Houston Police Central Jail

You can support your loved ones at Houston Police Central Jail on InmateAid, if you have any immediate questions contact the facility directly at 713-247-5400.

The Houston Police Central Jail serves as a low/medium-security city detention center located at 61 Riesner St in Houston, TX. Operated locally by the police and sheriff's departments, it houses inmates and detainees awaiting trial or sentencing. Most sentenced inmates have terms of less than two years. The facility also accepts inmates from surrounding towns and occasionally from the US Marshal's Service.

New detainees are regularly admitted to the jail, with some being released on bail or placed under pretrial services caseloads. Others may be supervised by probation agencies or released on recognizance with a court appearance agreement. Those who remain in custody await their court appearances at the facility, receiving accommodations such as bedding and meals.

For access to arrest records in Texas, you can view them here.

Houston Police Department Central City Jail - FAQ

JAIL PUBLIC INFORMATION INQUIRY

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I find a person in jail?
Click on New search . Enter the person’s name or date of birth into the appropriate boxes on the web page. If only the name is known, use that. If only the last name is known, several possibilities will appear. You can scroll through them until you find the name you are looking for.
Click on the person’s name to find out which jail that person is located. Note that person’s Arrest Number. This is the person’s ID number as they go through the Jail system. Scroll through the information to find the charge, bond, and etc.
If an arrested person is under the age of 17 years, please see How do I find a person under the age of 17? listed below.
After 24 hours from booking, the prisoner is transferred to the Harris County jail if the charge is a Class B Misdemeanor or above offense. (DWI, Aggravated Assault, Robbery, Burglary, etc.)
Once a prisoner is transferred to the Harris County Jail, they will no longer appear on this website. A time period of up to three hours may transpire before that person shows up on the Harris County Jail website. Please be patient.
Q: How do I get someone released from jail?
http://www.houstontx.gov/courts/sidebar/jail-info.html
Q: How do I post a bond?
1. Obtain the bond amount from the Jail website, in person at the Jail or the Jail Information Line. (713-247-5400 / 713-837-0311)

2. Print the page from the Jail website or write down the prisoner’s Jail location, Arrest Number, name and date of birth. Note the correct Jail (Central or Southeast).

3.Make a cash bond at the following offices or contact a Bail/Bond agency of your choice: For City of Houston municipal charges, transactions are made at the Municipal Courts Address: 1400 Lubbock Houston, TX 77002 phone: 713-837-0311. (24/7) Municipal charges only.

You can have more information about this on http://www.houstontx.gov/courts/faq/faq-bond.html

For Harris County Charges transactions are made at the Harris County Bonding Office: 49 San Jacinto Houston, TX 77002 phone: 713-755-8040. (24/7) A or B Misdemeanors or Felonies.

For warrants or detainers placed on persons from other agencies such as federal, out of state, or other county and municipalities, contact that particular agency for instructions.

4. Bring the bond papers to the appropriate jail and give them to the Jailer at the Bonding Window OR contact the Bail/Bondsman of your choice to handle the process.
Q: How do I perform a jail property release?
1. Must be done with the consent of the prisoner.
2. Recipient must bring valid identification to the appropriate Jail and be an adult over the age of 21 years.
3. All of the prisoner’s property must be released. No partial property releases.
4. May be done 24/7 but the prisoner may be busy in court. Expect to wait.
Q: What happens if the arrested person is not bonded out?
If the person is not bonded out of jail before going to court, that person will stay in jail until his or her court date. If the case is adjudicated, a fine or jail time may be imposed by the court. If a person is bonded out of jail before going to court, they will be told when to appear in court to answer the charge against them. If that person fails to appear in court after bonding out, the bond will be forfeited and a warrant for arrest will be issued by the judge. If the person is charged with a crime handled in the Harris County Court System he or she will be transferred to the Harris County Jail usually within 24 hours.
Q: How do I find a person under the age of 17?
If an arrested person is under the age of 17 years, they will not be in the City or County Jails. They will be at the Houston Police Department Juvenile Division - phone number 832-394-1828.
Q: How can a prisoner make a phone call from the Houston jail?
Telephones are available for the prisoners use. However, they do not connect directly to your home or cellular phone. When a prisoner calls a home land line phone, it is treated as a collect call and appropriate fees will be charged by the service provider. If the prisoner calls a cellular phone, an account must be set up prior to the connection going through and there will be a cost. Please refer to www.GTL.net for additional information.
Q: How do I visit someone in jail?
1. May be done 24/7 except for court and meal times. If the prisoner is a "Jail Trusty", the visit may be denied or delayed if the prisoner is on a work assignment.
2. Obtain the prisoner’s Arrest Number, name and date of birth by using this Jail website. Note the correct Jail location.
3. Go to that Jail. If the prisoner is available, a visit will be allowed.
4. The visitor must bring valid identification. A jail supervisor must review ALL requests from visitors under 17 years of age. If the visitor has a warrant for arrest, the visitor will be arrested.
5. If the visitor and the prisoner have previously been involved in an altercation or domestic violence incident, the visit will not be allowed.
Permission to gain access to the Housing Floor(s) for prisoner visitation purpose will be restricted to:
a. Immediate family members including common-law-spouses
b. Attorney(s) who represent the prisoner
c. Business associates
d. Close friends attempting to post bond for a prisoner
e. Physicians
f. Clergyman
g. Officials of police or government agencies
Q: What if the person was charge with a D.W.I. (Driving While Intoxicated) or P.I. (Public Intoxication)?
DWI or Driving while intoxicated is a higher offense than a Class C Misdemeanor. If the person does not bond out at the City jail, that person will be transferred to the Harris County jail. P.I. stands for Public Intoxication and is a Class C Misdemeanor offense (unless the person has three previous convictions for P.I.). Persons charged with P.I. will stay in the Houston City jail until bonded out, or their case is adjudicated in court, which is usually within 24 hours.
After 24 hours from booking, the prisoner is transferred to the Harris County jail if the charge is a Class B Misdemeanor or above offense. (DWI, Aggravated Assault, Robbery, Burglary, etc.)
Q. How do I find a towed vehicle?
If you believe your vehicle has been towed, call 713-308-8580. This is the Wrecker Tow Line. Or go to the HoustonPolice.org website and click on “Find My Towed Car”. You can search for your vehicle by license plate or by VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)
Q. What are the vehicle release procedures?
If the vehicle was towed and the person was arrested for an offense higher than a Class C Misdemeanor (such as Robbery, Burglary, etc) the vehicle may be held for evidence. Call the HPD investigative division concerned with that type of crime for more information. If the vehicle was towed and the person was arrested for a Class C Misdemeanor (such as traffic warrants, etc.), the Tow Line 713-308-8580 will be able to tell you where the vehicle was towed to and a phone number for the storage lot. Call the storage lot for more information on how to pick up the vehicle.
Q. What are the City of Houston and Harris County Jail Locations?
Houston Police Department Central Jail - 61 Riesner Houston, TX 77002
Houston Police Department Southeast Jail - 8300 Mykawa Houston, TX 77048
Harris County Jail - 1200 Baker St. Houston, TX 77002