Matagorda County Jail

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The Matagorda County Jail is located at 2323 Avenue E in Bay City, TX and is a medium security county jail operated by the Matagorda County Sheriff’s Department.

This guide tells you information about anything related to the Matagorda County Jail, like how to locate an inmate, the jail’s address and phone number, intake procedures, how to find Matagorda County court records, and much, much more.

Top 10 Searches for Matagorda County Jail

1. Matagorda County Jail Information
2. Matagorda County Jail Inmate Search
3. Matagorda County Inmate Search in Bay City, TX
4. Matagorda County Jail Visitation Rules
5. Matagorda County Jail Visitation Hours
6. How To Save Money on Inmate Calls at Matagorda County Jail
7. How to Send Inmate Care Packages to Matagorda County Jail
8. What is Inmate Commissary?
9. How to Send Money to an Inmate at Matagorda County Jail
10. How to Search Matagorda County Arrest Records

Introduction

This guide is meant to give you all the advice and information that you’ll need to make getting locked up easier. If you have specific questions, just ask it, and any feedback or comments that could help others will be much appreciated.

Matagorda County Jail Inmate Search

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Who’s In Jail

The Matagorda County Jail Inmate Locator has information about people currently in custody, including custody status, and times the inmate can have visitors. Also, you are able to find info about anybody arrested and processed or discharged within the last 24 hours. Inmates are listed alphabetically by last name. You will be able to locate their inmate information quicker if you enter your friend or family member’s full name, birth date, or arrest number.

Matagorda County Jail Policies and Procedures

Intake Procedures

The intake procedure at the Matagorda County Jail includes each of these steps:

You will be placed in a holding cell. If the jail is busy, you will have to wait a while to get processed.

First you must answer a bunch of questions, like your full legal name, address, birthdate and a contact person, and they’ll also ask you about your medical and psychological history. Next, you will be issued an inmate ID number and your fingerprints will be taken. Then, all personal property will get taken away from you and stored until you get released.

You will be allowed to use the phone to talk to family, friends, or loved one.

If you are expected to be released shortly, you might be able to keep wearing street clothes, otherwise you you will be given a jail uniform – the jumpsuit.

Discharge Procedures

Once bail has been posted, you will be discharged from jail. Getting discharged from jail can take from 10 minutes to hours or even all day long. In other words the faster you can post bail, the sooner you will be freed. How quickly you get discharged can depend on whether you’ve got a cash bond or if a magistrate needs to figure out your bail amount. For a minor charge, you will get booked and released on your own recognizance. If you have served a sentence in jail and know the date of your release, you should plan to get released between 9am and noon.

Matagorda County Jail Visitation

In order to have visitors, inmates need to give information about each visitor to the Matagorda County Jail before you can visit. Your visitor’s names will be entered into a Visiting log as an authorized visitor. All visitors has to provide a photo ID when visiting. Visitors that arrives for visitation late or that does not have a visting order will not be allowed to attend visitation.

The Matagorda County Jail visitation procedures can change, so it would be wise to call the official Matagorda County Jail at (979) 245-5526 before you go.

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Visitation Rules

Before you can visit someone at the Matagorda County Jail you have to have your name on their visitation list.

Make sure to bring your valid driver’s license or government issued ID with you to visitation because you will not be allowed to enter without it.

No mobile phones at Matagorda County Jail, and you will be searched. Personal belongings are not allowed. Anybody probation, parole, or other community corrections supervision must obtain the permission of both the superintendent and their individual supervising officer before they can visit. Usually is not approved.

If the visitor is under the age of 18 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 a visitor is younger than 18 years old and is not related to the inmate, this 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 Matagorda County Jail. Incoming and outgoing inmate mail at the Matagorda 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 Matagorda 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 Matagorda 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 have an outstanding warrant, you are able to check the arrest warrants on the website or call the jail directly. You have to have their first and last name. Or, you can just go the jail in person and ask the officer in charge. You should be clear that if you do have an outstanding warrant, they will take you into custody immediately.

Arrest Record Search

If you know the person’s first and last name, as well as the date of their arrest, contact the Matagorda County jail, either by phone, go there in person, or check online. An arrest is in the public record and these records are accessible to anyone.

Court Records

Court Records are public records and available to anyone. They include a court case file that includes a docket sheet and any of the documents filed in the court case. You are able to access your court records on the website, or at the Matagorda County Clerk of Court office where the case was filed.

Criminal Records

Every state maintains a record of a person’s criminal past. These online databases are linked together so you are able to track criminal backgrounds from another state. You are able to go to courthouse and inquire, or check the website. It is helpful to know the county the crime was committed in, and if it was in a totally different state, you might have to pay a fee for a more complete search.

When you look up someone’s criminal record you will find out if a person has ever been arrested, charged or convicted for crimes, which include, drug crimes like possession or trafficking, kidnapping, rape or other sexual assault, violent crimes, or property crimes like theft or larceny.

Money & Commissary

The process for sending funds to someone in jail are always changing, so we suggest that you double check the Matagorda County Jail site before you send money to an inmate there.

How To Send Money to an Inmate at Matagorda 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 Matagorda County Jail uses changes frequently, so it is best to call them at (979) 245-5526 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 Matagorda County Jail store. You can buy a number of things here, like toiletries, snacks and writing supplies. Bear in mind that you will most likely need to use the commissary on a daily basis, and any infractions will cause you to lose commissary privileges.

The Commissary will sell an assortment of different items that the inmate can purchase if they have money in their account. These products include clothes, shoes, small snacks and other food items, in addition to personal hygiene products like 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

The only phone calls that Matagorda County Jail inmates are allowed to make are with a pre-paid phone card or account, or are collect calls . Phone calls made in jail are much more costly than phone calls made outside of jail. There is no limit to how often you can use the phone, but inmates must keep in mind that a long line can form at the phones, because everyone wants to use the phone, too. If you are disciplined for an infraction, your ability to use the phone may be limited or totally denied.

The Matagorda County Jail phone number is: (979) 245-5526

How To Save Money on Inmate Calls

Correctional facility phone service providers have exclusive contracts at each facility that they are the exclusive phone provider for, which means that they they control how much it costs to make phone calls. The profits these phone service providers make off of all of the phone calls that inmates make are split 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 Matagorda County Jail. The rates are posted and there are at least two types of 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 the other correctional facilities like state prisons, and local and county jails learning how to decrease your inmates phone charges is more difficult. ArrestedResources.com is an expert in keeping up 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 inmate phone calls. In some cases, we won’t be able to save you money on your inmate calls, and in these cases we will not offer you an inmate calling number. In cases like this, the jail has set their phone call rates in a way that nobody can save you money.

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

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