Inmate Belongings & Returns

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Solomon Cobb
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Inmate Belongings & Returns

Post by Solomon Cobb »

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Greetings and welcome to a collaborative release made by both the Los Santos Police Department as well as the San Andreas Department of Corrections. Very often, we from both agencies receive inquiries regarding inmate belongings and whether they are able to be returned. A misunderstanding often occurs that results in both parties feeling disappointed or unsatisfied. In this release, we will be discussing the matter of what items will be taken when one is arrested, who as well as where they are stored, how you can retrieve those items, and lastly how you can report incidents where you take losses as a result of your items being misplaced. We hope that this release is useful and informative for you.

Which items are confiscated?
When a member of the public is arrested by the LSPD, their belongings will be searched and some will be confiscated. More often than not, when an individual is serving their jail sentence at Mission Row, all of their items will be confiscated. Some exceptions may occur, primarily for perishables such as food and beverage.
In general, the items that most likely will be confiscated include:
  • Any illegal item (Unlicensed firearms, narcotics, etc.)
  • Any items usable as a weapon (Knives, crowbars, pickaxes, fishing-rods, etc.)
  • Any items usable for illicit activities (Lockpicks, bolt-cutters, etc.)
  • Clothing items usable to conceal one's identity (Masks, gloves, etc.)
  • Electronic devices excluding phones (Radios, GPS’, etc.)
For individuals serving their jail sentence at Bolingbroke Penitentiary, SADOC has separate guidelines on which items are confiscated. Correctional Officers generally split items up into categories. The items that are left on inmates are:
  • Food
  • Drinks not in glass bottles (Non-Alcoholic)
  • Pickaxes (as these can be used to earn stamps in prison)
The following items are to be taken off new individuals being brought into prison and stored into the evidence room to be returned upon release:
  • Radio
  • GPS
  • Map
  • Bags
  • Fishing rods
  • Anything overly expensive (e.g. speakers)
  • Clothing items
Anything that does not fall into the categories above is disposed of. Generally this is anything illegal/illicit and any weaponry.

Who stores the items?
Whether an individual is serving their sentence at Mission Row or Bolingbroke Penitentiary depends on the length of their jail sentence. An individual serving a jail sentence of less than 1 month and 15 days ((45 minutes)) will serve their sentence at Mission Row. Common charges that call for a jailing in Mission Row include Reckless Operation of a Road or Marine Vehicle, Failure to Comply / Identify, and Assault. However, for sentences over 1 month and 15 days, the individual must be brought to the custody of SADOC and serve their sentence at Bolingbroke Penitentiary. Common charges that call for a imprisonment at Bolingbroke Penitentiary are Felony Evading, Murder, and Armed Robbery.

Once an individual is brought to Bolingbroke Penitentiary and custody is transferred over to SADOC, their (returnable) belongings will be handed over to SADOC as well. However, at times when there are no available Correctional Officers to process individuals, the LSPD will have to process them themselves. Because of this, sometimes an individual serving time at Bolingbroke will still have their items in the possession of the LSPD. Be sure to take note of who moves you through processing at the prison so you know who has your items.

If you are being taken to Bolingbroke Penitentiary, you can make a request to the arresting Police Officer to hand over any items they may have taken as a simple reminder to ensure your items get passed along to the processing Correctional Officer.

Where are the items stored?
Once items are confiscated by the LSPD or SADOC, they must be divided into two categories. Items such as firearms, knives, or anything usable as a weapon will not be returned. The same is also relevant for items usable for illicit activities, such as lockpicks or bolt-cutters; they will not be returned. Items that fall under this first category will be logged into the respective evidence lockups and destroyed.

Items such as GPS', radios, and fishing rods that are confiscated, be it by the LSPD or SADOC, will be returnable. These items will be stored at either the evidence locker in Mission Row, where a Police Officer will be able to return the items to their rightful owner should they ask for it, or stored at the evidence locker in Bolingbroke Penitentiary, where a Correctional Officer will be able to return them to their rightful owner should they as for it.

How do I retrieve my items?
Should you wish to retrieve your confiscated belongings, you must first know where the items are stored. If you served your sentence at Mission Row, then your items will be in the custody of the LSPD. If you served your sentence at Bolingbroke Penitentiary, then your items will be in the custody of either the LSPD or SADOC, depending on which agency processed you. Keep in mind that whether a Police Officer or a Correctional Officer processed you, as it will make it easier to determine who currently has your confiscated belongings.

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If you would like to retrieve any items confiscated by the Los Santos Police Department during your arrest, you must first make your way to the Mission Row Precinct. Once arriving at the precinct, make your way to the front desk and ask for assistance. Should there be multiple people requesting assistance, please remain patient and wait for your turn in an orderly line. Once you receive assistance, mention that you would like to retrieve your belongings and kindly provide your identification to the assisting officer. The officer will then attempt to locate your confiscated belongings and return them to you.

Should you be released from Bolingbroke Penitentiary, you will be released through the main lobby door, which conveniently happens to be where you can acquire your belongings stored by the SADOC. Your phone and clothing you were wearing will be handed back upon regular release. To retrieve the rest of your items, you will need to ring the bell at the front desk highlighted below to alert a guard of your presence.

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Keep in mind that a guard might not get there immediately as they could be dealing with an ongoing situation but patience is a key factor in getting your items back. A lot of the time there should be an officer stationed at the front desk ready to assist you. In order to receive further help with an inquiry, you need to be prepared to show your license as proof. An officer reserves the right to not help you if you are causing trouble and/or being purposefully difficult, but they are there to help you at the end of the day so keeping things respectful will be appreciated. An officer will compare the name on your license against internal processing records and head through the back door to retrieve your items. Upon return they will direct you to the side door to retrieve the items. If you find things do not match up as expected, see the below section on what to do.

Furthermore, it should be noted that under no circumstances should you use a government hotline (such as 911) to request for assistance with returning your items. If there are no officers available to assist you at the Mission Row front desk then you can either wait there or return at a later time. The same is true for Correctional Officers being unavailable to return your items at Bolingbroke Penitentiary. The LSPD is also unable to assist you in returning items that SADOC currently store, as we do not have access to their storage rooms.

Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a list of some frequently asked questions regarding the topic as well as their answers:
1. Do I have to pay a fee in order to receive my items back?
  • No. Unlike the impound lot, having your items returned will be free of charge.
2. Will I have my mask returned to me?
  • No. Unfortunately both the LSPD and SADOC will not be returning masks, both for hygienic reasons as well as legal reasons.
3. My confiscated items were not able to be returned after requesting it.
  • Sometimes, unfortunate circumstances occur that result in the misplacement/loss of your personal belongings. It is often out of the San Andreas Department of Corrections or Los Santos Police Department’s control as we try our best to return any items we confiscated. Should you feel the need to, you are able to file an Internal Affairs complaint regarding the loss of your items and possibly receive compensation for your losses. More information regarding Internal Affairs complaints of each department is available below.
  • In the SADOC Internal Affairs section of the government website, there is a 'Small Claims Form' that is specifically created for the purpose of misprocessed items. The more detail you can put in here the better as we can then track down the officer who processed you and ensure it does not happen again.
4. I was arrested by the Los Santos County Sheriff’s Department and they took my belongings, can I retrieve it from Mission Row or Bolingbroke Penitentiary?
  • Yes. If you were arrested by the Los Santos County Sheriff’s Department, you will be able to retrieve your belongings at Mission Row. However, if you were serving your jail time at Bolingbroke Penitentiary, it is possible that the San Andreas Department of Corrections is in possession of your items depending on which agency processed you. That being said, we encourage you to reach out directly to the Los Santos County Sheriff’s Department if they were the arresting agency.
5. I’ve been waiting for quite some time and no officers have come to the front desk. Can I call for one using 911?
  • No. You should never use 911 which is an emergency hotline for something other than its intended purpose. Continuous misuse of government hotlines may lead to criminal charges.
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Thank you for reading this collaborative release by the Media Relations Division of the Los Santos Police Department and the Public Relations Division of the San Andreas Department of Corrections. With this we hope that both our agencies continue in our mutually beneficial relationship as well as strengthen our bond and cooperation. If you still have any more questions, feel free to submit them using the address listed at the bottom of the release.

If you feel that you have been a victim of misconduct by either the Los Santos Police Department or the San Andreas Department of Corrections, you are able to file an Internal Affairs report to the respective agencies Internal Affairs Division.

Contact Los Santos Police Department's Internal Affairs Division:
[email protected]

Contact San Andreas Department of Corrections' Internal Affairs Division
[email protected]

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Written by:
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Commander Solomon Cobb, Head of Public Relations & Commander of Special Divisions
San Andreas Department of Corrections Public Relations
[email protected]

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Police Officer II Charlemagne Coyer, Media Liaison
Media Relations Division, Los Santos Police Department
[email protected]

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Contact San Andreas Department of Corrections Public Relations Division:
[email protected]

Contact Los Santos Police Department's Media Relations Division:
[email protected]

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