Pierce County Jail – Tacoma, WA

Pierce County Jail is in Pierce County, Washington and is the main jail for that region. Looking for somebody locked up in Pierce County Jail? This page tells you information about everything you might need to know about Pierce County Jail: How to do a jail inmate search. Find mugshots and inmate photos. The jail’s address and phone number. Posting bail. Booking and intake procedures. Pierce County court information. And more…

The chance of going to jail is a scary situation, not only for the person who gets arrested, but also that person’s family and friends. This guide is meant to offer information and advice you need to make helping a friend or family member get out of jail less stressful. If you have specific questions, just ask them, and any tips or comments that might help others would be welcome.

Do you have a family member or friend that has gone to jail and don’t know how to find them?

Has a friend or family member who’s been arrested and you want to find out what jail they’re in?

In order to look up who is in jail at Pierce County Jail you should go to their website and do an inmate lookup.

The Pierce County Jail Inmate Lookup has information on people who have been arrested and are in custody, including status, how much their bail is, and visiting hours. Also, you can get info about anybody processed or released in the past 24 hours. Prisoners are shown in alphabetical order by last name. You’ll be able to locate their inmate information quicker if you enter the arrestee’s name, date of birth, or arrest number.

If the person you are looking for could possibly be in another jail you can check our guide to other Washington jails: Washington County Jails Listing

A mugshot, also called a intake photo, is a picture that the police take when you get processed at jail intake. They will take one full face and a profile photo. Your name and intake number will appear on the photos, and they’re on file.

Mugshots can be viewed on the Pierce County Jail website, or you can view them at the Pierce County Jail. When viewing mugshots online you have to input the first and last name, and an arrest date, if you have it.

Are you trying to get your mugshot removed from the Pierce County Jail website? This may not be possible, as the mugshot is a matter of public record. To get your mugshot removed you have to file a ‘Petition to Expunge’. What this means is that your arrest record would be sealed, so no one will be able to see them. Depending on your situation, this may be a longshot.

Read our in-depth tutorial about getting your mugshot removed, the different mugshot websites, and the mugshot removal websites: Mugshot Removal

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Once you are locked up, your main thought is about getting out. After booking, a bail amount will be set by the magistrate. If no bail is set this might mean that you will either be released, or you don’t get released while you wait for your court date.

If you do bail out you must agree to be in court on your court date, and until then you will not be permitted to leave the county.

In most cases, an inmate will be given time off for good behavior if they follow the rules and area a good inmate while they’re in jail.

If you do exhibit good behavior and the jail believes you can be trusted, you may be allowed to participate in a work release program. You will be required to go back to the jail every day when you’re finished at your job, or you could have the chance to live in a halfway house instead of jail, so it is kind of like an early release.

Bail is money that you have to pay to the court system to be released from jail until you go to court. Your bail amount all depends on the crime you’ve been charged with. You or someone you know will have to post 10 percent of the total amount that was set before you can get discharged from jail. If you fail to show up for your court date, whoever put up your bail money won’t get their money back.

In order to find out how much someone’s bail is, you need to call the Pierce County Jail. If know the person’s information, such as name, address and date of birth, they’ll tell you the bail amount. Also, you can find out how much their bail is on the jail website.

Having to bail someone out of jail is an unpleasant situation, but fortunately, its easy. To start with, you need to find out if their bail is a “Cash Bond Only” situation. If so, you won’t be able to get a bail bondsman. Bail can only be paid by cash – they can’t accept checks. As soon as you’ve paid the bail bond, the inmate will be released to your care. If the conditions of bail are not violated, you’ll get your money back.

If the amount of bail set is large, or you 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, and in most cases charge a minimum fee of $100. The amount you pay to the bondsman will not be returned to you and the bondsman only accepts cash. If bail is very large, the bondsman will usually use your assets as collateral in addition to the fee they charge.

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

Have you ever used 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.

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

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The jail intake procedure is made up of each of the following steps:

• You will be placed in a waiting area or cell. If the jail is busy, it will take a while to get processed.
• First, have to answer some simple questions, such as your legal name, home address, birth date and a contact person.
• They’ll also ask about your psychological and medical history.
• You will be issued an inmate ID number.
• You will be fingerprinted.
• They will take your mugshot.
• Any personal property you have will be taken away from you and stored until you get released.
• You will then be allowed to use the telephone so you can contact a member of your family, friend, or bondsman to arrange bail.
• If you are expected to be released quickly, they will let you keep wearing your own clothes, otherwise you will have to wear a jail jumpsuit.

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

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When you pay your bail, you will get released from jail. This process may take anywhere between 15 minutes to many hours. In simple terms, the quicker bail is posted, the faster you will be freed. Also, it can depend on whether you’ve got a cash bond or if the magistrate must figure out how much your bail will be. For a minor offense, you will be booked and get released without having to post bail. When you have served your sentence and are given a release date, you should expect to be discharged anywhere between the hours of 9am and 12pm.

If you have a, or if you need to report to start a sentence, you should follow the rules and go down to the jail and turn yourself in. In the case of an outstanding warrant, report to the jail intake area, and tell someone that you think there may be an outstanding warrant for your arrest. They will do a check to find out if there is an arrest warrant for you, and if there is one, you will be taken into the sheriff’s custody. When reporting to serve a sentence, go to the jail on the date and time that the sentence order lists. Be sure that you aren’t late. Be sure to only bring necessary items with you, for example a driver’s license or even state issued ID, any prescription medication you might take, as well as the sentencing order.

In order to have visitors, inmates have to list each visitor’s name and date of birth to the jail in advance of any visit. Your visitor’s information will be entered in a Visiting log as an Authorized visit. Each and every visitor will be required to provide a photo ID when visiting. Visitors that arrives for visitation late or any visitors that are not approved to visit will not be allowed to attend visitation.
Visitation procedures at Pierce County Jail frequently change, so we suggest that you visit the official jail site before you try to visit an inmate.

All phone calls from jail are made through a jail approved pre-paid phone account or phone card . Phone calls made in jail are typically more expensive than regular phone calls. Phone calls are restricted on when and how often you can use the phone, but inmates must keep in mind that there are a limited number of phones, so all the inmates must share phone time. If you break the rules, phone privileges may be limited or eliminated completely.

The Pierce County Jail phone number is: 253-798-4590

All inmate mail has to be mailed using US Postal Service. You shouldn’t use any other type of mail delivery. You must write the inmate’s name, prisoner number, and the address of the jail on the outside of the letter that you send. Don’t send a package, envelope with padding, plastic or paper bag, or an envelope containing metal parts. All mail that you send to inmates gets opened and read and inspected by the jail officers, and the mail will get returned if it can’t be delivered.

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

Pierce County Jail
910 Tacoma Ave. S.
Tacoma, WA 98402

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Pierce County Jail
910 Tacoma Ave. S.
Tacoma, WA 98402

The inmate mail policy at Pierce County Jail changes, so be sure to review the official Pierce County Jail site before you send a letter to an inmate there.

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If you get arrested, you need to be aware that you still have rights, one of these is that you have the right to request an attorney. You are only allowed to make so many phone calls in jail, so it is important to get a friend or family member to locate an attorney when you talk to them. I know you’re probably asking yourself right now ‘but do I really need a lawyer’ You can represent yourself if you really want to, but, a criminal attorney will make sure you know your rights, look after your best interests and help you understand the complicated court system in your county. The quicker you get a lawyer involved with your case, the better your chances.

For more information about the benefits of hiring a lawyer, read: How to Find a Lawyer in Pierce County

If you can’t afford an attorney, you will be given a public defender for a lawyer. Also, the Public Defender has a number of staff such as investigators, forensics experts and social workers. You will be reassured to know that Public Defenders are real attorneys, members of the State Bar and are legally licensed to represent you in court and practice law.

Have you or someone you know used a court appointed attorney or Public Defender? What was your experience?

All court records are public records and are available upon request. Court records contain a case file containing a sheet called a docket sheet and all documents filed during your court case. You, and anyone else, can access your court case records via the internet service, or at the Clerk of Court where the case was filed.

The Pierce County Clerk of Court is an official part of the court that maintains court records and controls access to them. They also administer the oath in a court case, and read the verdict when delivered by the jury. All records, documents, and evidence from your case are maintained at Pierce County Clerk of Court office.

Court fees are all costs associated with your court case, such as filing fees, motion fees and various court charges. If you can’t afford to pay these fees and have a Public Defender, you may not have to pay the fees.

A Magistrate acts as the judge that rules on your case in court. They do a number of things, such as deciding a bail amount, issuing warrants for arrest, and acting as the presiding judge over preliminary court appearances and detention proceedings.

A pre-sentencing report is put together to include the defendant’s background information and information about the defendant’s life and history, which the magistrate will review when deciding on the sentence. Information will be requested from the person on trial, his or her family, and if necessary the victim. Don’t forget you are allowed to request to see your own copy of this report before you are sentenced, so you get the chance to correct any inaccurate information.

If you get convicted of a crime, you will be given a sentence for your crime. The presiding judge in your case will weigh several options when determining your sentence, which include community service and probation, to incarceration in either jail (short term) or prison (long term). Depending on sentencing guidelines and the severity of your crime, you might get immediately taken into custody, or given a date that you are supposed to report to jail to serve your term.

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

To find this out you should go to the Pierce County jail website and do an inmate search lookup, and search by:

• Name.
• Date of birth.
• Their booking date if you know it.
• and their jail inmate ID.

If you think this person is in jail, you can also call the jail find out if they’ve been arrested.

If you think you have a warrant out for your arrest, you are able to check the arrest warrants inquiry on the Pierce County court website or call the court directly. You have to have the person’s first and last name. You can also go to the local jail and inquire at the information desk. You should be clear that if there is a warrant for your arrest, they will take you into custody immediately.

If you know the person’s first and last name, and their arrest date, contact the Pierce County jail, on the phone, go there in person, or find out online. Records of arrests are a matter of public record and this is accessible to anyone.

A Civil Process is when you get served with papers, such as , subpoenas, and arrest warrants. You can access civil process orders by going to the Pierce County Sheriff’s office, by phone or online.

All convicted sex offenders are required to be registered and listed on the sex offender databases required by the area they live in. The people on these databases have been tried by jury and convicted in a court of law of a sex offense. You are able to view this information on the website, but keep in mind that you will not be able to find the precise address, but only the block that they live on.

Court Records are public records and available to anyone. They include a case file that contains a docket sheet and all documents and filings filed in the court case. You are able to access the court records on their website, or at the clerk’s office of the court where the case was filed.

Every state maintains records of a person’s criminal background. These online databases are linked together so you are able to track criminal backgrounds from another state. Go to the Pierce County Courthouse and inquire, or check online. It helps to know which county the crime occurred in, and if it was in a different state entirely, you might have to pay for a more complete search.

When you look up a person’s criminal records you are able to get a report detailing any arrests, charges, or convictions that may be on a person’s record for any crimes, which can include:

• Driving Under the Influence (DUI).
• Drug crimes.
• Kidnapping.
• Rape or other sexual assault.
• Violent crimes.
• Breaking and entering, theft, larceny.

But, when you do a criminal records check, usually won’t find if that person has had any infractions like moving violations:

• Speeding or reckless driving.
• Drivers license revoked or suspended.
• Any accidents.
• Moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To get driving records, you will have to do a driving records search.

Have you ever searched for criminal records? Was it an easy process? Did you search online or did you have to make a phone call to the local courthouse? Was the information you received correct? There are many reasons that people search for criminal records, and your feedback could 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 Pierce County, the Pierce County 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

Just the thought of spending time in the Pierce County jail is quite unpleasant, eventually you will settle into the daily routine there. Prisoners get a wake-up alarm each morning at 6:00am, and then roll call. After roll call you will eat breakfast. When you finish 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 Pierce 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 Pierce 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 money to jail inmates is likely to change, so you should double check the official website when you send funds to an inmate.


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 Pierce County Jail

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Pierce 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 Pierce 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:

• The right to protection from the accused.
• The right to notification.
• The right to attend proceedings.
• The right to speak at criminal justice proceedings.
• The right to consult with the prosecuting attorney.
• The right to restitution.
• The right to a speedy trial.
• 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.

Click here to share your story

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 have a family member or friend that is a prisoner there? Have you ever visited a prisoner at Pierce County Jail?

If so, then you should leave a comment below about it. Write about what you experienced so that others can find out what to expect.

Things you can write in the review:

• Jail conditions.
• Jail, yard and pod facility and layout
• Staff and guards
• Commissary and food
• Visitation Days
• Inmates.
• Inmate safety
• Jail gangs
• Inmate programs and activities


Write a review about Pierce County Jail

Tell Your Story

Everybody who’s been arrested and thrown in jail has some stories about their time ‘inside’. Why were you locked up? Did you get fair treatment? What was it like in jail? What about the other inmates? How has this experience impacted your life?

Click here to share your story about when you did time in Pierce County Jail

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Make some good friends in jail? Need to talk to an inmate you met while you were incarcerated? Post a message to them below.

Send a message to someone at Pierce County Jail


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