The Sacramento County Juvenile Hall
(A resource guide for anyone whose children are detained at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall)
The Sacramento Juvenile Hall is located at
9601 Keifer Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95827
(916) 875-6996
The facility is open for operation daily from 8:00 am - 8:00 pm during the week and from 10:00 am - 8:00 pm on weekends and all Holidays.
View Larger Map
Below our Sacramento CA criminal defense attorneys will explain the following:
Intake procedure at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall
How to contact a child
Visiting procedures and schedule at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall
Rules and regulations on mail correspondence
Intake procedure at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall
Intake Screening
After a minor has been admitted into the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall, he or she will go through two major procedures. First is a physical inspection involving a "pat down" search. This way, the staff can find if there is anything that the minors might have with them that is illegal. For example, drugs, contraband or weapons. Any illegal items will then be confiscated. Sometimes a strip search might be performed.
The second procedure that a minor goes through is a medical examination. This procedure is important so that any health concerns will be addressed as early as possible. While this is taking place, paperwork concerning the arrest is being processed and the staff will decide whether to release or keep the minor in custody once completed. This includes fingerprinting and taking a profile photo of the minor that will be kept in records for legal use.
If a minor reaches the age of 18 while at the Hall, he/she will most likely to transferred to the Sacramento County Main Jail located at 651 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. This facility may be reached at (916) 874-6752.
Hygiene Supplies
Once the booking process is done, if the minors need detention at the facility, a housing unit will be assigned that will be their quarters until they are ready to be released. In this instance, the minors are provided with the basic items necessary to maintain their proper hygiene that is expected of them while they are kept in custody. These items are not recycled for use or shared with other minors.
Each of the minors is provided with his/her own set of clothing, footwear, beddings and toiletries that are replaced on a regular basis or whenever necessary. This is required by the California Title 15 regulations and enforced as to all detention facilities in the state of California.
When do minors get released?
The admission process is conducted by a Probation Intake Officer who also makes the decision whether to release the minors or keep them in the facility. Meanwhile the case will get sent to the Sacramento County District Attorney, who will decide whether to file a petition (i.e. initiate criminal proceedings).
A petition must be filed within 48 hours from the time of arrest by the District Attorney, if a minor is held in custody. A detention hearing follows thereafter and the juvenile court process will ensue until judgment is reached.
This is where it is decided what type of rehabilitation is necessary for the minor and the type of probation needed to establish responsibility for the crime committed. This process usually takes up to 5 days from the scheduled date of hearing (including holidays and weekends). Typically, parents will be notified about the minor's release date by either a court hearing or by the minor's Probation Officer.
How to contact a child detained at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall
Initially, the minors are provided access to a telephone to make two (2) phone calls limited to their parents and/or legal guardians and an attorney if they have already have one. Incidentally, they may also call an employer. The main purpose for the initial calls is to notify someone of their status and location as required by the law in the juvenile justice system.
All succeeding calls will be limited to outgoing collect calls as well as to the minor's parents and legal guardians only. The minors in custody at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall have telephones in their living units. They are allowed to use the phone only during designated times.
Each phone call may last up to 10 minutes in time. Calls to other relatives are not allowed unless approved by the court. This needs application for approval and has no guarantees that it will be granted. If a minor is placed on a disciplinary action, his or her phone privileges might be limited or taken away.
Generally, to be updated with your child's status while in custody at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall, keeping in contact with his or her Probation Officer is highly recommended. To contact your child's Probation Officer, you may call (916) 876-9301 daily at anytime to discuss whatever concerns you may have about your child.
Besides phone privilege, minors are allowed to receive mail and visitation as other ways of communication with the outside world. Although minors are allowed to receive visitors, they are limited to parents and/or legal guardians and their attorneys only. Visits with other relatives will need prior court approval or can be approved by their Probation Officers.
NOTE: Make sure the feature to receive collect calls is not blocked from your phone service for calls to get through. You can verify this with your local phone service provider when you contact them.
Visiting hours at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall
In an effort to bridge the communication gap and to bring a strong sense of family ties to the minors housed at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall, personal visitation is highly encouraged. That being said, visitations have certain limitations so that proper security of the minors and staff of the facility are in place.
Visiting Hours
Family and General visiting hours are from 4:00 pm till 9:00 during Monday through Friday. Weekend visitations are from 12:00 pm till 8:00 pm, including all Holidays. The visiting center is located at 4136 Branch Center Road, Sacramento, CA 95827. They can be reached at (916) 875-6996 during the same hours as listed above. Each minor is allowed to receive a 45-minute visitation, three (3) times a week with a maximum of three (3) visitors each visit.
Visits before a detention hearing may be done anytime during operational hours at the visiting center. Visits after court hearings may be done only during the week (Mon. - Fri.) from 8:00 am till 8:00 pm and must be the actual day of court hearing. All succeeding visits are highly recommended to be scheduled by appointment.
To schedule a visit, please call (916) 874-2777 during operational hours. It is advised to arrive at least an hour before schedule visit to allow for registration. Scheduled visits are prioritized over walk-in visits; therefore walk-in visits will be accommodated based on space availability. Please allow one (1) day to cancel a scheduled visitation before the actual day of visit as a courtesy to other visitors. To cancel a visit, please call the same number provided above.
Proof of Identification and Security Procedure
All visitors must provide proof of identification as part of the standard search of their persons and belongings. Everyone who enters the facility will pass through metal detectors and a "pat down" procedure in search for any illegal items. The following are accepted forms of identification at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall:
- State Driver's License
- State Department of Motor Vehicles Identification Card
- Armed Forces Identification Card
- Identification Card issued by the United States Department of Immigration and Naturalization Services
- Passport
- Matricula Consular De Alta Seguridad (MCAS) issued by the Mexican Consulate
A criminal background check will be done on all visitors. A convicted felon or anyone who is on parole or has a warrant for his or her arrest is not allowed to visit any detention facility. Upon passing of all clearance procedures, visitors will be allowed to visit with the minors housed at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall.
Exchange of any items with minors at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall is not allowed unless approved by the Jail Staff.
Items you may bring for the minors
- One (1) white handkerchief
- Tissue pack (sealed, not opened)
- Two keys on a ring - no attachments
- Five (5) approved photographs
- Approved magazines
- Paperback books
- Unsealed letters or greeting cards
Items you can't bring for the minors
- Drugs, alcohol, or all types of narcotics
- Weapons, firearms, tear gas, pepper spray, and any type of object that might be used to inflict injury to one's self or another person
- Tobacco, tobacco products or lighters of any type
- Chewing gum
- Purses, handbags, wallets, backpacks or all types of packages
- Any kind of hair products
- Non-prescription medication (all medication must go through the medical clinic)
- Pornographic or gang related materials
- Cell phones or pagers
- Cameras, radios and electronic or recording devices
- Writing materials or hard back books
- Outside food and beverages
Dress code for visitors
All visitors must dress appropriately and follow the dress code upon arrival at the facility. Violation of the dress code will result in denial of visiting privileges. Below is a list of items prohibited in reference to dress code at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall:
- Gloves, hats and non-religious head pieces (e.g. scarves, bandanas)
- Revealing clothes or clothing that are sexual in nature
- Clothing with writings or images that are gang affiliated
- Clothing that depicts drugs, alcohol, violence, racism, and other offensive images.
- Clothing that exposes more than two inches above the knee when upright
If a visitor is intoxicated
It is against the law to be intoxicated or under the influence of any type of illegal substance when visiting with a minor at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall. Anyone who seems to be intoxicated or is under the influence will not be allowed inside and will be arrested. Typically, the Jail Staff decides whether to allow or refuse visiting privilege to anyone if they might be a threat to the safety of the minors and the staff of the facility.
Rules and regulations on mail correspondence at Sacramento Juvenile Hall
Another efficient way of communicating with minors housed at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall is through mail. They are given the necessities to send letters to anyone as much as they would like. Therefore, since these items are provided for them at the facility, they are not allowed to be sent in the mail.
All mail correspondence is inspected by the Jail Staff
Additionally, all mail that is sent and delivered (both incoming and outgoing) is subject to a strict search and inspection for any contraband or other illegal items. Every single piece of mail is inspected to find out if any criminal activity is taking place as well as any attempt to escape that the minor might be involved in. However, mail sent to and/or from your child's legal counsel will be treated with privacy as an exception.
Items you may not send in the mail
Basic writing materials such as blank papers, pens and/or pencils, envelopes, and postage stamps are already supplied to the minors; this is why they are not allowed to be sent in the mail. Also, any form of money, Polaroid pictures, hardbound books, magazines, periodicals, all types of subscriptions, as well as packages are included in the list of things that are prohibited.
As a general rule, only letters and/or greeting cards are allowed to be sent in the mail. Make sure that the outside of the envelope is free of any writings/markings that shows sex, drugs, acts of violence or gang affiliation, as well as offensive images to others. All letters must have a return address and must be properly addressed as shown below.
How to address mail correspondence
General mailing address: Name of the detention facility is NOT required
Minor's Name (complete and correct spelling, middle name if applicable)
9601 Keifer Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95827
Additional Information
The Sacramento County Juvenile Hall also known as the Sacramento Youth Detention Facility, operates under the command of the Sacramento County Probation Department. It serves the community of the Sacramento County and its surrounding neighborhood. It is a place where minors involved in wrong doing are committed while they await adjudication and permanent placement to other facilities like Sacramento County Boys Ranch.
The minors housed at the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall receive treatment programs that consist of the following: educational training, recreational and religious services, counseling sessions geared towards behavior modification, medical and mental health care, and other services that contribute in their rehabilitation. These programs also help the minors in their transition back into the community once they are released.
If your loved one is detained at the Juvenile Hall or the Sacramento County Main Jail, we invite you to call us at (888) 327-4652 to discuss the case with a criminal defense attorney.
