San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility Inmate Phone & Email
San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility Inmate Phone Service - Registering and Cost
An inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility can call you using one or more of the following three methods, however during booking the facility allows each offender at least one free call to a friend, family member or bond company.
1. If your phone service - usually your land line - accepts collect calls, then they can call you collect. Note: Mobile phones don't usually accept collect calls.
2. The San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility's commissary will sell your inmate a pre-paid calling card from Smart Communications that they can use to phone you or others.
3. The inmate can call you using credits or money that you or someone else purchases from Smart Communications. Call 727-349-1561 for help setting up your account, or submit a question online.
When your inmate is booked into San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility, they provide a list of a limited number of people that they will allow to visit them and make phone calls to. These must be approved by the facility first.
Further information, including cost, daily phone call limits and times of the day and evening when calls can be made, including a complete list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers, is below.
San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility
Address:
446 Alta Rd., Suite 5300
San Diego, CA 92158
Phone:
619-409-5000
All phone calls from San Diego County Sheriff's Department jails are free.
Local, long distance, and international calls are free.
A person can make unlimited phone calls per day.
To give everyone equal opportunity to use the phone, each call will be limited to 15 minutes.
You must first register your inmate with Securus.
Phone Communication with an Inmate
San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility uses an inmate phone service called Smart Communications.
Phone accounts with inmates can be set up using two methods:
PrePaid Collect (PPC) allows you to deposit money into an account which is tied to a specific telephone number... your cell phone number OR home telephone number.When you have funds on a PPC account, ANY inmate may call you at that number. Every time you accept a call, your account is debited.
PIN Debit Accounts (PIN Debit) belong to a specific inmate, and the inmate may use those funds to call ANY phone number that is approved by the facility, not just your number(s).
It could be another friend or anyone.
If you want to allow any inmate to call your phone, you should set up a PrePaid Collect (PPC) account.
If you simply want to deposit funds so that an inmate can call anyone (other friends, etc.) then it is recommended that you get a PIN Debit (PIN) account.
More information on using Smart Communications to communicate by phone with an inmate.
How do inmates at San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility make phone calls
San Diego County inmates use a phone service called Smart Communications.
It's up to you what option the inmate whose phone calls you are paying for gets to use.
First option... PrePaid Collect (PPC) allows you to deposit money into an account which is tied to a specific telephone number... your cell phone number OR home telephone number.
When you have funds on a PPC account, ANY inmate may call you at that number. Every time you accept a call, your account is debited.
Second option... PIN Debit Accounts (PIN Debit) belong to a specific inmate, and the inmate may use those funds to call ANY phone number that is approved by the facility, not just your number(s).
More information on using Smart Communications to communicate by phone with an inmate.
Frequently Asked Questions about Inmate Phone Calls
Can I call an inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility?
Can I leave a message for an inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility?
Can an inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility call me?
Can an inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility call their friends?
How much does it cost for an inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility to call me?
How often can inmates in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility make phone calls?
What is the inmate telephone service for the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility?
What are the phone companies that facilitate phone calls with jails and prisons?
Can an inmate text me from the phones in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility?
What is the difference between a phone call and a video call?
Can inmates in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility use their cell phone?
Is it illegal for an inmate to use a cell phone in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility?
Can I call an inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility?
No, you cannot call an inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility. You can however call 619-409-5000 or search online, to see if your inmate is in custody.
When an offender is first arrested and is being booked into jail, they are allowed one or two free phone calls to notify friends or family of their situation.
The information for Smart Communications is located at the top of this page. If that information is missing, it is because the facility recently changed companies. However, you can get updated details by calling 619-409-5000.
Can I leave a message for an inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility?
It is rare that a jail (or prison) will accept messages for an inmate. Of all the thousands of jails in the United States there are probably less than one hundred that have a message line. Jails in the state of Minnesota are the one exception.
There are two other exceptions to this rule:
1. The San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility will accept a message if there is a family emergency such as a death in the family. In a case like this the message will be conveyed by a jail chaplain or someone that is very high ranking in leadership. Inmates are already under a lot of stress and emotion, and the staff realizes this. It is for this reason they will be very careful how they pass the message along and being watchful afterwards.
2. Rates and limits vary by jail; call the jail or the provider. It is done in the form of a voicemail from you. To see if the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility offers that service call Smart Communications, with additional information found at the top of this page or call the jail at 619-409-5000.
Can an inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility call me?
Yes, an inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility can call you:
3. The inmate can call you using credits or money that you or someone else purchase from the jail's inmate phone service. This information can be found at the top of this page.
If you can’t find this jail’s phone service - outlined above - it means that they may have recently changed it. Call the jail at 619-409-5000 to get the information you need.
Also, it is becoming standard that when an inmate is booked in jail, they must make a list of a limited number of people that they will allow to visit them and/or make phone calls to. If the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility requires this, then you will have to be on their list to receive phone calls from your inmate.
Can an inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility call their friends?
Yes. If a person is on the inmate’s approved phone contact list and the inmate has funds on their prepaid card or Smart Communications phone service, there are no restrictions based on whether the person and inmate are related or not.
The only exception to that is if you, as the person who funds their Smart Communications inmate phone account, puts restrictions on the account, so that the account can only be used to communicate with you and not other people. This allows you and not the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility to control who the inmate can speak with.
How much does it cost for an inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility to call me?
What a call costs depends on the jail’s phone provider, Smart Communications, and on the type of account you use. Check with Smart Communications for current rates.
In general, most of these companies are honest and trustworthy. The complete list can be found by scrolling down this page further.
There are independent companies that you can find and purchase phone time from that advertise low per-minute fees. They usually accomplish this by selling you blocks of time that you may never use, or they have exorbitant fees in other areas. Be a smart consumer and study these offers carefully.
What times are inmates in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility allowed to make phone calls?
In general, inmates in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility can make phone calls between the time when breakfast ends until ‘lights out’ at the end of the evening.
They will not allow phone calls to be made during meals, head counts, lockdowns or during shift changes.
Inmates who are workers (trustees), are on work release or have other responsibilities are also limited to when they can make phone calls, as their schedules take priority over personal time.
Ask the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility during which hours inmates can make phone calls.
How often can inmates in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility make phone calls?
Ask the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility whether it limits how often an inmate can make phone calls. Calls are also limited by how much money you are willing to give them to add Smart Communications phone time.
When and if there are limits, the limits never apply to phone time with their lawyer or legal matters related to their criminal court case.
Rates and limits vary by jail; call the jail or the provider.
What is the inmate telephone service for the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility?
Information about the Smart Communications inmate telephone service for this facility can be found at the top of this page. If the information is missing that means that the facility recently changed carriers and has not updated the information. In that case, call the jail at 619-409-5000 to get the answers to your questions.
What are the phone companies that facilitate phone calls with jails and prisons?
Each of these phone companies provide similar services, and it is a very competitive industry due to the size of the market in which their customers are literally ‘captive’ in every sense of the word.
Amtel Phones
CIDNET
City Tele Coin
Correct Solutions Group
Correct Pay
Ctel
Gettingout
GTL
Homewav
ICSolutions
Inmate Canteen
Inmate Sales
NCIC
Paytel
Prodigy Solutions
Reliance
Securus
Smart Communications
Tiger
Can an inmate text me from the phones in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility?
No. Inmates in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility cannot text from the phones, but more and more jails, including this one, are bringing in a text service for inmates that can work from kiosks and tablets in their units. For more information, check out the email and text page.
What is the most that an inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility can spend on phone calls?
Ask the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility whether it limits how often an inmate can make phone calls. Calls are also limited by how much money you are willing to give them to add Smart Communications phone time.
Rates and limits vary by jail; call the jail or the provider.
Do I need a credit card to purchase phone credits for an inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility?
Of the dozens of phone companies listed above that do business with the jails and prisons, there are only a few that have a way for you to use cash to purchase phone credits or phone time from them, usually in an ATM machine at check cashing outlets, and only a couple that have a way for you to fund an inmate phone account by mailing them a money order or cashier check.
If you don’t have a credit or debit card from a bank, you can always get a prepaid one at thousands of check cashing locations across the country.
The commissary may fund the inmate’s trust account with postal money orders, negating the need for having a credit or debit card altogether.
Call 619-409-5000 to see if the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility’s commissary has prepaid phone cards or check out the commissary page.
What is the difference between a phone call and a video call?
A video call is no different than a video visit. It allows both the inmate and their approved contacts to see each other during the conversation. This is becoming the preferred method for inmates and their friends and family members to communicate, as it costs pretty much the same, as visual contact communicates on a different level than just the voice.
Jails and prisons that have the option of video calls and video visits also most likely have handheld tablets for inmate use. This gives the inmate the ability to communicate from their cell or a remote corner of the unit, which adds a level of privacy that a kiosk on the wall does not offer.
To see if San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility offers SmartCommunications video calls, go to the Visitation page for information. If you can’t find it there, it may be because this facility recently changed companies, so you can call the jail at 619-409-5000 for details on how to arrange video calls.
Can inmates in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility use their cell phone?
No, they cannot use their cell phone.
Inmates have their cell phones taken from them when they are initially booked into jail and will not get them back until they are released, provided the phone is/was not kept by the arresting agency as evidence in a criminal investigation.
Is it illegal for an inmate to use a cell phone in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility?
Cell phones are considered contraband and a security risk to a jail or prison. All communication: Written, spoken or video, other than an inmate’s communication with their lawyer, are monitored by the facility.
If an inmate is caught with a cell phone that has somehow been smuggled into a jail, the inmate will be charged with a crime. It is considered more serious than being caught with drugs, as a cell phone can be used to intimidate potential witnesses, arrange an escape or run a criminal enterprise outside of the jail’s walls.
Can I get in trouble for accepting a call from an inmate using a cell phone in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility?
It is unlikely that you can get charged with a crime for communicating with an inmate using a cell phone while incarcerated in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility.
That said, if it is found that you knowingly were doing it, you could have your visitation or Smart Communications phone privileges suspended, or even permanently terminated by the jail.
If you were involved in the smuggling of the phone, that is a criminal offense. It may also be a crime if you were adding ‘minutes’ onto a prepaid phone that you knew was smuggled into the jail and was being used for illegal purposes.
Emailing an Inmate in the San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility
Every San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility inmate is allowed to send and receive two digital messages per day, each totalling no more than 2,500 text charcters.
Instructions for emailing an inmate
Search for the inmate on Who’s in Jail site using the incarcerated person’s name. To prevent conflicts in spelling, you may search using only the first two letters of the first and last name.
Next, do the Captcha code to verify you are not a bot.
You should see a list with one or more names. Click on the last name of the correct person to view the inmate's page in the Who’s in Jail system.
Halfway down the page you will see an envelope icon you can click in order to send a message. Follow the instructions on submitting your email address.
Then open your email account, click on the link and send your message.
Important Tips About Jail Phone Calls
If you were unable to find the information you were looking for on this page, call San Diego George Bailey Detention Facility at 619-409-5000 and ask their policies on getting phone calls from your inmate.
Calls from this facility are limited to 30 minutes each, but inmates can make as many calls in a row as the account will fund.
Phones are shut off after night count is conducted and remain off for the night. Phones are also shut off during meals, medication distributions, and temporary lockdowns.
Inmates are not required to have an approved phone list. They can call anyone willing to take the call as long as there is not an order of protection in place for someone the inmate calls.
Inmates can also use commissary funds to purchase phone time.
If your inmate does not call you during the time you both have scheduled, don't panic. There are often long lines for phone use. When a jail is on lockdown due to a fight or other security issue they do not allow the phones to be used.
Phones are the only way for an inmate to hear your voice and temporarily 'escape' the loneliness of incarceration, so use your time well. Arguing about anything will leave you both feeling empty and guilty, so avoid it at all costs.
All phone conversations are recorded. Whatever you talk about, can and will be used against your inmate in court. Never discuss their pending criminal case!
Click here to view the jail website for additional information.