Calhoun County Jail – Port Lavaca, TX

Calhoun County Jail is in Calhoun County, TX and is the main correctional facility for this region. Looking for somebody incarcerated at Calhoun County Jail? This site tells you about anything you might need to know about Calhoun County Jail,such as: Learn how to locate an inmate. Find mugshots. The jail’s address and phone number. Bailing out of jail. Booking and intake procedures. Calhoun County court information. And much more…

The prospect of getting arrested and going to jail is a scary situation, not only for the person who is incarcerated, but also that person’s family and friends. This guide is meant to give information and advice that you need to make getting locked up a lot easier. If you have questions, please feel free to ask it in the comment section below, and please leave any tips or comments that might help others will be much appreciated.

Do you have a friend or family member in jail and don’t know how to locate them?

Has a friend or family member that has been arrested and you don’t know how to locate them?

In order to search who’s in jail at Calhoun County Jail you should visit their website and perform an inmate search.

The Calhoun County Jail Inmate Search is a list of people who are in jail, which includes status, bail amount (if applicable), and times you can visit. Also, you can get information for anyone processed or discharged within the last 24 hours. Inmates are shown in alphabetical order by their last name. You will be able to get their arrest information quicker if you’ve got their first and last name, date of birth, or inmate ID.

If your friend or family member may be at another jail you should check the other Texas county jails in our Texas County Jail Guide: Texas County Jails

A mugshot, or jail booking picture, is a photo taken by the police when you are processed at the jail intake. A mugshot is actually one full face and a side photo. Your full name and intake number will be on the mugshot, and they’re kept on file at the jail.

Mugshots of people who have been arrested can be seen on the website, or you can see them in person at the Calhoun County Jail. When viewing online you will need to enter their first and last name, and the arrest date.

Need to know how to have your mugshot taken off of the Calhoun County Jail website? This can be tricky, as your mugshot is a public record. You will need to file a Petition to Expunge with the court. This means that the record of your arrest will be sealed, so no one will be able to access them. Depending on your situation, this may be a longshot.

For more information about getting your mugshot taken down, the many different mugshot websites, and the websites that offer to remove your mugshot for you: How To Get Your Mugshot Taken Down

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Once you are arrested and put in jail, your primary thought is about when and how you will get out. After booking, your bail amount is decided either by bail schedule or magistrate. If there is no bail set this might mean that you will either be free to go until your trial, or you don’t get released while you wait for your court date.

If you do bail out of jail you will have to promise to show up for court, and you are required not to go out of town.

Usually, prisoners can earn an early release in exchange for good behavior if they respect the rules and don’t cause any problems while they’re in jail.

If you do exhibit good behavior and the jail believes you can be trusted, you might be allowed to do work release. Either you will have to return to jail each day when you’re finished with work, or you may get to move into a halfway house instead of living at the jail.

Your bail is money that you have to pay to the courts in order to be released from jail pending trial. The amount you have to pay is determined by what crime you are charged with and how serious it is. You will need to put up ten percent of the total that was set so you can get out of jail. If you fail to show up for your scheduled court date, whoever paid your bail will lose that money.

In order to find out how much someone’s bail is, you must call the Calhoun County Jail or the County Courthouse. If know the person’s information, including name, address and date of birth, they will tell you how much their bail is. You can also find out how much their bail is on the jail website.

Bailing out of jail is never fun, but fortunately, its very simple to do. First of all, find out if their bail is a Cash Only Bond. If this is the case, you won’t be able to use a bail bondsman. Take cash only to the jail – the jail won’t accept a check. Once you have paid the bond, the prisoner will get released. If the conditions of bail are not violated, you’ll get the bail money back.

If the bail amount is too high, or you just can’t afford to pay it, you might need to use a bail bondsman. They generally charge you a fee of 10-15% of total bail, and sometimes with a minimum of $100. The amount you pay to the bondsman is non-refundable and has to be paid in cash. If their bail has been set particularly high, the bondsman will use assets as collateral.

To contact a local bail bondsman click here: Bail bondsman

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

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

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The jail intake procedure takes you through 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.
• Firstly, you must answer some questions, like your full legal name, address, birthdate and contact person.
• They’ll also ask about your medical and mental history.
• You’ll be given an inmate number.
• You will get fingerprinted.
• You will get your mugshot taken.
• Any property you have will be taken from you and stored until you get released.
• You will then be allowed to make a phone call to call family, friends, or bail bondsman.
• If you are expected to be released shortly, you might be allowed to skip the jumpsuit and keep wearing your own clothes, but if you are not expected to make bail quickly you will have to wear a jail uniform.

Have you ever been booked into jail? If you have, please tell your story so other people can learn from your experience. How long did you have to wait? How were you treated? Do you have any tips that will help other people to get through jail intake?

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When you post bail, you will get released from jail. The discharge process will take from 15 minutes to many hours. In simple terms, the faster you can post bail, the sooner you can get out of jail. It also will depend on whether you have a bond amount or if a magistrate has to determine how much your bail will be. For lesser charges, you will be booked and released on your own recognizance. If you have served a sentence in jail and know the release date, you should expect to be discharged that morning.

for your arrest, or if you need to start a jail sentence, it is highly recommended that you do the right thing and go down to the jail and turn yourself in. In the case of an outstanding warrant, go down to the jail, in the reception area, and tell an officer that you think there is a warrant out for your arrest. The officer will verify that you have an outstanding arrest warrant, and if so, you will be taken into the sheriff’s custody. If it is for a jail sentence, report to the jail at the exact time and date that the sentence order requires you to. Be very careful that you are not late to report. Just bring approved items with you, such as a driver’s license or even your ID, any prescription medication you might take, along with your doctor’s prescription, as well as a sentencing order.

In order to have visitors, inmates have to give each visitor’s name and date of birth to the jail. Your visitor’s names will go in a log of visitors as an authorized visitor. All visitors must provide proof of identification. Anyone showing up late or that is not an approved visitor will not be able to attend visitation.
Visitation procedures at Calhoun County Jail can change, so we suggest that you review the jail site before you try to visit an inmate.

All phone calls from jail are with a pre-paid phone card or account, or are collect calls . These phone calls are typically more expensive than phone calls made at home. There are certain restrictions about when and how often you can use the phone, but inmates should keep in mind that every inmate wants to use the phone too, so they can call their family. If you break the jail rules, phone privileges could be reduced or forbidden completely.

The Calhoun County Jail phone number is: 361-553-4475

All inmate mail must be sent via the US Postal Service. You cannot use any other type of delivery. You should print the prisoner’s name, prisoner number, and the address of the jail on the outside of the letter that you send. Don’t mail a box or package, padded envelope, plastic or paper bag, or an envelope with metal in it. All mail sent to inmates is opened and reviewed by staff, and the mail will get returned to the sender if the jail decides it is inappropriate.

Use this address when sending a letter to an inmate at Calhoun County Jail:

Calhoun County Jail
211 S. Ann Street
Port Lavaca, TX 77979

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Calhoun County Jail
211 S. Ann Street
Port Lavaca, TX 77979

The mail policy can change, so we suggest that you review the official Calhoun County Jail site when you send a letter to an inmate there.

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When you get arrested, you have particular rights, the first of which is the right to request a lawyer. You won’t get many phone calls in jail, so make sure you ask a friend or family member to locate an attorney when you call them. You might be asking yourself ‘but do I really need a lawyer’ You’re not required to have an attorney in all cases, a lawyer will advise you about your rights, help protect your interests and help you understand the complicated court system in Calhoun County. The quicker you hire a lawyer to represent you and work on your charges, the better.

To read more about the benefits of hiring a lawyer, read: How to Find an Attorney

If you need an attorney, but can’t afford a lawyer, you will get a public defender. In addition, the Public Defender’s Office is staffed by private investigators, experts in forensics and social case workers. You should be reassured that Public Defenders are full-fledged lawyers that are members of the Texas State Bar and are licensed to handle your case.

Have you or someone you know used a Public Defender? How did they do?

Calhoun County court records are a matter of public record. Court records are comprised of a file with a sheet called a docket sheet and all documents and motions filed in the case. You have the ability to access your court case records with the website, or at the Clerk of Court’s office where the case was filed.

The Calhoun County Clerk of Court is an officer and clerk of the court who manages access to court records. They also administer the oath for anyone testifying in court, and also read the court verdict when the jury has finished deliberations. All court records associated with your case are held at Clerk of Court’s office.

Court costs and court fees are the charges associated with your court case, such as for example filing fees, motion fees and various court charges. If you are low income and have court appointed legal counsel or a Public Defender, you may not have to pay them.

The magistrate is the judge who presides on your case in court. Magistrates are judges that do a number of things, like deciding a bail amount, issuing arrest warrants, and acting as the presiding judge over preliminary and procedural court proceedings and detention proceedings.

Your pre-sentencing report is completed with your background information and information about the arrestee’s life, which the judge will consider when determining the sentence. Information and personal details will be requested from the defendant, his or her family members, and in some circumstances the victim in the crime. Be sure to remember you are allowed to request to have a copy of your pre-sentencing report before your sentencing, so you can review it and correct any mistakes.

When you are convicted of a crime, you will then get sentenced. The presiding judge in your case will weigh several options when determining your sentence, which include community service and probation, to even prison or jail time. Depending on sentencing guidelines and the severity of your crime, you may be taken into custody immediately, or you might be given a date that you are required to turn yourself into jail to do your time.

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

To do so, you should go to the Calhoun County jail website and do an inmate search lookup, and search by:

• The inmate’s name.
• Date of birth.
• Their booking date if you know it.
• or jail ID.

If you’re not sure if this person is in jail or not, you should call the jail get confirmation.

If you have an outstanding warrant, you can find out by checking the court records on the Calhoun County court website or you can call the jail directly. You have to have their first and last name. Or, you can just go the jail in person and inquire at the information desk. Bear in mind that if there is an arrest warrant out for you, you will be taken into custody immediately.

If you know the person’s first and last name, and possibly an arrest date, contact the Calhoun County jail, by phone, go there in person, or find out online. An arrest is public record and these records are freely available.

A Civil Process is when you get served with legal papers, such as , subpoenas, and arrest warrants. You can find these civil process orders by getting in touch with the Sheriff’s office, by phone or online.

All registered sex offenders are required to be registered on either a national or state sex offender database. The people listed on these databases have been convicted in a court of law of a sex offense. You can access this information online, but bear in mind that you won’t get the exact address, but rather the block of the address that they registered.

Court Records are public records. Court Records include a case file that contains a docket sheet and all documents filed in the case. You can access court records on the internet, or at Clerk of Court office in the county where the case was filed.

Each state keeps a record of people’s criminal history. These online databases are connected so you can track criminal histories from another state. You are able to go to the Calhoun 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 different state entirely, you may have to pay a fee for a more complete search.

When you look up a person’s criminal records you will be able to get a listing of all the arrests, charges, or convictions for any of the following crimes:

• DUI or DWI.
• Drug Possession of Drug Trafficking.
• Kidnapping.
• Sexual offenses including rape, assault.
• Violent crimes like assault or murder.
• Breaking and entering, theft, larceny.

When you do a criminal history search, in most cases will not be able to see if that person has had:

• Tickets for speeding.
• Drivers license revoked or suspended.
• Been in a traffic accident.
• Minor infractions or moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To get driving records, you have to do a search for their driving record.

Have you ever had to look for criminal records online? Was it an easy process? Was your search online or did you make a phone call to the courthouse? Was the information you received correct? There are plenty of reasons that folks look up criminal records and backgrounds, and your feedback may make it easier for others.

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Most Wanted

The FBI keeps a list of the Ten Most Wanted Criminals. In Calhoun County, the Calhoun County 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 getting locked up in the Calhoun County jail is quite unpleasant, eventually you will settle into the daily routine. Inmates get an alarm to wake up at 6am, and then you’ll have roll call. After roll call you will eat breakfast. Following breakfast you will have to work in the program that has been assigned to you. 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 Calhoun 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 Calhoun 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 money to inmates at Calhoun County Jail changes, so you should double check the official website 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 Calhoun County Jail

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Calhoun 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 Calhoun 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 share 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:

• 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.

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

If your answer is yes, then you should write your review about it. Write about your jail experience so others will know what to expect.

What to put in the review:

• Conditions in Calhoun County Jail.
• Jail and pod layout and facility
• Staff and guards
• Food and commissary
• Visitation
• Other Inmates.
• Inmate safety
• Jail gangs
• Prisoner activities and programs


Write Your Review

Tell Your Story

Everybody who’s been arrested and thrown in jail has some stories about their time ‘inside’. How’d you get locked up? Did you experience fair treatment? What happened to you while you were locked up? Were the other inmates cool? How did getting locked up affect your life?

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Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Make some good friends in jail? Are you trying to send a message to somebody you met when you were locked up? Leave a message for them here.

Send a message to someone incarcerated at Calhoun County Jail


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