Avery County Jail – Newland, NC

Avery County Jail is in Avery County and is the correctional facility for the county. Do you know someone in jail at Avery County Jail? This guide will tell you about everything you might need to know about Avery County Jail: How to locate an inmate. Find mugshots. The jail’s phone number and address. Bail and how to get out of jail. Booking and intake procedures. Court information and records. And much, much more.

The prospect of going to jail is a scary and daunting prospect, not only for whoever goes to jail, but also their family, friends, and loved ones. The purpose of this guide is to give you information and tips that you need to make getting locked up a lot easier. If you have a specific question, feel free to ask them, and any feedback or comments that would be beneficial to other people in the same situation will be much appreciated.

Do you have a family member, loved one, or friend that is incarcerated and don’t know how to contact them?

Has a friend or family member who has been arrested and you need to locate them?

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

The Avery County Jail Inmate Locator has information on people currently in custody, which includes current status, bail amount, and times you can visit. Also, you can find info for anybody who has been arrested or discharged within the last 24 hours. Jail inmates are listed alphabetically by their last name. You will be able to get their inmate information fast if you’ve got their first and last name, date of birth, or inmate ID.

If the person you’re searching for is in another jail you should check the other North Carolina county jails in our North Carolina County Jail Guide: Other County Jails in North Carolina

A mugshot, also called a jail processing photograph, is a photo taken by the police when you are booked into jail. A mugshot is make of one frontal photo and one profile photo. Your name and jail ID number will be in the photos, and they are on file at the jail.

Mugshots of Avery County Jail prisoners are online, or you can view them at the Avery County Jail. When viewing mugshots online you have to input the inmate’s legal name, and an arrest date, if you have one.

Are you trying to figure out what to do in order to get your mugshot taken down from the Avery County Jail site? This may not be possible, because your mugshot is public record. To get your mugshot removed you will need to file a Petition to Expunge in court. What this means is that your arrest record will be sealed, and will not be accessible. Depending on your situation, this may be a longshot.

To learn more about getting your mugshot removed, the various mugshot websites, and the mugshot removal services: How To Get Your Mugshot Taken Down

Return To Main Menu

Of course, once you are arrested and put in jail, your main thought is about when you get out. After you’ve been booked, a bail amount is determined by a special judge called a magistrate. If you don’t get a bail set this can mean that you will either be free to go until your court date, or you must remain in jail until your trial.

If you are released from jail you will have to agree to be in court on your court date, and until then you will not be permitted to leave the county.

Usually, an inmate at Avery County Jail are given time off in exchange for good behavior when they follow the rules and act right while locked up.

If you follow the rules, you might be allowed to do work release. You will be required to stay jail every day when you’re finished working, or you may be permitted to live in a halfway house when you are not working.

Your bail is how much money that you have to pay to the courts in order to be released from jail until your court date. The amount you will have to pay all depends on the crime you are charged with. You will need to pay to the courts 10 percent of the total that was determined before you can be released. If you don’t show up for your court date, the person that paid your bail will not get their money back.

In order to find out how much someone’s bail is, you have to call the jail or the county courthouse. If you have all the pertinent information, including name, address and date of birth, they will let you know the bail amount. Also, you can find out how much their bail is online.

Needing to bail someone out of jail is never fun, but fortunately, its easy if you have the money. First of all, you have to find out if their bail is a Cash Only Bond situation. If so, you won’t be able to use the services of a bondsman. Bail can only be paid by cash – the jail will not take a check. Once the cash bond has been paid, the prisoner will be discharged. If this person doesn’t violate any of the terms of their release, you will get this money back.

If bail is set too high, of if you can’t pay it, you should try to hire a bail bondsman. Bondsmen will generally have a fee of 10-15% of the bail amount, and usually have a minimum fee of $100. This will not be returned to you and is typically cash only. If the bail has been set really high, the bondsman will in most cases request to use assets as collateral for the bond in addition to their charges.

To find a bail bondsman click here: Bail bondsman

Have you ever used the services of bondsman to bail someone out of jail? If you have, leave a comment below and tell your story, and let us know how it worked out.

Click here to tell about all about it

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

Return To Main Menu

The jail intake procedure includes each of these steps:

• They’ll put you in a holding cell. When the jail is busy, it will take a while to get processed.
• You will have to answer some questions, like what is your full name, street address, date of birth and an emergency contact.
• They’ll also ask you about your mental and medical history.
• You will be given an inmate number.
• You will get fingerprinted.
• You will have your mugshot taken.
• Any personal property you have will get taken away from you and stored until you are released.
• You will then be allowed to use the telephone in order to call a family member, friend, or bail bondsman.
• If you are expected to be released quickly, they will let you skip the jumpsuit and keep wearing your own clothes, if not you will have to wear a jumpsuit.

Have you ever been arrested and gone through processing at jail? If you have, please share your experience so others can benefit from your story. How long did it take? Were you treated fairly? Can you share any things that might help other people get through the procedure?

Click here to tell about all about it

When you finally post bail, you will get discharged from jail. This process takes anywhere from 15 minutes to hours or even all day long. Or, simply, the faster you can post bail, the faster you can get released from jail. Also, it might depend on if you’ve been given a cash bond or if a magistrate must determine your bail amount. For lesser charges, you will be booked and then released on your recognizance without having to pay bail. When you have completed your jail sentence and have a discharge date, you should plan to be discharged that morning.

warrant out for your arrest, or if you need to begin your sentence in jail, it is highly recommended that you do the right thing and turn yourself into the authorities. In the case of an outstanding warrant, go to the jail, and tell the intake officer that you think there may be a warrant for your arrest. They will do a check to find out if there is an arrest warrant for you, and if they verify that you have one, they will take you into custody and begin the intake process. If it is for a jail sentence, report to the jail at the time and date that the sentence order states. Be sure that you are not late. Only bring allowed items when you turn yourself in, like a driver’s license or your ID, any prescription medication you might take, and a sentencing order.

To have visitors, you need to list each visitor’s full name to the jail in advance of the visit. Your visitors will go in the visitation log for the inmate that requested the visitor. Each and every visitor will have to provide proof of identification. Any visitors arriving late or that is not an approved visitor will not be allowed to attend visitation.
Jail visitation policies can change, so visit the jail site before you go to visitation.

Phone calls that inmates are allowed to make from jail are with a pre-paid phone card or account, or are collect calls . Calls made in jail are typically pricier than phone calls made at home. Inmates are able to make phone calls, with restrictions on when you can make phone calls, how long you can talk, and how often you can make calls, 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, an inmate’s phone privileges might get cut back or cut altogether.

Phone Number: (828) 733-2071

All mall sent to inmates is required to be mailed using the actual US Postal Service. You cannot use any other type of mail or package delivery. Clearly write the name, prisoner number, and the jail address on the outside of the letter that you send. Do not send anything in a package, envelope with padding or insulation, plastic bag, or an envelope containing metal parts. All mail that you send to inmates is opened and inspected and read by the jail staff, and will be sent back if the jail decides it is inappropriate.

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

Avery County Jail
Po Box 426
Newland, NC 28657

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Avery County Jail
Po Box 426
Newland, NC 28657

The mail policy at Avery County Jail changes frequently, so review the the Avery County Jail website when you send a letter.

Return To Main Menu

If you have been arrested, you still have rights, the most important of which is your right to request an attorney. Remember that you may be limited to the amount of phone calls you can make, so it is a good idea to get a friend or family member to locate an attorney when you call. You may be thinking ‘but do I really need an attorney’ You’re not required to have an attorney in all cases, a criminal defense attorney will make sure you know your rights, protect your interests and help you navigate the court system in Avery County. The faster you hire an attorney to represent you and work on your criminal case, the better.

For more information about how to find an attorney, visit: How to Find a Lawyer

If you cannot afford a lawyer, you will get a public defender. Also, the Public Defender’s Office has access to investigators, crime scene and forensics experts and social workers. Public Defenders are bona-fide lawyers that are members of the North Carolina State Bar and are completely licensed to practice law in North Carolina.

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

Avery County court records are public and available to anyone who requests them. They are comprised of a court case file containing a docket and every motions, documents, and evidence filed during your court case. You can access your court records via the website, or at the Clerk of Court’s office.

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

Court costs and court fees are the fees and charges from your court case, which include 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 may get out of having to pay them.

The magistrate is the person who presides over your court case. Magistrates are judges that do different tasks, such as setting bail, issuing warrants for arrest, and overseeing preliminary and procedural court proceedings and detention proceedings.

A defendant’s pre-sentencing report is prepared with background information and information about the defendant’s life and history, which the magistrate judge will take into consideration when decide your sentence. Information, details, and character witnesses will be gathered from the person on trial, the defendant’s family, and in some cases the victim in the crime. Remember you are able to request to have a copy of the report before sentencing, and go over it and correct any mistakes in it.

After being convicted of a crime, you will be given a sentence for your crime. The judge will have several different options when sentencing you, ranging from community service to probation, to incarceration in either jail (short term) or prison (long term). Depending on the particulars of your trial, the severity of your crime, and any sentencing guidelines that they judge will use, you may be taken into custody immediately, or given a date that you must to surrender and report to jail to serve your jail term according to your sentence.

Return To Main Menu

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

To do this, you need to visit the Avery County jail website, and do a search using:

• Name.
• Birthdate.
• Their approximate booking date.
• and their jail inmate ID.

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

If you believe you have a warrant out for your arrest, you can check arrest warrants on the Avery County court website or call the jail. You have to have their first and last name. Or, you can just go down to the jail and ask the officer in charge. Keep in mind that if you do have an outstanding warrant, they will take you into custody immediately.

If you have a first and last name, and possibly an arrest date, contact the jail, by phone, go there in person, or look online. Arrest records are public record and this is accessible to anyone.

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

All people registered as sex offenders have to be registered on a sex offender database. The people on these databases have been convicted of a sex offense. You are able to view these offenders on the website, but you should know that you won’t see the exact address, rather the block of the address that they registered.

Court Records are public records. They include a court case file that includes a docket and all of the documents filed in your case. You are able to access the court records on the website, or at the Avery County Clerk of Court office where the case was filed.

Every state maintains records of someone’s criminal history. These state databases are linked together so you are able to track criminal backgrounds from other states. Go to courthouse and make an inquiry, or check online. It is helpful to know the county, and in the event that it was in a different state entirely, you may have to pay a fee for a more complete search.

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

• DUI or DWI.
• Drug crimes like possession or trafficking.
• Kidnapping.
• Rape or other sexual assault.
• Violent crimes.
• Theft, breaking and entering.

When you do a criminal history search, you generally won’t find if they have had any moving violations, like:

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

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

Have you ever had to search for criminal records of someone you know? Was it an easy process? Did you search online or did you make a phone call to the jail? Did you get information that was correct? There are lots of reasons that people look up criminal records and backgrounds, and your feedback could help other people.

Click here to comment

Most Wanted

The FBI has a listing of the Top Ten Most Wanted Criminals. In Avery County,The Sheriff’s Department has a list of most wanted criminals, too.

FBI Ten Most Wanted List: Link


Return To Main Menu

Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

While the prospect of spending time in the Avery County jail is something you wish you could avoid, in time you will settle into the daily routine there. You should expect an alarm for wake-up each morning at 6:00 AM, and next they’ll do roll call. After roll call you will eat breakfast. When you finish breakfast you will be required to work in the work program that you’ve been assigned to. This could be working in the kitchen, laundry, or some sort of manufacturing job. While this may seem tedious, it may help you when you leave jail, as you are gaining experience in a certain field of work. Other inmates go to school, while some take part in mandated treatment programs. After lunch, there will be another roll call, then back to work. Your evening will be spent either in your cell or a common room. During this time dinner is served and you will be expected to take a shower. After another roll call, it’s lights out. Even though you will be confined to your cell, there may be enough light to read or write letters. Then again, most inmates welcome lights out, and try to get as much sleep as they can.

Most people are frightened at the idea of jail because they don’t know what to expect. If you have spent any time in Avery 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 Avery 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 money to Avery County Jail inmates is always changing, so we suggest that you check the official Avery County Jail site when send money 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.


Return To Main Menu

News and Media

News

Photos / Pictures

Videos


Return To Main Menu

Jobs

Types of Jobs at Avery County Jail

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


Return To Main Menu

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 leave a comment


Return To Main Menu

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.

Post A Comment

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.


Return To Main Menu

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 someone at Avery County Jail?

If you have, then you should write a review about it. Write about what you experienced so that others can learn what to expect.

Things you might want to put in the review:

• Conditions at the jail.
• Jail and pod facility and layout
• Guards and jail staff
• Food and commissary
• Visitors
• Inmates.
• Safety
• Jail gangs
• Programs and activities


Let Everyone Know

Tell Your Story

Anyone who’s ever been arrested and sent to jail has some stories about their time ‘inside’. Why’d you end up in jail? Did you experience fair treatment? What was your daily routine in jail? Were the other inmates cool? How did it affect you to go to jail?

Click here to leave a comment

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Did you meet some cool folks in jail? Trying to get in touch with an inmate you met while you were incarcerated? Send a message to them here.

Say Hello to people incarcerated at Avery County Jail


Return To Main Menu
1962