Putnam County Jail – Ottawa, OH

Putnam County Jail is located in Putnam County, Ohio and is the primary correctional facility for the region. Do you know someone locked up at Putnam County Jail? This guide will tell you information about anything a person needs to know about Putnam County Jail,like the following: Learn how to locate an inmate. Find mugshots. The jail’s phone number and address. Posting bail. Putnam County Jail intake procedures. Court records. And everything else.

The prospect of going to jail is a scary and daunting thought, not only for whoever goes to jail, but also that person’s friends and family. This guide is designed to offer advice and information that you need to make getting locked up a little less stressful. If you have a question, just ask them, and also any comments or feedback that might help others is appreciated.

Do you have a family member or friend that is in jail and want to contact them?

Has a family member or friend who has been arrested and you want to find them?

In order to find out who’s in jail at Putnam County Jail you need to visit their link and use the inmate search.

The Putnam County Jail Inmate Locator is an online list of people who have been arrested and are in custody, which includes status, how much their bail is, and times the inmate can have visitors. You can also get information on anybody booked or released in the past 24-hour period. Prisoners are listed alphabetically by last name. You can get their inmate information faster if you enter the arrestee’s name, date of birth, or inmate ID Number.

If the inmate you are looking for is locked up at a different jail you will want to check our guide to other Ohio jails: Ohio County Jails Listing

A mugshot, or booking picture, is a picture that the police take when you are processed at the jail intake. A mugshot is actually two photos one face photo and a side photo. Your name and jail booking number will be in the photos, and they will be on file.

Mugshots of Putnam County Jail prisoners can be viewed online, or you can see them at the Putnam County Jail. When viewing online you will have to put in the inmate’s full name, and the booking date, if you have it.

Want to have your mugshot removed from the Putnam County Jail site? This will be difficult, because the mugshot is a public record. You have to file a Petition to Expunge in court. Basically, this means that your arrest record will be sealed, and unavailable to the public. Depending on your situation, this may be a longshot.

To learn more about removing your mugshot, the various mugshot websites, and the mugshot removal websites: Mugshot Removal

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Obviously, if you are arrested and put in jail, your only thought is about getting out. After booking, your bail will be decided either through a preset bail schedule or a magistrate. If no bail is set this can mean that you will either be free to go until your trial, or you are kept in jail until your court date.

If you are released you must promise to be there for your court date, and until that date you won’t be permitted to leave the area.

In most cases, an inmate can earn time off in exchange for good behavior if they follow the rules and conduct themselves properly while incarcerated.

If you do exhibit good behavior and the jail believes you can be trusted, you might be given work release detail. Either you will have to return to the jail at the end of the day after work, or you might be allowed to sleep in a halfway house when you are not working.

Your bail is money that you have to pay to the courts to be released from jail until your court date. The amount of bail that is set all depends on the seriousness of your crime. Someone you know will need to put up 10% of the amount that was set before you can get discharged from jail. If you don’t show up for your scheduled court date, the person that paid your bail will lose that bail money.

To find out how much bail money you will need to bail someone out of jail have to call the Putnam County Jail or the County Courthouse. If you have all the person’s info, such as name, address and date of birth, they’ll be able to let you know how much their bail is. You can also find out how much their bail is online.

Needing to bail someone out of jail is an unpleasant situation, but in some cases, it’s very simple to do. To start with, find out if their bail is a “Cash Bond Only” situation. If it is, you won’t be able to get a bondsman. Cash only – they won’t take checks. As soon as you’ve posted (paid) bond, the person will be discharged. If they don’t violate the terms of their bail, you will get this money back.

If bail is set too high, or you just can’t afford to pay it, you should try a bail bondsman. They generally charge a fee of 10-15% of the total amount of bail set by the magistrate, and in most cases charge a minimum charge of $100. This money will not be returned to you and must be paid in cash. If their bail has been set particularly high, the bondsman will in most cases use your personal assets as collateral in addition to the fee they charge.

To find a local bail bondsman go to: Find a bail bondsman

Have you ever had to use a bail bondsman either for yourself, a family member or friend? If so, leave a comment below and tell your story, and let us know how it worked out.

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• Get Time Off For Good Behavior
• Get Out on Work Release
• Time Served
• Get Out on a Pre-Trial Release Program
• Get Out on House Arrest
• Get Released on Your Own Recognizance

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The intake procedure is made up of each of the following steps:

• You will be placed in a waiting area or cell. If there are a lot of arrests, you may not be processed immediately.
• The first step is that you must answer a bunch of questions, like your full legal name, your address, date of birth and an emergency contact.
• Also, you will also be asked about your psychological and medical history.
• You’ll be given an inmate ID.
• You will be fingerprinted.
• They will take your mugshot.
• Any personal property you have will be taken away from you and stored until you get discharged from jail.
• You will be allowed to use the telephone so you can get in touch with a member of your family, friend, or bail bondsman.
• If you think you will get released quickly, they will let you wear your street clothes, but if you are not expected to make bail quickly you will have to wear a jail uniform – the jumpsuit.

Have you ever been arrested and gone through processing at jail? If so, please tell us how it happened. How long did it take to get through intake? How were you treated? Do you know any secrets that will help others make it through jail processing?

Click here to post a comment

Once you are able to post bail, you will be allowed to leave jail. The discharge process can take anywhere between 30 minutes to all day. So, the quicker bail is posted, the faster you will be released. How quickly you get discharged will depend on whether or not you have a bond amount or if a magistrate has to decide on the bail amount. For minor charges, you will be booked and get released without having to post bail. When you get to the end of your sentence and know the discharge date, expect to be discharged that morning.

issued for your arrest, or if you have to begin your sentence in jail, it is recommended that you follow the rules and turn yourself in willingly. If you have a warrant, go to the jail reception area, and tell an officer that you think they might have an outstanding arrest warrant out for you. The officer will verify that you have an outstanding arrest warrant, and if they find one, you will be taken into jail custody. When reporting to serve a sentence, report to the jail at the exact time and date that the sentence order requires you to. Make sure that you aren’t late. Be sure to only bring allowed items when you go to jail, for example your driver’s license or even ID, any prescription medication you might take, along with your doctor’s prescription, as well as an official sentencing order.

In order to have visitors, inmates need to give information about each visitor to the jail. Your visitor’s information will go in the log as an Authorized visit. Each and every visitor must provide proof of identification. Visitors that gets to visitation or that does not have a visitation order will be turned away.
Visitation procedures at Putnam County Jail can change, so double-check the official jail site before you go to visitation.

All phone calls from jail are collect calls or through a pre-paid phone account. Phone calls made in jail are typically pricier than phone calls made at home. Phone calls are restricted on how often you can use the phone, but inmates should keep in mind that there are a limited number of phones, so all the inmates must share phone time. If you break the rules and are disciplined, an inmate’s ability to use the phone could be reduced or cut altogether.

The Putnam County Jail phone number is: 419-523-3208

All mail must be mailed using US Postal Service. You can’t use any other form of mail delivery. You have to clearly print the name, inmate number, and the jail address on the envelope. Do not mail anything in a box, envelope with padding, plastic bag, or an envelope with metal in it. All mail sent to inmates will be opened and read and examined by the jail staff, and the mail will be returned to the sender if it can’t be delivered.

If you would like to send a letter to an inmate at Putnam County Jail, use this address:

Putnam County Jail
1035 Heritage Tr.
Ottawa, OH 45875-8524

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Putnam County Jail
1035 Heritage Tr.
Ottawa, OH 45875-8524

The mail policy can change, so you should visit the official Putnam County Jail site when you send a letter to an inmate.

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If you get arrested, you need to be aware that you still have rights, the first of which is that you have the right to request an attorney. You are only allowed to make so many phone calls in jail, so make sure you have a friend or relative find a lawyer for you. You may be asking yourself ‘do I really need a lawyer?’ You are not required to have an attorney for some criminal charges, a lawyer can advise you of your rights, look after your best interests and show you the way through the court system in Putnam County. The quicker you get a lawyer involved with your case, the better off you’ll be.

For more detailed information on how to find a lawyer, read our guide: How to Find a Lawyer in Putnam County

If you cannot afford a lawyer, the courts will assign you a public defender, which is a free lawyer. Also, the Public Defender Office has a number of staff such as independent investigators, forensics experts as well as social workers. All Public Defenders are real lawyers who are members of the Ohio State Bar and are legally licensed to practice law.

Have you or someone you know used a Public Defender? Do you think they properly handled your case?

All court records are public and available to anyone who requests them. Court records are comprised of a case file with a docket sheet and all of the documents and motions in the case. You, and anyone else, can access the records and documents in your court case via the online service, or by going to the Clerk of Court’s office where the case was filed.

The Clerk of Court is an officer of the court who manages court records. They also administer the oath for all court participants, and read the verdict when the jury makes their final decision. All court records from your case are kept at Putnam County Clerk of Court office.

Court fees are the costs associated with your court case, for example filing fees, motion and claim fees, and court charges. If you can’t afford to pay these fees and have court appointed legal counsel or a Public Defender, you will not be responsible for these fees.

The Putnam County magistrate is the judge that rules over your case in court. Magistrates do many different things, such as setting bail amounts, issuing warrants for arrest, and presiding over preliminary court proceedings and detention hearings.

Your pre-sentencing report is completed to include background information and details of the arrestee’s life history, which the judge will take into account when determining a sentence. Information and personal details will be collected from the person on trial, his or her family members, and in some cases the victim of the crime. Keep in mind you can ask to have a copy of this report before sentencing, so you have the opportunity to correct the mistakes.

When you are convicted of a crime, you will be given a sentence for your crime. The judge will have several different options when sentencing you, which include community service to probation, to even incarceration in either jail (short term) or prison (long term). Depending on sentencing guidelines and the severity of your crime, you will either be taken into custody immediately, or given a date to surrender and report to jail to serve out your sentence.

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Are you trying to find out if some you know is in jail, or has been an inmate in the past?

You can you need to go to the Putnam County jail website, and do a search using:

• Their name.
• Birth date.
• Their booking date if you know it.
• and their jail inmate ID.

If you’re not sure if this person is in jail or not, you can call the jail find out if they’ve been arrested.

If you think you might have an outstanding warrant, you can find out by checking the arrest warrants inquiry on the Putnam County court website or you are able to call the jail. This requires a first and last name. You can also go to the local jail and ask the officer in charge. Keep in mind that if there is a warrant for your arrest, you should be prepared to get taken into custody immediately.

If you know the person’s name, as well as the date of their arrest, contact the jail, on the phone, in person, or you can check online. Arrest records are a matter of public record and the information is freely available.

A Civil Process is when you get served with papers, like court orders. You can find these civil process orders by going to the Putnam County Sheriff’s office, either by phone or through their website.

All people registered as sex offenders must be registered on both a national and state sex offender database. The people on these databases have been tried by jury and convicted in a court of law of a sex or kidnapping crime. You can access this information on the internet, but you should know that you won’t get the precise address, but rather the block that they live on.

Court Records are public records. Court Records include a case file containing a docket sheet and all of the documents filed in the court case. You are able to access court records on the internet, or at the Putnam County Clerk of Court office in the jurisdiction where the case was filed.

Each and every state keeps a record of someone’s criminal background. These state databases are all linked so you are able to track criminal histories from other states. You are able to go to county courthouse and check in person, or you can check online. You must know which county the crime occurred in, and if the crime was in a different state entirely, you may have to pay a fee for a more comprehensive search.

A criminal records search you are able to find out if someone has been arrested, charged, or convicted for the following crimes:

• DUI or DWI.
• Drug Possession of Drug Trafficking.
• Kidnapping.
• Rape or other sexual assault.
• Violent crimes including assault, battery and murder.
• Property crimes like theft or larceny.

But, when you do a criminal records check, you won’t discover if they had:

• Speeding or reckless driving.
• Drivers license suspended or revoked.
• Any accidents.
• Minor infractions or moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To get this kind of information, you will have to do a driving history search.

Have you ever tried to search for someone’s criminal records? Was it a difficult process? Did you do your search online or did you call the local courthouse? Was the information correct? There are many reasons that folks search for criminal records and backgrounds, and your feedback might help other people.

Click here to comment

Most Wanted

Everyone knows that the FBI has their list of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. In Putnam County, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department maintains their own list of the top most wanted criminals in the county.

FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List


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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

While the prospect of getting locked up in the Putnam County jail is no fun, soon you will settle into the daily routine there. You should expect a wake-up alarm each morning at 6:00 AM, and then roll call. After roll call you will get breakfast. When you finish breakfast participate in the work program or other activity that you are assigned. This could be working in the kitchen, laundry, or some sort of manufacturing job. While this may seem tedious, it may help you when you leave jail, as you are gaining experience in a certain field of work. Other inmates go to school, while some take part in mandated treatment programs. After lunch, there will be another roll call, then back to work. Your evening will be spent either in your cell or a common room. During this time dinner is served and you will be expected to take a shower. After another roll call, it’s lights out. Even though you will be confined to your cell, there may be enough light to read or write letters. Then again, most inmates welcome lights out, and try to get as much sleep as they can.

Most people are frightened at the idea of jail because they don’t know what to expect. If you have spent any time in Putnam County Jail, your experiences would be welcomed, if it can help another person to deal with it.

Dress Code

When incarcerated, all inmates are expected to wear the Putnam County Jail uniform. This is normally a jumpsuit or scrubs. Of note to anyone visiting an inmate – you must be properly dressed. Any clothing considered inappropriate will not be permitted.

How To Send Money to an Inmate

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.

The process for sending funds to jail inmates is always changing, so you should visit the site before you send any money.


Commissary

The commissary is the jail store. You can purchase a number of things here, such as toiletries, snacks and writing supplies. Bear in mind that you will probably want to use the commissary daily, and any infractions will get that privilege taken away from you.

Inmate Medications

If you are on any type of prescription medication, you will be allowed to continue taking it while in jail. When you are first processed, you will be asked what medication you take. You will then be referred to the jail nurse or doctor who will be in charge of monitoring your health and prescribing your medication.

Meals

You will get three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. As expected, they are very basic, but healthy. A typical breakfast might be cereal, toast, coffee and fruit. Lunch might be spaghetti, salad, bread and milk. Dinner could be chicken casserole, rice, vegetables, dessert and milk. Contrary to popular belief, prison food has greatly improved over the years, and you might find that it’s not much different from what you would eat at home.

Pods / The Yard

The jail is designed in a ‘pod’ layout, with self-contained housing arranged around an outdoor yard. Each pod has a central control station and a common room, and the inmates take turns in using the yard. The jail is designed this way to keep certain inmates together, and others away from the general population.

Gangs

As with life in general, gangs are a part of prison life. Obviously it is best to avoid becoming a part of this environment as it will only lead to trouble. When you first enter prison, you might find yourself being ‘primed’ to join a gang, or worse, you might get their attention in a negative way. The best thing to do is keep your head down and don’t get involved.


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News and Media

News

Photos / Pictures

Videos


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Jobs

Types of Jobs at Putnam County Jail

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Putnam County Jail, overseeing the day to day operations and administration of the jail. An inmate is unlikely to have much interaction with the Deputy Sheriff, unless they have committed an infraction. Detention Officers are responsible for the custody and care of the inmates. They maintain order in the jail, and handle security. A Detention Officer is assigned to a certain pod, and therefore is responsible for the same inmates each day. They get to know the inmates on a certain level and are well equipped to handle any problems that may occur.

Apply for a Job at Putnam County Jail

Requirements:

• You have to be over the age of 21.
• You have to possess a High School Diploma or GED
• You have to be a US Citizen.
• You have to pass a Criminal, Credit and Driving History background check.
• You have to pass a drug test.
• You have to have a good level of fitness.
• You have to be in good health.
• You have to have a valid Driver’s License
• An applicant for Deputy Sheriff must possess a Law Enforcement Certification.


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Family Resources

There are resources for families of both the perpetrator of the crime and the victim. The social and emotional impact of crime is far reaching, affecting many. Families can receive professional counseling, court related assistance, social services assistance and help in navigating the criminal justice system.

If you are a family member, which resources did you find to be particularly helpful? Please let us know, as this will be helpful to other families in the same situation.

Click here to post a comment


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Victim Resources

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.

Victim’s Rights

The Victim Rights Act grants victims the following rights:

• Victims have the right to protection from the accused.
• Victims have the right to notification.
• Victims have the right to attend proceedings.
• Victims have the right to speak at criminal justice proceedings.
• Victims have the right to consult with the prosecuting attorney.
• Victims have the right to restitution.
• Victims have the right to a speedy trial.
• Victims have the right to be treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

The definition of victim includes:

• Spouses and children of all victims.
• Parents and guardians of minor victims.
• Parents, guardians and siblings of mentally or physically incapacitated victims or victims of homicide.
• Foster parents or other caregivers, under certain circumstances.

There are a number of services and programs designed to help victims and their families. You can find out about these services by contacting the courthouse, or local law enforcement agency.

Victim Notification

The Department of Justice Victim Notification System (VNS) is a system that provides victims with information pertaining to their case and/or any defendants in the case. You will receive a Victim Identification Number (VIN) and a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that will allow you to access VNS via the internet or by phone. Here, you will find information about future court hearings, historical court events, and detailed information about the defendant. This will include criminal charges filed, the outcome of charges, sentence imposed, custody location, projected release date and any other release information. The VNS website is updated daily. You will also receive any ongoing information by mail or email.

Have you, a family member or friend ever used the Victim Notification System? If so, was it effective? Did you get the information in a timely manner? Was the system difficult to use? We would like to hear from you, so please post any comments here.

Click here to share your story

Sex Offender Information and Search

All people registered as sex offenders are registered on either a national or state sex offender database. The people on these databases have been convicted of a sex or kidnapping crime. You can access this information online, but bear in mind that you will not get the exact address, rather the block that they live on.

Domestic Violence

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are services to help you. Your county will have a Domestic Violence Services office. They provide free and confidential services, such as emergency shelter information, legal advocacy, support groups and domestic violence education. They will work to help you create a safe and violence-free life, and heal from the trauma of abuse.

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.


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Reviews

Reviews of this Jail

Have you ever been a prisoner in Putnam County Jail? Do you know anybody that spent time there? Have you ever been to visit a prisoner in this jail?

If yes, then please leave a comment below about it. Tell us about your jail experience so that other people will know what to expect.

Things you can include in your comment:

• Conditions at the jail.
• Jail facility and layout
• Guards and jail staff
• Food and commissary
• Visitors
• The other inmates – what are they like?
• Safety
• Gangs
• Activities and programs


Click here to write your review of Putnam County Jail

Tell Your Story

Anybody that’s ever been locked up has at least one story to tell about it. Why were you locked up? Did you get fair treatment? What was your daily routine in jail? How did you get along with the other inmates? How has this experience impacted your life?

Click here to leave a comment

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Did you make friends in jail? Do you need to talk to a friend from jail? Send a message to them here.

Send a message to someone incarcerated at Putnam County Jail


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