Quick Facts

• Opened in 1978
• Expanded in 1989
• Rated Capacity: 825
• Facility Size: 170,000 sq. ft.

Located in the City of Vista, the Vista Detention Facility (VDF) is classified as a Type II Facility by the Board of State and Community Corrections (BCC). VDF serves as the primary point of intake for male and female arrestees in northern San Diego County.

Opened in 1978, VDF sits on several acres of developed land which is owned and operated by the County of San Diego. The facility has been remodeled twice. In 1989, VDF expanded an additional 576 beds, bringing its total to 886. VDF is just one building in the massive North County Regional Center complex (NCRC). Other buildings include the North County Superior Courts, Vista Sheriff’s Station, and the North County Law Library. All buildings with the exception of the Law Library are physically connected.

The population at VDF consists primarily of inmates awaiting court proceedings for North County cases. In addition, VDF houses a special handling inmate population, consisting of those with medical challenges, those under psychiatric care, an administrative segregation unit, as well as defendants facing high-publicity trials.

VDF provides a wide range of medical and psychiatric services, including infectious disease control, X-ray and dental care. Services are provided by physicians, psychiatrists, dentists, nurses, and clinical social workers.

In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Vista Detention Facility opened the first ever Veteran’s Module in the San Diego jail system on November 1, 2013. Please visit the Veterans Moving Forward program page on the Sheriff's Department website for more information.

Learn more about visitation on our Visiting page.

Effective May 1, 2021, in-person visits will resume. Visitation will operate with strict protocols in place to protect everybody from COVID-19. Guidelines include mandatory face coverings, temperature screenings. If you feel ill or if you are sick, please stay at home. We will continue to evaluate and revise visitation schedules accordingly while still maintaining health and safety protocols. Visit schedules are subjected to change per facility operations.

Reservations can be made one day in advance. ALL VISITORS MUST CHECK-IN 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED VISIT TIME. Visits may be canceled at any time due to rule violations, inmate transfers, or for jail security.

The visit week begins on Sunday and ends on Saturday. Mainline inmates are allowed one (1) visit per day, one (1) visit per week. Inmate Workers are allowed one (1) visit per day, (1) visit per week. A maximum of one (1) visitor and one (1) child are allowed per visit. Minors must be accompanied by a parent, court appointed guardian or other adult having legal custody. Walk-in visits will not be accepted. Cancellations must be made in person with ID verification.

Video Visits -

Effective Wednesday, June 16, 2021, the Vista Detention Facility (VDF), will resume Securus remote video visits. These visits will be scheduled 24 hours in advance via telephone reservation only by calling (760) 936-0014 between the hours of 6:30 am to 6:00 pm. Prior to scheduling a visit, please access the Securus website to create a Securus online account. Please note this process may take up to 24 hours. After your visit has been scheduled, you can visit remotely using any device with web camera connectivity over the Internet. Video visits will be 30 minutes in length. On-site visits are currently on hold until further notice.

Learn more about visitation on our Visiting page.

Video Visit times are as follows

Monday-Sunday:

Video Visits - 30 Minute Visits 

Social In-Person Visitation Times

Lower West - Disabled Visitors - (30 Minute Visits)

Lower West 1 (LW1) - (30 Minute Visits)

Lower West 2 (LW2) - (30 Minute Visits)

Lower West 3 (LW3) - (30 Minute Visits)

Lower West 4 (LW4) - (30 Minute Visits)

Lower West 5 (LW5) - (30 Minute Visits)

Lower West 6 (LW6) - (30 Minute Visits)

Upper West 1 (UW1) - (30 Minute Visits)

Upper West 2 (UW2) - (30 Minute Visits)

Upper West 3 (UW3) - (30 Minute Visits)

Upper West 4 (UW4) - (30 Minute Visits)

Upper West 5 (UW5) - (30 Minute Visits)

Upper West 6 (UW6) - (30 Minute Visits)

East House 2 (EH2) - (30 Minute Visits)

East House 3 (EH3) - (30 Minute Visits)

East House 4 (EH4) - (30 Minute Visits)

East House 5 (EH5) - (30 Minute Visits)

East House 6 (EH6) - (30 Minute Visits)

North House 2 (NH2) - (30 Minute Visits)

North House 3 (NH3) - (30 Minute Visits)

North House 4 (NH4) - (30 Minute Visits)

North House 5 (NH5) - (30 Minute Visits)

North House 6 (NH6) - (30 Minute Visits)

M2 - (30 Minute Visits)

M3 - (30 Minute Visits)

Medical Isolation - (30 Minute Visits)

South House 1 (S1) - (30 Minute Visits)

South House 2 & 3 (S2,S3) - (60 Minute Visits)

South House 4 (S4) - (30 Minute Visits)

South House 5 (S5) - (30 Minute Visits)

South House 6 (S6) - (30 Minute Visits)