Columbia County Jail

The inmates housed at the jail are pre-trial status, ICE detainees, sentenced to the jail, or sentenced to the Department of Corrections and awaiting transfer. 

Inmate Search

To find out if your loved one is being held in Columbia County, click here, call the jail at (386) 755-7000, or use VINE (see below). Be prepared to provide the inmate’s full name and date of birth when using the VINE website.

Florida VINE

The Florida VINE system is a service through which victims of crime can search for information regarding the custody status of their offender, and to register to receive phone calls and e-mail notifications when the offender’s custody status changes. 

This service is provided to assist Victims of Crime who have a right to know about their offender's custody status. Click this link to register.

Inmates being held for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC), or charges from other counties will not be found by going to the VINE Link above. You will have to call the jail.

Bonding someone out of the Columbia County Jail

The method of bonding someone out of the Columbia County Jail depends on the charges. A bond must be paid in full and posted as a cash bond or surety bond. A cash bond is when the amount is paid in full by cash, debit, or credit card by the inmate or family/friend. A surety bond is when a Bail Bondsman pays the bond, and you pay a percentage as a fee.

When you pay a cash bond, it is refunded to you when all court appearances have been made and the case is discharged. When you use a Bail Bondsman for a surety bond, you will not get a refund.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

All inmates at the Columbia County Jail have the opportunity to make a list of four visitors they wish to receive onsite video visits from. If a person is not listed on the inmate’s visitation list, they will not be allowed to visit onsite at this facility. Inmates are allowed to change their visitation list on the 1st of every month. 

Visitors who pay for remote video visits do not have to be on the inmate’s visitation list and there is no age limit for visitors. Remote visits are subject to approval.

Go to www.securustech.net to register and schedule visits. All visits must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. Visitors may choose to schedule an onsite visit or a remote visit from home. The cost is $9.95 per remote visit. 

After visiting www.securustech.net to register and schedule a remote visit, visitors may then prepay via Visa or MasterCard online. The duration of remote video visits is limited to a maximum of 30 minutes. 

On-Site Visitors

Regular onsite visitors must check in at the lobby front desk with a photo ID such as a driver’s license or an ID card. All onsite visitors must be at least 18 years old to visit. 

Onsite visitors may split the two hour time slot between visitors, however an inmate may only have one visitor at a time as long as it is within the allocated two hours. 

All onsite visitors are required to submit to a search of their persons and possessions before being admitted into the visitation area. Personal property is not accepted for inmates during visitation.

Bags, purses, or any item that can conceal contraband will not be allowed to be taken back to the visitation area. Visitors are encouraged to leave all items with the exception of car keys and identification locked in their vehicle.

Persons desiring to visit must be appropriately dressed, including wearing shoes.

Children must not be left unsupervised in the lobby, on the facility ground or in the parking lot.

Smoking and tobacco products are prohibited in the public area. 

Visitation is non-contact video visitation for a maximum of two hours. Inmates are allowed only one onsite visit per week. If the entire two hours are not used, the remaining time is forfeited. 

Visitation hours are from 8:30 AM to 10:30 PM, seven days a week, with visitation closing from 5:30PM to 6:30 PM for count procedures. Visitation is over at 10:30 P.M. and all visitors must depart the visitation area.

Permission to visit may be denied if the visitor:

• Has introduced or attempted to introduce contraband into any correctional facility.
• Has assisted or attempted to assist in an escape from any correctional facility.
• Has committed serious or repeated violations of the Columbia County Jail's regulations during previous visits.
• Is under the influence of intoxicants
• Name is not approved on the original visitor’s list.
• Becomes unmanageable, disrespectful, uses abusive or obscene language, and/or creates a disturbance during their visit.
• Is not wearing clothing that is appropriate for visitation, such as:
  •  Miniskirts, see through blouses, braless attire, swimsuit, or any excessively short form of dress.
  • Micro-mini shorts, cutoffs, or daisy duke style shorts
  • Halter tops or tops with spaghetti straps
  • Fishnet jerseys or clothing that does not cover the upper body
  • Excessively tight fitting clothing or clothing that displays or reveals areas of the upper or lower body
  • Any clothing with suggestive slogans relating to race, creed, sex, or natural origin.
• Refuses to be searched prior to entering the visitation area.
• Refusing to provide identification and relationship information.

All incoming inmate mail is processed at an off-site facility for safety and security.  Inmates will not receive the actual envelope or contents. The processing facility will inspect and scan the letter into electronic format where the inmate can receive it via kiosk or tablet.

Incoming mail must have the inmate’s full name and inmate number (if you do not know the Inmate number you must contact the facility at 386-755-7000), and the mailing address as shown above on the article as well as a complete return address. 

All packages mailed to the facility are handled by the Main Control Room Officer. Anything that can be purchased in the commissary cannot be mailed in. 

E-Mail

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at the Columbia County Jail cannot receive incoming phone calls, however, they have access to phones and can make outgoing calls from the inmate housing area. Phone calls are recorded and may be monitored at any time.

A pre-paid telephone account may be set up for an inmate by contacting Securus at 1-800-844-6591. They will help you set up the account. MasterCard, Visa and American Express are accepted as forms of payment.

How to Send Money

Money for inmates at the Columbia County Jail is accepted in the following ways:

Lobby Kiosk

The Kiosk will take cash, debit, or credit cards. The depositor’s first and last name will be requested. Within approximately 15 minutes the inmate may access this information on the kiosk in the housing areas. Debit and Credit charges are applied by the amount of money that is deposited.

Internet

Friends and family can go online to deposit money in an inmate’s account at www.commissarydeposit.com. The inmate’s commissary ID number is required for this type of transaction. Sending an Inmate Money with a debit or credit card using CommissaryDeposit.com is easy and takes the following steps:

• Start here and click ‘DEPOSIT MONEY’
• Choose Florida
• Choose Columbia County Sheriff's Office
• View the date your order will be delivered, then click ‘NEXT’.
• Search for, then Select your inmate.
• Choose the amount to send.
• Pay for the deposit transaction

The fees to send money directly to your inmate are as follows:

$0.01 - $25.00 =    $3.25 + 3%
$25.01 - $100  =     $4.50 + 3%
$100.01 to $200 =  $6.00 + 3%
$200.01 & up =       $7.50 + 3%

If you have issues with sending money to your inmate go to the Commissary Deposit Customer Support page.

Customer Support phone:   912-584-6102
Email: [email protected]
Customer Support Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM EST

By Phone

Funds may be deposited by phone by contacting the facility at (386) 755-7000 and utilizing option 5 from the prompts. The inmate’s commissary ID number is required for this type of transaction.

Care Packages

If you prefer to send commissary items to your inmate in Columbia County Jail instead of sending money to them, click here to order the items.

In addition to the items you purchase, you will pay a ‘service fee’ for each item selected. The first item you select will cost you a fee of $2.00-3.00, and then an additional $0.35 to $0.50 for each item you select after that.

Columbia County Jail only allows you to purchase a maximum amount of $200.00 worth of products at a time. Items you may purchase include: 

• Clothing (thermals, underwear, bras, shoes)
• Stationary, envelopes, stamps, playing cards, board games
• Toiletries, hygiene, reading glasses, medicated creams, aspirin
• Soda, energy drinks, coffee, packaged meats & fish, soups, cookies, chips, pastries

Programs For Inmates

Education, treatment, and life skills programs are available for inmates at the Columbia County Jail.

Pictures of Columbia County Jail

Careers at Columbia County Jail

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

Detention Deputy Requirements

Applicants must be a High School Graduate or have a GED. They must also complete the basic recruit training course for Correctional Officers and be eligible for, or possess a current employment certificate of compliance for Correctional Officers issued by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission.  

Must be 19 years of age or older at time of hire, and have a current valid Florida driver’s license. Other requirements for this position include no felony convictions within your lifetime, and noo misdemeanor convictions involving perjury, false statement, or domestic violence.

Salary for this position is $35,000 per year.