George Bailey Detention Facility Info - Location, Bail, Visiting, Contact (2023)

Updated May 11, 2022

The George F. Bailey Detention Facility (GBDF) is one of seven adult correctional facilities operated by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Located in the city of San Diego, CA, the George F. Bailey Jail is a maximum-security, all-male facility housing men detained and sentenced for California misdemeanor and felony crimes.

Originally opened in 1993, GBDF is the largest of the San Diego County correctional facilities, and is usually filled beyond capacity. (With a rated capacity for 1,380 inmates, the average population is listed as 1,774.)

This jail is located about 19 miles southeast of downtown San Diego, about 11 miles from the Mexico border. The address and phone number are:

446 Alta Rd # 5300
San Diego, CA 92158
(619) 210-0385

To benefit friends and family members of detainees incarcerated in the George F. Bailey Detention Facility, detailed information is provided below. Our California criminal defense lawyers team offers data on the following key topics:

• 1. How do I search for an inmate in San Diego County?
• 2. How do I post bail at the George F. Bailey Jail?
• 3. Can I call an inmate?
• 4. How do I put money on an inmate’s account?
• 5. What are the visiting hours and policies?
• 6. Can inmates send and receive mail?
• 7. What is life like at the George F. Bailey Detention Facility?
• 8. Is there a work release option?
• 9. Legal Defense Help

1. How do I search for an inmate in San Diego County?

Using the San Diego Sheriff’s Department website, you can conduct an inmate search through the Who’s in Jail” link. Individuals in custody are identified by date of birth, height/weight, and other distinguishing characteristics.

The site provides detailed information regarding all recently booked individuals. This includes:

• Date/time of arrest
• Booking Number
• Criminal charges
• Court date
• Projected release date (if available)

You can also call the jail directly at (619) 210-0385 (extension 2) to obtain specific information about your friend or loved one.

2. How do I post bail at the George F. Bailey Jail?

Individuals booked into San Diego County Corrections are often granted the opportunity to post bail and gain temporary freedom from incarceration. Bail payment is generally handled at the jail or you can use the fee-based services of a licensed bail bonding agency. For specific bail amounts and payment options, call the GBDF facility directly at (619) 210-0385.

3. Can I call an inmate?

According to the laws of California, all incoming jail detainees are provided the opportunity to make at least three, local phone calls, which are free of charge. Outgoing calls may be used to contact friends or family members about custody status and/or to seek help from a criminal lawyer.

Personal contacts are not permitted to call into the George Baily Correctional Facility and speak to an inmate. Telephones are available to inmates in the common areas, from which collect calls can be placed. To facilitate payment for inmate calls, you can set up an account online through Securus or call the company at (800) 844-6591 to set up/fund an inmate phone account.

Correctional billing service options include a prepaid “Advance Connect” plan, a monthly “Direct Billing” plan, or “Inmate Debit,” which provides phone funds for an inmate to use as desired. Note that all inmate phone services include Securus fees.

The George Bailey Jail also allows you to send e-mail messages to an inmate. This opportunity is also facilitated through the San Diego County Sheriff’s online “Who’s in Jail” link on the department website. The site provides detailed information and instructions for e-mailing.

Please note: All email messages and inmate phone calls are subject to monitoring and recording. Therefore, it is always in the best interest of your friend or loved one to avoid speaking or writing about pending criminal charges.

4. How do I put money on an inmate’s account?

While San Diego County inmates receive meals and other necessities, most will wish to purchase additional comfort items through the jail’s weekly commissary. Available options include snacks and treats, preferred toiletries, and correspondence materials.

Money found in the possession of an incoming GBDF inmate will be confiscated and deposited into the inmate trust account. It is usable for commissary and other expenses. In addition, family and friends can deposit funds to the inmate cash account in the following ways:

• Jail Lobby – “TouchPay” kiosks are located in the public lobby of the jail, accessible daily from 6:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. The machines accept exact change using $20 bills or smaller.
• Online – You can make an online credit/debit card deposit using the “Who’s in Jail” application. (Or go to sdsheriffcommissary.com, where you can also order gift packs for an inmate.)
• Mail — Money orders only are accepted for commissary account deposits. Personal and third-party checks are not accepted.

Note: Inmates at the George F. Bailey Jail are limited to a commissary account balance of $500. For help with inmate account deposits for commissary, call this specific phone number: (619) 661-2860.

5. What are the visiting hours and policies?

For George Bailey Jail inmates, visitation options include jail visits onsite or remote video visitation using a home computer or Android device. Off-site video visits are limited to 20-minutes duration, but frequent visits can be scheduled. To set up an account for video visitation, go to the Securus website.

Reservations for onsite and offsite visits can be made through the “Who’s in Jail” website application. Visitation appointments can also be made by calling the jail at (619) 210-0385 daily from 6:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Visiting hours at the George F. Bailey Detention Center vary by individual housing units within the jail. There is no visitation at GBDF on Tuesdays nor Wednesdays. At the jail, visits with inmates are facilitated through a video screen near the lobby. Visitation timeslots start within the hours of 7:10 a.m. to 9:10 a.m., 1:10 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. and 7:10 to 9:10 p.m. Reservations should generally be made 24 hours in advance. There are no same-day visits at this time.

The Sheriff’s Department provides a EDBF visitation schedule with details about visiting hours for inmates in each housing unit. Most George Bailey Facility inmates will be allowed two 30-minute visits each week (with the week beginning Sunday), but inmates in the medical unit are not generally allowed visitors.

Visitation rules at this facility are as follows:

• You must be present to check in one hour before your appointment.
• Each visitor age 16 and older is required to present valid government issued photo identification or current high school identification.
• There is a maximum of three visitors (including children) allowed for each visit.
• Minors under age 18 must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian. The adult must have proper identification indicating parentage or legal custody.
• You must have advanced written permission from the jail administrator if you are a convicted felon, are currently on parole, or have been released from jail in the past 90 days,. Use this form to request a visit.

It is important to note: all visits with inmates may be monitored and recorded. Please refrain from discussing details of your friend or relative’s criminal case.

6. Can inmates send and receive mail?

Inmates and their loved ones can send unlimited amounts of postal mail to/from the George F. Bailey Correctional Facility. Inmates are expected to purchase their correspondence materials and stamps through commissary. However, if they are without funds, they will be provided with complimentary materials to mail two personal letters a week.

All mail for inmates should include your name and return address on the envelope. Address your correspondence as follows:

Full name and booking number
George F. Bailey Detention Facility
446 Alta Rd, Suite 5300
San Diego, CA 92158

Many enclosures within an envelope are not acceptable for inmates at this jail. You can send in appropriate, standard photographs sized 4” x 6” or smaller. Do not send any of the following items:

• Cash money
• Tobacco products or drug-related material
• Polaroid photographs
• Correspondence materials: stamps/envelopes/stationary
• Greeting cards altered or enhanced with music, pop-ups, etc.
• Sexually suggestive material (including nude photos)
• Any material that is gang related or advocating violence, crime, rioting, or racial hatred
• Any item larger than 8.5” x 14”
• Items containing metal, glass, wood, foil, rubber, hard plastic
• Colored paper, tracing paper, confetti
• Items enhanced with crayon, paint, chalk, markers, glitter, glue, staples, whiteout, tape
• Items containing fragrance of any kind, lipstick marks or any type of stains, hair, stickers, labels, string

Brand new, soft-cover books and magazines can be ordered for George Bailey Jail inmates, but must arrive directly from a publisher or vendor, such as amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.

7. What is life like at the George F. Bailey Detention Facility?

There are six separate housing units in the Bailey Jail, which are designed to accommodate all “risk levels”. Incoming inmates will be assessed according to their criminal history, observed behavior, gang affiliation and other factors affecting housing assignments. The facility includes three units designated for “special management” inmates.

Tri-City Medical Center doctors and nurses are available to GBDF inmates using “telemedicine.” There are also medical units onsite providing physical, dental, and mental health careThere are co-pays of $3.00 for jail “sick calls,” which are deducted from the inmate cash account. (However, inmates are not denied necessary treatment because of inability to pay.) . If needed, inmates are transported out for necessary care.

The jail does not typically accept prescription medication dropped off by family members. Necessary prescriptions can be ordered through the jail pharmacy, however. You can call the jail If you would like to discuss an inmate’s medication needs. Special dietary needs can also be accommodated.

The George F. Bailey Detention Facility has an outdoor recreation area, which includes stationary bikes and other equipment. The San Diego Sheriff provides an Inmate Programs page listing educational, vocational, psycho-social and other offerings for inmates. Twelve-step programs, anger management classes and a ‘Thinking for Change” program is provided to counteract anti-social behaviors.

San Diego County addresses online their policies related to the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). A zero-tolerance policy is stated regarding sexual assault, sexual harassment, or sexual misconduct at the jail. Inmate complaints as well as third-party incident reports are accepted and investigated.

8. Is there a work release option?

There is a work release (work furlough) program available to inmates who have been granted judicial approval for this opportunity. In San Diego County, the Work Furlough program is run by the Probation Department, with participating inmates housed in a downtown San Diego Work Furlough Facility. A daily fee of $42 is collected from program participants.

San Diego County also facilitates a home monitoring detention program, utilizing GPS technology, as well as a “Fire Camp” opportunity. More information about alternative sentencing options is available on the San Diego County Sheriff’s website, or call the jail directly.

9. Legal Defense Help

If you or your loved one have been arrested in San Diego County, you are likely to see a better outcome with legal help. The experienced attorneys at the California Legal Defense Group have successfully defended men and women accused of all types of crimes. Standing ready to protect our clients’ rights and aggressively challenge criminal allegations, we helped accused defendants avoid unnecessary harsh penalties. To obtain a free consultation and case assessment, please callor contact us online.