What to Expect During Your Loved One's First 48 Hours at Churchill Detention Center
The first two days after someone is booked into Churchill Detention Center can feel quiet and confusing from the outside. Here's what that 48-hour booking period looks like, when phone contact might happen, and how you can be ready once they're out of initial lockdown.
At Churchill Detention Center, people who are newly booked are locked down in their cells for the first 48 hours. During that time, contact is limited - they’re only available for phone calls one hour per day. If you don’t hear from your loved one right away, this policy is often the reason.
During the initial 48-hour lockdown, your loved one won't have open access to phones throughout the day. Churchill limits calls to one hour per day during this period, so that first call may come at an unexpected time - and it may be short. If you miss it, keep your phone nearby and make sure your voicemail is set up. You don't want to lose the chance to connect when that hour comes around.
Note: Limited contact during the first 48 hours is standard at Churchill because new bookings are locked down and only get one hour per day for phone calls.
Once the first 48 hours pass, your loved one may be placed on a "tier rotation." At Churchill, that means either morning or evening time out of their cell - and it affects when they can make phone calls, shower, and have TV/out-of-cell time. The takeaway for you is straightforward: if they're on an evening rotation, expect calls later in the day. Morning rotation means earlier contact. Their routine - and your best window for catching a call - will follow that assigned schedule.
Note: Tier rotation changes the daily rhythm - including when phone access happens - so the timing of calls can shift once the 48-hour lockdown ends.
If you call hoping to find out whether your loved one is on a morning or evening tier, expect a hard stop: Churchill detention staff will not share an inmate's tier rotation with callers. They also won't pass messages to inmates. That means you'll need to plan around the communication tools your loved one can access directly - phone calls and remote visits - rather than relying on staff to relay information or coordinate timing.
Reminder: Staff won’t share tier rotation details or deliver messages, so focus on setting up the tools your loved one can use to contact you during their out-of-cell time.
Practical Steps
- ✓ Expect limited phone contact during the first 48 hours - Churchill restricts phone availability to one hour per day during the initial lockdown.
- ✓ Register with Nevada VINE to get telephone and email notifications if your loved one’s custody status changes (VINE: (888) 268-8463).
- ✓ Set up remote visitation by creating a Securus account at https://securustech.net/.
- ✓ If you plan to add funds to your loved one’s account, use the kiosk located in the Sheriff’s Office foyer.
Want status updates without making repeated calls? Nevada VINE lets you register for notifications by phone or email when custody status changes - call (888) 268-8463 to set it up. For face-to-face time once your loved one can participate, Churchill's remote visitation runs through Securus. You'll need to create an account at https://securustech.net/ to use it. And if you want to make sure they can cover basic account expenses, there's a deposit kiosk in the Sheriff's Office foyer where you can add money to an inmate's account.
For general county inquiries, Churchill County Administration can be reached at (775) 423-2266 during weekday hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Keep expectations realistic if you're calling about day-to-day housing details - detention staff won't provide tier rotation information and won't pass messages to inmates.
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