Lake County Jail

Some of the inmates at the Lake County Jail have been tried and sentenced to the jail or the Florida Department of Corrections. However, most inmates have not yet been tried by the courts, so they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.  

The Detention Center has a capacity of 960 incarcerated people. The average daily population is 828 inmates.

This facility was built in 1992 and employs a total of 239 people, including 179 sworn employees and 60 non-sworn employees. All employees work under the leadership and direction of the sheriff.

Inmate Search

To find out if your loved one is being held in Lake County, call the jail at 352-742-4006, 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 Lake County Jail

The method (cash/surety) and amount of money needed for bonding someone out of the Lake County Jail depends on their charges. Most crimes, but not all crimes, are bondable offenses.

When you pay a cash bond, it is refunded to you when all court appearances have been made and the case is discharged, dismissed, or a not guilty verdict rendered. If the arrestee fails to appear or is found guilty, the money will be forfeited. 

When you use a Bail Bondsman for a surety bond, you will not get a refund. 

To pay a cash bond, bring cash, cashier's/certified check, or money order for the full amount to the lobby of the detention center. Checks or money orders must be made out to the 'Clerk of Courts' for local charges and made out to the 'Lake County Sheriff' for all out of county charges.

If an inmate has enough money in their commissary account, they can post bond themselves. For more information about bonding, call (352)742-4024.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Anyone who is booked into the Detention Center and given a housing assignment has access to the kiosk in that unit to complete a visitation list. This process takes between two to seven days. The inmate is not allowed visits until this process is complete.

Visitation Days/Hours

Inmates in the general population are allowed two visits per week, up to one hour per visit. Visiting hours occur daily at the Lake County Jail.

General Population and A/C P/C and females:9:00 am - 11:00 am1:00 pm - 4:00 pm7:00 pm - 8:30 pmJuveniles:11:00 am - 1:00 pm4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Visiting RulesVisitors are allowed to bring only one key and one picture I.D. Visitors must be at least 18 years of age. However, juveniles between the ages of 12 to 17 are allowed to visit if accompanied by an approved adult visitor. Children under the age of 12 are not allowed to visit.

• No tank tops, spaghetti strap/strapless tops
• No tops that are revealing or see through
• No cell phones
• No short dresses, skirts or short-shorts
• No ball caps
• No sunglasses, unless prescribed

If you have any items on you that are not allowed in the jail, there are lockers in the lobby. The cost for use of a locker is 25 cents and is returned when you get your items out of the locker. If you have a cell phone, make sure it is turned off (not on vibrate) before placing it into a locker.

In-person visitation for female inmates is set up a little differently at the Detention Center. The same rules apply for them to set up their visitation lists; however, their actual visits are conducted from a video monitor, which is located on the second floor of the Detention Center.

Remote Video Visits

All incoming inmate correspondence — with the exception of privileged/legal mail — must be in the form of a postcard or letter size envelope. All mail must include the inmate's full name and inmate I.D. number. Senders must include their First and Last name along with a complete and valid return address.

Postcards and photos must be no larger than 5" by 7" and no smaller than 3 1/2" by 4 1/2". Letter size envelope requirements:

• Height 3.5"-6 ⅛"
• Length 5"-11.5"
• Thickness 0.007"-0.25"

Books/Magazine/Other Publications

All publications sent must meet the following requirements:

• Must be in new condition
• Must only be sent directly from the publisher or legitimate retailer
• Soft cover only (no hardback books)
• Must be of reasonable size

Prohibited Mail Items

• Defaced or altered postcards or letters
• Plastic or any type of wrappings on the postcard
• Anything marked with paint, magic marker or crayon
• Any type of sticker, labels, tape or whiteout
• Postcards or letters with watermarks or stains
• Mail containing biohazard materials, including lipstick and perfumes
• Postcards or letters that do not meet the size requirement
• Postcards or letters containing any type of glue, glitter, ribbons, or attachments of any kind
• Any material that contains instructions for the manufacturing of explosives, drugs, or other unlawful substances
• Any material that advocates violence
• Mail that advocates racial, religious, or national hatred in such a way that would create a serious danger of violence
• Any sexually explicit material
• Any material that is in code, threatens blackmail or extortion, escape plans, or is considered illegal correspondence
• Items of contraband or perishable items
• Personal items (care packages), stamps, envelopes, blank paper, blank greeting cards, or clothing
• Any pictures which are not scanned onto or printed on picture paper
• No more than five pictures can be sent at a time.
• Children must be fully clothed in all pictures
• Photocopies that include anything other than legal documents

If you have any questions, please call the Lake County Detention Center Inmate Mail Department at 352-742-4000.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at the Lake 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.

Securus Technologies provides the inmate telephone system to place collect calls. You must have an account with Securus Technologies if you wish to receive collect calls from an inmate at the Lake County Jail to a cell phone.  

Prepaid Accounts can be opened with cash, money order, credit card, MoneyGram or Western Union. To set up an account, call customer service at 1-800-844-6591, 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Or, you can set up and access your account online at www.securustech.net.

How to Send Money

The Lake County Detention Center sets up a commissary account for every inmate who is booked into the facility. This account can be used to order commissary items, bond themselves out of jail, or pay for miscellaneous expenses.

There are two ways to add money to an inmate's account:

• Lobby Kiosks - The kiosk machine located in the front lobby of the Detention Center accepts cash or credit/debit cards. The deposit fee is $2.00. The kiosk is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Online - Deposit money into an inmate's commissary account online at http://www.commissarydeposit.com.

Internet Deposit Instructions:

• Log onto to http://www.commissarydeposit.com
• Click on Commissary Deposit
• Choose Florida from the drop-down box and click Next
• Select Lake County Sheriff's Office - Jail from the drop-down box
• Enter the Booking # or last name in the appropriate box
• Verify that the inmate information is correct
• Enter the amount you want to deposit
• Approve the amount and the fee
• Enter your credit or debit card information and click Submit
• Print a copy of the transaction for your records

Money Orders/Cashier's Checks

Money Orders and Cashier's Checks can be mailed if the envelope is properly addressed to the facility and has the inmate's name and I.D. number clearly visible.  FOR DEPOSIT ONLY must be clearly marked on the outside of the envelope or it will be returned to the sender.

Lake County Jail
Inmate Name and Number
551 West Main St.
Tavares, Fl 32778

Programs For Inmates

The Programs Department at the Lake County Detention Center offers a number of services to inmates, so they have the opportunity of bettering themselves in preparation for release. 

Chaplaincy Services

All Chaplaincy services are supervised by Chaplain Jim Cornell, who works for the Good News Jail & Prison Ministry. The Chaplain and approximately 45 volunteers provide Sunday and Wednesday services for each housing unit in the facility, as well as group Bible studies throughout the week. 

ACER Academy

ACER Academy is the educational program for juveniles held in the Lake County Detention Center. It is operated by Lake County Schools and is staffed by a full-time certified teacher. Students can complete the requirements for a regular diploma, special diploma, the GED or GED/FCAT option diploma.

G.E.D. Teaching and Testing

In partnership with Lake Technical College, qualified inmates may participate in GED classes and testing during their time at the Lake County Detention Center.

Recovery Groups

Alcoholics Anonymous, Celebrate Recovery, and LifeStream Behavioral Center offer recovery-oriented groups at the Lake County Detention Center.

Book Cart

Donated books make their way to every housing unit on a weekly basis."Released" brochure

This brochure provides a listing of useful resources and phone numbers designed to assist inmates in their reintroduction to normal life upon their release from this facility. Each inmate receives a brochure when they are booked into the Lake County Jail.

Pictures of Lake County Jail

Careers at Lake County Jail

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

Detention deputies at the Lake County Jail earn a starting salary of $41,000 per year. This work requires the ability to effectively use computer systems and electronic equipment, involves an element of personal danger, and entails frequent contact with inmates and the public under routine and emergency conditions. Applicants must be at least 18 and a US Citizen.