Tompkins County Jail – Ithaca, NY

Tompkins County Jail is in Tompkins County, NY and is the main correctional facility for this region. Know someone incarcerated at Tompkins County Jail? This guide will tell you info about everything a person needs to know about Tompkins County Jailsuch as the following: How to do a jail inmate search. Find mugshots. The jail’s address and phone number. Bail and bail bondsmen. Tompkins County Jail intake procedures. Court information and records. And more…

The thought of going to jail is a scary idea, not only for the person who goes to jail, but also that person’s family, friends, and loved ones. This guide is meant to give advice and information you need to make the process a lot easier. If you have questions, just ask it in the comment section below, and please leave any feedback or comments that could be a benefit to others would be much appreciated.

Do you have a friend or family member in jail and need to find out where they are?

Do you know somebody who’s been arrested and you want to find out what jail they’re in?

To look up who is in jail at Tompkins County Jail you will need to navigate to their web site and use the inmate search.

The Tompkins County Jail Inmate List is a list of persons who are in jail, which includes current status, how much their bail is, and visiting hours. You can find information on anybody arrested and booked or discharged in the past 24-hour period. Prisoners are listed in alphabetical order by last name. You can find the information faster if you’ve got the arrestee’s full name, birth date, or inmate ID Number.

If your friend or family member might be in another county jail you will want to look here, too: Other County Jails in New York

A mugshot, or jail intake picture, is a photograph that the jail takes when you are booked into jail. They will take one and a side picture. Your full name and jail booking number will be in the mugshot, and they will be kept on file at the jail.

Mugshots can be viewed on the Tompkins County Jail website, or you can see them in person at the Tompkins County Jail. When you search for mugshots online you will need to input the inmate’s full name, and an arrest date, if you have it.

Trying to figure out how to have your mugshot taken down from the Tompkins County Jail site? This will be difficult, because your mugshot is public record. To get your mugshot removed you have to file a ‘Petition to Expunge’. This means that all of your arrest records will be sealed, and unavailable to the public. Depending on your situation, this may be a longshot.

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

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If you are arrested and put in jail, your only thought is when and how to get out. After you’ve gone through booking, a bail amount is decided either through a preset bail schedule or a magistrate. If you don’t get a bail set this may mean that you will either get released, pending trial, or you must remain in jail until your trial.

If you are released from jail you are required to promise to be there for your court date, and until that date you can’t travel out of the county.

Usually, prisoners at Tompkins County Jail are given time off in exchange for good behavior when they follow the rules and conduct themselves properly while locked up.

If you do exhibit good behavior and the jail believes you can be trusted, you may be allowed to do work release. You will be required to return to the jail each day when you’re finished with work, or you could be permitted to move into a halfway house when you are not working.

Bail is money that you are required to pay to be released from jail until you go to court. The amount you will be required to pay is dictated by the seriousness of your crime. Someone will have to put up 10 percent of the total set before you can get out of jail. If you don’t show up for your scheduled court date, whoever paid your bail will lose all of the bail money.

To find out someone’s bail amount you must call the Tompkins County Jail or the County Courthouse. If you have all the pertinent information, including name, address and date of birth, they’ll tell you the bail amount. You can also see the bail amount on the jail website.

Having to get someone out of jail is an unpleasant situation, but thankfully, its easy if you have the money. First, you need to know if they have a Cash Only Bond. If so, you will not be able to use the services of a bondsman. Take cash only to the jail – they will not take checks. Once the cash bond has been paid, the person will be released. If the conditions of bail are not violated, you will get this money back.

If the bail amount is too high, or you just can’t afford it, you should hire a bail bondsman. Bail bondsmen will generally charge you a fee of 10-15% of the total amount of bail set by the magistrate, and in most cases charge a minimum of $100. This will not be returned to you and is typically cash only. If the bail is extremely high, the bondsman will require that they use your assets as collateral for the bond in addition to whatever their charges are.

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

Have you ever used the services of bondsman for yourself, a family member or friend? If you have, leave a comment below and tell your story, and let us know how things turned out.

Click here to tell your story

• Get Time Off For Good Behavior
• Work Release Programs
• Time Served
• Pre-Trial Release Programs
• Released On House Arrest
• Own Recognizance

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The intake procedure includes the following steps:

• They’ll put you in a holding cell. If there are a lot of arrests, you may not be processed immediately.
• Firstly, you must answer a bunch of questions, like what is your full name, your address, birthdate and an emergency contact person.
• Also, you will also be asked about your medical and psychological history.
• You will be given an inmate number.
• You will be fingerprinted.
• You will have your mugshot taken.
• All of your personal property will be taken from you and stored until you are released.
• You will get to use the telephone so you can talk to a member of your family, friend, or bail bondsman.
• If you are expected to be released shortly, you might get to skip the jumpsuit and keep wearing your own clothes, otherwise you will be issued a jumpsuit.

Have you ever been booked into jail? If you have, please tell us what happened. How long did it take to get processed? Were you treated fairly? Do you have any things that might help other people make it through jail processing?

Speak Your Mind

When you pay your bail, you will be discharged from jail. The discharge process can take anywhere between 10 minutes to all day. Or, simply, the quicker bail is posted, the faster you will be released. Also, it will depend on whether you’ve been given a cash bond or if the magistrate needs to decide on the amount of bail to be set. For minor offenses, you will simply be booked and get released without having to post bail. If you have served a sentence in jail and know the date of your release, expect to be discharged anywhere between the hours of 9am and 12pm.

In the event there is a, or if you need to begin your sentence in jail, it is highly recommended that you follow the law and turn yourself into the authorities. If you have a warrant, report to the jail intake center, and tell them that believe that there could be a warrant for your arrest. They will check their system to see if there are any outstanding local, state or federal arrest warrants out for you, and if they find one, you will be taken into jail custody. If you have a jail sentence to serve, report to the jail on the date and time that the sentence order requires you to. Be sure that you don’t show up late. Only bring things that are allowed when you go, for example your driver’s license or ID, any prescription medication you might take, as well as a sentencing order from court.

Inmates have to give each visitor’s name and date of birth to the jail. Your visitor’s information will be entered into a Visiting log for the requesting inmate. All visitors will be required to provide a photo ID when visiting. Visitors that arrives for visitation late or that is not on the visitation list will not be allowed to visit the inmate.
The Tompkins County Jail visitation procedures change often, so it would be wise to visit the official Tompkins County Jail jail site before you go to visitation.

The only phone calls that inmates are allowed to make are collect calls or through a pre-paid phone account. Jail phone calls are typically pricier than regular phone calls. Phone calls are restricted on 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 are under any sort of disciplinary procedure, an inmate’s ability to use the phone might get cut back or eliminated altogether.

The Tompkins County Jail phone number is: 607-257-1345

Any mail that you send to an inmate has to be sent via the actual US Postal Service. You shouldn’t use any other type of mail delivery. You have to clearly write the prisoner’s name, inmate ID number, and the jail address on the envelope. Don’t send anything in a package or box, padded envelope, plastic or paper bag, or an envelope containing metal parts. Any mail is opened and inspected and read by the officers at the jail, and the mail will get returned to the sender if deemed inappropriate.

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

Tompkins County Jail
779 Warren Road
Ithaca, NY 14850

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Tompkins County Jail
779 Warren Road
Ithaca, NY 14850

The mail policy at Tompkins County Jail is always changing, so we suggest that you check the official website when you send a letter to an inmate there.

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Even if you’ve been arrested, you have certain rights, one of these being your right to request a lawyer. You only get so many phone calls when you get arrested, so make sure to ask a friend or family member to locate a lawyer when you talk to them. You’re probably asking yourself ‘I don’t have to get a lawyer – I can just represent myself’ You are not required to have an attorney for some criminal charges, a criminal defense attorney will make sure you know your rights, help protect your best interests and show you the way through the complicated legal system in Tompkins County. The quicker you hire a lawyer to represent you and work on your charges, the better off you’ll be.

For more information on the benefits of and how to hire an attorney, read our guide: How to Find a Lawyer

If you are in trouble, but can’t afford a lawyer, you will be assigned a public defender. The Public Defender’s Office has a number of staff such as investigators, crime scene and forensics experts and social workers. You will be reassured to know that Public Defenders are full-fledged attorneys, admitted to the State Bar and are legally licensed to practice law in New York.

Have you ever had to use a Public Defender or court appointed attorney? Do you think they properly handled your case?

All court records are public records. Court records include a court case file with a docket and all documents and motions in your case. You, and anyone else, can access your court case records using the internet service, or at the Clerk of Court.

A Clerk of Court is a member of the court that manages access to court records. The Clerk of Court also administer the oath during court cases, and read the jury’s verdict. All records and documents from your case are held at Tompkins County Clerk of Court office.

Court fees and costs are the charges and fees from your court case, such as for example filing charges, motion and claim fees, and court appearance fees. If you can’t afford to pay these fees and have been assigned a Public Defender, you will not be responsible for these fees.

The magistrate acts as the judge that will preside over your court case. Magistrates do several different things, which include setting your bail amount, issuing arrest warrants, and overseeing preliminary court proceedings and detention hearings.

Your pre-sentencing report is completed to include information about your background and details of the arrestee’s life and history, which the judge will consider when determining a sentence. Information will be solicited from the defendant, the defendant’s family, and in some cases the victim of the crime. Be sure to remember you are allowed to ask to receive your own copy of your pre-sentencing report before you are sentenced, so you have the opportunity to review it for accuracy and completeness, and correct any mistakes.

After 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, 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 could be taken into custody, right there in court, or given a date to report to jail to serve your term.

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Are you trying to find out if a family member or friend is incarcerated, or has ever been in jail?

You can you should query the jail’s website, and search by:

• Name.
• Date of birth.
• Their booking date if you know it.
• or inmate ID.

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

If you think you have an outstanding warrant, you can check court records online or you can call the court. You have to have the person’s first and last name. Or, you can just go the jail in person and inquire at the information desk. 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 first and last name, and possibly an arrest date, contact the jail, either by phone, in person, or find out online. Arrest records are a matter of public record and the information is available to anyone.

A Civil Process is when you are served with legal papers, like warrants. You can access civil process orders by getting in touch with the Tompkins County Sheriff’s office, by phone or online.

All registered sex offenders are registered and listed on a sex offender database. Those listed on these databases have been convicted of a sex crime. You are able to see this information online, but bear in mind that you will not see the exact address, just the neighborhood block that they live on.

Court Records are public, and are accessible by anyone. These records include a court case file containing a docket and any documents and filings filed in your court case. You are able to access your court records via the internet, or at Clerk of Court office in the jurisdiction where the case was filed.

Every state maintains records of someone’s criminal background. These state databases are connected so you can track criminal backgrounds from any other state. You are able to go to courthouse and check in person, or you can check online. You must know which county the crime occurred in, and if it was in a totally different state, you may have to pay for a more intensive search.

A search of someone’s criminal history you will find out if a person has ever been arrested, charged or convicted for any crimes they may have committed, which could include:

• DWI or DUI.
• Drug offenses.
• Kidnapping.
• Sex offenses which could include rape, and sexual assault.
• Violent crimes like assault or murder.
• Property crimes like theft or larceny.

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

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

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

Have you ever tried to search for someone’s criminal records? Was it an easy process? Was your search online or did you make a phone call to the jail? Was it correct? There are many reasons that people look up criminal backgrounds and records, and your account may help other people that are in the same situation.

Click here to share your story

Most Wanted

The FBI maintains a list of the Ten Most Wanted Criminals. In Tompkins County, the Sheriff maintains their own list of the top most wanted criminals in the county.

FBI Ten Most Wanted List: External Link


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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

While the prospect of serving a jail sentence in the Tompkins County jail is quite unpleasant, soon you will get accustomed to the daily routine. Inmates get an alarm to wake up at about 6am, and then you’ll have roll call. Next, you will get breakfast. When you finish breakfast you will have 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 Tompkins 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 Tompkins 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 jail inmates can change, so you should check the official Tompkins County Jail site when send funds to someone in jail 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 Tompkins County Jail

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

Requirements:

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


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Family Resources

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

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

Click here to 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:

• 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 locked up at Tompkins County Jail? Do you have a friend or family member there? Have you ever visited an inmate there?

If your answer is yes, then we would like you to leave a comment below about it. Write down your jail experience so that other people will know what to expect.

Things you could write in what you write:

• Conditions in Tompkins County Jail.
• Jail, yard and pod layout and facility
• Staff and guards
• Food and commissary
• Visitation
• Other Inmates.
• Inmate safety
• Gang activity
• Programs and activities


Write a review about Tompkins County Jail

Tell Your Story

Everbody that’s been incarcerated has a story about it. Why’d you end up in jail? How did the guards treat you? How was life in jail? How did you get along with the other inmates? How did going to jail affect your life?

Click here to tell about all about it

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Make some good friends in jail? Do you want to talk to someone you met in jail? Leave a message for them here.

Say Hello


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