VISTA DETENTION FACILITY

• Opened—1978
• Expanded 1980 & 1989
• BOC Rated Capacity—820
• Sworn Staffing—129
• Professional Staff— 105
• Average Daily Population—793*
• Annual Bookings—26,612
• Annual Budget—$10 million

* Fiscal Year 2001-02

INMATE SOCIAL VISITS

Inmate social visits can be scheduled by calling our toll free number 1-877-WE VISIT (1.877.938.4748)

For general rules on visiting click here!

WRITING TO AN INMATE

Inmates can receive and send correspondence via the U. S. Postal Service.  Please do not send envelopes or stamps.  Such items will be placed into the inmate’s property and will not be accessible to the inmate.  Inmates have the opportunity to purchase stamped envelopes.  When inmates are without funds, they will be provided a limited number of envelopes.  Address envelopes as follows:

Inmates Name #(Booking #)
Vista Detention Facility
325 South Melrose Drive
Vista, CA  92081-6627

The Vista Detention Facility (VDF) is classified as a Type II Facility by the California State Board of Corrections. VDF sits on several acres of developed land which is owned and operated by the County of San Diego. VDF serves as the primary point of intake for male and female prisoners in North San Diego County. The facility is just one building in the massive North County Regional Center complex (NCRC). Other buildings include the North County Superior Courts, Vista Sheriff’s Station and the North County Law Library. All buildings with the exception of the Law Library are physically connected. During FY 2001-02, there were 26,612 bookings initiated at VDF. The facility is staffed by 129 sworn employees and 105 professional staff members.

Opened in 1978, VDF has been retrofitted twice. In 1989 VDF expanded an additional 576 beds, bringing its total to 886. Controlling the facility is Central Control, which has the capability of electronically controlling all jail operations in the event of an emergency or major system failure.

The Vista Detention Facility is comprised of 2 floors with a total of 4 levels counting the mezzanines and basement. We are the only facility that receives and houses both male and female pre-trial arrestees on both felony and misdemeanor charges. The Board of Corrections (BOC) rated capacity is 820 inmates. The average daily population during FY 2001-02 was 793 inmates.

The population at VDF consists primarily of mainline inmates and inmates awaiting transfer to other facilities. Our special handling inmate population consists of those with serious medical challenges, those under psychiatric care, as well as defendants facing high-publicity trials.

The Vista Detention Facility provides a wide range of medical and psychiatric services, including infectious disease control, X-ray and dental care. Services are provided by physicians, psychiatrists, dentists, nurses, and clinical social workers.

You are not permitted to call inmates, however, they can call you collect from most places within VDF.  Inmates have access to telephones from the time they first enter VDF.  They may, however, wait to contact family members until after they have completed the booking process, and are assigned to a housing floor.  In each housing module, inmates have access to telephones.  To telephone friends/family, inmates must call collect.  Again, no incoming calls are accepted.

RECEIVING READING MATERIAL

VDF provides daily newspapers for inmates.  Additionally, inmates who would like other reading material, can chose from a variety of books from our jail library.  The only reading material accepted through the mail are books/magazines, mailed directly from a publisher or bookstore to the inmate.

There are several other detention facilities in our system.  Below are links to each of these facilities.  Click on the link to go to that facility's page:

• Descanso Detention Facility
• East Mesa Detention Facility
• George Bailey Detention Facility
• Las Colinas Detention Facility (Female inmates only)
• San Diego Central Jail
• South Bay Detention Facility