Downieville / Temporary Housing Facility
Do not come to 100 Courthouse Square for a visit or to drop mail. Official page (checked 2026-09-12): as of March 17, 2015 this is a Temporary Housing Facility with no inmate visitation and no mail, packages, gifts, food, or drink accepted. Sierra inmates are housed primarily at Wayne Brown Correctional Facility in Nevada City, occasionally at Plumas County Jail in Quincy. Search the Nevada roster first, then open that jail’s Jail411 handbook.
Sierra County · California
Custody lookup
Sierra County Jail inmate search.
Confirm the person is in this jail before you drive, mail a letter, or send money.
Nevada County Sheriff — Inmates in Custody
Official Sierra Temporary Housing Facility page (checked 2026-09-12) links this Nevada County roster as the inmate search. Sierra Superior Court Criminal page also says to locate someone in custody by calling Wayne Brown Correctional Facility (530) 265-1291. Sierra contracts with Nevada County for jail services. People are housed primarily at Wayne Brown in Nevada City, occasionally at Plumas County Jail in Quincy. This Downieville door is temporary holding only. Jail411 does not host inmate names.
Open inmate search ↗California VINE
Official Sierra Sheriff Victim Information and Notification page (checked 2026-09-12): Sierra County is an active VINE participant; custody information is updated every 15 minutes. Register after you confirm the person is in custody. Jail411 does not host inmate names. Phone 1-877-411-5588.
Register with VINE ↗Do not drive here for a visit
Three things to confirm before you go anywhere.
This Downieville facility does not allow inmate visits or incoming mail. Confirm which jail actually houses the person, then use that jail’s Jail411 handbook.
- 01Confirm housing
Search the Nevada County Inmates in Custody roster.
That is Sierra’s official search. Or call Wayne Brown (530) 265-1291 or Sierra Sheriff (530) 289-3700. If the roster shows Wayne Brown, do not come to Downieville. If they are not on the roster, call Plumas (530) 283-6267.
- 02No visit at this door
100 Courthouse Square has no inmate visitation.
Official Temporary Housing Facility page (checked 2026-09-12): as of March 17, 2015 there is no inmate visitation permitted at this facility. Visitation is at the discretion of Wayne Brown or Plumas. Use those Jail411 handbooks — do not use their hours as if they happen here.
- 03No mail at this door
Do not send or drop packages here.
No mail, packages, gifts, food, drink, or any other item shall be accepted for any inmate at this facility. Inmates cannot receive personal messages through jail staff or by phone. When booked they may make three outgoing calls (attorney, bail bonds, anyone). No incoming calls.
01 / Visiting
Sierra County Jail has no visiting.
Official Temporary Housing Facility page (checked 2026-09-12): as of March 17, 2015 the Sierra County Jail began operating as a Temporary Housing Facility. There is no inmate visitation permitted at this facility. Do not drive to 100 Courthouse Square, Downieville, for a visit. If the Nevada roster shows Wayne Brown Correctional Facility, use the Wayne Brown Jail411 handbook for appointment visiting at 925 Maidu Avenue, Nevada City. If the person is at Plumas County Jail in Quincy, use the Plumas Jail411 handbook. Those hours do not apply at this Downieville door.
Call Sierra Sheriff (530) 289-3700This is not a visitor door
This building is 100 Courthouse Square, Downieville, CA 95936. It is temporary holding only. Wayne Brown visiting is 925 Maidu Avenue, Nevada City. Plumas visiting is 56 Abernethy Lane, Quincy. The Sierra courthouse clerk is 2nd Floor of this same square — still not inmate visiting.
ADA access published on the court Locations page is for the 2nd-floor courthouse (south-side ADA space, west-side elevator, speaker to Sheriff’s dispatcher). That is court access, not inmate visiting.
What this door does and does not do
- No inmate visitation at this facility.
- No visiting windows are published here because visits are not permitted at this door.
- Not applicable at this Downieville door. Visitor limits live on the Wayne Brown or Plumas handbook for the jail that actually houses the person.
- Do not arrive here for a personal visit. Sheriff administration at 100 Courthouse Square, 1st Floor, is Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. — that is not inmate visiting. Loyalton Substation at 61050 Hwy 49 is not a visiting jail either.
Do not assume
These details are not published.
Ask the jail before setting out. Jail411 will not guess at a rule that could cause a missed visit.
- A live Sierra-only inmate name-search roster (official instruction is the Nevada County roster)
- Any visiting window at 100 Courthouse Square (official page: none)
- An inmate-mail address for this Downieville facility (official page: no mail accepted)
- A commissary, phone, or video vendor for this Downieville door
- Which contracted youth hall (Butte, Placer, or Tuolumne) holds a specific minor — call Probation (530) 289-3277
- A Downieville street office for appointed counsel beyond the JJRBG phone and email
- Rated bed count for this Temporary Housing Facility
Phone calls
Phone calls from this holding facility outgoing only.
Official Temporary Housing Facility page (checked 2026-09-12): when booked, inmates are allowed three phone calls — one to an attorney, one to a bail bonds company, and one to anyone needed. The Sheriff does not control who the inmate calls. There are no incoming calls. Ongoing phone and video accounts, if any, belong to Wayne Brown or Plumas after transfer — use those handbooks.
- 01At booking
Three outgoing calls. No incoming calls.
Attorney, bail bonds, and one other person. Staff will not take a personal message for the inmate.
- 02After transfer
Use the housing jail’s handbook.
Wayne Brown phones are Telmate / GettingOut. Plumas phones and video are NCIC. Those are not this Downieville door.
- 03Lawyer
Have them call appointed counsel from custody.
JJRBG plan (April 2, 2026) lists Public Defender J. Lon Cooper at (530) 265-4565. Ask at first appearance, 100 Courthouse Square, 2nd Floor.
Inmate mail
No inmate mail at this Temporary Housing Facility.
Official Temporary Housing Facility page (checked 2026-09-12): no mail, packages, gifts, food, drink, or any other item shall be accepted for any inmate at this facility. Confirm housing on the Nevada roster, then use the Wayne Brown or Plumas Jail411 handbook for that jail’s mail address. Do not put Pigeonly 2100 or 50 Abernathy Lane on an envelope to Downieville.
Mailing address
Do not mail to 100 Courthouse Square, DownievilleNo mail or packages are accepted at this facilityConfirm housing on the Nevada County roster firstThen use the Wayne Brown or Plumas Jail411 handbookDo not send inmate mail to 100 Courthouse Square, P.O. Box 66, 61050 Hwy 49 (Loyalton Substation), or 105 Beckwith Street (Probation).
- Nothing for inmates at this Downieville door — the official page forbids mail, packages, gifts, food, drink, and any other item
- If the person is at Wayne Brown: use the Wayne Brown Jail411 handbook (Pigeonly personal mail; publisher/legal mail to that jail’s Nevada City box)
- If the person is at Plumas: use the Plumas Jail411 handbook (50 Abernathy Lane, Quincy)
- Any inmate mail, package, gift, food, or drink dropped at or mailed to 100 Courthouse Square
- Personal messages through jail staff, by phone, or otherwise — the official page says inmates cannot receive them
- Incoming phone calls to this facility
- Wayne Brown Pigeonly (code 2100) or Plumas 50 Abernathy Lane mail sent here as if this were those jails
- Adult-jail mail for a youth — Sierra has no local juvenile hall; call Probation (530) 289-3277
There is no inmate-mail address for this Downieville facility. Sheriff mailing P.O. Box 66 is administration, not inmate mail. Courthouse mailing P.O. Box 476 is the court, not inmate mail. DA mailing P.O. Box 457 is the prosecutor, not inmate mail.
Postage when someone has no money: Postage and books rules live on the Wayne Brown or Plumas handbook after you confirm which jail has the person.
Money and commissary
How to send money to Sierra County Jail.
The published deposit route is None at this Downieville door — use Wayne Brown or Plumas after you confirm housing. Confirm the person is still housed here and keep the booking number ready before depositing.
- 01
This Temporary Housing Facility does not publish a commissary, trust, or phone-deposit vendor for 100 Courthouse Square. Do not treat TouchPay, iCare, Pigeonly, Telmate, GettingOut, Access Corrections, or NCIC as Downieville vendors.
- 02
If the Nevada roster shows Wayne Brown Correctional Facility: use the Wayne Brown Jail411 handbook for TouchPay trust (facility locator 295901), iCare commissary, Telmate phones, and GettingOut video.
- 03
If the person is at Plumas County Correctional Facility: use the Plumas Jail411 handbook for Access Corrections and NCIC. Call (530) 283-6267 first.
- 04
When booked at this Sierra door, inmates may make three outgoing calls: one to an attorney, one to a bail bonds company, and one to anyone needed. The Sheriff does not control who they call. No incoming calls.
- 05
Do not mix adult-jail money with a youth. Call Sierra Probation (530) 289-3277.
Release and property
Bail, property, and this Downieville door
Confirm housing first — then the housing jail’s rules
Sierra Superior Court Criminal page (checked 2026-09-12) publishes a 2023 Felony & Misdemeanor Bail Schedule and tells families to locate someone in custody by calling Wayne Brown (530) 265-1291. Confirm housing on the Nevada roster first. If the person is at Wayne Brown, cash or bond is accepted there 24/7 — typical bonded walk-out 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.; see that handbook. Do not treat those hours as a Downieville lobby. Posting a bond does not guarantee release if a probation, parole, or out-of-county hold applies. Nevada County Release Procedures: Sierra-jurisdiction people at Wayne Brown are released only to a Sierra deputy, Sierra probation officer, or a court-ordered authorized person unless they have a verified ride. An ICE detainer alone is not a lawful California hold (Gov. Code § 7284.6). This is the process, not a bondsman directory.
Appointment only — call (530) 289-3700
Sheriff Property/Evidence page (checked 2026-09-12): property is released by appointment only. Safekeeping must be claimed within 60 days. Found property is held 90 days. Evidence releases need investigator authorization or a Superior Court order plus photo ID. Call (530) 289-3700 to schedule. That is Sheriff evidence/safekeeping — not Wayne Brown inmate property (Bondsman/Release door at 925 Maidu Avenue). If the person is at Wayne Brown, use that handbook for jail property.
Not at this Downieville door
This Downieville facility does not publish a leftover-commissary window. If the person was housed at Wayne Brown, remaining trust is a debit card at release on that handbook. If at Plumas, call (530) 283-6267.
After booking
Court, a lawyer, probation, and parole.
Sierra court, the DA, appointed counsel, and Probation are in Downieville or Loyalton. Adult housing after booking is usually Wayne Brown in Nevada City. Do not mix those doors.
100 Courthouse Square, 2nd Floor
Published court calendars on sierra.courts.ca.gov/general-information/court-calendars-schedule. If you do not see the case, call (530) 289-3698. Zoom: email the court at least 10 days prior. Evidentiary hearings are in person unless the court grants remote appearance. Official Locations (checked 2026-09-12): clerk window Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–noon and 1:00–4:00 p.m. Telephone hours 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Criminal division when you call: 9:00 a.m.–noon and 1:00–4:00 p.m., have the case number. Fax (530) 289-0205. superiorcourt@sierracourt.org. Mailing P.O. Box 476.
One courthouse: 100 Courthouse Square, Second Floor. Same square as the Sheriff 1st Floor and this holding facility — still not inmate visiting. Parking next to the building.
Ask at first appearance
Ask the judge at arraignment if you cannot afford an attorney.
Official JJRBG Annual Plan dated April 2, 2026 (posted on the county JJCC page): J. Lon Cooper, Public Defender, jloncooper@gmail.com, (530) 265-4565. No Downieville street office is on the county staff directory. Court Criminal page: public-defender fees are paid to the Treasurer / Tax Collector, P.O. Box 376, Downieville, (530) 289-3286 — fees, not the attorney’s office. If the person is in custody, have them call from the jail.
Probation is not parole
A probation hold can block release after bail. Chief Chuck Henson (530) 913-2164. Hours Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; closed noon–1:00 p.m. Mailing P.O. Box 67. Fax (530) 289-2821. probation@sierracounty.ca.gov. Pretrial, adult, and juvenile intake are this department.
Youth: no local juvenile hall. JJRBG plan April 2, 2026 contracts with Butte, Placer, and Tuolumne. Call (530) 289-3277. State parole is CDCR, not this department.
Auburn & Sierra GPS
CDCR Northern Region directory updated 9/11/2026 lists Auburn & Sierra GPS at 1915 Grass Valley Hwy, #500, Auburn, CA 95603 (Auburn 530-823-4188, Sierra GPS 530-823-4193). No Sierra County street parole office is published. State parole is not Sierra County Probation. Report to the office named in the release papers.
Superior Court location
Clerk window 8:00 a.m.–noon and 1:00–4:00 p.m. Pay fines at sierra.epay-it.com. 2023 Felony & Misdemeanor Bail Schedule on the Criminal page. Not inmate visiting.
Official page ↗Court parking
Official Locations page: parking located next to the building.
Official page ↗Far left (south) reserved space. Elevator at the rear (west). Press the speaker; Sheriff’s dispatcher asks name and purpose before 2nd-floor court access.
Official page ↗Public Defender
JJRBG plan April 2, 2026. Email jloncooper@gmail.com. No published Downieville street office.
Official page ↗District Attorney and Victim/Witness
Sandra A. Groven. Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; closed noon–1:00 p.m. Mailing P.O. Box 457. Fax (530) 289-2822. Not inmate visiting.
Official page ↗Sandy Marshall, smarshall@sierracounty.ca.gov. Same 2nd floor as the court.
Official page ↗Official listing prints zip 95936 on this Loyalton street — use street and city for Maps. Fax (530) 993-1667. Not 61050 Hwy 49.
Official page ↗Probation offices
Mailing P.O. Box 67. Juvenile court also lists 2nd Floor. Not Sheriff holding.
Official page ↗Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; closed noon–1:00 p.m. Mailing P.O. Box 1017. Juvenile court prints Beckwith Road. Not the Sheriff substation.
Official page ↗Related offices
Sheriff-Coroner Michael Fisher. Admin Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Mailing P.O. Box 66. Fax (530) 289-3318. Appointments for admin functions through the Executive Assistant. Loyalton Substation 61050 Hwy 49, (530) 993-4479, is not visiting.
Official page ↗Nearby CDCR parole offices, if the paperwork names one
Do not treat these as the assigned office unless the release instructions say so.
- Auburn & Sierra GPS 1915 Grass Valley Hwy, #500, Auburn, CA 95603 · (530) 823-4188 · Google Maps ↗
05 / Who to call
Sierra County Jail phone numbers.
For visiting, housing, bail, property, mail, or deposit questions, use the custody information line first.
100 Courthouse Square. Holding line. No visiting, no inmate mail.
Official Sierra inmate search.
Primary Sierra housing. 925 Maidu Avenue, Nevada City. Visiting, mail, money.
Occasional Sierra overflow. Quincy. Call before you assume they are there.
61050 Hwy 49. East of Yuba Pass. Not visiting.
Custody-status alerts after you confirm they are in custody.
100 Courthouse Square, 2nd Floor. Calendars and case questions.
J. Lon Cooper. Ask at arraignment. Have the person call from custody.
100 Courthouse Square. Not visiting.
513 Main Street, Loyalton.
No local juvenile hall. Downieville and Loyalton offices.
Common questions
Sierra County Jail FAQ.
If a rule changes, confirm with the jail or the agency that published it.
- Can I visit someone at Sierra County Jail in Downieville?
- No. Official Temporary Housing Facility page: as of March 17, 2015 there is no inmate visitation at this facility. Confirm housing on the Nevada roster. If they are at Wayne Brown, use that Jail411 handbook. If at Plumas, use that handbook.
- Where do I send mail?
- Do not send mail or packages to 100 Courthouse Square. None are accepted here. After the Nevada roster shows Wayne Brown, use the Wayne Brown handbook (Pigeonly). If they are in Quincy, use the Plumas handbook (50 Abernathy Lane).
- How do I find someone arrested in Sierra County?
- Search Nevada County Inmates in Custody at reports.nevcounty.net — that is Sierra’s official link. Or call Wayne Brown (530) 265-1291 or Sierra Sheriff (530) 289-3700. Jail411 does not host inmate names.
- How do I send money?
- Not at this Downieville door. If housed at Wayne Brown, use that handbook (TouchPay / iCare). If at Plumas, use that handbook (Access Corrections). Confirm housing first so you do not pay the wrong vendor.
- Does Sierra County have a juvenile hall?
- No. The April 2, 2026 JJRBG plan says Sierra has no in-county juvenile detention facility and contracts with Butte, Placer, and Tuolumne. Call Probation (530) 289-3277. Do not use adult Wayne Brown or Plumas vendors for a youth.
- Is 100 Courthouse Square the visitor door for Wayne Brown?
- No. Wayne Brown visiting is 925 Maidu Avenue, Nevada City. 100 Courthouse Square is Sierra Sheriff admin (1st Floor), this holding facility, the DA, Probation, and the 2nd-floor courthouse.
When you need to act
Search, pay, or read the county’s own pages.
Sierra County Jail · Downieville · Updated 2026-09-12