∗A word of caution – anyone who has an outstanding warrant or is on probation or parole will not be allowed to visit an inmate and may be arrested on site.  The bottom line is that the Pomona Police Department reserves the right to deny entry to anyone who poses a threat…or even a perceived threat…to the safety or security of the Jail staff or inmates.

4.1. Release of property

When inmates are booked into the Pomona City Jail, their money, clothing and any other property are collected and stored by the Jail staff.  If an inmate wishes to have that property released to a visitor, they may fill out a property release form and designate a visitor to collect that property.

This collection process takes place in the Jail lobby during normal visiting hours and does not need to be arranged ahead of time.

5. The Pomona City Jail’s Inmate Worker Programs

In addition to providing temporary housing to inmates awaiting their arraignment, the Pomona City Jail offers a couple of inmate worker programs.  These types of “private jail” programs allows eligible male defendants who have been convicted of non-violent misdemeanor offenses to serve their time in the smaller, typically safer environment of the Pomona City Jail rather than among the general population at one of the larger L.A. County jails.

These programs must be pre-approved by a judge.  One program involves serving a straight sentence in the Pomona facility while the other involves a “pay to stay” program where the inmate is allowed to work during the day and serve his sentence at night and on weekends.

“Worker” inmates are housed separately from the other inmates.  However, there is some limited exposure, during meal times, for example.  In addition, “workers” perform duties such as

• preparing prisoner food,
• cleaning the jail,
• completing routine building maintenance,
• washing cars, and
• cleaning the exterior grounds.

Inmate workers have different visiting hours from arrestees.  Their visiting hours are after the work day, generally beginning at 5:00pm.  And because inmates in these programs serve a minimum of 30 days, they are at the facility long enough to receive mail.

If you wish to send an inmate worker mail, address it to

[Inmate’s name and booking number]
Inmate Worker Program
490 West Mission Boulevard
Pomona, CA 91766

And because these inmates are housed longer than typical inmates, they are allowed to have money to purchase items from vending machines.  You can bring up to $20 (in quarters and $1 bills) to an inmate, which the Jail staff will collect and place into an account for the inmate to use.

For more information about the Pomona inmate worker program, you can contact the Jail directly at (909) 620-2131.