Smith County Jail – Tyler, TX

Smith County Jail is located in Smith County and is the primary correctional facility for that area. Do you know somebody locked up in Smith County Jail? This site tells you information about everything you might need to know about Smith County Jail,such as: Find out who’s in jail at Smith County Jail? Find mugshots and inmate photos. The jail’s phone number and address. How to post bail. Intake procedures and booking. Court records. And much more…

The prospect of going to jail is a daunting and scary thought, not only for the person who is incarcerated, but also their family and friends. This guide is designed to give you all the information and advice you need to make the process less stressful. If you have a question, please feel free to ask them, and please leave any comments or feedback that could be a benefit to others is welcome.

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

Do you know a family member or friend that’s been arrested and you need to find out what jail they’re in?

In order to look up who’s in jail at Smith County Jail you will have to visit their web site and use the inmate search.

The Smith County Jail Inmate Locator has information on persons who were arrested and are now in jail, including current status, bail amount, and times you can visit. Also, you can find information about anyone who has been arrested or discharged within the past 24 hours. Inmates are listed in alphabetical order by their last name. You can find their inmate information quicker if you’ve got your friend or family member’s first and last name, birth date, or inmate ID.

If your friend or loved one might be in a different jail you can look here: Texas County Jails Listing

A mugshot, also known as a booking photograph, is the picture that the jail takes when you get processed at jail intake. A mugshot is actually one full face and a profile picture. Your full name and jail ID number will appear on the mugshot, and they are stored.

Mugshots of Smith County Jail inmates can be found on the website, or you can go in person to the Smith County Jail. When viewing online you will have to put in the inmate’s legal name, and the arrest date, if you know it.

Trying to figure out how to have your mugshot taken off of the Smith County Jail site? This is difficult, as your mugshot is public record. To get your mugshot removed you need to file a ‘Petition to Expunge’. What this means is that the record of your arrest will be sealed, so no one will be able to access them. Unfortunately, this happens very rarely.

For a more in-depth article about getting your mugshot taken down, the many different websites with mugshots, and the mugshot removal websites: Mugshot Removal

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Naturally, if you are in jail, your primary thought is about how to get out. After you’ve gone through the intake process, your bail will be determined using the bail schedule or the magistrate will decide it. If there is no bail set this might mean that you will either be released, or you must remain in jail until your trial.

If you are released from jail you are required to promise to go to your court date, and until then you are required not to leave the county.

Usually, an inmate in the Smith County Jail are given an early release in exchange for good behavior when they respect the rules and area a good inmate while incarcerated.

If you follow the rules, you might be allowed to participate in work release. You will be required to stay jail every day when you’re finished at your job, or you could be permitted to sleep in a halfway house instead of jail.

Your bail is how much money that you will be required to pay to get out of jail until you go to court. Your bail amount is dictated by the seriousness of your crime. You will have to post 10% of the amount that was determined in order for you to get out of jail. If you fail to show up for your court date, the person that bailed you out of jail will lose that bail money.

To find out someone’s bail amount you have to call the jail. If you have all the pertinent information, like name, address and date of birth, they’ll let you know how much their bail is. Also, you can see the bail amount on the Smith County Jail site.

Having to get someone out of jail is never fun, but most of the time, its easy. First, you need to know if their bail is a Cash Only Bond. If it is, you won’t be able to use a bail bondsman. Take cash only to the jail – they will not accept a personal check. As soon as you’ve paid the bail bond, the person will be released to your care. If this person doesn’t violate any of the terms of their release, you’ll get your money back.

If their bail has been set too high, or you just don’t have the money, you should try a bail bondsman. Bondsmen will usually have a fee of 10 to 15 percent of the total bail amount, and sometimes with a minimum fee of $100. This 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 require that they use your personal assets as collateral in addition to the fee they charge.

You can find a bail bondsman visit our page about: Find a Bail Bondsman in Smith County

Have you ever had to find a bondsman for someone you know or yourself? If you have, post a comment below and tell about it, and let us know how things turned out.

Click here to leave a comment

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

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The intake procedure includes these steps:

• You will be placed in a waiting area or cell. If the jail is really busy, it will take a while to get processed.
• First, have to answer some simple questions, like what is your full legal name, home address, birthdate and a contact person.
• They’ll also ask you about your medical and psychological history.
• You’ll be given an inmate ID.
• Your fingerprints will be taken.
• You will have a front and profile photo taken for your mugshot.
• All personal property will be taken away from you and stored until you get discharged from jail.
• You will then be allowed to use the phone so you can talk to 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 have to wear a jail issued jumpsuit.

Have you ever been arrested and gone through the jail intake procedure? If you have, please share your experience so others can benefit from your story. How long did you have to wait? What was your treatment like? Do you know any secrets that will help other people make it through jail intake?

Click here to tell your story

When you pay your bail, you will get released from jail. This process will take anywhere between 15 minutes to all day long. In simple terms, the faster you post bail, the quicker you will get discharged from jail. Also, it might depend on whether or not you’ve been given a cash bond amount or if the magistrate must determine how much your bail will be. For a minor charge, you will get booked and released on your own recognizance. When you have completed your jail sentence and are given a date of your release, expect to be discharged that morning.

In the event there is a, or if you need to begin your sentence in jail, you really should follow the rules and turn yourself in willingly. If you have a warrant, report to the jail reception area, and tell an officer that believe that there could be a warrant out for your arrest. A record check will be run, and if they find one, you will be taken into the sheriff’s custody. If you have a jail sentence to serve, report at the time and date that the sentence order or court paperwork states. Be sure that you are not late. Just bring necessary items when you turn yourself in, such as your driver’s license or ID, prescription medication, and a sentencing order.

To have visitors, you have to provide each visitor’s name and date of birth to the jail before anyone can visit them. This information will be put into a log of visitors as an authorized visitor. All visitors have to provide proof of identification. Visitors that gets to visitation or that is not an approved visitor will not be allowed to visit the inmate.
Jail visitation policies can change, so we suggest that you check the official jail site before you try to go to visitation.

All phone calls from jail are made through a jail approved pre-paid phone account or phone card . Calls made in jail are usually more expensive than regular phone calls. There are certain restrictions about when you can make phone calls, how long you can talk, and how often you can make calls, but inmates must keep in mind that there are a limited number of phones, so all the inmates must share phone time. If you are under any sort of disciplinary procedure, an inmate’s phone privileges might get reduced or eliminated completely.

Phone Number: 903-590-2800

Any mail that you send to an inmate is required to be sent via the US Postal Service. You must not use any other method of delivery. You have to print the prisoner’s name, prisoner number, and the jail address on the envelope. Don’t send a package, envelope with padding or insulation, plastic or paper bag, or an envelope with any metal in it. All mail received by the jail will be opened and examined and read by the officers at the jail, and will get sent back to the person who mailed it if they decide it is inappropriate.

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

Smith County Jail
206 East Elm Street
Tyler, TX 75702

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Smith County Jail
206 East Elm Street
Tyler, TX 75702

The mail policy is always changing, so it would be best to double check the site when you send a letter to an inmate there.

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If you have been arrested, you have certain rights, the most important of which is that you have the right to request an attorney. You only get so many phone calls when you get arrested, so make sure you get a friend or relative to find a lawyer when you call them. You might be asking yourself ‘I don’t need a lawyer – I can just represent myself’ You can represent yourself if you really want to, but, a criminal lawyer will make sure you know your rights, help protect your best interests and help you navigate the criminal justice system in your county. The sooner you hire an attorney to represent you and work on your case, the better off you’ll be.

For more detailed information on the benefits of hiring a lawyer, click here: How to Find a Lawyer in Smith County

If you’ve been arrested and cannot afford an attorney, a Public Defender will be assigned to you. In addition, the Public Defender Office has a number of staff such as independent investigators, forensics experts as well as social case workers. You should be reassured that Public Defenders are bona-fide attorneys who are members of the Texas State Bar and are completely licensed to practice law in Texas.

Have you ever had to use a Public Defender or court appointed attorney? Are you happy with how they handled your case?

Smith County court records are public and available to anyone who requests them. Court records are comprised of a court case file with a sheet called a docket sheet and each of the documents that have been filed in the case. You, and anyone else, can access the records and documents in your court case using the online service, or by going to the Clerk of Court’s office where the case was filed.

The Smith County Clerk of Court is an officer of the court who manages the 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 and documents from your case are available at Smith County Clerk of Court office.

Court fees and costs are the charges and fees from your court case, such as for example filing fees, motion and claim fees, and court charges. If you cannot afford these fees and have a court appointed attorney, you may get out of having to pay them.

The Smith County magistrate is the judge that rules on your case in court. Magistrates are judges that do different functions, which include determining how much your bail will be, writing arrest warrants, and acting as the presiding judge over first court appearances and detention hearings.

A pre-sentencing report is completed with information about the arrestee’s background and details of the arrestee’s life history, which the magistrate will consider when decide your sentence. Information, details, and character witnesses will be gathered from the person on trial, the defendant’s family, and if necessary the victim in the crime. Remember that you should request to have a copy of your pre-sentencing report before you are sentenced, so you get the chance to correct any inaccurate information.

After being convicted of a crime, you will be sentenced. The presiding judge in your case will weigh several options when determining your sentence, which include community service to probation, to even incarceration in either jail (short term) or prison (long term). Depending on how serious your crime was, you may be immediately taken into custody, or you could get a date that you are required to report to jail to serve your term.

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Do you want to find out if someone is in jail, or has gone to jail in the past?

This is pretty simple to do, just just visit the Smith County jail website and do an inmate search lookup, and search using:

• Name.
• Date of birth.
• Approximate booking date.
• and their inmate ID.

If you’re not sure if your friend or family member is in jail, you can call the jail to find out.

If you believe you have a warrant out for your arrest, you can check arrest warrants inquiry on the Smith County court website or you are able to call the jail. You have to have their first and last name. Or, you can just go the jail in person and ask one of the officers. You should know that if there is an arrest warrant out for you, you should be prepared to get taken into custody immediately.

If you know the person’s name, and the date of their arrest, contact the Smith County jail, either by phone, in person, or look online. Records of arrests are a matter of public record and this is accessible to anyone.

Civil processes are when you get served with papers, which can be court orders. You can find these by getting in touch with the Smith County Sheriff’s office, online or by phone.

All convicted sex offenders have to be listed and registered on either a national or state sex offender database. Those listed on these databases have been tried by jury and convicted in a court of law of a sex or kidnapping crime. You are able to view these offenders on the website, but remember that you can’t find the precise address, just the address block of the address that they registered.

Court Records are considered public records, so they are accessible to anyone who requests them. They include a court case file that includes a court docket and any filings and documents filed in your court case. You can access court records via the internet service ‘Public Access to Court Electronic Records’, or at Clerk of Court office in the jurisdiction where the case was filed.

Each and every state maintains records of people’s criminal background. These state databases are connected and you can track criminal convictions from other states. You are able to go to county courthouse and inquire, or you can check online. It is helpful to know the county the crime was committed in, and if it was in a different state entirely, you may have to pay a fee for a more complete search.

A search of someone’s criminal history you can find out if a person has ever been arrested, charged or convicted for the following crimes:

• DUI.
• Drug offenses such as possession or trafficking.
• Kidnapping.
• Sex offenses which could include rape, and sexual assault.
• Violent crimes.
• Theft, breaking and entering.

When you do a criminal history search, in most cases will not find out if that person has had:

• Speeding.
• Drivers license revoked or suspended.
• Traffic accidents.
• Minor infractions or moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

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

Have you ever had to look for criminal records online? Was it a difficult process? Was your search online or did you call the local courthouse? Was the information you received correct? There are plenty of reasons that folks look up criminal backgrounds and records, and your account may help other people.

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Most Wanted

The FBI has a list of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. In Smith County,The Sheriff’s Department has their own list of the most wanted criminals, that you can access online.

FBI Ten Most Wanted List: External Link


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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

While the prospect of getting locked up in the Smith County jail is very scary, in time you will get used to the daily routine. You should expect an alarm to wake up every morning at 6:00am, and then you’ll have roll call. Next, you will have breakfast. Following breakfast participate 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 Smith 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 Smith 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 Smith County Jail inmates is always changing, so you should double check the official Smith County Jail 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 Smith County Jail

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Smith 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 Smith 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.

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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 know anybody that is an inmate there? Have you ever been to visit an inmate there?

If so, then we would like you to write a review about it. Tell us about what you experienced because others can learn what to expect.

Things you might want to put in your review:

• Conditions at the jail.
• Jail and pod layout and facility
• Staff and guards
• Food and commissary
• Visitation
• The other inmates.
• Inmate safety
• Gangs
• Programs and activities


Write a Review of Smith County Jail

Tell Your Story

Anyone who’s ever been arrested and sent to jail has a story about it. Why’d you end up in jail? Were you mistreated? What happened to you while you were locked up? Tell us about the other inmates. 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? Do you want to reconnect with someone from jail? Write your message below.

Send a message to Smith County Jail


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