Sierra County Jail: How to Check Custody and Help With Release

Sierra County Superior Court's own website answers the custody question directly: call Wayne Brown Correctional Facility, run by the Nevada County Sheriff's Department in Nevada City, at (530) 265-1291. The Nevada County Sheriff also posts an online in-custody list. Sierra itself keeps no county jail, only a temporary holding facility and a substation in Loyalton.

How do I find out if someone is in custody after a Sierra County arrest?

Sierra County Superior Court's own Criminal Division page sends every custody question to a jail outside the county, so start there rather than searching for a Sierra-run facility.

1. Call Wayne Brown Correctional Facility at (530) 265-1291. Sierra's own court page names this exact number as the way to find out whether someone arrested in Sierra County is currently in custody.
2. Search Nevada County's online in-custody list by the first few letters of the person's last name; the county's search page says it shows who is currently in custody and the visiting hours for Wayne Brown Correctional Facility.
3. If the person is not listed yet, ask about the Truckee Jail. Nevada County's Corrections Division says arrestees from Sierra County can be booked at its Truckee Jail and held there until they are moved to the main jail for their county; call (530) 265-1291 to ask where the person is.
4. If the person might already be serving a state prison term, use the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's own CIRIS locator instead; it searches a different system entirely.

Need a different county's guide? Browse our full courthouse and jail directory.

Where are people actually held after a Sierra County arrest?

Sierra County's Sheriff-Coroner lists a Temporary Holding Facility and a Loyalton Substation but no jail, and Sierra's court sends custody questions to Nevada County's Wayne Brown Correctional Facility.

The court's own Criminal Division page is explicit about where to look:

"Locating Someone Who Is in Custody. You can find out whether someone who has been arrested is in custody by contacting: Wayne Brown Correctional Facility. Phone: (530) 265-1291"

Nevada County's own site confirms Wayne Brown Correctional Facility sits in Nevada City, with a second, temporary facility in Truckee that is a different building.

How does release work before trial in Sierra County?

Sierra follows the same statewide release rules as every other California county, even though the jail itself sits in Nevada County.

Penal Code section 853.6 is the default for most misdemeanors.

"When a person is arrested for an offense declared to be a misdemeanor, including a violation of a city or county ordinance, and does not demand to be taken before a magistrate, that person shall, instead of being taken before a magistrate, be released according to the procedures set forth by this chapter, although nothing prevents an officer from first booking an arrestee pursuant to subdivision (g)."

A signed written promise to appear leads to release right away, and the arresting officer may still book the person at the scene or station first. An officer may keep someone in custody instead of citing them only for one of the statute's listed reasons, such as an outstanding warrant or a specifically stated reason to think the person will not come to court; a felony arrest is not cited out under this rule at all. Because Sierra has no jail, anyone kept in custody goes into Nevada County's jail system: its Corrections Division says Sierra County arrestees can be booked at its Truckee Jail and held there until they are moved to the main jail for their county, and Sierra's court points custody questions to Wayne Brown Correctional Facility. Release can still come through scheduled bail posted at the jail (Penal Code section 1269b(a)), a request to a judge before arraignment (Penal Code section 1269c), or the judge's order at arraignment.

How do I post bail for someone arrested in Sierra County?

Bail is posted with the Nevada County jail holding the person, at the figure in Sierra County's posted 2023 bail schedule, unless a judge sets a different amount.

"The following is the presumptive felony bail schedule for Sierra County as required by Penal Code Section 1269b(c). Unless bail has been set by the magistrate, in an arrest warrant or otherwise, the presumptive bail schedule shall be applied."

The document is titled the 2023 Sierra County Felony Bail Schedule and 2023 Sierra County Misdemeanor Bail Schedule and prints no separate effective date; the court's Criminal Division page links it as its Felony & Misdemeanor Bail Schedule. Call the Sierra County Superior Court Clerk's Office at (530) 289-3698 to confirm the current figure for a specific charge before relying on the posted document. The schedule itself flags cases where the arrestee might pose a danger to the community: in those cases, the arresting agency calls the on-call magistrate rather than using the standard figure.

Whatever figure applies is only a starting point, not the final word. Before arraignment, the arrested person, or an attorney, friend, or family member on their behalf, can ask a magistrate for a lower amount or own recognizance release, except for the offenses listed in Penal Code section 1270.1(a).

"Except where the defendant is charged with an offense listed in subdivision (a) of Section 1270.1, the defendant, either personally or through his or her attorney, friend, or family member, also may make application to the magistrate for release on bail lower than that provided in the schedule of bail or on his or her own recognizance."

Two California Supreme Court rulings also limit how any bail figure gets used against someone. In re Kowalczyk (April 2026) holds that outside capital cases a judge may deny bail outright only for offenses listed in California Constitution article I, section 12, subdivisions (b) and (c), and that any amount actually set must generally be reasonably attainable for that person.

"bail must generally be set in an amount that is reasonably attainable, in order to effectuate the defendant's constitutional right to pretrial release on bail"

In re Humphrey (2021) requires the judge to first weigh the person's real ability to pay and whether a nonfinancial condition, rather than a dollar figure, would reasonably protect the public and the victim or reasonably assure appearance in court. See how California bail amounts are set for the full statewide rule.

When is the first court date after a Sierra County arrest?

Anyone held in custody must see a judge within 48 hours, excluding Sundays and holidays (Penal Code section 825(a)(1)); a person cited and released is not on this clock.

"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."

If those 48 hours would run out while court is not in session, the law extends the deadline to cover the entire next court session, not merely its first minute.

"that time shall be extended to include the duration of the next court session on the judicial day immediately following."

Someone arrested on a Wednesday after that day's court session has ended must still be brought before a judge by the following Friday, as long as neither Wednesday nor Friday is a court holiday.

Sierra County Superior Court hears every criminal case at its one courthouse, 100 Courthouse Sq., Downieville, CA 95936, phone (530) 289-3698. Our Sierra County Courthouse guide covers that building in more depth, including how to look up a case, request an interpreter, and reach the district attorney and probation. For the general rule on what happens at that first hearing, see What Happens at an Arraignment in California.

How do visiting, mail, and money work at Wayne Brown Correctional Facility?

Sierra holds no one in a jail of its own, so visiting, mail and money follow the Nevada County Sheriff's rules for Wayne Brown Correctional Facility.

Nevada County's in-custody list gives visiting hours for Wayne Brown Correctional Facility, and the county says no personal visits are allowed at its Truckee Jail. Since October 2025, personal mail for both Nevada County jails goes to the Pigeonly mail processing center the Sheriff names on its mail page, not to the jail itself. Our Nevada County Jail guide covers that county's visiting, mail and money rules; call Wayne Brown Correctional Facility at (530) 265-1291 before you send anything or plan a visit.

What should I do right now if someone was just arrested in Sierra County?

Confirm custody with Wayne Brown Correctional Facility or Nevada County's online list, then work out bail, keep every paper, and bring in a lawyer early.

1. Call Wayne Brown Correctional Facility at (530) 265-1291 to confirm the person is in custody there.
2. Check Nevada County's Incarcerated Person Visitation List online for current visiting hours before you drive out.
3. Keep any arrest paperwork handy. It usually names the court date once the Sierra County Superior Court assigns one.
4. Call a criminal defense lawyer as soon as you can. A lawyer can push for a workable bail figure at arraignment and explain what happens next in Sierra's court.

Frequently asked questions

Does Sierra County have its own jail?

No. Sierra County Superior Court's own site sends anyone checking on someone in custody to Wayne Brown Correctional Facility, which the Nevada County Sheriff's Department operates in Nevada City.

Is Wayne Brown Correctional Facility actually in Sierra County?

No. It sits in Nevada City and is run by the Nevada County Sheriff's Department. Sierra County's own court directs custody questions there because Sierra itself has no jail.

Does the 48-hour rule mean someone is always arraigned within two days in Sierra County?

No. Penal Code section 825 applies only to a person actually held in custody. Someone cited and released under Penal Code section 853.6 is never on that clock.

Who can ask for a lower bail amount before a Sierra County arraignment?

Penal Code section 1269c allows the arrested person, or an attorney, friend, or family member on their behalf, to ask a magistrate for a lower amount or own recognizance release before the arraignment, except for the offenses listed in Penal Code section 1270.1(a).

Is Sierra County's bail schedule current?

The posted document is titled 2023 and prints no separate effective date; it is the schedule the court's Criminal Division page links. Call the Clerk's Office at (530) 289-3698 to confirm the figure for a specific charge.

Will a Sierra County case stay in Sierra County even if the person is held in Nevada County?

Yes. Sierra County Superior Court calendars and hears the case itself; only physical custody happens in Nevada County's jails.

Can I visit someone held after a Sierra County arrest?

Visits follow Nevada County's rules, since Sierra runs no jail. Check the county's Incarcerated Person Visitation List for current hours at Wayne Brown Correctional Facility in Nevada City. Nevada County allows no personal visits at its Truckee Jail, where a Sierra arrestee can be held until moved to the main jail for their county.

Talk to a lawyer

A family member calling about someone just arrested in Sierra County can reach the Law Offices of David S. Chesley at any hour. The firm offers a free, confidential consultation, with payment plans available and service in Spanish. Call (800) 755-5174, or request a free consultation online.