Austin County Jail – Bellville, TX

Austin County Jail is in Austin County and is the main jail for the region. Looking for somebody at Austin County Jail? This site tells you info about anything you might need to know about Austin County Jail,such as: Learn how to locate an inmate. Find mugshots. The jail’s address and phone number. Bail and bail bondsmen. Booking and intake procedures. Austin County court information. And everything else.

The thought of going to jail is a scary situation, not only for the person who gets locked up, but also their family, friends, and loved ones. This guide is meant to give you all the information that you’ll need to make helping a friend or family member get out of jail less stressful. If you have questions, please feel free to ask it, and also any comments or tips that might be beneficial to other people in the same situation would be much appreciated.

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

Has a family member or friend that has been arrested and you don’t know how to find out where they are?

To see who is in jail at Austin County Jail you will have to visit their website and do an inmate search.

The Austin County Jail Inmate Locator is a list of people who have been arrested and are in jail, which includes current status, how much their bail is, and visiting hours. You can also get info on anybody arrested and booked or released within the past 24 hours. Inmates are listed alphabetically by last name. You will be able to locate their arrest information fast if you’ve got the arrestee’s full name, date of birth, or arrest number.

If the person you’re searching for is locked up at a different jail you should check the other Texas county jails in our Texas County Jail Guide: List of all county jails in Texas

A mugshot, or jail booking picture, is a photograph taken by the police during jail intake processing. A mugshot is actually one and a profile photo. Your name and jail booking number will be in the photos, and they are kept on file at the jail.

Mugshots of people who have been arrested can be searched online, or you can go in person to the Austin County Jail. When viewing mugshots online you will need to enter their full name, and a booking date, if you know it.

Want to have your mugshot taken down from the Austin County Jail website? This will be difficult, as the mugshot is public record. To get your mugshot removed you have to file a Petition to Expunge in court. This means that the record of your arrest would be sealed, and will not be accessible. It is difficult to do this, and you will most likely need the services of a lawyer.

For more information about removing your mugshot, the many different websites with mugshots, and the websites that offer to remove your mugshot for you: How To Get Your Mugshot Removed

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Naturally, once you are locked up, your primary thought is about when and how you will get out. After booking, your bail will be decided by the magistrate. If no bail is set this may mean that you will either be free to go until your trial, or you must remain in jail until your trial.

If you do bail out of jail you must agree to go to your court date, and until that date you can’t leave town.

In most cases, prisoners can earn early release in exchange for good behavior if they don’t break the rules and don’t cause any problems while incarcerated.

If you follow the rules, you might be allowed to do work release. You will be required to return to the jail at the end of the day when you’re finished working, or you might be allowed to move to a halfway house when you are not working.

Bail is money that you have to pay to the court system to be released from jail until you go to court. The amount you will be required to pay is dictated by the crime you are charged with. You will need to put up 10% of the amount that was set so you can get discharged from jail. If you miss your court date, whoever posted your bail will lose all of the bail money.

In order to find out how much someone’s bail is, you will have to call the jail. If know the person’s information, such as name, address and date of birth, they will tell you what their bail is set at. You can also check their bail amount and status on the Austin County Jail site.

Having to get someone out of jail is no fun, but most of the time, it’s simple to do if you have the money. First of all, you need to find out if their bail is a Cash Only Bond situation. If it is, you won’t be able to get a Bail Bondsman. They only accept cash at the jail, so you have to take cash – they can’t accept checks. Once you have paid the bond, the prisoner will be released to your care. If this person doesn’t violate any of the terms of their release, you will get this money back.

If bail is set too high, of if you can’t pay it, you should try a bail bondsman. Bondsmen will usually have a fee of 10 to 15 percent of the total bail amount, and in most cases charge a minimum charge of $100. The money you pay to the bail bondsman is non-refundable and is typically cash only. If the bail is exceptionally high, the bondsman will ask to use your personal assets as collateral for the bond.

To contact a bail bondsman go to: How to find a bail bondsman

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

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

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The intake procedure is made up of these steps:

• They’ll put you in a holding cell. If the jail is busy, you will have to wait, sometimes for many hours, before you get processed.
• First, must answer some questions, like what is your full legal name, your address, birthdate and an emergency contact person.
• They’ll also ask about your medical and mental history.
• You will be issued an inmate ID.
• You will be fingerprinted.
• You will have your mugshot taken.
• Any property you have will be taken from you and stored until you are released.
• They will let you make a telephone call so you can get in touch with a member of your family, friend, or bail bondsman.
• If you are expected to be released quickly, they will let you wear your own clothes, but if you are not expected to make bail quickly you will be given a jumpsuit.

Have you ever been arrested and gone through processing at jail? If you have, please tell us how it happened. How long did it take? How did the guards treat you? Do you know any secrets that might help other people that get arrested make it through jail intake?

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When you post bail, you will be allowed to leave jail. Getting discharged may take anywhere from 30 minutes to quite a few hours. Or, simply, the faster bail is posted, the quicker you can get out of jail. How quickly you get discharged will depend on whether you have a cash bond amount or if the magistrate still needs to figure out how much your bail will be. For lesser charges, you will get booked and released on your own recognizance. When you have served out your jail sentence and are given a discharge date, expect to get discharged in the morning.

for your arrest, or if you have to start your sentence, you should follow the law and turn yourself in. If you have a warrant, go to the jail, in the reception area, and let them know that you think there may be a warrant out for your arrest. A record check will be run, and if they find one, you will be taken into custody. When reporting to serve a sentence, go down to the jail on the date and time that the sentence order requires you to. Make sure that you don’t show up late. Just bring things that are allowed when you go to jail, like your driver’s license or even state issued ID, any prescription medication you might take, as well as a copy of the sentencing order.

In order to have visitors, inmates must list each visitor’s name and date of birth to the jail in advance of any visit. Your visitor’s information will go in a Visiting log for the inmate. Each visitor will have to provide acceptable photo identification when visiting an inmate. Visitors that arrives for visitation late or without a visiting order will be turned away.
Jail visitation policies are always changing, so we suggest that you check the jail site before you try to go to visitation.

The only phone calls that inmates are allowed to make are made through a jail approved pre-paid phone account or phone card . Phone calls made in jail are typically more expensive than phone calls made outside of jail. There are certain restrictions about how often you can use the phone, but bear in mind that you are just one of many people who want to talk to their loved ones. If you break the jail rules, an inmate’s ability to use the phone might get reduced or eliminated completely.

Phone Number: 979-865-5321

All mail is required to be sent using the actual US Postal Service. You must not use any other type of delivery. Clearly write the person’s name, inmate number, and the jail address on the outside of the letter that you send. Do not send a package or box, envelope with padding, bag, or an envelope with any metal in it. All mail that you send to inmates will be opened and read by the jail officers, and the mail will get sent back to the person who mailed it if it can’t be delivered.

The mailing address for Austin County Jail is:

Austin County Jail
417 N. Chesley Street
Bellville, TX 77418

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Austin County Jail
417 N. Chesley Street
Bellville, TX 77418

The Austin County Jail mail policy changes frequently, so be sure to check the official website when you send a letter to an inmate.

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If you have been arrested, you need to be aware that you still have rights, one of these is that you have the right to request an attorney. You don’t get to make many phone calls when you get arrested, so you would be wise to ask a friend or family member to find an attorney when you call them. You may be asking yourself ‘I don’t need a lawyer – I can just represent myself’ You are not required to have an attorney for some criminal charges, a lawyer will make sure you know your rights, help protect your best interests and help you find your way through the legal system that you are now faced with. The quicker you get an attorney working on your criminal case, the better your chances.

For more information about the benefits of and how to hire an attorney, read our guide: Find an Attorney

If you’ve been arrested and cannot afford a lawyer, you will get a public defender. In addition, the Public Defender has access to private investigators, experts in forensics and social case workers. You should be reassured that Public Defenders are real lawyers that are admitted to the Texas State Bar Association and are legally licensed to represent you in court and practice law.

Have you ever had to use a Public Defender? Do you think that they did a good job of defending you?

Austin County court records are public records and are available upon request. Court records are comprised of a court case file with a docket and all of the documents that have been filed. You can access the records and documents in your court case with the Austin County website, or at the Clerk’s office of the Court.

A Clerk of Court is an officer and clerk of the court who manages court records. The Clerk of Court also administer the oath when court is in session, and also read the verdict when the jury makes their final decision. All records, documents, and evidence associated with your court case are kept at the office of the Clerk of Court.

Court costs and court fees are the costs from your case, for example filing fees, motion fees and various court charges. If you are low income and have a court appointed attorney, you may not have to pay the fees.

A Magistrate is the type of judge that will preside over your case. Magistrates do several different things, which include setting bail amounts, issuing arrest warrants, and acting as the presiding judge over preliminary court proceedings and detention proceedings.

A pre-sentencing report is completed to include information about your background and details of the arrestee’s life history, which the judge will take into account when determining the sentence. Information will be requested from the person on trial, the defendant’s family, and in some cases the victim of the crime. Remember you are able to request to see a copy of the report prior to sentencing, so you have the opportunity to correct any inaccurate information.

When you are convicted of a crime, you will be sentenced. The presiding judge in your case will weigh several options when determining your sentence, including community service, house arrest, and probation, to even incarceration in either jail (short term) or prison (long term). Depending on the severity of the crime, you will either be taken into custody immediately, or you could receive a date that you are supposed to go to jail to serve your jail term according to your sentence.

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Do you want to find out if some you know is incarcerated in jail, or has ever been in jail?

To do so, you will have to go to the jail’s website, and search using:

• Name.
• Birth date.
• Their booking date.
• and their inmate ID.

If you’re not sure if this person is in jail, you can also call the jail to find out.

If you think you have a warrant out for your arrest, you can check arrest warrants on the Austin County court website or you can call the court directly. You have to have the person’s first and last name. You can also go to the local jail and ask them. Bear in mind that if there is a warrant for your arrest, they will take you into custody immediately.

If you have a first and last name, and their arrest date, contact the jail, on the phone, in person, or you can check online. An arrest is in the public record and this information is available to anyone.

Civil processes are when you get served with papers, like court orders. You can find these civil process orders by contacting the Sheriff’s office, online or by phone.

All people registered as sex offenders have to be listed and registered on the sex offender databases required by the area they live in. The people listed on these databases have been convicted of a sex crime. You are able to see these offenders on the website, but keep in mind that you can’t find the exact address, just the neighborhood block they live on.

Court Records are considered public records, so they are accessible to anyone who requests them. Court Records include a court case file containing a docket and all documents and filings filed in the court case. You are able to access court records on the website, or at the Austin County Clerk of Court office in the jurisdiction where the case was filed.

Each and every state maintains records of people’s criminal past. These online databases are all connected and you can track criminal convictions from another state. You can go to county courthouse and inquire in person, or you can check the website. It is helpful to know the county the crime was committed in, and in the event that the crime was in a completely different state, you might have to pay for a more comprehensive search.

A criminal records search you are able to find out if someone has been arrested, charged, or convicted for any crimes, which can include:

• DUI.
• Drug crimes.
• Kidnapping.
• Sexual offenses including rape, assault.
• Violent crimes including assault, battery and murder.
• Theft.

If you do a criminal records check, you won’t be able to find out if they have had any moving violations, like:

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

To find driving histories, you must do a driving history search.

Have you ever needed to find criminal records? How hard was it? Was your search online or did you call the Austin County courthouse? Did you get information that was correct? There are lots of reasons that folks look up criminal records, and your story might help other people that are in the same situation.

Click here to tell about all about it

Most Wanted

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

FBI Top Ten Most Wanted List


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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

While the prospect of serving a jail sentence in Austin County Jail is quite unpleasant, you will soon become accustomed to the routine that is set for you in jail. You should expect an alarm to wake up each morning at 6am, and next you’ll have roll call. After roll call you will have breakfast. After breakfast, you will be required to work in the work program that you’ve been assigned to. 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 Austin 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 Austin 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 rules for sending funds to people in jail could change, so be sure to review the official website when you send money to an inmate.


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 Austin County Jail

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Austin 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 Austin County Jail

Requirements:

• You must be over the age of 21.
• You must possess a High School Diploma or GED
• You must be a US Citizen.
• You must pass a Criminal, Credit and Driving History background check.
• You must pass a drug test.
• You must have a good level of fitness.
• You must be in good health.
• You must 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 tell your story


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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:

• You have the right to protection from the accused.
• You have the right to notification.
• You have the right to attend proceedings.
• You have the right to speak at criminal justice proceedings.
• You have the right to consult with the prosecuting attorney.
• You have the right to restitution.
• You have the right to a speedy trial.
• You 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.

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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 incarcerated at this jail? Do you have a family member or friend there? Have you ever visited an inmate in this jail?

If your answer is yes, then you should tell us about it. Write down what you experienced so that other people can find out what to expect.

Things you can include in your comment:

• Jail conditions.
• Jail, yard and pod facility and layout
• Guards and staff
• Commissary and food
• Having Visitors
• Other Inmates.
• Inmate safety
• Jail gangs
• Inmate activities and programs


Write Your Review

Tell Your Story

Everbody that’s been incarcerated has a story about it. How’d you get locked up? Did you experience fair treatment? How was life in jail? What were the other inmates like? How has this experience impacted your life?

Tell Your Story About Austin County Jail

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Make some good friends in jail? Want to send a message to somebody you met when you were locked up? Post a message to them below.

Say Hello


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