Washington County Jail

The Washington County Jail is located in Chatom, Alabama and is operated by the Washington County Sheriff's Office. This facility holds an average of 80 inmates daily who have been arrested by local county or city law enforcement. It is the primary detention center for all law enforcement agencies in Washington County, including the towns of Chatom, Millry, and McIntosh.

Inmates are incarcerated for crimes ranging from a violation of misdemeanors to felonies. The Washington County Jail houses:

• Persons who have been charged with a crime and are awaiting trial
• Those who have been arrested on warrants
• Those who have been sentenced to the county jail for one year or less for a misdemeanor crime
• Those who've been placed on hold by Alabama Probation and Parole
• Inmates sentenced by municipal courts in the county
• People who have been placed in the jail "on hold" by other agencies, and
• Inmates who are waiting to be transferred to their assigned Alabama Department of Corrections facility
• ICE detainees

To see a current inmate roster for the Washington County Jail, click here. 

Bonding Someone Out of the Washington County Jail

FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE JAIL STAFF AND INMATES, NO ONE IS RELEASED BY BOND BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 4:30 P.M. AND 8:00 A.M.

You can bond someone out of the Washington County Jail in one of two ways:

• Cash Bond-Pay the total amount of the bond at the clerk’s office, inside the courthouse. Bring a copy of the receipt to the jail. Bond money will be returned to you after sentencing in the case. 
• Bail Bondsman-The bonding company must be licensed in Washington County. (Cherokee Bail Bonds (251) 847-2827 or All Star (251) 847-2663)

ALL bonds require a $35.00 bond-filing fee in the form of a money order made out to the Washington County Circuit Clerk. (Neither cash nor personal checks will be accepted).

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Inmates at the Washington County Jail may list two names on their visitation card each week for a 15-minute visit. Visitation is only offered on Wednesdays between 1:00pm and 3:00 pm.

All visitation, with the exception of attorney visits, is non-contact.  The people on the visitation card should call the jail at 251-847-2202 to make an appointment to visit.  Appointment requests are taken Monday and Tuesday from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm. Appointments for visitation at the jail should be made on Monday or Tuesday the week of visitation.

• No children are allowed in the lobby.
• NO CELL PHONES, PURSES OR BAGS ARE ALLOWED DURING VISITATION, please secure these items prior to arriving for your visit. 
• The dress code is strictly enforced. Females must be dressed appropriately or they WILL NOT be allowed to visit. Pants or skirts cannot be above the knee and shirts must cover the chest area and have sleeves.  Leggings, tank tops, shorts, or any other tight fitting clothes WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.

All incoming inmate mail must include the name of the sender and a complete return address or it will be discarded. Mail will also be rejected if it is determined to be detrimental  to security, order, or the health and well-being of the inmate. 

If the following items are received in inmate mail, it will be rejected:

• Third party letters
• Personal checks or cash (only money orders made payable to the inmate are accepted in the mail)
• Blank paper or envelopes
• Padded or bubble envelopes
• Letters with perfume, powder, or cologne
• Mail with body fluids or hair
• Letters with lipstick or marks of a kiss
• Letters or cards with glue, tape, glitter, stickers, or labels
• Letters that are stained or extremely dirty
• Food items, gum, or food labels/wrappers
• Photos
• Anything depicting violence, sex, or gang affiliation

How to Call an Inmate

You can't call an inmate who is housed at the Washington County Jail, but they do have access to phones in their housing units (upon completion of the booking process) and can make outgoing collect calls.

How to Send Money

When inmates are booked into the Washington County Jail, the cash that they have on them is placed into an account at the Sheriff’s Office that allows them to purchase items from the jail commissary. 

The Washington County Jail offers a KIOSK located in the Front Lobby of the Facility for Family and Friends to deposit funds on an inmate's commissary account.  This KIOSK is able to take cash and credit cards.  For each cash transaction there is a service fee charge.  

You can also mail a money order directly to the jail, made payable to your inmate. Send it to:

Washington County Jail
Inmate Name
P. O. Box 307
Chatom, Alabama 36518

Programs For Inmates

The Washington County Jail provides inmate labor for trash collection on Washington county roads, as well as assistance with projects for schools and the public library.

Pictures of Washington County Jail

Careers at Washington County Jail

If you are interested in a career with the Sheriff's Department and would like more information about the job openings at the Washington County Jail, click here.