The Pinellas County Jail is a large correctional facility in Clearwater, Florida. It’s where people are held while they await trial, serve short sentences, or wait to be transferred to a state prison.
This article provides important information about the Pinellas County Jail, including how to find out who’s in jail in Pinellas County. We’ll also cover visiting hours, how to send mail, and how to find legal aid for someone who’s incarcerated.
Understanding the Pinellas County Jail System
The Pinellas County Jail is a large detention complex located in Clearwater, Florida. The Criminal Justice Center (CJC) courthouse sits right out front.
Size and scope
It’s a big operation. The jail is the 28th largest in the country, housing more than 3,000 people on any given day. The facility is accredited by national detention and inmate healthcare associations.
Divisions and bureaus
The jail is divided into operational divisions and support bureaus. These include the South Division, North Division, Central Division, and the Support and Health Services Bureau.
How to find information about inmates in Pinellas County
If you’re looking for information about someone who’s been arrested in Pinellas County, there are a couple of online tools you can use.
Online Inmate Search Tool
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has a tool that will allow you to search for current inmates. You can find it here: https://www.pinellassheriff.gov/who-is-in-jail.
With this tool, you can generally find an inmate’s booking number, criminal charges, the type of arrest, and the agency that made the arrest.
Records Request Portal
You can also try the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Records Request Portal for more information about someone who’s been incarcerated.
Note that much of this information comes from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
Visiting Procedures
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office offers video visits to those who want to connect with an inmate.
Video Visitation
If you’re interested in scheduling a video visit, you can do so up to two weeks in advance by going to https://visitation.pcsoweb.com/app.
Important Rules
- You can’t schedule a visit for the same day, but you can schedule a next-day visit until midnight.
- Visits are 40 minutes long.
Legal Assistance and Pre-Trial Release
If you’re trying to help someone who’s been arrested, you should know something about finding legal representation and understanding the concepts of bond and pre-trial release.
Contacting Legal Representation
The Sammis Law Firm (727-210-7004) can provide legal representation to people who’ve been arrested in Pinellas County. The firm can help with reducing the amount of the bond and with pre-trial release conditions.
Understanding Bond and Pre-Trial Release
Here are a couple of key concepts:
- Bond: The amount of money required for an arrested person to be released from jail while awaiting trial.
- Pre-trial release: Allows a defendant to be released from custody while awaiting trial, often with certain conditions, such as regular check-ins with court personnel or electronic monitoring.
The Bottom Line
If you need to find someone in the Pinellas County Jail, it’s important to know how to access inmate information, what the rules are for visiting, and how to get legal help if you need it.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office website is a great place to start. You can also find helpful information and resources from law firms like Sammis Law Firm if you or someone you know is involved with the Pinellas County Jail system.