Earlier this month, FilmL.A. announced via Production Alert that the Lincoln Heights Jail was again open for filming. The largely-abandoned property, which is still the present-day home of the Bilingual Foundation for the Arts, originally served as a City correctional facility from the early 1930’s through 1950’s.
At one time, the jail was considered a model correctional facility, housing up to 2,800 prisoners. Mothballed in 1965, the property went through a series of adaptive uses (including moviemaking) until it was closed to all filming by the City in May, 2010.
Aware of the value an unused jail facility creates for filmmakers, FilmL.A. began extensive negotiations with the City’s General Services Department. Last year, FilmL.A. went so far as to cover the cost of comprehensive cleaning and rubbish removal at the facility, in hope that the jail could soon reopen for filmmakers.
And now, with the conditional return of filming at the jail, a variety of unique (and relatively low-cost) looks are once again available to filmmakers.
Special Conditions for filming at the jail do apply, so please bear these in mind as you peruse the property on LocoScout.