How to Contact an Inmate at South Bay Detention Facility
Trying to stay in touch with someone at South Bay Detention Facility? Your two main options are scheduling an in-person social visit and making sure you can receive incoming phone calls from the facility's system.
In-person social visits at South Bay Detention Facility require a reservation. Call (619) 409-5000 Wednesday through Sunday, between 6:30am and 6:00pm to schedule. You must book at least one day in advance. Same-day visits are not allowed. The facility says visitation runs five days a week, with no visits on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but it's smart to confirm the current visiting days when you call.
Plan for a short visit. Social visits last 30 minutes, and a maximum of three visitors (including children) are allowed per visit. If you're coordinating with other family members, decide ahead of time who will attend so you don't hit the visitor limit at check-in.
Adults need ID, and kids can't come on their own. Every visitor 18 and older must have valid identification. Minors must be accompanied by a parent, a court-appointed guardian, or another adult with legal custody.
Calls may look like spam: Calls from inside the detention facilities are currently coming from 727-349-1561. Some phone carriers filter these as spam, so check your blocked or filtered calls if you're not hearing from your loved one.
Steps to Follow
- ✓ Call (619) 409-5000 to schedule an in-person social visit reservation.
- ✓ Call Wednesday through Sunday between 6:30am and 6:00pm.
- ✓ Book at least one day in advance (no same-day visits).
- ✓ Keep your group to three visitors total, including children.
- ✓ Make sure every visitor age 18 or older brings valid ID.
- ✓ If a minor is visiting, bring a parent, court-appointed guardian, or another adult with legal custody.
- ✓ Expect the visit to be 30 minutes long.
- Save 727-349-1561 in your contacts so you recognize the detention facility call number.
- Check your spam and call-filtering settings if you are missing calls, since some carriers may label this number as spam.
- Answer even if it looks unfamiliar if you are expecting a call from someone who is incarcerated, because the call may display as 727-349-1561.
When you call (619) 409-5000 to reserve a visit, confirm three things: which days visitation is being offered, the reservation call-in hours (Wednesday through Sunday, 6:30am to 6:00pm), and the one-day-in-advance booking rule (no same-day visits). The facility lists no visits on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but a quick confirmation call can prevent a wasted trip.
Policies can change, so confirm the basics before you go: the three-person visitor limit (including children), whether all adults in your group have the right form of valid ID, how the facility handles the minor accompaniment requirement (parent, court-appointed guardian, or adult with legal custody), and whether social visits are still running for 30 minutes.
If phone calls are part of how you stay in touch, know what number to expect on your caller ID. Calls from inside the detention facilities are currently coming from 727-349-1561, and some carriers treat those calls as spam. Not getting calls? Ask your loved one if that's still the number showing up, and check your phone's spam filter settings.
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