Sylmar Juvenile Hall - Call 818-364-2011

BARRY J. NIDORF JUVENILE HALL

Visiting Procedures

Sylmar Juvenile Hall, also known as the Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, is one of three juvenile detention centers in Los Angeles County temporarily housing minors from age 8 to 18 who have pending court matters. Each juvenile detention center is operated by the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

Generally, only parents, legal guardians and grandparents are permitted to visit minors at Sylmar Juvenile Hall. However, a minor's probation officer or a judge may allow sisters, brothers and other family members to visit a minor at Sylmar Juvenile Hall upon request. The judge presiding over a minor's case may also allow a visitor in place of a minor's parent. Such requests must be made through the minor's probation officer or unit supervisor.

Attorneys may visit a minor at Sylmar Juvenile Hall at any time. Members of the clergy who wish to visit a minor at Sylmar Juvenile Hall must be added to the minor's permanent weekend visitors list—this may require a special order from a judge.

Minors housed at Sylmar Juvenile Hall will either be released to their parents, placed in foster care, sent to a Los Angeles County juvenile camp or to CYA (the California Youth Authority is often referred to as a state prison for minors since it houses a large number of violent offenders). To reach Sylmar Juvenile Hall, call 818-364-2011.

Visiting Hours

If you are a permitted visitor, you may visit a minor at Sylmar Juvenile Hall on Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Visits are at least 30-45 minutes in length but can be as long as three hours, if circumstances permit. You may also visit a minor at Sylmar Juvenile Hall on the day that a minor appears in court. The visit may occur after the minor's court appearance from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. To find out more about special court day visits, contact Sylmar Juvenile Hall at 818-364-2011.

Location

16350 Filbert Street, Sylmar, California, 91342. Free parking is available on site.

Bail

As a general rule, minors charged with crimes in California have no right to bail. Minors who have been arrested by the police are either released to the custody of their parents or they remain locked up in the juvenile detention center until they see a judge at their first court appearance, known as the arraignment. After their arraignment, the minor remains locked up for the duration of the case unless the judge is willing to release the minor to his or her parents in which case the minor may spend a month or more in confinement pending the final resolution of the case.

Booking Information

Unless you are a parent or guardian of a minor being detained at Sylmar Juvenile Hall, you will not be able to obtain information regarding a minor being held at Sylmar Juvenile Hall.

Visitors' Restrictions

In order to visit a minor at Sylmar Juvenile Hall, a visitor must follow a strict dress code. Among other things, visitors to Sylmar Juvenile Hall may not wear colors affiliated with gangs, clothes containing the names of sports teams, thigh-high dresses or skirts, or sexually revealing clothes. Tattoos may not be exhibited. If you are a visitor with tattoos that cannot be covered up, contact Sylmar Juvenile Hall before you visit so that an isolated visiting location can be arranged for you. Pens, cell phones, purses and items too numerous to mention may not be brought into the visiting areas. To ensure that you will be permitted to visit with the minor you are seeking to visit, officers at Sylmar Juvenile Hall suggest that visitors wear long pants and bring in no more than two keys on a key ring and a photo ID. Only visitors with a valid photo ID will be allowed to visit minors at Sylmar Juvenile Hall. Acceptable forms of ID include:

• Valid California Identification Card
• Valid Driver's License (any state)
• U.S. Military Identification Card
• Valid Passport/Visa
• Alien Registration Card
• Mexican Consulate Card
• Permanent Resident Card
• Valid School Identification Card or Birth Certificate (if visitor is a minor who is 12 or over)
• Other Valid U.S. Government Identification Card.

Telephone Access & Mail

While minors are not permitted to receive incoming telephone calls at Sylmar Juvenile Hall, they are permitted to make telephone calls. By mail, minors at Sylmar Juvenile Hall may receive soft cover books, letters and cards (no larger than 5x7). Minors may be sent photos but may not have more than five (5) photos in their possession at any given time. Photos may not contain gang related images, violent or sexual content.

You may send mail addressed as follows to a minor at Sylmar Juvenile Hall:

Picking Up Personal Property

Any time after detention, a minor's personal property may be picked up by his parent or guardian unless the minor's property has been entered into evidence. If the property has been entered into evidence, it will not be available until the criminal case is completed. The parent or guardian picking up the minor's property must present a valid California photo ID or a photo ID from an acceptable source. To obtain the release of a minor's vehicle, contact the arresting agency who will provide you with the name of the towing company that you will need to contact to learn if the vehicle has been impounded or not. If you need to obtain a car key that was in the minor's possession at the time of arrest, contact Sylmar Juvenile Hall at 818-364-2011.

Los Angeles Juvenile Defense Attorneys

If your child is facing criminal charges in Los Angeles, it is important to have an experienced criminal defense attorney in your corner. At Stephen G. Rodriguez & Partners we bring over 70 years of combined legal experience to the table. We know when to push for dismissal of the charges or negotiate favorable settlements. We are criminal trial lawyers and are not afraid to go trial if necessary. Contact Stephen G. Rodriguez & Partners to discuss the charges against your son or daughter, learn about the legal options available, and how we can help your family.