Century Regional Detention Facility (CRDF) is where the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department houses women in county custody, at 11705 South Alameda Street in Lynwood. A search of the Sheriff's online Inmate Information Center, or a call to the inmate information line at (213) 473-6100, shows whether a specific woman is held there.
How do I find out if a woman is being held at CRDF?
The fastest way is the Sheriff's own online locator; the inmate information line works too, once you have a booking number or are ready to confirm one.
- Go to the Inmate Information Center and search by last and first name; a middle name or date of birth helps narrow a common name.
- A booking from the last two hours will not be in the system yet, so check back rather than assuming she was not taken into custody; try other spellings or names she has used if the first search turns up nothing.
- Once she appears, write down her booking number. Everything from a letter to a money deposit will ask for it.
- For a question the search cannot answer, call (213) 473-6100 (housing and general custody questions) or the Inmate Reception Center's release line, (213) 893-5347 (release status). These lines are for custody questions, not emergencies; call 911 for an emergency.
Who is held at CRDF, and when does a visit become possible?
CRDF houses women in Los Angeles County custody; the Sheriff's Department says an unclassified inmate, one still awaiting permanent housing, gets no visits or calls until classified.
In the Sheriff's custody FAQ, "unclassified" inmates are those pending a permanent housing location, and they cannot receive phone calls or visits; classification "can take two weeks to a month," and once it is complete, calls and visits can be made.
How do I post bail for someone at CRDF?
Many lower-level, non-violent bookings at CRDF need no money bail under the court's Pre-Arraignment Release Protocol; if money bail is required, its 2026 bail schedules give the starting amount.
Those schedules, the 2026 felony bail schedule and 2026 misdemeanor bail schedule, have applied since January 1, 2026, and a judge may set a different amount under Penal Code sections 1269b, 1269c and 1270.1. In weighing bail, a judge looks at ability to pay and at nonfinancial conditions (In re Humphrey); In re Kowalczyk (2026) limits outright denial of bail in a noncapital case to section 12(b) and (c) offenses of the California Constitution, and holds that money bail "must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable." The firm's guide on posting bail for someone in LA County jail walks through that process, and the Los Angeles County Jail Inmate Search guide covers the countywide lookup and release steps that apply at CRDF the same as anywhere else in the system.
What should a visitor know before coming to CRDF?
Public visits at CRDF are booked ahead for set days, professional visits keep separate weekday hours, and the Sheriff's custody page shows the current days and times.
Reserve a time through the online visit scheduling system up to seven days out; arrive with photo ID, which the Sheriff's Department requires, and a few quarters, since CRDF (like Twin Towers) asks visitors to bring coins for a storage locker. A child under 15 needs a birth certificate to visit a parent, an older child can use a school ID, state ID or passport, and a notarized parental letter covers a minor brought by someone other than a parent. For a non-urgent medical or mental health concern a family member wants the facility's clinical staff to know about, the Sheriff's Department provides an Inmate Medication Information Form to fax to its women's Mental Health Services line, (323) 415-1893; for an urgent concern, the Medical Command Center, (213) 893-5544, takes calls around the clock.
How do mail, money and contraband rules work at CRDF?
Letters to a woman at CRDF can go to the Sheriff's central P.O. box or to CRDF itself, and her deposit questions go to a dedicated cashier's line.
The Sheriff's Department gives two mailing addresses for women in custody, each with the woman's name and booking number above it: the general address, P.O. Box 86164, Terminal Annex, Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164, or Century Regional Detention Facility, 11705 S. Alameda Street, Lynwood, CA 90262. Deposit questions for a female inmate go to (323) 568-4535, and the Los Angeles County Jail Inmate Search guide covers the full countywide mail, deposit and contraband rules. One of those rules carries its own felony: knowingly bringing a controlled substance or related paraphernalia into any county jail is charged under Penal Code section 4573, covered further in the firm's guide to bringing drugs into a jail or prison. CRDF is also one of only two places, along with the Inmate Reception Center, where the Sheriff's Department processes a released withdrawal from any inmate's trust account, so a former inmate from a different facility may end up collecting leftover funds there.
When is the first court date, and which courthouse hears the case?
A woman held at CRDF must be brought before a judge within 48 hours of arrest, not counting Sundays and holidays, as Penal Code section 825(a)(1) provides:
"Except as provided in paragraph (2), the defendant shall in all cases be taken before the magistrate without unnecessary delay, and, in any event, within 48 hours after his or her arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays."
The 48 hours run from the arrest and skip Sundays and holidays; the rule sets a deadline for seeing a judge, not for filing charges, and it applies to a person held in custody, not to someone cited and released. When those hours would run out while court is closed, Penal Code section 825(a)(2) moves the deadline forward:
"When the 48 hours prescribed by paragraph (1) expire at a time when the court in which the magistrate is sitting is not in session, that time shall be extended to include the duration of the next court session on the judicial day immediately following."
A Wednesday arrest that comes after that day's court session has ended follows its own version of the same rule, landing on the following Friday:
"However, when the defendant's arrest occurs on a Wednesday after the conclusion of the day's court session, and if the Wednesday is not a court holiday, the defendant shall be taken before the magistrate not later than the following Friday, if the Friday is not a court holiday."
Women from across the county are held at CRDF, but the case is heard where it was filed: Local Rule 2.3(a)(3) files a criminal complaint at the courthouse handling criminal matters for the city or unincorporated area where the offense is alleged to have occurred. The citation, booking slip or arraignment notice names that courthouse, and the court's own Criminal Case Calendar can confirm it once a case number is assigned; two downtown buildings hear only criminal cases, according to the court's records: the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, 210 West Temple Street, and the Central Arraignment Courthouse, 429 Bauchet Street. The firm's Los Angeles County criminal court guide and directory of California courthouse and jail guides explain the wider process.
What should I do right now?
Confirm where she is held, note her booking number, check whether bail applies, keep the paperwork and call a lawyer; in an emergency, call 911, not a Sheriff's line.
- Make sure she is at CRDF. The online locator or the (213) 473-6100 line will show it.
- Record the booking number. Mail, deposits and a visit reservation all need it.
- See whether bail applies. For the current schedule and the no-cost release categories, read the firm's guide to posting bail for someone in LA County jail.
- Save every document. A citation, booking slip or arraignment notice gives the exact courthouse and date.
- Speak with a criminal defense lawyer. A lawyer can explain the charge and what the first court appearance will cover.
Frequently asked questions
Is CRDF the same as the Century Sheriff's Station?
No. The Century Sheriff's Station, (323) 568-4800, is a separate Sheriff's station at 11703 South Alameda Street that serves Lynwood and nearby communities; CRDF, the county jail, is at 11705 South Alameda Street. Call 911 for an emergency rather than either non-emergency number; for someone held at CRDF, use the inmate information line, (213) 473-6100.
What should I bring to visit someone at CRDF?
A valid photo ID and a few quarters for a storage locker. Book the visit in advance through the Sheriff's online scheduling system; there are no walk-in visits.
Is there a cash deposit kiosk at CRDF?
No. Cash kiosks are in the Pitchess Detention Center Visiting Center in Castaic, the only place the Sheriff's Department currently lists them; from anywhere else, deposit online through Access Corrections or mail a money order or cashier's check.
Where does someone collect money left in an account after release?
At CRDF or the Inmate Reception Center, with a government-issued photo ID; collect it within about 30 days, because the Sheriff's Department purges trust accounts then and later collection is delayed.
Does CRDF ever hold men?
The Sheriff's Department describes CRDF as where it houses women in county custody; men booked into Los Angeles County custody are housed at other facilities, such as Men's Central Jail or Twin Towers Correctional Facility.
How many visits does an inmate get each week?
The Sheriff's Department says a general population inmate gets at least two 30-minute visits a week, in person or by video, for at least an hour total.
Talk to a lawyer
The Law Offices of David S. Chesley is available 24/7 and offers a free consultation, payment plans and help in Spanish, including for a family member calling about someone held at CRDF. Call (800) 755-5174 to speak with a lawyer about what happens next, or request a free consultation online.