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Sierra County jail information.
California. By facility.

Do not drive to 100 Courthouse Square in Downieville for a visit or to drop mail. Official Temporary Housing Facility page (checked 2026-09-12): as of March 17, 2015 there is no inmate visitation and no mail or packages here. Search the Nevada County Inmates in Custody roster first, then use the Wayne Brown (Nevada City) or Plumas (Quincy) Jail411 handbook for the door that actually houses the person.

All California counties Facility information, not live custody records.
Local adult custody

Sierra County Jail (Temporary Housing Facility)

100 Courthouse Square
Downieville, CA 95936
Call the jail
(530) 289-3700
Location
Downieville, CA
Open the facility guide Directions

Housing and release status change. Confirm the person is still here before driving, mailing or depositing money.

Temporary holding in Downieville. Housing is primarily Wayne Brown.

The Downieville door is a Temporary Housing Facility, not a visiting jail. Confirm custody on the Nevada roster, then open the Wayne Brown or Plumas handbook for visit, mail, and money.

Sheriff and police in Sierra County

4 listed agencies. The arresting agency is usually not the holding facility.

Sierra County Sheriffs Department / Sierra County Jail

Sheriff's office
100 Courthouse Square
Downieville, CA 95936
Directions
Non-emergency(530) 289-3700

Sierra Valley Police

City police

Sierra Valley Police Substation

City police
61050 State Highway 49
Loyalton, CA 96118
Directions
Public line(530) 993-4479

Family next steps

Find the person. Then use the right handbook.

Stay on Jail411 for which door, visit, mail, money, court, and probation. The Nevada roster is the official live search. Wayne Brown and Plumas own visiting and mail once you know which jail has the person.
01

Confirm adult custody

Official Sierra instruction: search Nevada County Inmates in Custody. Or call Wayne Brown (530) 265-1291 or Sierra Sheriff (530) 289-3700. Jail411 does not host inmate names.

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02

No visiting at Downieville

Temporary Housing Facility: no inmate visitation at 100 Courthouse Square. Do not drive here for a visit.

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03

Wayne Brown visiting (primary housing)

If the Nevada roster shows Wayne Brown: appointment visiting at 925 Maidu Avenue, Nevada City. The incarcerated person books it. Not Downieville.

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04

Wayne Brown mail and money

If housed at Wayne Brown: Pigeonly mail code 2100 and TouchPay / iCare money are on that handbook. Do not mail or drop packages at Downieville.

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05

Occasional Plumas housing

If the person is in Quincy: appointment visiting, mail to 50 Abernathy Lane, Access Corrections. Call Plumas (530) 283-6267. Not Wayne Brown vendors.

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06

Look up a court hearing

Sierra Superior Court published calendars. Clerk (530) 289-3698. If you do not see the case, call. Zoom: email superiorcourt@sierracourt.org at least 10 days prior.

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07

Which courthouse?

One courthouse: 100 Courthouse Square, Second Floor, Downieville. Clerk window 8:00 a.m.–noon and 1:00–4:00 p.m. Jail visiting is not this door.

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08

Youth detention (no Sierra hall)

No local juvenile hall. Contracts with Butte, Placer, and Tuolumne. Call Sierra Probation (530) 289-3277. Do not use adult-jail mail or money.

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Other custody and specialized locations

Where Sierra people are actually housed

Official Sierra instruction: housed primarily at Wayne Brown in Nevada City, occasionally at Plumas County Jail in Quincy. Youth detention is contracted out — Sierra has no local juvenile hall.
County Jail

Wayne Brown Correctional Facility

Official Sierra Temporary Housing Facility page (checked 2026-09-12): Sierra inmates are housed primarily here in Nevada City. Sierra’s official inmate-search link is the Nevada County Inmates in Custody roster. Visiting, Pigeonly mail (code 2100), TouchPay / iCare money, Telmate phones, and GettingOut video live on the Wayne Brown Jail411 handbook — not at 100 Courthouse Square. Jail line (530) 265-1291. Door is 925 Maidu Avenue, not Sheriff HQ at 950 Maidu Avenue Suite 280.

925 Maidu Avenue, Nevada City, CA 95959
County Jail

Plumas County Correctional Facility

Official Sierra Temporary Housing Facility page (checked 2026-09-12): Sierra inmates are housed occasionally at the Plumas County Jail in Quincy. Confirm on the Nevada roster first; if the person is not at Wayne Brown, call Plumas (530) 283-6267. Visiting by appointment, mail to 50 Abernathy Lane, Access Corrections, and NCIC video live on the Plumas Jail411 handbook — not at 100 Courthouse Square, and not Wayne Brown’s Pigeonly / TouchPay rules.

56 Abernethy Lane, Quincy, CA 95971
Juvenile

Youth detention (no Sierra juvenile hall)

Official JJRBG Annual Plan dated April 2, 2026 (posted on sierracounty.ca.gov, checked 2026-09-12): Sierra County does not have an in-county juvenile detention facility of any sort. The county contracts with juvenile detention centers in Butte, Placer, and Tuolumne Counties. Call Sierra County Probation (530) 289-3277 to confirm where a specific youth is held. Juvenile Justice Court contact is the same Probation number. Do not use Wayne Brown visiting, Pigeonly, TouchPay, GettingOut, or Plumas Access Corrections for a youth.

100 Courthouse Square, Downieville, CA 95936
  • Adult custody: official Sierra search is the Nevada County Inmates in Custody roster. Sierra Superior Court Criminal page also points families to Wayne Brown (530) 265-1291. Jail411 does not host inmate names.
  • Downieville 100 Courthouse Square is temporary holding only — no visiting, no mail, no packages. Sheriff admin is 1st Floor, same square, (530) 289-3700, Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Courthouse clerk is 2nd Floor. Do not mix those doors with Wayne Brown at 925 Maidu Avenue.
  • Primary housing is Wayne Brown Correctional Facility, Nevada City. Occasional overflow is Plumas County Correctional Facility, Quincy. Use the matching Jail411 handbook after you confirm which jail has the person.
  • Youth: Sierra has no local juvenile hall. JJRBG plan (April 2, 2026) names contracts with Butte, Placer, and Tuolumne. Call Probation (530) 289-3277.

Court, counsel and supervision

Court, defense, prosecution and probation contacts.

The jail, court, District Attorney, Public Defender and Probation Department handle different parts of a case. Use the office named on the case or release paperwork.

Superior Court

Sierra County Superior Court

Official location (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. Fax (530) 289-0205. superiorcourt@sierracourt.org. Mailing P.O. Box 476. Presiding Judge Charles H. Ervin; Assistant Presiding Judge John “Jason” LaChance; CEO Shannon Pedotti. Criminal division phone hours 9:00 a.m.–noon and 1:00–4:00 p.m. Pay fines at sierra.epay-it.com. Parking next to the building. ADA: south-side reserved space; elevator at the rear (west) — press the speaker; Sheriff’s dispatcher asks name and purpose before 2nd-floor access. This is not jail visiting.

100 Courthouse Square, Second Floor, Downieville, CA 95936

Court parking and access

Lot next to the courthouse

Official Locations page: parking located next to the building at 100 Courthouse Square.

ADA parking and elevator

Far left (south side) reserved ADA space. Elevator at the rear (west side). Press the speaker; Sheriff’s dispatcher will ask your name and purpose before allowing 2nd-floor court access. Staff then accompany you.

Public defense and appointed counsel

Appointed public defender (J. Lon Cooper)

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) lists J. Lon Cooper, Public Defender, jloncooper@gmail.com, (530) 265-4565. No Downieville street office is published on the county staff directory. Sierra Superior Court Criminal page: public-defender fees are collected by the Treasurer / Tax Collector, P.O. Box 376, Downieville, (530) 289-3286 — that is fees, not the attorney’s office.

Ask at first appearance, 100 Courthouse Square, Second Floor, Downieville, CA 95936

District Attorney

Sierra County District Attorney

District Attorney Sandra A. Groven. Directory (checked 2026-09-12): 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. sgroven@sierracounty.ca.gov. Same square as the Sheriff and the court — not Wayne Brown visiting.

100 Courthouse Square, Downieville, CA 95936

Victim / Witness Assistance — Downieville

Coordinator Sandy Marshall, smarshall@sierracounty.ca.gov. Same 2nd floor as the court, different program. Mailing P.O. Box 457. Fax (530) 289-2822. Not jail visiting.

100 Courthouse Square, 2nd Floor, Downieville, CA 95936

Victim / Witness Assistance — Loyalton

Official Victim/Witness page and directory (checked 2026-09-12): 513 Main Street, Loyalton. Phone (530) 993-4617. Fax (530) 993-1667. Mailing P.O. Box 457, Downieville. The directory listing prints zip 95936 (Downieville’s zip) on this Loyalton street — use the street and city for Maps. Not the Sheriff Loyalton substation at 61050 Hwy 49.

513 Main Street, Loyalton, CA

Probation

Sierra County Probation — Downieville

Chief Probation Officer Chuck Henson (530) 913-2164. Department 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. Juvenile Justice Court also lists this door on the 2nd Floor. A probation hold can block release after bail. Not the Sheriff holding cells and not Wayne Brown. The Downieville Office subdirectory listing prints zip 95636; the parent Probation listing and mailing use 95936.

100 Courthouse Square, Downieville, CA 95936

Sierra County Probation — Loyalton

Official Loyalton Office directory (checked 2026-09-12): Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; closed noon–1:00 p.m. Mailing P.O. Box 1017. Fax (530) 993-1922. Juvenile Justice Court prints this door as 105 Beckwith Road. Not the Sheriff Loyalton substation at 61050 Hwy 49. Not a juvenile hall.

105 Beckwith Street, Loyalton, CA 96118

Parole, records and family support

Sierra County Sheriff’s Office — Downieville

Sheriff-Coroner Michael Fisher. Directory (checked 2026-09-12): mailing P.O. Box 66. Admin hours Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Fax (530) 289-3318. Emergencies 911. This is Sheriff admin, not Wayne Brown visiting. Temporary holding is the same square — no visits, no mail.

100 Courthouse Square, 1st Floor, Downieville, CA 95936

Sheriff — Loyalton Substation

Official Loyalton Substation page (checked 2026-09-12): serves deputies on duty east of the Yuba Pass. All administrative duties go through Downieville. Emergencies 911. Not a visiting jail and not inmate mail.

61050 Hwy 49, Loyalton, CA 96118

California Highway Patrol — Quincy (165)

Official CHP Quincy page: responsible for traffic enforcement for most of Plumas and Sierra Counties. CHP arrestees booked into Sierra County custody follow the Sierra/Nevada housing path — confirm on the Nevada roster. Not a jail roster.

86 W. Main Street, Quincy, CA 95971

CDCR parole — Auburn & Sierra GPS

State parole, not county probation. CDCR Northern Region directory updated 9/11/2026 lists Auburn & Sierra GPS (Auburn 530-823-4188, Sierra GPS 530-823-4193). No Sierra County street parole office is published. Report to the office named in the release papers.

1915 Grass Valley Hwy, #500, Auburn, CA 95603

Sources and review

Official information for Sierra County.

County, custody, court, defense, prosecution, probation, youth-custody and family-task details were assembled from the official sources listed below. Housing, schedules and vendor rules can change; confirm time-sensitive details before traveling, mailing or paying.Source set reviewed .

Practical information.
Before you visit, call or send.

Start with the general process. Then use the Sierra County Jail (Temporary Housing Facility) guide for the local details available there.

Visiting

Schedules, visitor approval, identification and arrival.

Read the guide

Phone calls

Calling accounts, approved providers and connection issues.

Read the guide

Mail & photos

Mailing addresses, permitted contents and delivery rules.

Read the guide

Money & commissary

Deposit methods, account types and fees to check.

Read the guide

Different custody systems.
Different places to start.

A Sierra County arrest usually means the county jail. A state sentence, a federal case or an immigration hold means a different system with its own locator and rules.

Understand jail and prison differences

Clear information.
Clear boundaries.

Jail411 is an independent information resource for families and friends. We are not a government agency, jail operator, law firm or live custody-records service.

Is there a Sierra County inmate search?

Sierra’s official Temporary Housing Facility page tells families to search Nevada County inmates in custody at reports.nevcounty.net. The Superior Court Criminal page also points to Wayne Brown (530) 265-1291. Jail411 does not host inmate names.

Can I visit at the Downieville jail?

No. As of March 17, 2015 there is no inmate visitation at the Temporary Housing Facility. If the person is at Wayne Brown, use that Jail411 handbook. If at Plumas, use the Plumas handbook.

Where do I send mail?

Not to 100 Courthouse Square. No mail or packages are accepted there. Confirm housing on the Nevada roster, then use the Wayne Brown or Plumas handbook for that jail’s mail address.

Does Sierra 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.

How do I find someone in Sierra County custody?

Start with the official Nevada County Sheriff — Inmates in Custody (Sierra official search) linked on this page. Confirm the booked name, identifier and current facility before using visiting, mail or money instructions. If the record is unclear, call (530) 289-3700.

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Practical guides for calls, visits, mail, money and release.

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Jail411 source information preserved on 2026-09-25.Official sources appear alongside the relevant information.