Washington DC Central Detention Facility Inmate Bail & Bonds

Start with Washington DC Central Detention Facility Inmate Search. Type the name and see if a booking shows. If it does not, the person may still be at the police station or in the court cellblock. Call the Records Office at 202-523-7060 for a person already booked.

The DC Jail holds only men. A woman arrested in the District is not held here, so ask the Records Office or the Correctional Treatment Facility desk at 202-790-6601.

↑ Back to the question list

The Central Detention Facility, at 1901 D Street SE, is the city's main jail for men. The Department of Corrections says it houses low, medium and high custody men. It holds men waiting for trial, men serving short misdemeanor sentences, and convicted felons waiting for transfer to a federal prison.

Women and men with lower custody levels can be sent next door to the Correctional Treatment Facility at 1901 E Street SE. The front desk of the jail is the Command Center, 202-698-4932.

↑ Back to the question list

Not at the jail. After an arrest, police take a person to a district station and then to the Central Cellblock at 300 Indiana Avenue NW, next to the court. Its phone is 202-727-4222. The person stays there until the first court hearing.

Only after a judge orders detention does a man move to the DC Jail at 1901 D Street SE. Until then, a name search may show nothing, so try the Cellblock line.

↑ Back to the question list

Felony cases have a presentment and misdemeanors have an arraignment. Both are the first time the judge speaks to the person. Arraignment Court is Courtroom C-10 at the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW. It sits weekdays at 1:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 2:00 p.m., and it is closed Sundays.

The Pretrial Services Agency says people are usually interviewed and seen by a judge within 24 hours, and the legal limit is 48 hours. Call the court's criminal information line at 202-879-1373 for a courtroom.

↑ Back to the question list

Rarely. The default under D.C. Code 23-1321 is release on a promise to return, or on an unsecured bond, with conditions only if needed. The Pretrial Services Agency says most defendants are released under supervision instead of paying money.

A judge may still order a money condition, but only to make sure the person comes back to court. It cannot be used to keep a person locked up for safety reasons. Money bail is the exception here, not the rule.

↑ Back to the question list

Not at the jail. Go to the Criminal Finance Office, Room 4003, fourth floor east wing, Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW. It is open Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The phone is 202-879-1840.

After those hours, go to Courtroom C-10. Bond payments are taken there until the court adjourns for the day. Bring photo ID and the case information.

↑ Back to the question list

The court says bonds may only be posted in the form of cash or money order. Personal checks are not accepted. On Saturdays and holidays, an electronic payment may be accepted for a bond under $1,000. To ask, email BondPayPortal@dcsc.gov.

Do not send money to anyone who is not the court. Ask for a receipt that shows the case number and the amount.

↑ Back to the question list

Yes, but this is rare in DC. Bondsmen are licensed by the two courts under D.C. Code chapter 23-11, not by an insurance office. They may charge only the regular fee for bonding. The law sets no percentage, so ask the amount before you sign and get everything in writing.

The Pretrial Services Agency wrote in 2016 that almost no Superior Court defendants are released on surety bonds. Call the Criminal Finance Office at 202-879-1840 to ask for the current approved list.

↑ Back to the question list

The law allows an agreement to forfeit property as a release condition. The judge may ask where the property came from and must refuse property that would not make the person return. Whether the home must sit inside the District is something the court has to answer for your case.

Ask the Criminal Finance Office at 202-879-1840 for the steps and forms before you start any paperwork.

↑ Back to the question list

No dollar chart is published for DC. Because money bail is unusual, the judge picks an amount, if any, at the first hearing. Anyone who quotes you a price list is guessing.

Look at Washington DC Central Detention Facility Inmate Search for the court status. For a number that a judge ordered, call the Criminal Information line at 202-879-1373 and give the full name and case number.

↑ Back to the question list

A judge can order detention after a hearing when prosecutors show by clear and convincing evidence that no conditions can protect the community or make sure the person returns. This applies to listed violent and dangerous crimes, some theft charges, and cases with a serious risk of flight or witness threats.

A person on release, probation or parole when arrested can also be held up to 5 days. First-degree murder, second-degree murder and armed assault with intent to kill follow separate rules. The hearing is usually held at the first appearance, and the defense can ask to delay it by up to 5 days.

↑ Back to the question list

Under D.C. Code 23-1321(d), a defense lawyer may ask the court to send a person to the Department of Corrections for release from the jail within 5 hours. The person must agree knowingly and willingly.

Otherwise, release steps vary. Call the Records Office at 202-523-7060 to learn when paperwork reached the jail. Look on Washington DC Central Detention Facility Inmate Search to confirm that the person is gone.

↑ Back to the question list

The Public Defender Service for DC is at 633 3rd Street NW, 202-628-1200. Judges also appoint private attorneys through the Criminal Justice Act panel. Tell the judge at the first hearing that you cannot hire a lawyer.

A lawyer can ask for a review of the conditions after 24 hours if the person is still held because of inability to meet them. Ask the court at 202-879-1010 how to reach the panel office.

↑ Back to the question list

Visits are by video at the Video Visitation Center behind the Correctional Treatment Facility, 1901 E Street SE. Make an appointment at 1-888-906-6394 (Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or on the visitation web page. The Department says visits are free and last 45 minutes, two per week.

The jail account is separate from bail. Western Union, money orders and the lobby kiosk add spending money only. They do not free anyone, and the older DOC schedule is dated 2012, so confirm it.

↑ Back to the question list

Young people are held at a separate site. The Youth Services Center, 1000 Mount Olivet Road NE, is run by the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. Call 202-576-8418. The Department of Corrections also says the Correctional Treatment Facility holds juveniles being adjudicated as adults, so ask the youth's lawyer which site applies.

Juvenile records are private, so the adult search will not list the child. The juvenile public defender line is 202-824-2801.

↑ Back to the question list

Under D.C. Code 23-1327, willfully missing court can mean any money posted is forfeited and new criminal charges. A felony carries 1 to 5 years and a misdemeanor carries 90 to 180 days. Skipping a court date after notice is treated as evidence of willfulness.

Call the lawyer or the Pretrial Services Agency the same day. Do not wait for a warrant.

↑ Back to the question list

No judge accepts gift cards, crypto or a payment app. Court bonds go to the court office only. If a caller says to pay in minutes, hang up and dial the Criminal Finance Office at 202-879-1840 yourself.

↑ Back to the question list