Maricopa County, Arizona, has a population of 4.5 million people and due to this large of a population there are five different jails that someone can be booked in. This makes locating a loved one and posting their bond somewhat tricky as they can be in any of the five jails. If your loved one has been arrested in Maricopa County, the following information will explain how to locate them where to go if you are posting their bond and other important information regarding inmates in Maricopa County jails.
What Jails are in Maricopa County?
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office operates each of the five jails in Maricopa:
Fourth Avenue Jail
The fourth avenue jail is Maricopa County’s highest security jail, it has 2,064 beds and an average of 263 individuals are booked here each day. The fourth avenue jail was created to house the highest security level inmates but even though it is meant for high security inmates, all individuals arrested in Maricopa County are booked here and then depending on the severity of their crime can remain there or are transferred to another jail.
remain there or are transferred to another jail or released depending on the severity of what they were charged with.
Address: 201 South 4th Ave, Phoenix, Arizona 85003
Phone Number:Â (602) 876-0322.
Durango Jail
The Durango jail is an all-male, minimum security, inmate facility that houses approximately 1,500 inmates who have been arrested for minor crimes or are currently enrolled in the ALPHA (substance abuse) program.
Address: 3225 West Gibson Lane, Phoenix, Arizona 85009
Phone Number:Â (602) 876-0322.
Estrella Jail
The Estrella Jail is an all-female inmate facility with an inmate capacity of 1,380. The Estrella Jail also has a special program for mentally ill inmates that is overseen by Correctional Health Services, which is a separate company that works together with the Maricopa Sheriff’s Office.
Address: 2939 W. Durango Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85009
Phone number: (602) 876-0322.
Lower Buckeye Jail
The Lower Buckeye Jail is Arizona’s largest detention center and it is an all male jail with an inmate capacity of 2,382. This jail houses all types of male inmates as well as it houses all classes of remanded juveniles.
Address: 3250 W. Lower Buckeye Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85009
Phone Number: (602) 876-0322.
The Towers Jail
The Towers Jail is an all male jail that houses up to 1,080 inmates who are considered to be either minimum and medium security.
Address: 3127 West Gibson Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85009
Phone Number: (602) 876-0322
How to Post Bond
It does not matter which jail your loved one was booked in when it comes to paying a bond to get them released as all bond payments and fines are only processed at the Fourth Avenue Jail. This means that if your loved one is being held in any jail other than the Fourth Avenue Jail, you cannot show up at the jail they are in to pay their bond, instead you must go to the Fourth Avenue Jail.
When you arrive at the Fourth Avenue Jail, head over to the Bond and Fine Room located on the northwest corner of the first floor. Once you reach the Bond and Fine room to pay a bond, you will need the inmate’s booking number or their full name and date of birth. When paying a bond, the Sheriffs’ office only accepts full payments and they will not accept partial payment. If you cannot afford the full bond amount, a bail bondsman may be able to assist you.
How to Find Out Which Jail an Inmate is In
The easiest way to find out which jail an inmate is in, is to visit the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office inmate information webpage. Once you are on the webpage, you can search for an inmate by using their booking number or the name and date of birth, but it should be noted that inmates booking information must be fully imputed before they will appear in the system.
If the inmate you are looking for was arrested in the last few hours, it is possible that they have not been booked and processed therefore they will not appear in the system. If this is the case, you may have to wait a few hours for the inmate to be processed and for the jail directory to be updated.
What if Someone is Arrested on a Weekend?
Under normal circumstances, people who are arrested for felonies or serious misdemeanor offenses will appear before a judge for their initial appearance within 24 hours of their booking and the Judge advises the individual of their charges and bond amount. This process does not occur on the weekends.
Those who are arrested for felonies or serious misdemeanor offenses on a weekend will have to wait until court is open again on Monday. This means if you are arrested on a Friday evening, you will most likely have to spend the weekend in jail until you have an opportunity to appear in front of a judge on Monday when the court opens back up.
Jail Visitation
Due to the coronavirus, at this time visitations are only occurring through video chat and can occur in two ways:
- Remote Visits: Family members and friends can conduct a video call over the internet with an inmate for 20 minutes and it costs $7.99 per call
- On-Site Visits: Lower Buckeye and Fourth Avenue Jail have video kiosks that are available by appointment and can be used for video chatting with an inmate for 20 minutes
*All calls with an inmate, except when speaking with their attorney are recorded and can be used by the prosecution, so inmates and those who speak with them should avoid talking about their case.
Why You Need an Attorney
Whether you are in front of a judge or being questioned by the police, it is important to protect yourself against self-incrimination by not answering questions that you do not have to answer. In order to protect yourself, be polite when speaking with a police officer or a judge and answer any questions regarding your name and any contact information, but after that express your desire to have a lawyer and that you will not answer any questions without a lawyer present.
Having an experienced criminal defense attorney assist you with your case can be extremely beneficial as experienced lawyers know how to create a defense that will assist you with obtaining reduced penalties, dismissed charges and the best legal results possible.
Call the JacksonWhite Criminal Law team at (480) 467-4370 to discuss your case today.
