East Mesa Reentry Facility

Located in Otay Mesa, the East Mesa Reentry Facility (EMRF) was initially constructed as a probation camp in collaboration with the George F. Bailey Detention Facility. It was transferred to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department in 1991. In 2014, the facility underwent an expansion project and a name change, now reflecting its new role in the Detention Services Bureau—operating reentry services for the Sheriff’s Department.

EMRF, classified as a Type II medium-security facility, occupies eight acres in south San Diego County. It comprises six housing dormitories, recreational spaces, a mess hall, multiple classrooms, and counselor, medical, probation, and administrative offices. The landscape and surrounding grounds are meticulously maintained by incarcerated workers participating in the Landscaping Program. Assigned individuals at EMRF enjoy benefits such as work opportunities, educational incentives, and the chance to acquire job skills facilitated by the lower classification levels of the incarcerated population at this facility.