Address:
1901 D Street, SE
District of Columbia, DC 20003
Phone:
202-523-7060
Please call the jail at 202-523-7060 for the type of bond and any information that is required for a particular individual at Washington DC Central Detention Facility.
A bond is set according to a court-approved schedule.
The purpose of the bond is to assure the offender's appearance in court.
Instructions on how to post Bail or Bond in District of Columbia
Because District of Columbia and District of Columbia can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Washington DC Central Detention Facility at 202-523-7060, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, right after an arrestee has been booked.
Ask the staff at the Washington DC Central Detention Facility or the District of Columbia Court Clerk these specific questions:
If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released.
This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.
Option 1 - How to Post Bail using Cash for a Defendant at Washington DC Central Detention Facility
The first option, a cash bond, is to pay the full bail amount in cash, cashier's check, or money order. Personal Checks are not accepted.
Depending on the crime, this amount could be anywhere from $100 to $75,000 or more.
To pay a cash bond, go to Washington DC Central Detention Facility or to the court where the bail hearing occurred. Going directly to the jail will quicken the release of the defendant as any bail paperwork processed at the court will have to be transferred to the jail.
Cashier's Checks and Money Orders may be made out to Washington DC Central Detention Facility where the defendant is being held, but usually to the District of Columbia Sheriff's Office or to the District of Columbia Court.
To purchase money orders visit any Western Union, Moneygram or Post Office.
Option 2 - How to Post a Private or Surety Bond for a Defendant at Washington DC Central Detention Facility
In the event that someone does not have the full bond amount available to him or her, there is what is called a private bond or surety bond.
This is an agreement made with a bail agent or bondsman who will post the full bail amount. In return, the defendant and/or cosigner will pay a premium to the bail agent. This premium will be 10-15% of the full bail amount.
For example, if bail is posted at $5,000, then the premium will cost approximately $500-$750.
A bail agent will often require some form of collateral, for example, a lien on a house, a car or jewelry. This is to ensure that if the defendant skips bail, or does not appear in court, the bail agent has some sort of compensation for the full bail amount being paid.
Remember, by making an agreement with a bail agent the signatory takes responsibility for paying the full bail amount if the defendant does not appear in court.
Option 3 - How to Post a Property Bond for a Defendant at Washington DC Central Detention Facility
If you are a landowner in District of Columbia you may be able to post a property bond. Property within District of Columbia may be used as collateral to bail someone out. All owners of the property must be present to sign the bond in order for this to happen.
To find if property located outside of District of Columbia can be used as collateral, call a local bail or bond agent or contact a defense lawyer.
Click here for additional information on how to post bail at Washington DC Central Detention Facility.
Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Washington DC Central Detention Facility?
Anyone over the age of 18 who can produce a valid government-issued photo ID can post bail. Accepted forms of ID include a Photo Driver's License, Passport, or Motor Vehicle issued ID.
In many circumstances, if the defendant has the resources, they can post their own cash bail from jail.
Surety Bonds are arranged by a third party, typically a District of Columbia state licensed Bail Bond firm.
Juveniles may only be bailed or bonded out of custody by a parent or legal guardian.
When will the Cash Bail or Collateral be returned to me?
Money or collateral will not be returned until the defendant's court case is finished, so realistically it could take several months to years, depending on the severity of the charges. If a defendant posts his or her own bail, District of Columbia Court may retain whatever amount of fines or fees have accumulated throughout the trial.
What happens to my Bail or Collateral if the Defendant misses Court?
The District of Columbia Judge may order a failure to appear warrant for the person's arrest or the Judge may order a Bail Commissioner's Letter be issued that will be sent to the person with a new court date.
If cash bail was paid, the entire amount may be forfeited.
For inmates receiving mail in the Washington DC Central Detention Facility there are different addresses and policies depending on the inmate's status, as well as what type of mail they are receiving; personal mail, legal mail, subscriptions or books sent from a third-party such as Amazon.
All mail is to be shipped to the Washington DC Central Detention Facility:
Inmate's Full Name & DCDC Number (call 202-523-7060 to get this number)
Central Detention Facility
1901 D Street, SE
District of Columbia, DC 20003
For complete information on mail policies, what you can send an inmate and what address to send them, check out our Inmate Mail page.
To Deposit Money in an inmate's account follow these steps:
**NOTE** GTL is in a transition merging into a new company called ViaPath Technologies.
All the information you need to understand depositing money into an inmate's trust fund, specifically for phone calls, but also for Commissary, in District of Columbia, can be found on our Send Money Page.
Follow these instructions to schedule and then visit an inmate using GTL.
For all the information you need to know regarding scheduling, cost, rules, tips and guidelines of inmate visits at the Washington DC Central Detention Facility, check out our Visit Inmate Page.
Follow these instructions on how to open an account with GTL Connect Network (aka Viapath Technologies)
For full instructions on the Washington DC Central Detention Facility Inmate Phone System, what the costs are, how it works, and tips and guidelines on rules, regulations and saving money on calls, check out our Inmate Phones Page.
How to Make a Deposit for Phone, Email or Visitation using GettingOut.com
Washington DC Central Detention Facility uses GettingOut for some or all of its communication services with an inmate.
If you want to deposit money using this company for your use or your inmate's account, there are four ways to do it:
For all the information you need to know, including tips, guidelines and warnings about depositing money in a Washington DC Central Detention Facility inmate's account for communication services, check out our Send Money page.
To find out how to get access to a tablet for inmate read the following:
1. First, Register or Sign In to GettingOut/GTL
2. Purchase the services you want for your Washington DC Central Detention Facility inmate.
3. All inmates have free access to the tablets to read their letters from family & friends, but there are many other services available to keep your inmate busy while incarcerated... such as Games, Books, Music and Movies. These other services come with fees that you can pay for when you pay for phone service.
To learn more about Tablet Rentals for inmates, including the cost, all the services available and everything else you need to know, check out our Tablet Rental Page.
To mail or email an inmate in District of Columbia follow these steps:
When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please follow these instructions:
Emailing Messages & Photos
Facility_name_1} contracts with GTL GettingOut, the same service that handles iInmate Phone Systems and Video Visitation, for sending secure messages and photos between you and your inmate.
If you are not already registered, do so here, or Log in.
Then use the Facility Finder to:
1. Select Washington DC Central Detention Facility,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.
Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call 866-516-0115
Go here to this FAQ to get answers to how the transition to ViaPath from GTL and gettingout will affect your account.
All the information you need to understand mail and email policies for District of Columbia can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.
To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Washington DC Central Detention Facility follow these steps:
For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Washington DC Central Detention Facility check out our Commissary Instructions Page for District of Columbia.