Your complete guide to LA County jails, the bail schedule, and getting someone released fast
Los Angeles County operates one of the largest jail systems in the world. With over 10 million residents spread across 88 cities, LA County processes hundreds of thousands of bookings every year across more than two dozen facilities — from massive downtown complexes to neighborhood station jails. When someone you care about gets arrested, understanding how this system works is the difference between getting them home in hours and waiting days.
This guide explains the major LA County jail facilities, the bail schedule, the booking process, and exactly how Angels Bail Bonds helps families navigate the system — 24 hours a day, for over 65 years.
Need help right now? Skip the reading and call: (626) 478-1062. A licensed agent answers 24/7. Give us a name and date of birth and we'll locate your loved one, confirm bail, and start the process immediately.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) operates the county jail system. Understanding which facility your loved one is in — or will be transferred to — determines how quickly we can act.
441 Bauchet St, Los Angeles, CA 90012 | (213) 473-6100
Men's Central Jail is the largest single detention facility in Los Angeles County and one of the largest in the United States. It serves as the primary intake and long-term housing facility for adult male defendants facing serious felony charges, pre-trial detention, and transfers to state prison. MCJ is located in Downtown Los Angeles, adjacent to the court complex on Bauchet Street.
450 Bauchet St, Los Angeles, CA 90012 | (213) 473-6100
Directly adjacent to MCJ, Twin Towers is the largest mental health housing facility in any U.S. county jail system. It houses pre-trial detainees, individuals requiring medical or mental health services, and overflow from MCJ. Booking transfers between MCJ and Twin Towers are common and frequent.
11705 S Alameda St, Lynwood, CA 90262 | (562) 347-3600
CRDF in Lynwood is the primary women's facility for LA County. Women arrested anywhere in the county may be transported here if they are not held at a local station jail. CRDF is also the county's Inmate Reception Center (IRC) — the main intake and transfer hub for the entire county system.
29320 The Old Road, Castaic, CA 91384 | (661) 257-4191
Pitchess is a large detention complex in the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles. It consists of multiple camps and serves as the overflow facility for the LA County system. Detainees transferred from station jails due to overcrowding are commonly housed at Pitchess.
In addition to these major facilities, LASD operates station jails at 25+ locations across the county — Compton, East LA, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, San Dimas, Lakewood, and more. Arrests in unincorporated areas and contract cities first go to the nearest station jail, then may be transferred to a central facility. Cities with their own police departments — like Redondo Beach, Monrovia, and Placentia — maintain separate city jails before county transfer.
The official public inmate locator for LA County is the LASD Inmate Information Center at app5.lasd.org/iic. You can search by name or booking number. The system is updated as bookings are entered — in practice, allow 2 to 6 hours after arrest before searching. A search that returns no results does not mean the person hasn't been booked.
Alternatively, call the LASD Inmate Information Line at (213) 473-6100, available 24 hours a day.
The fastest option: call us at (626) 478-1062. We have direct working relationships at every major LA County facility and often locate people before the public database updates.
The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles publishes Felony and Misdemeanor Bail Schedules each year, effective January 1. These schedules set the standard bail amount for each charge — the amount that applies automatically at booking, before any judge reviews the case.
| Charge | Code | Bail Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DUI — no injury | VC 23152 | $5,000 |
| DUI with injury | VC 23153 | $100,000 |
| Simple assault | PC 240 | $5,000 |
| Assault with deadly weapon | PC 245(a)(1) | $30,000 |
| Assault with firearm | PC 245(a)(2) | $50,000 |
| Assault with semiautomatic firearm | PC 245(b) | $75,000 |
| Robbery — first degree | PC 211 | $100,000 |
| Residential burglary | PC 459 | $50,000 |
| Grand theft (over $950) | PC 487 | $20,000 |
| Possession for sale | HS 11351 | $30,000 |
| Carjacking | PC 215 | $100,000 |
These are the schedule amounts set at booking. Under California Penal Code § 825, arraignment must occur within 48 hours of arrest (excluding Sundays and court holidays). At arraignment — held at the courthouse nearest to where the arrest occurred — a judge may raise, lower, or eliminate bail based on the defendant's record, flight risk, and public safety factors.
Posting bail before arraignment locks in the scheduled amount. Judges frequently increase bail for serious felonies at arraignment when the full record is reviewed. Acting before that hearing is critical.
When bail is set, you have two choices: pay the full bail amount directly to the court in cash, or use a licensed bail bondsman who posts a surety bond on your behalf.
Under California Insurance Code § 1800.4, the bail bond premium is 10% of the total bail amount. This is the state-mandated rate. For a $50,000 bail, your out-of-pocket cost is $5,000 — not $50,000.
To get started, we need as much of the following as you have available. You don't need all of it — we can work with what you know:
If all you have is a name and a neighborhood — call anyway. We start searching immediately.
Once the bond is posted, the jail controls the release timeline. Here is what to expect at the major facilities:
We track every bond we post and notify you the moment release is confirmed.
Serving all of Los Angeles County since 1958. One call, one agent, every jail in the county — any hour, any day.
(626) 478-1062Men's Central Jail (MCJ) at 441 Bauchet St in Downtown Los Angeles is the largest single jail facility in the county. The adjacent Twin Towers Correctional Facility at 450 Bauchet St is the largest mental health housing facility in any U.S. county jail system. Together, they form the core of the LA County jail complex.
The LASD operates an official public inmate locator at app5.lasd.org/iic. You can search by name or booking number. Booking information typically appears 2 to 6 hours after arrest. For faster results, call Angels Bail Bonds at (626) 478-1062 — we often locate people before the public database updates.
Bail amounts are set by the Superior Court's annual schedule. Common amounts: DUI (no injury) $5,000; assault with a deadly weapon $30,000–$75,000; residential burglary $50,000; robbery $100,000; DUI with injury $100,000. A licensed bail bondsman posts bail for 10% of the total amount under California Insurance Code § 1800.4.
At Men's Central Jail and Twin Towers, release after bond posting typically takes 4 to 8 hours on a normal day. During high-volume periods — Friday and Saturday nights, holidays — it can take 12 to 24 hours. At station jails, release is typically faster at 2 to 4 hours after bond posting.
Yes. Angels Bail Bonds posts bonds at every Los Angeles County jail facility — Men's Central Jail, Twin Towers, CRDF in Lynwood, Pitchess in Castaic, and all LASD station jails. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including all holidays. Call (626) 478-1062.
This article is for general informational purposes only. Bail amounts, hold policies, and processing timelines are subject to change. For advice specific to your case, contact a licensed bail bond agent at (626) 478-1062. Angels Bail Bonds holds California Insurance License #1K06080.
