Hamilton County Jail

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The Hamilton County Jail is located at 601 Walnut Street in Chattanooga, TN and is a medium security county jail operated by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department.

This site will tell you all the information about everything you might need to know about the Hamilton County Jail, like how to locate an inmate at the Hamilton County Jail, the jail’s address and phone number, intake procedures, how to find Hamilton County court records, and much more.

Top 10 Searches for Hamilton County Jail

1. Hamilton County Jail Information
2. Hamilton County Jail Inmate Search
3. Hamilton County Inmate Search in Chattanooga, TN
4. What Are the Visitation Rules for Hamilton County Jail
5. What Are the Visitation Hours for Hamilton County Jail
6. Discount Hamilton County Jail Inmate Calls
7. Hamilton County Jail Care Packages
8. What is Inmate Commissary?
9. How to Send Money to an Inmate at Hamilton County Jail
10. How to Search Hamilton County Arrest Records

Introduction

This guide is meant to give you information that you’ll need to make the process a lot easier. If you have specific questions, please feel free to ask it, and please leave any comments or feedback that could be beneficial to other people in the same situation will be appreciated.

Hamilton County Jail Inmate Search

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Who’s In Jail

The Hamilton County Jail Inmate List is a list of people who have been arrested and are in jail, which includes status, and times the inmate can have visitors. You can find the same information about anybody processed or discharged within the past 24 hours. Prisoners are listed in alphabetical order by last name. You will be able to locate the information fast if you’ve got your friend or family member’s first and last name, date of birth, or inmate ID.

Hamilton County Jail Policies and Procedures

Intake Procedures

The jail intake process at the Hamilton County Jail takes you through each of these steps:

They’ll put you in a holding cell. If there are a lot of arrests, you will have to wait a while to get processed.

The first step is that you must answer some basic questions, such as what is your full name, home address, date of birth and an emergency contact, and they’ll also ask you about your medical and mental history. Next, you’ll be given an inmate number and you will get fingerprinted. Then, all of your personal property will be taken from you and will be stored until you are released.

They will let you use the telephone to talk to family, friends, or loved one.

If you are expected to be released shortly, they will let you skip the jumpsuit and keep wearing your own clothes, otherwise you you will have to wear a jumpsuit.

Discharge Procedures

Once bail has been posted, you will be allowed to leave jail. Getting discharged from jail may take anywhere from 15 minutes to all day long. Or, simply, the faster you can pay your bail, the faster you will get let go. How quickly you get discharged will depend on whether or not you have a cash bond amount or if the judge has to determine your bail amount. For a minor offense, you will simply be booked and get released without having to post bail. When you have served your sentence and are given a release date, you should expect to get released at any time that day – but usually in the morning.

Hamilton County Jail Visitation

To have visitors, you have to list each visitor’s full name to the Hamilton County Jail in advance of any visit. Your visitor’s names will be put in the log as an approved visitor. Each visitor is required to provide a photo ID when visiting. Anyone showing up late or that does not have a visting order will not be able to attend visitation.

Jail visitation policies can change, so call the facility at (423) 209-7055 before you go to the jail to visit.

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Visitation Rules

In order to visit an inmate at the Hamilton County Jail you have to be added to their visitation list.

Be sure to take your valid driver’s license or government issued ID when you go to visitation or you will not be allowed to enter without it.

No mobile phones at Hamilton County Jail, and you will be searched before you can visit. No personal belongings. Anybody parole, probation, or other corrections supervision must get the permission of both the superintendent and their individual supervising officer prior to a visit. Usually is not going to be approved.

If the visitor is younger than 18 years of age is related to the inmate, they must be accompanied by an adult family member or guardian to include a member of the inmate’s extended family. If the visitor is under the age of 18 and is not related to the inmate, the minor visitor must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Sending Mail to Inmates

This is what you need to know in order to send letters, photos, postcards, greeting cards and magazines to an inmate at the Hamilton County Jail. Incoming and outgoing inmate mail at the Hamilton County Jail is always searched and inspected for contraband that might threaten the security, safety or well-being of the facility, its staff, and inmates. Inmates can only receive metered, unstamped, plain white postcards no larger than 4″ x 6″ as mail. The writing on the postcard has to be in pencil or blue or black ink. If it has a stamp on it, it will get returned. If you write in green ink, then it will get returned. If you send any other kind of mail will be returned to the sender. If there is no return address on it, then the unauthorized mail will be stored in the inmate’s locker until the inmate gets release.

Do not include any of these things in the mail that you send to an inmate: any kind of threat to jail order, any description of the manufacture of weapons, bombs, incendiary devices, or tools for escape; do not encourage or advocate any kind of violence, hate speech, or racial or ethnic supremacy. Inmates are not allowed to write to other inmates.

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Sending Other Things to an Inmate

There are strict procedures that you must follow to send anything to an inmate at the Hamilton County Jail. This includes sending money for to spend in the commissary, sending regular mail or photos, sending money for phone calls, and even postcards.

This page covers everthing you need to know about the Hamilton County Jail to help you follow these procedures and guidelines. If you have questions, or there is something that you were looking for, but did not find, please contact us using the contact link in the site menu.

Public Records

Warrant Inquiry

If you believe you have an outstanding warrant, you can check court records on the Hamilton County court website or you can call the jail directly. This requires a first and last name. Or, you can just go the jail in person and ask one of the officers. Bear in mind that there is an outstanding warrant for your arrest, you should be prepared to get taken into custody immediately.

Arrest Record Search

If you know the person’s first and last name, and their arrest date, contact the Hamilton County jail, on the phone, go there in person, or look online. Records of arrests are public record and the information is accessible to anyone.

Court Records

Court Records are public records and available to anyone. These records include a case file that includes a docket sheet and all of the documents and filings filed in the case. You are able to access the court records on the website, or at Clerk of Court where the case was filed.

Criminal Records

Each and every state maintains a record of a person’s criminal background. These online databases are all connected so you are able to track criminal histories from other states. Go to courthouse and make an inquiry, or check online. You must know which county the crime occured in, and if it was in a different state, you may have to pay a fee for a more complete search.

A search of someone’s criminal history you can find out if someone has been arrested, charged, or convicted for any of the following crimes, drug crimes like possession or trafficking, kidnapping, rape or other sexual assault, violent crimes, or theft.

Money & Commissary

The process for sending funds to someone in jail at the Hamilton County Jail change frequently, so check the Hamilton County Jail website when send funds to someone in jail there.

How To Send Money to an Inmate at Hamilton County Jail

You will have your own ‘bank account’ while in jail. This money is used to purchase items from the Commissary. Family and friends can deposit money into this account for you, and any money you earn while in prison will also be deposited into your account. Outside money can be paid in to your account via a money order, cash or check. If someone sends a check or money order, make sure that they write your inmate ID on it. The maximum amount you are allowed in your account is $290 per month.

Guidelines For Sending Money To An Inmate

Before you send any money you should find out what online money transfer companies the jail your inmate is incarcerated in uses. The exact method that the Hamilton County Jail uses changes frequently, so it is best to call them at (423) 209-7055 to get the current payment method.

You may be required to be on the inmate’s visitation list in order to send them money, and be aware that they may have a limit on how much you deposit at one time, like $200-300 at a time, or a limit on how much money may be in the inmate’s account at one time.

Some of the money transfer firms being used by various facilities include JPay, MoneyGram, AccessCorrections, OffenderConnect, Touchpayonline, JailATM, WU, smartdeposit, and tigercommissary.

If an inmate has fines or are required to pay restitution then they will be subject to garnishment of their commissary/trust account. If the inmate has a garnishment, then money to pay them will be taken from the inmate’s bank account. In some cases it may be a percentage or the entire amount of the obligation, but the actual percentage depends on the circumstances. We recommend that inmates talk to the counselor at their facility and try to find out. You can also try to make an arrangement so that only a percentage of your commissary funds are taken, instead of all your funds take at one time.

Commissary

The commissary is the Hamilton County Jail store. Inmates can buy different things here, such as personal items, food, and things for writing. Keep in mind that you will most likely need to buy things from the commissary on a daily basis, and any infractions will get that privilege taken away from you.

The Commissary will sell a selection of different products that inmates can purchase if they have enough money in their trust account. These products include clothes, shoes, small snacks and other food items, in addition to hygiene products such as soap, shampoo, and disposable razors for shaving. The commissary also sells other things like books and magazines, televisions and radios, playing cards, headphones, MP3 players, and electronic tablets. They also sell everything need to write home to family, friends, and loved ones: paper, envelopes, and stamps. If an inmate is indigent and cannot afford paper and stamps, the jail will provide these things to an inmate who has not had any money in their commissary account for at least 30 days.

Phone Calls & Phone Usage Policy

Phone calls that inmates are allowed to make from the Hamilton County Jail are with a pre-paid phone card or account, or are collect calls . Calls made in jail are typically more costly than regular phone calls. There are certain restrictions about when you can make phone calls, how long you can talk, and how often you can make calls, but you should keep in mind lots of people want to use the phone – so you have to share. If you are disciplined for an infraction, an inmate’s ability to use the phone may be limited or eliminated altogether.

The Hamilton County Jail phone number is: (423) 209-7055

How To Save Money on Inmate Calls

Correctional facility phone service providers have a monopoly at every facility that they operate, which means that they they control the prices. The profits these phone service providers make from all phone calls that inmates make are shared with the facility, so there is no incentive for the jail or the counselors at the facility to show inmates or their family how to save money on inmate phone calls at the Hamilton County Jail. The prices are posted and there are at least two different prices based on where the inmate is calling. These three things will determine the cost of an inmate phone call: Where you are located; Where your inmate is located, What type of phone number you have.

For example, if your inmate is in federal prison, if you get a new local number then this will decrease your inmate’s phone call rate from $.21 per minute to only $.06 per minute.

For state prisons and local jails finding out how to lower your inmates phone charges is more difficult. ArrestedResources.com keeps up to date with all of the changes that affect your inmate’s rate and in most cases is able to offer you an inmate calling number that will save you significantly on how much it costs you to call your inmate. There are some circumstances where we will not be able to save you any money, and in these cases we will not offer you an inmate calling number. In cases like this, the jail or prison has set their inmate calling prices so high that nobody will be able to save you money.

For more detailed information on how to save on inmate calls at Hamilton County Jail, click the link below.

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