Huntington Beach Jail

Huntington Beach Jail

The Huntington Beach Police Department has its own Type I City Jail facility for holding individuals who have been arrested and charged with felonies and misdemeanors. The jail is in place to hold individuals who have been arrested but are awaiting their trials. If an individual works with a Huntington Beach bail bonds company, they may be released quicker from the facility than someone who is not.  The facilities can house up to 56 male arrestees and as many as 16 female arrestees. In addition to that, the Huntington Beach Jail has facilities that can house eight male and four female sentenced inmate workers.

On staff at the jail are 18 Detention Officers who are professionally trained and have completed their California Board of Corrections STC certifications at a Corrections Officer Basic Academy. The detention officers go through a highly competitive selection process to ensure that only the best and most qualified individuals are chosen to work at the jail. The selection process is very involved and includes a physical examination, background investigation, drug testing, written exam, oral board exam, psychological exam and a polygraph test. Detention officers continue with their training beyond the Academy and receive additional training in all areas of corrections.

Main Goal of Jail

The main goal of the jail’s detention officers is to ensure the safety, security and wellbeing of the community and inmates who are in custody. Within the staff, there are five Senior Detention Officers who are personally responsible for all of the daily operations at the jail. These officers have the responsibility of leading a team of detention officers for the care, booking and screening of all inmates who come into the facility. All senior detention officers have been successful at finishing the certified supervisory training they received at the California Board of Corrections STC.

In addition to the highly skilled detention officers, there are additional staff members at the Huntington Beach Jail. Four licensed Nurse Detention Officers are on hand and possess all the necessary critical training and skills for providing medical attention to inmates. At the same time, they are also trained to perform the same duties as the detention officers. Nurse detention officers perform medical screenings of all inmates, collect DNA samples for the Department of Justice’s Offender database and take blood samples for arrests related to driving under the influence.

The detention officers perform a number of duties that are crucial to ensuring law enforcement within the community. They are responsible for the booking of every single inmate who comes into custody at the jail and must perform activities like fingerprinting, searches and photographing of each inmate. The detention officers also ensure the wellbeing and health of all inmates and are required to ask them questions about their medical health and observe them. They also provide information to the inmates about ways they can contact family members, employers and legal council, as well as help the families of inmates by providing them with information about the individuals in custody and about visitation. The detention officers make sure the inmates are clean by providing basic hygiene needs, serve them three meals per day and make sure their basic needs are met. The officers are also responsible for handling any release information, including bail, bonds or citation and for transporting inmates to and from court.

Visitation Information

Visitation from family members or friends can be done from 2 to 4 pm daily. Inmates can only have one visit per day and no more than two visitors per day. Visitors are only allowed to stay for 15 minutes. However, inmates can speak with a bondsman, attorney or clergy at any time of day. Those visitors are required to have valid state or federal identification and credentials relevant to their position.

Visitors cannot be anyone under the age of 18 unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian or if they are the spouse of an inmate. It is also prohibited to deliver letters or packages directly to a prisoner. Such items must be given to a detention officer for examination and approval.

All visitors will be patted down and searched for weapons or contraband by a detention officer when they enter the security corridor. Visitors must also identify themselves with a government-issued picture ID.

The Huntington Beach Jail is committed to serving the community and holds inmates for nine federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. On average, it books 6,000 inmates each year.