Updated
Eastlake Juvenile Hall (formerly known as the Central Juvenile Hall) was established back in 1912 and was the first juvenile detention facility in Los Angeles County. It underwent major renovation in 2004 due to an overcrowded population and poor structural conditions. Along with Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall and Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, Eastlake Juvenile Hall is under the command of the Los Angeles County Probation Department.
Eastlake usually houses children temporarily while their court proceedings take place. After that, depending on the outcome of the case, the children are generally released to their parents, put in a foster home, placed in a three to twelve (3 – 12)-month camp program, or, in extreme situations, sent to the California Youth Authority.
The Juvenile Hall sits at 1605 Eastlake Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90033 (hence the current name) and is directly situated behind the Eastlake Juvenile Court.
Los Angeles criminal lawyer Neil Shouse is a former deputy D.A. who prosecuted thousands of cases at Eastlake juvenile court. If your child has a case here, contact Mr. Shouse at (310) 385-7895 for help.
Below we will explain:
- 1. Intake procedure at the Eastlake Juvenile Hall
- 2. How to contact a child detained at the Eastlake Juvenile Hall
- 3. Visiting procedure and schedule at the Eastlake Juvenile Hall
- 4. Rules and regulations on mail correspondence at the Eastlake Juvenile Hall
You may also visit our related pages on California juvenile criminal law, minors being prosecuted as adults in California, the juvenile court process, and how to seal juvenile court records.
1. Intake procedure at the Eastlake Juvenile Hall
Each of the children admitted at the Eastlake Juvenile Hall is provided with the basic needs to maintain their personal hygiene. These items are given individually and not to be shared, nor are they to be recycled for use with other minors. Supplies are replenished on a regular basis or as necessary.
After they go through the intake process, the minors are examined physically and mentally for any health concerns to address medical attention if needed. Once this is completed they are assigned to a unit where they will be detained until due court process is concluded. Some minors are detained at the Special Handling Unit depending on their behavior at the facility and only returned with the general population when they are ready.
Once a minor is court-ordered for transfer to another detention facility or is officially discharged from Eastlake Juvenile Hall, he or she will be dressed in their personal clothing worn upon intake, and all personal belongings stored for them while detained will be returned at that time.
2. How to contact a child detained at the Eastlake Juvenile Hall
Children detained at the Eastlake Juvenile Hall may not receive incoming calls at any given time. Consequently, all minors are allowed access to a phone (for a reasonable number of times), where they can make outgoing collect calls restricted to parents, grandparents, or legal guardians only.
Most calls are monitored or may be recorded unless your child is speaking to an attorney. Minors are generally not entitled to privacy during communication for purposes of security while they are detained at the facility.
To inquire about a minor housed at the facility, you may contact the Supervising Probation Officer at these numbers: (323) 226-8611 or (323) 226-8608, 7 days a week 24 hours a day. Parents, grandparents, or legal guardians may check on the status of their child on a regular basis until they are discharged from the facility.
3. Visiting hours and process at the Eastlake Juvenile Hall
The minors temporarily held at the Eastlake Juvenile Hall pending court adjudication are entitled to visits restricted to their parents, grand parents, and/or legal guardians. Special visiting privileges for other relatives require approval from the court or the Supervising Probation Officer. All visitors must bring government-issued identification in order to conduct the visit.
Visiting hours are from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. On days when the child has a court appearance, visitors are allowed a 20-minute “after court” visitation between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm to discuss with them what happened in court. Otherwise, you may also contact their Supervising Probation Officer to get more information (for possible earlier visitation times for instance).
Upon arrival to the facility, all visitors will be subject to a search of their identity and belongings for security reasons. Visitors must be dressed appropriately: no revealing or provocative clothes; all visitors must wear shoes at all times; and no sandals or slippers are allowed as footwear while conducting your visit. Food and drinks are not allowed in the visiting area.
Alcohol, illegal drugs and/or contraband are strictly prohibited. Anyone caught in possession of these items will be denied entry and will be prosecuted. No visitors will be allowed to bring handbags, purses, backpacks, cell phones, pagers, radios, cigarettes, or medicine to the visiting area. These items must be left in your car before conducting your visit.
4. Rules and regulations on mail correspondence at the Eastlake Juvenile Hall
Like most detention facilities, corresponding through mail is the most efficient way of communicating with minors. Children may correspond with family members through mail indefinitely while they are staying at the facility. They are also provided with supplies in order for them send mail, hence these items are not allowed to be brought to the facility or sent to them in the mail.
Confidentiality is limited to correspondence between your child and his/her attorney only. All other letters are reviewed for security reasons. All letters must be addressed properly with a return address for proper delivery. They must not exceed (5″ x 7″) in size. Packages may not be sent in the mail. Minors may receive photographs but must not exceed five (5) in quantity at any given time. Photographs must not depict acts of violence or gang-related activities and must not be sexual in nature or show images of drugs and weapons.
All mail correspondence containing these items will not be delivered and will be confiscated. If your child consistently breaks these regulations, they will be put on mail review status. Furthermore, their mail correspondence privilege could get suspended.
NOTE: If your child is detained at Eastlake Juvenile Hall, Los Padrinos Juvenile hall, or the Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, contact Los Angeles criminal lawyer Neil Shouse for assistance.