San Diego County Jail

Inside San Diego’s County Jail: What to Expect if You’re Arrested

The San Diego Central Jail is the main county jail for the region, located downtown near the courthouses. With around 2,000 inmates, it’s one of the largest jails in California. If you find yourself arrested in San Diego County, chances are you’ll end up at Central at some point.
I got picked up on a drunk and disorderly charge last year, so I unfortunately know the drill pretty well. This ain’t my first rodeo with county lockup, ya feel me? Let’s walk through the typical process so you know what to expect if SDPD slaps the cuffs on.

The Booking Process

Once they bring you into intake at Central, it’s time for what they call “processing” or booking. They’ll take your mugshot, fingerprints, and all that jazz while you wait in holding cells. The COs also ask you a bunch of medical questions to figure out if you need any prescriptions or got health issues.
If you got drugs or weapons on you, now’s the time to speak up! They’ll find that stuff anyway when you change into jail scrubs. Better to be honest upfront than catch another charge for smuggling contraband. The COs might go a little easier if you confess before the strip search.
They don’t play around with the whole “one phone call” thing either. You can usually call someone quick to arrange bail or childcare. But the COs only give you literally 60 seconds, so have that number memorized!

Classification and Housing

After booking, the jail staff decide where to house you based on your criminal history and charges. Low-level offenders go to the general population units. Guys with violent charges or gang affiliations often end up in solitary or protective custody.
The Central Jail houses all kinds of inmates—everyone from drunk college kids to Mexican Mafia shot-callers. So the deputies try to split everyone up by threat level. But even the “safe” units can be rowdy with 70 dudes crammed together in one pod. Sleep lightly, partner.

Day-to-Day Life in County

Hope you like bland food, early mornings, and group showers—’cause that’s what you’re looking at during your stay! The deputies wake everyone up at 4 a.m. for breakfast, so don’t expect to get much shuteye. If you got cash, you can buy snacks and ramen packets from the commissary to supplement the crummy cafeteria meals.
There’s usually a TV room, payphones, dominoes, and cards to keep you occupied in the pod. Not much in the way of rehab or education programs, unfortunately. You’ll mostly just be killing time until your court date or release. Soap operas get old fast when it’s 23 hours a day in lockdown.
The boredom really starts to eat at you after the first week. I legit missed my fast food job by the end—flipping burgers sounded like a dream after staring at the same 4 walls for a month straight. That’s county jail for ya though; it ain’t built for comfort.

Bail and Release Procedures

Most inmates in county are just waiting on bail or sentencing. If the judge lets you out on bail, your family can arrange payment with the bail bondsman. He’ll charge a 10% fee, so that $10K bail becomes $1,000 out of pocket. Pricey, but better than waiting 6 months for trial stuck here!
The release process takes forever when your freedom finally comes. After the bail payment goes through, you’ll still wait around for hours before they cut you loose. There’s always last-minute “identity verification,” dressing back into your street clothes, returning inmate property, etc.
When they finally open those doors and you feel that fresh air—there’s no sweeter feeling, lemme tell ya. Even the gnarliest gangbangers get a little choked up when walking out. I ain’t too proud to admit I cried like a baby on the bus home!

Parting Thoughts

Well, I hope this glimpse into the clink helps prepare you for any potential arrests. As you can see, San Diego Central Jail ain’t exactly the Ritz. But some advice? Do your time patiently and safely without causing drama. Positivity and patience are key when you’re a guest of the county!