Las Colinas Jail Gets Passing Grade

A May report issued by a San Diego County Grand Jury describes the Las Colinas Detention Facility as being well kept and maintained.

The panel visited the 14-acre facility last September after harsh condemnations had been made as to the condition of the jail.  Those criticisms were so harsh, say county officials, that construction of a new, updated facility has been approved.   The groundbreaking is scheduled to take place later this summer.

The contract for the 1,216-bed facility was awarded to Balfoour Beatty/Barnhart.  The 45-acre jail will be located adjacent to the Riverview Office Park, will stand two-stories tall and will be surrounded by barbed wire and metal fencing.   Construction is scheduled to complete in late 2014.

According to a recent report by 10News.com, the biggest challenges Las Colinas jailers face is separating various categories of inmates.  At current, the jail houses female detainees convicted of a wide-range of crimes, ranging from misdemeanor offenses to violent felonies.  The report goes on to state that approximately 18% of inmates need to be kept separate from the general population for a variety of reasons.  The Grand Jury believes that the state’s prisoner realignment program could cause that number to increase.  State officials disagree.

The only recommended change listed in the Grand Jury’s report involved the introduction of Saturday parental visiting hours.  The suggested location for the visits is a County juvenile girls’ rehabilitation facility.

San Diego PD Celebrates 100 Years of Women

One century ago, the first female employee was hired at the San Diego Police Department. Rose Longacre was put in charge of female prisoners in her position as jail matron.

January 19, 1912 is the official anniversary of the hiring of the first woman in the SDPD, but there has been some controversy over just how accurate this history of the department is.

According to records at the U-T San Diego archives, “San Diego Police Chief Keno Wilson hires the first female department employee; police widow Rose Longacre, as a jail matron for female prisoners.” This was recorded on January 19, 1912. The San Diego Police Museum, as well as a book titled “History of the San Diego Police Department,” written by Chief William Lansdowne and Steve Willard in 2005, cite Longacre as the first female employee of the department also.

There are some records that credit a woman named Ida Griffin as the first female employee of the SDPD. Griffin had been hired either in April 1912 or Christmas Eve that year to fill a similar role.

History is often recorded inaccurately, which can lead to confusion in the future. However, there are several sources Read more »

Vista Jail Information

General Information

Vista Jail
325 S. Melrose Dr., Ste. 200
Vista, CA 92081
(760) 940-4473
Vista Jail Bail Information

Operated by the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, the Vista Detention Facility (VDF) is the primary jail for male and female prisoners in north San Diego County. VDF is the only facility that receives and houses both male and female pre-trial arrestees who are there on felony and misdemeanor charges. This jail also handles inmates with medical challenges – both mental and physical, has an administrative segregation unit, and contains defendants facing high-publicity trials.

Vista Jail Visiting

• A defendant is not allowed Read more »

Las Colinas Jail Information

General Information

Las Colinas Detention Facility 
9000 Cottonwood Ave.
Santee, CA 92071
(619) 258-3176
Las Colinas Bail Information

The Las Colinas Detention Facility (LCDF) is a female only jail that houses all levels of inmates — from the minor misdemeanor offenders to violent cases.

Las Colinas Jail Visiting

• Las Colinas Jail visitor reservations must Read more »