Atlanta City Detention Center

The Atlanta City Jail (aka the Atlanta City Detention Center) is located in Atlanta, Georgia and is operated by the City of Atlanta Department of Corrections. This jail houses adult male and female inmates—both felony and misdemeanor offenders—who have been arrested by municipal law enforcement, as well as convicted inmates and federal inmates. 

In January, 2003, the City transferred responsibility for the detention of arrestees charged with state offenses to the Fulton and DeKalb county jails, essentially reducing the scope of city correctional services by approximately one-third. 

Inmate Search

To find out if your loved one is being held in Atlanta, call the jail at 404.865.8000. Be prepared to provide the inmate’s full name and date of birth.

All inquires about Federal inmates must be made by contacting the U.S. Marshals at 202.307.3198. The City of Atlanta's Department of Corrections is not allowed to provide any information regarding any Federal inmates who may or may not be housed at the Federal Annex.

Bonding someone out of the Atlanta City Jail

A criminal bond is a financial guarantee that the arrested person will appear in court on a specified date. A BOND IS NOT A FINE. The person you are posting the bond for must appear before a judge to answer criminal charges. 

A fee of $20.00 is charged for every bond that is written by the jail. This fee may be paid in cash and is non-refundable.

If an inmate has bondable charges, he or she can bond out at any time. A bond can be paid with or without a bail bond agent. The method (cash/surety) and amount of money needed for bonding someone out of the Atlanta City Jail depends on their charges. Most crimes, but not all crimes, are bondable offenses.

• Cash Bond

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. Failure to appear at the appointed time will result in forfeiture of the bond amount and may result in a Bench Warrant ordered by the judge.

To sign a cash bond, you must bring a photo identification card and enough cash to cover the bond. The sheriff's office only accepts paper money (no change allowed), money order, or cashier’s check. The entire amount of the cash bond must be paid at the bonding office before the inmate is released. 

• Surety Bond

When you use a Bail Bondsman for a surety bond, you will be required to pay a fee (usually equal to 10 to 15 percent of the bond amount) that will not be refunded. Only an approved bondsman may be used.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

An inmate must be incarcerated at the Atlanta City Jail for at least 48 hours before he/she is eligible for visitation. To be eligible for visitation, the inmate must not be scheduled for court or awaiting transfer to another jurisdiction.

Visitation is scheduled on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 

Visiting hours on Wednesdays are 8:00 am to 10:00 am, 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm, and 7:00 pm. to 9:30 pm. 

Saturdays’ visitation hours are 8:00 am to 10:00 am, 12:00 pm to 5:30 pm, and 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm. 

Before you can visit, your inmate must place their visitor(s) name and time of visit on the visitor’s registry in his/her assigned housing pod one day before the scheduled visit day. 

The inmate is responsible for calling all their visitors and notifying them of reserved visitation times. All visits are limited to a maximum of 30 minutes.

All visitors must bring a government-issued photo ID for scheduled visits, and must report at the scheduled time. Anyone under 17 must be accompanied by an adult with proper ID.

A supervisor must approve all out-of-town visits. A photo ID from another county (of at least 50 miles distance) or state is required before approval can be granted. 

No personal items are allowed in the visitation area. A public locker can be rented for 50 cents (two quarters). Cell phones are not permitted in the facility.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at the Atlanta City 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.

How to Send Money

To ensure that money is deposited into the right inmate’s account, you must provide the correct full name and the inmate’s personal ID number. This information can be obtained at the lobby control desk.

Any inquiry concerning a deposit should be addressed at the lobby control desk for referral to the Inmate Account/Commissary Section (open Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30 pm).

Lobby Kiosk

All deposits to inmate accounts at the Atlanta City Jail can be made through the kiosk machines (ACCESS SECURE DEPOSITS) in the front lobby. A maximum of $300.00 can be deposited every two weeks plus a $3.00 surcharge.

Online

Internet Deposits can be made at www.inmatedeposits.com, with a $2.95 surcharge.

By Phone

Toll free Phone Deposits can be made by calling 1.866.345.1884, with a $3.95 surcharge.

Programs For Inmates

This information is not publicly available.

Pictures of Atlanta City Detention Center

Careers at Atlanta City Detention Center

If you are interested in a career with the City of Atlanta Department of Corrections and would like more information about the job openings and opportunities at the Atlanta City Jail, click here. For information about careers with the Atlanta Police Department, click here.