The National Jail is based in National City, California. Often at times, the National Jail gets confused with the San Diego County Jail. However, there is a big difference between both of these jails.
Where on one hand the National City city jail serves the National City city only, the county jail services the whole county.
The address of National Jail is as follows:
1200 National City Boulevard, National City, CA, 91950
Built as a prison facility, the National Jail is more like a facility for holding the inmates. In general, the National Jail houses inmates for as long as 72 hours before the inmates are released, or are transferred to another county prison.
The National Jail facility offers a custody report that is available to the users online on the official website of the City of National City. These records display the names of the inmates that are currently being held in the facility. Hence, in case someone has been released or transferred, their records will not be found in the online roster.
A successful search will bring up the first and last name of the inmates along with their date of birth, mugshots, and their charges of crime.
Well, the National Jail is one of the few jails that do not accept any mail packages for the inmates. This is because inmates are usually kept only for 72 hours or less.
In case any mail package is delivered to the facility, the package will simply be sent back to the original sender.
While inmates are being held at the National Jail, they do not really require any money. This is because the inmates get three meals in a day along with other things that they may need. Hence, friends and family members don't really have to send money to the inmates.
Before putting money on the books of an inmate, friends and family members will have to wait until the inmate is transferred to a ‘home’ prison. This money will primarily be deposited in the commissary accounts of their respective ‘home’ prison and their telephone accounts for services such as email.
While the National Jail does not allow incoming calls from family members and friends, the facility does allow the inmates to talk to their loved ones via a telephone. However, they will have to go through a booking process.
Once the booking process is completed, the inmates will be able to call through the telephone to make collect calls at their home.
Do note that the facility allows collect calls only. This simply means that the receiver will be the one paying any costs of the call. For this, the jail facility is not really responsible.
The inmates at the National Jail do not get an access to the internet during the time they are held. Hence, the inmates cannot receive or send any emails while they are being held.
Do note that the National Jail does not offer inmates ways to send a message or an email during their time in jail.
The National Jail does not include a commissary for the inmates. This is primarily because inmates at the National Jail are only held for about three days before being released, or transferred to a ‘home’ jail. The ‘home’ jails in most of the cases, are bigger with a range of different services.
Hence, for the time while the inmates are behind the bars, they will not be able to purchase goods. All that the inmates generally get at National Jail is a bedding, and three meals in a day.
The inmates at the National Jail do not spend more than three days, they are not allowed any visitors. Hence, the friends and family members of the inmates will normally have to wait for 72 hours before the inmate is released. In case the inmate is being transferred, the friends and family members will have to wait until the inmate reaches the ‘home’ prison.
However, the legal counsels of inmates can certainly visit them while they are being held at the National Jail. The legal counsels will be the only person that which the inmates may talk with.
How often can you visit?
As mentioned earlier, the National Jail does not allow any sort of visitation other than that of legal counsels of inmates. However, before visiting, the legal counsel will have to contact the prison at 616-336-4400.
At the National Jail, the inmates are kept in their cell throughout the day (24 hours). Even eating will have to be done in the cell. Inmates can, however, use the telephones present in their cell to call their home. These calls are collect calls, however. This means that the person on the receiving end will be liable to pay for the call.
Hence, the life at National Jail would be rather dull as there is not enough for the inmates to do at facility.