The San Luis Obispo Juvenile Hall (IJH) serves a male and female youth population, including minors accused and convicted of a California juvenile crime. This 50-bed facility and the separate “Coastal Valley Academy” commitment camp is run by the San Luis Obispo County Probation Department. Individuals under the age of 18 may be taken to the Juvenile Hall after an arrest and briefly detained here, may be committed pending their case outcome, and could end up serving a sentence in the facility.
The Juvenile Services Center is located about eight miles north of San Luis Obispo, CA, off of Cabrillo Highway (CA-1N.) The address and phone number is:
1065 Kansas Ave.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
(805) 781-5389
On this page, information is provided by the California juvenile criminal defense lawyers team, benefitting families who may have a child now held at the San Luis Obispo County Juvenile Hall. We address the following topics below:
- 1. Intake and First Steps
- 2. Contacting Your Child/Teen
- 3. Visitation Policies
- 4. Life at the Juvenile Hall
1. Intake and Adjudication
When a minor is arrested and detained in San Luis Obispo County, an officer will conduct an initial intake interview/exam and “risk assessment.” Recommendations as to supervision level and needed intervention services will subsequently be given to the presiding judge on the case.
In San Luis Obispo, minors generally see a judge from the Superior Court of San Luis Obispo, Juvenile Division . By law, your loved one should have a detention hearing within two to three days after arrest (excluding weekends and holidays). At that time, the judge will make an initial determination regarding custody or release.
Juveniles who are further detained will be given an adjudication hearing (trial) within 15 work days. For a serious felony charge, there is potential for transfer to the California Department of Juvenile Justice system, or, in an extreme case, transfer to adult court.
2. Contact with Your Child
If your son or daughter is detained in the San Luis Obispo Juvenile Detention Center, he or she cannot receive personal phone calls. Detained and committed residents are, however, allowed to make outgoing personal calls to parents and/or guardians during their free time periods. These calls may be made collect or facilitated with a pre-pay phone account at a third party vendor such as globaltel.com.
Family members can send an unlimited amount of postal mail to youthful detainees, and they are encouraged to write letters in return. (Correspondence materials/postage are provided.) All mail will be inspected for contraband, but generally not read.
Packages are not accepted for San Luis Obispo Juvenile Hall residents, but you can enclose appropriate photos with letters. (No gang related or sexually graphic material will be accepted.)
3. Visitation in SLO
Visitation for detained and incarcerated minors takes place daily at the San Luis Obispo Juvenile Corrections Facility. The visiting hours are:
Weekdays — Afternoon from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. and evening from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Weekends — 10:00 a.m. to Noon and 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Detention residents in SLO typically can receive two one-hour visits a week with a parent and/or guardian. Other visitors must be pre-approved by the deputy probation officer or the supervising officer at the juvenile hall. To schedule a visit, call the facility at (805) 781-5389.
Note that photo identification will be expected at visitation. Visitors may not bring food, beverages, or personal items into the visiting area. (This includes cell phones, purses, and any type of bag/container.) There are lockers onsite that can be used for temporary storage. You are allowed to bring age appropriate books for your child, which will be considered a donation to the facility.
4. Life and Health in Detention
Residents of the SLO Juvenile Hall are provided with meals and basic necessities, as well as health care by doctors and nurses. Mental health and substance abuse treatment is also available, if needed, with therapists onsite 10-13 hours a day. Parents or guardians are asked to sign a medical release form to authorize all necessary care while the minor is incarcerated.
Academics, provided by the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education, are a part of the daily activities at this facility. There is also outdoor recreation and a variety of other structured activities. These might include Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) groups, religious services, art classes and anti-violence programming.
Teens in the Juvenile Hall facility may eventually be transferred to the adjacent Coastal Valley Academy for a six to twelve month stay. This residential facility is described as more “home like” than the Juvenile Hall.