Botetourt County Jail – Fincastle, VA

Botetourt County Jail is located in Botetourt County and is the main correctional facility for that county. Are you looking for somebody locked up at Botetourt County Jail? This guide gives you info about anything one might want to know about Botetourt County Jail,such as: Learn how to locate an inmate. How to view Botetourt County Jail mugshots. The jail’s address and phone number. Bail and bail bondsmen. Booking and intake procedures. Botetourt County court information. And everything else.

The prospect of getting arrested and going to jail is a daunting and scary prospect, not only for whoever gets arrested, but also that person’s friends and family. This guide is designed to offer information that you need to make helping someone get out of jail easier. If you have a question, just ask it, and also any comments or feedback that could help others would be welcome.

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

Do you know a family member or friend that’s been arrested and you need to find them?

To see who is in jail at Botetourt County Jail you need to click on their web site and do an inmate lookup.

The Botetourt County Jail Inmate List has information on persons who were arrested and are now in jail, which includes status, bail amount, and times the inmate can have visitors. Also, you can find information on anybody arrested and booked or discharged within the past 24 hours. Jail inmates are shown in alphabetical order by last name. You’ll be able to find their arrest information faster if you’ve got their first and last name, birth date, or inmate ID.

If your friend or family member could possibly be at another jail you can look here, too: Other Jails in Virginia

A mugshot, also called a jail booking picture, is the picture that the jail takes when you are processed at the jail intake. A mugshot is actually one and a profile picture. Your full name and jail ID number will be on the mugshot, and they’re stored.

Mugshots of Botetourt County Jail inmates can be found on the website, or you can view them at the Botetourt County Jail. When viewing online you will have to input the prisoner’s name, and the booking date, if you have it.

Are you trying to figure out what to do in order to get your mugshot removed from the Botetourt County Jail website? This can be tricky, as the mugshot is a public record. To get your mugshot removed you must file a Petition to Expunge in court. Basically, this means that the record of your arrest would be sealed, so no one will be able to access them. It is difficult to do this, and you will most likely need the services of a lawyer.

For a more in-depth article about getting your mugshot taken down, the different mugshot websites, and the mugshot removal services: How To Get Your Mugshot Taken Down

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Obviously, once you’re locked up, your main thought is when and how to get out. After you’ve gone through booking, bail will be set using the bail schedule or the magistrate will decide it. In cases where no bail is set this might mean that you will either get released, pending trial, or you have to stay in jail until your trial.

If you do bail out of jail you must promise to show up for court, and in the meantime you are not permitted to leave the county.

Usually, inmates in the Botetourt County Jail will be given an early release in exchange for good behavior when they don’t break 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 given work release detail. You will have to go back to jail every day after work, or you might get to sleep in a halfway house instead of jail.

Bail is how much money that you have to pay to the courts to get out of jail pending trial. The amount you have to pay depends on the seriousness of your crime. Someone you know will need to pay 10% of the amount that was determined so you can get discharged from jail. If you fail to show up for court, whoever put up your bail money will lose that money.

In order to find out how much someone’s bail is, you need to call the jail. If you’ve got the pertinent information, including name, address and date of birth, they will let you know how much their bail is. Also, you can see the bail amount on the jail website.

Needing to bail someone out of jail is never fun, but most of the time, its easy if you have the money. First, you need to know if their bail is a Cash Only Bond. If it is, you won’t be able to use the services of a bondsman. Cash only – they can’t accept checks. As soon as you’ve posted (paid) bond, the person will be released to your care. If they don’t violate the terms of their bail, you’ll get your money back.

If the bail amount is too high, or you just can’t afford it, you should look into the services of a bail bondsman. They usually charge you a fee of 10 to 15 percent of the total amount of bail set by the magistrate, and in most cases charge a minimum charge of $100. This is non-refundable and must be paid in cash. If the bail is exceptionally high, the bondsman will in these cases use your assets as collateral.

To talk to a local bail bondsman click here: Find a bail bondsman

Have you ever hired 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.

Click here to tell your story

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

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The intake procedure includes these steps:

• You will be placed in a holding cell. When the jail is busy, you will have to wait, sometimes for many hours, before you get processed.
• The first thing you will have to is you will have to answer some questions, such as your full name, street address, date of birth and an emergency contact person.
• They’ll also ask you about your psychological and medical history.
• You’ll be given an inmate number.
• You will be fingerprinted.
• You will get your mugshot taken.
• Any property you have will get taken away from you and stored until you get released from jail.
• They will allow you to make a phone call in order to call a family member, friend, or bail bondsman.
• If they expect that you will make bail and be released quickly, you might get to skip the jumpsuit and keep wearing your own clothes, if not you will be given a jail uniform.

Have you ever been arrested and gone through the jail intake procedure? If so, please tell your story. How long did you have to wait in the holding cell? How were you treated? Can you tell us secrets that could help other people that get arrested to get through the process?

Click here to tell about all about it

When you finally post bail, you will get released from jail. The discharge process will take from 10 minutes to all day long. In simple terms, the faster you can pay your bail, the sooner you will get discharged from jail. It also depends on whether you’ve got a cash bond amount or if a magistrate still needs to decide on how much your bail will be. For a minor offense, you will get booked and get released without having to post bail. When you have served your sentence and are given a discharge date, plan to get released that morning.

If the sheriff has a, or if you must start your sentence, you really should do the right thing and turn yourself in. For a warrant, go down to the jail processing area, and tell them that think that there is an outstanding arrest warrant out for you. They will check to see if you have a warrant, and if they find one, you will be taken into custody. When reporting to serve a sentence, go down to the jail at the time and date that the sentence order requires you to. Ensure that you aren’t late. Only bring allowed items with you, such as your driver’s license or even your ID, prescription medication, as well as the copy of the sentencing order.

In order to have visitors, inmates must list each visitor’s full name to the jail in advance. Your visitor’s information will be put in the log as an Authorized visit. Each and every visitor will have to provide acceptable photo identification when visiting an inmate. Visitors that gets to visitation or without a visiting order will not be allowed to visit the inmate.
Visitation procedures change often, so it would be wise to double-check the jail site before you try to go to visitation.

Phone calls that inmates are allowed to make from jail are made through a jail approved pre-paid phone account or phone card . These phone calls are generally pricier than phone calls made at home. There are certain restrictions about how often you can use the phone, but inmates must keep in mind that you are just one of many people who want to talk to their loved ones. If you break the rules and are disciplined, phone privileges might get cut back or forbidden.

The Botetourt County Jail phone number is: (540) 473-8230

All mail has to be mailed using the US Postal Service. You must not use any other method of mail or package delivery. You have to clearly write the person’s name, prisoner number, and the address of the jail on the letter. Don’t send anything in a package, padded envelope, bag, or an envelope with metal inside. All mail is opened and examined and read by the jail administration, and the mail will be sent back if they decide it is inappropriate.

Use this address when sending a letter to someone incarcerated at Botetourt County Jail:

Botetourt County Jail
205 North Roanoke Street
Fincastle, VA 24090

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Botetourt County Jail
205 North Roanoke Street
Fincastle, VA 24090

The Botetourt County Jail inmate mail policy changes, so it would be best to double check the official Botetourt County Jail site before you send a letter to an inmate.

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When you’ve been arrested, you still have certain rights, one of these being that you have the right to request an attorney. Remember that you may be limited to the amount of phone calls you can make, so make sure you have a friend or relative find a lawyer when you talk to them. You may be asking yourself ‘why do I need a lawyer?’ You’re not required to have an attorney in all cases, a lawyer will make sure you know your rights, help protect your best interests and show you the way through the complicated court system in your county. The faster you get a lawyer involved with your criminal case, the better off you’ll be.

For more information on the benefits of and how to hire an attorney, click here: How to Find an Attorney in Botetourt County

If you need an attorney, but can’t afford a lawyer, you will be given a public defender for a lawyer. The Public Defender’s Office has a number of staff such as private investigators, crime scene and forensics experts as well as social workers. Public Defenders are real attorneys, members of the State Bar and are completely licensed to handle your case.

Have you ever had to use the services of a Public Defender? Are you happy with how they handled your case?

Court records are public records. They have a case file with a docket sheet and every motions, documents, and evidence filed in the case. You have the ability to access the records and documents in your court case using the Botetourt County website, or at the Clerk of Court where the case was filed.

The Botetourt County Clerk of Court is a member of the court that manages the records. They also administer the oath for any court participant who must be under oath, and also read the verdict when delivered by the jury. All records from your case are kept at Clerk of Court.

Court costs and court fees are the fees and charges associated with your court case, such as for example filing fees, motion and claim fees, and court charges. If you are low income and have been assigned a Public Defender, you can get a waiver for these fees and won’t have to pay them.

The Botetourt County magistrate is the person that rules over your case. Magistrates are judges that do a number of things, like determining how much your bail will be, issuing warrants for arrest, and overseeing preliminary court proceedings and detention hearings.

A pre-sentencing report is put together to include information about the defendant’s background and information about the arrestee’s life and history, which the magistrate judge will take into account when determining your sentence. Information, details, and character witnesses will be solicited from the defendant, their family, and, if applicable, the victim in the crime. Keep in mind that you should ask to get your own copy of your pre-sentencing report before your sentencing, and make sure that you go over it and correct any mistakes in it.

If you get convicted of a crime, you will be given a sentence for your crime. There are a number of different options, ranging from community service and probation, to 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 surrender and report to jail to serve your jail time according to your sentence.

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

To do so, just go to the jail website and do an inmate search, and do a search using:

• Their name.
• Date of birth.
• Their booking date.
• and their jail ID.

If you think that they are currently in jail, you can call the jail get confirmation.

If you believe you have a warrant out for your arrest, you can check the arrest warrants inquiry online or you can call the court directly. You have to have their first and last name. You can also go to the local jail and inquire at the information desk. You should know that if you do have an outstanding warrant, you should be prepared to get taken into custody immediately.

If you know the person’s name, and possibly an arrest date, contact the Botetourt County jail, either by phone, in person, or you can check online. Arrest records are public record and the information is accessible to anyone.

A Civil Process is when you are served with legal papers, like warrants. You can find these by going to the Sheriff’s office, either by phone or through their website.

All people registered as sex offenders must 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 crime. You are able to see these offenders on the website, but bear in mind that you will not be able to get the actual address, rather the address block that they live on.

Court Records are public, and are accessible by anyone. These records include a court case file that includes a docket and all of the filings and documents filed in your case. You can access court records online, or at Clerk of Court where the case was filed.

Every state maintains a record of their state citizen’s criminal history. These state databases are connected so you can track criminal convictions from other states. You can go to the courthouse and check in person or you can check online. It helps to know the county, and if the crime was in a totally different state, you might have to pay for a more complete search.

A search of someone’s criminal history you can find out if someone has been arrested, charged, or convicted for crimes, which include:

• DUI.
• Drug Possession.
• Kidnapping.
• Rape or other sexual assault.
• Violent crimes including assault, battery and murder.
• Theft.

During a criminal records search, you will not find out if someone had:

• Speeding or reckless driving.
• Lost their driver’s license or license revoked or suspended.
• Traffic accidents.
• Other moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To get this kind of information, you have to do a search for their driving record.

Have you ever had to search for criminal records of someone you know? How easy was it? Was your search online or did you have to call the local courthouse? Did you get information that was correct? There are lots of reasons that people search for criminal records and backgrounds, and your story may help other people.

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Most Wanted

The FBI has a list of the Top Ten Most Wanted Criminals. In Botetourt County, the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Department keeps their own list of most wanted criminals and fugitives.

FBI Top Ten Most Wanted List: Link


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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

Just the thought of serving a jail sentence in the Botetourt County jail is very scary, you will soon settle into the daily routine. Prisoners get an alarm to wake up each morning at 6am, and then you’ll have roll call. Then you will have breakfast. Following breakfast you will have to work 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 Botetourt 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 Botetourt 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 procedure to send funds to Botetourt County Jail inmates might change, so we suggest that you review the official Botetourt County Jail site before you send money to an inmate there.


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 Botetourt County Jail

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

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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 locked up at this jail? Do you know someone there? Have you ever visited someone at Botetourt County Jail?

If so, then you should write your review about it. Write about what you experienced so that others can find out what to expect.

Things you might want to write in your review:

• Conditions in Botetourt County Jail.
• Jail and pod layout and facility
• Jail staff and Guards
• Food and commissary
• Having Visitors
• Inmates.
• Prisoner safety
• Gangs
• Activities and programs


Click here to review Botetourt County Jail

Tell Your Story

Anyone who’s been in jail has some stories to tell about the whole experience. Why’d you end up in jail? Were you fairly treated? How was life in jail? Were the other inmates cool? How did it affect you to go to jail?

Speak Your Mind

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Make some good friends in jail? Want to get in touch with a friend from jail? Post a message to them below.

Post a message to people still locked up at Botetourt County Jail


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