Finding and visiting someone at Pitchess Detention Center

Pitchess Detention Center is a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department jail complex in Castaic made up of several separate buildings, including Pitchess Detention Center North and South, the North County Correctional Facility, and an inmate firefighter facility. The Sheriff's online Inmate Information Center or its inmate information line, (213) 473-6100, tells a family whether someone is held there.

How do you confirm someone is being held at Pitchess?

The Sheriff's Department runs one online locator and one phone line for its county jails, Pitchess included, and both can tell you which building holds a person.

1. Go to the Inmate Information Center and type the person's last name and first name; the form also takes a middle name and a date of birth, which help when the name is common.
2. If the arrest happened in the last two hours, wait and try again. The Sheriff's Department does not post a booking that recently, and a name sometimes goes in with or without a middle name, so try other spellings too.
3. Once a record appears, write down the booking number; letters and money deposits both require it.
4. For anything the search cannot answer, call (213) 473-6100, the inmate information line the Sheriff's Department lists for the whole county, including Pitchess. For a medical emergency involving someone in custody, the Medical Command Center, (213) 893-5544, is staffed around the clock. Neither number reaches 911; call 911 for an emergency.

Where is Pitchess, and which buildings make up the complex?

Pitchess is a group of Sheriff's jail buildings on The Old Road in Castaic, and the Sheriff's Department lists four addresses under its Pitchess Correctional Facilities.

Caption: Pitchess Detention Center buildings, addresses, and the shared public phone line.

The inmate information line, (213) 473-6100, can say which building holds a person. The Sheriff's professional visiting hours also name an East Facility, whose inmates get professional visits at South Facility, and the cash kiosk described below sits at the PDC Visiting Center, 29340 The Old Road.

Why can't someone in custody get calls or visits right away?

Calls and visits wait for classification: the Sheriff's Department says an unclassified person cannot receive either, and classification can take two weeks to a month.

The Sheriff's custody FAQ describes an "unclassified" inmate as one still pending a permanent housing location; after the department's liaison interviews the person, it can house them safely within the facility. Once classification is complete, calls and visits follow the rules below. Until then, the inmate information line, (213) 473-6100, is the number the Sheriff's Department gives for custody questions.

How does release work, and can fire camp training speed it up?

Release runs through the Sheriff's Department, which lists its release and inmate property lines at the Inmate Reception Center, and earned credits can bring a sentenced release date closer.

The Sheriff's custody page gives the Inmate Reception Center's release line as (213) 893-5347 and its inmate property line as (213) 893-5352. Someone released without collecting the money left in their jail account can pick it up in person, with government-issued photo ID, at the Inmate Reception Center or Century Regional Detention Facility; the Sheriff's Department says trust accounts are purged about 30 days after release, which delays any later collection.

Under Penal Code section 4019, a person in county jail, before or after sentencing, earns conduct credit by doing assigned work and following jail rules; the Sheriff's Department describes it at sentencing as two days of credit for every two days served. Penal Code section 2933.1 caps that credit at 15 percent after a conviction for a violent felony listed in Penal Code section 667.5(c). The Sheriff's Department's Inmate Services Bureau oversees a Fire Camp Training Unit, and one Pitchess address is the PDC Inmate Firefighters building. Penal Code section 4019.2 raises the rate for an inmate already eligible for standard section 4019 credit: two days of credit for every one day served in an inmate firefighter assignment, or after completing that training.

How does bail work for someone held at Pitchess?

Bail at Pitchess follows the Los Angeles County court's rules; its Pre-Arraignment Release Protocol frees many people arrested for lower-level, non-violent offenses before arraignment, with no money bail.

Where money bail applies, the amount comes from the court's current felony bail schedule or misdemeanor bail schedule, both effective January 1, 2026, until a judge decides it, unless an arrest warrant names its own amount (Penal Code section 1269b). The judge considers the person's ability to pay and any nonfinancial conditions of release (In re Humphrey). In re Kowalczyk (2026) lets a judge deny bail in a noncapital case only for an offense covered by section 12(b) or (c) of article I of the California Constitution, and money bail "must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable." The firm's answer on posting bail for someone in LA County jail explains payment and the protocol's categories; the Los Angeles County Jail Inmate Search guide covers every county jail.

How do visiting, mail, and money work at Pitchess?

Pitchess shares the county's general mail and deposit rules, with one feature no other Los Angeles County jail currently offers.

Visiting. Public visits at Pitchess happen on weekends and only by appointment, with no walk-ins. Book through the Sheriff's visit scheduling system, which opens dates as much as a week ahead and asks Pitchess and North County Correctional Facility visitors to arrive 60 minutes before the start time. Lawyers, public defenders, volunteers and clergy can ask the facility about "Professional Visitor" status; the Sheriff's custody page carries the current public and professional visiting hours. Under the Sheriff's custody FAQ, a minor younger than 15 needs a birth certificate, an older minor may show a school ID, state ID or passport, and a minor coming with someone other than a parent, such as a grandparent, also needs a notarized letter from the parent.

Mail. General letters for anyone at Pitchess go to the Sheriff's Department's central address: the person's name and booking number, P.O. Box 86164, Terminal Annex, Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164. Letters containing cash, food, cosmetics or a blank greeting card come back to the sender. Questions go to the Mail Room Supervisor, (213) 893-5874, and the sender of a returned book or publication can appeal through the Sheriff's Department website within 15 days of receiving the return notice. Knowingly bringing a controlled substance into a county jail without authorization is a separate felony under Penal Code section 4573; the firm's page on bringing drugs into a jail or prison covers that charge in more detail.

Money. Online deposits go through Access Corrections, (866) 345-1884, in place since July 28, 2025, which requires a valid residential address rather than a P.O. box. A deposit by mail is capped at $200, paid by a certified cashier's check or USPS money order from within California, or a USPS money order only from elsewhere, payable to the person's name and booking number. Pitchess is currently the Sheriff's Department's only location with a cash deposit kiosk, at the PDC Visiting Center, 29340 The Old Road, Castaic, available during visiting hours to a visitor with a valid government-issued photo ID. To release money to a visitor, the person in custody submits a Money Release Form ("pink slip") to custody staff; at Pitchess, a visitor can pick that form up at the visiting area check-in window, and the withdrawal itself goes through the Inmate Reception Center or Century Regional Detention Facility, where it is typically ready within 24 to 48 hours.

When is the first court date, and which courthouse hears the case?

Someone in custody after arrest has to be taken before a judge within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays, and the case is filed where the offense allegedly happened.

Penal Code section 825(a)(1) requires it:

"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."

That 48-hour clock runs against a person actually held in custody, not against every arrest, and it is about appearing before a judge, not about when a charge must be filed. Subdivision (a)(2) extends the deadline whenever it would otherwise fall while court is not in session:

"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."

An arrest on a Wednesday after that day's court session has already closed gets a rule of its own:

"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."

Where the offense allegedly happened decides the courthouse, not the jail: under the court's Local Rule 2.3(a)(3), each criminal complaint is filed at the courthouse that handles criminal matters for that city or unincorporated area. A citation names the court and the time to appear (Penal Code section 853.6), and once a case number exists, the court's Criminal Case Calendar can help confirm the courthouse and department.

The firm's answer on what happens at a California arraignment explains that first hearing. Its Los Angeles County criminal court guide gives district attorney and public defender contacts, and its county-by-county index of courthouse and jail guides leads to the others.

What should I do right now?

Confirm custody first, then line up the paperwork and the help a case will need next; none of the numbers on this page connect to 911.

1. Search the Inmate Information Center or call (213) 473-6100 to confirm the person is at Pitchess and which building.
2. Write down the booking number. Letters and money deposits both need it.
3. Check whether money bail applies under the court's 2026 schedules and its Pre-Arraignment Release Protocol, as the bail section above explains.
4. Keep every document. A citation shows the court and the time to appear; keep it and any court papers for the lawyer.
5. Talk to a criminal defense lawyer about the charge, release, sentence credits and the first court date; contact the firm for a free consultation.

Frequently asked questions

Which Pitchess building is my family member actually in?

The Inmate Information Center or the inmate information line, (213) 473-6100, can confirm the specific building, such as PDC North, PDC South, PDC East, the North County Correctional Facility or the inmate firefighter building.

Is there a cash deposit kiosk at Pitchess?

Yes. The Sheriff's Department currently lists Pitchess as its only location with a cash deposit kiosk, at the PDC Visiting Center, 29340 The Old Road, Castaic, available during visiting hours with a valid government-issued photo ID.

What does it mean if someone is listed as "unclassified"?

The Sheriff's Department uses the word for a person still pending a permanent housing location; until classification is finished, that person cannot receive phone calls or visits. The custody FAQ says classification can take two weeks to a month.

Does fire camp training actually reduce time in custody?

For an inmate who is eligible for standard Penal Code section 4019 credit, section 4019.2 provides two days of credit for every one day served in an inmate firefighter assignment, or after completing that training.

How does a visitor pick up money that someone at Pitchess wants to release?

The person in custody requests a Money Release Form ("pink slip") from custody staff; at Pitchess, the visitor can get that form at the visiting area check-in window. Every withdrawal goes through the Inmate Reception Center or Century Regional Detention Facility and is typically ready within 24 to 48 hours.

Will I be notified if the person is moved to a different facility?

No. The Sheriff's Department does not notify families of a move between facilities; call (213) 473-6100 for current whereabouts.

Talk to a lawyer

The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free consultation and payment plans, speaks Spanish, and is available 24/7, including for a family member calling about someone held at Pitchess Detention Center. Call (800) 755-5174 to speak with a lawyer about what happens next, or request a free consultation online.