Ada County Jail
The Ada County Jail is the main jail in Ada County Idaho. While the police in the cities and towns in Ada County can arrest and detain offenders, the Ada County Jail is the facility that is accredited by Idaho to hold inmates for more than 72 hours.
The Ada County Jail, located at:
7210 Barrister Drive
Boise, ID 83704
can be reached 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at 208-577-3000.
The main reason that people call 208-577-3000 is to find out if a particular person is in custody, although you can look up an inmate online by going here. You can also get answers to whatever questions about an inmate, and the services for Ada County Jail that you may have by clicking on any of the questions below:
How to search for an inmate?
Can you look up an inmate’s mugshot?
How do you look up an offender’s criminal charges, bond or inmate number?
How do you visit an inmate?
What are the visitation hours?
Can you visit inmates in Ada County by video from home?
How do you get phone calls from an inmate?
Can you send mail, books, or newspapers to an inmate?
How do you send an inmate money?
Does Ada County Jail have inmate commissary?
Can an inmate receive and/or send email or text messages?
Do inmates in Ada County have access to computers or tablets?
How do you pay an inmate’s bail or bond?
Every year the Ada County Jail has approximately 22880 bookings, with a daily average of 1144 inmates and maintains control of the facility with a staff of 286.
Inmates in this jail range from low level misdemeanor offenders to those being held and awaiting trial for violent crimes like robbery, rape, and murder. Therefore, given the mix of potentially dangerous inmates, the security level is very high.
The Ada County Jail is equipped with a state-of-the-art locking system, closed circuit cameras covering every area where inmates are located, and jail staff that utilize a communication system that keeps each of the guards and civilian staff in constant contact.
Guards that circulate in the same general area of the inmates are armed with eye-blinding mace that will turn an inmate having a violent outburst into a weeping child. They also carry stun weapons, short clubs, flashlights that have dual use as both a light source and as a weapon, and handcuffs. Guards at entrances and in areas not frequented by inmates are armed with various firearms. The goal of such tight security is to keep both the staff and the inmates safe.
For other jails in Ada County, jails in neighboring counties, and local police jails and juvenile detention centers for young offenders under age 18 in this county, click here.
Unlike the Idaho Department of Corrections, where inmates are sent once convicted of a crime and sentenced to a period of more than a year, the Ada County Jail System is populated by short-term offenders; those who have just been arrested and awaiting to be bonded out by friends or family, those who cannot afford or get bailed and are awaiting trial, or those who have already been convicted of a crime and sentenced to a term of less than one year. Many of the latter inmates become ‘workers’, who can reduce their sentence by performing jail maintenance or working in the kitchen. An upside to being a worker is they also get paid a small stipend so when they get released, they have a few dollars in their pocket.
When an inmate is convicted and sentenced to a year or more, they are transferred to the Idaho Department of Corrections or the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Inmates that are convicted of a misdemeanor and/or sentenced to less than one year of a state crime serve their time in the Ada County Jail.
Illegal immigrants convicted of a state or federal crime will first do their time, then may be transferred into ICE custody for deportation.
For complete Instructions on How to Bail or Bond an Inmate in Ada County Jail, check out our Inmate Bail page.
Ada County Jail 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 Ada County Jail inmate's account for communication services, check out our Send Money page.
1. First, Register or Sign In to GettingOut/GTL
2. Purchase the services you want for your Ada County Jail 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.
When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please address your mail as follows:
Inmate's First and Last Name
Inmate's Full Name, Inmate LE #
Ada County Jail
7210 Barrister Drive
Boise, ID 83704
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 Ada County Jail,
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 Ada County can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.
Other than 'at the jail' visits between you and your inmate, which is explained and outlined in detail on our Visit Inmate Page, Ada County remote video inmate visitation can be done using the services of GettingOut.
There are three ways to remotely visit your inmate in Ada County Jail:
1. Using the GettingOut Kiosk at the jail.
2. Using your computer from home.
3. Using your phone on the GettingOut apps.
To remotely visit an inmate in Ada County follow these steps:
1. Start by confirming that Ada County Jail's Video Visitation is working correctly by looking up Ada County here.
2. The next step is to create an account here for GettingOut.
3. Then add funds to your account.
4. Last, select Ada County Jail, and then the inmate you wish to communicate with.
Other Ada County Services provided by GettingOut:
- Phone Calls & Voicemail
- Email, Photo & Video Sharing
- Inmate Tablet Rental
- Deposits
Customer Service
If you have any questions about the Ada County Jail Visitation Services you can call them at 866-516-0115.
Frequently Asked Questions
* All the information you need to have complete knowledge about inmate visitation; policies, rules, fees, schedules, tips, dress codes, and children, lawyers and clergy visitation in Ada County, can be found on our Visit Inmate Page.
Ada County Jail Phone: 208-577-3000
1. Start by confirming that Ada County Jail has the phone service you need to communicate with your inmate by the facility lookup here.
2. In the meantime, you can create an account here for GettingOut.
3. Then add funds to your account. This account can be controlled by just you, or by both you and your inmate.
4. Last, select Ada County Jail, and then the inmate you wish to communicate with.
Ada County Services that are provided by GettingOut, a GTL company:
- Phone Calls & Voicemail
- Video Visits (from home or jail lobby)
- Email & Photo Sharing
- Tablet Rental
- Deposits
Phone & Voicemail Fees
1. GettingOut charges $0.25 per minute for all phone calls, prepaid or collect, within Idaho.
2. Prepaid calls between Idaho and other states costs $0.21 per minute. International calls are $0.95 per minute.
3. There is a fee of $3.00 every time you add money to your account online, and it costs $5.95 if you add funds over the phone with a live agent.
4. You can also leave an inmate a short voice message for a flat fee of $1.25.
Note: Rates are subject to change.
Types of Phone Calls
Collect Calls
Collect calls allow you to accept and pay for calls to your land line (only) phone account. This means that if you accept your call from your inmate, all the charges for that call will then be billed to your land line phone account and will show up and be listed on your next local phone bill. Additional fees, costs, restrictions may apply.
Prepaid calls (Direct Calls)
With Prepaid Calls you can set up your account so that the inmate can only call you and/or you can just deposit money in their account and they can purchase prepaid phone cards through their commissary and call whoever they choose, provided the Ada County Jail approves of the phone number.
Quick Connect
Quick connect is an alternative to collect calls. It allows you to quickly pay for a phone call with your credit card. When your inmate calls you, follow the instructions from the automated voice system to pay for that one phone call, directly billed to your card.
Customer Service
If you have any questions about the Ada County Jail GettingOut phone services, you can call them at 866-516-0115.
* All the information you need to understand making and receiving phone calls with inmates in Ada County, can be found on our Inmate Phone Page.
For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Ada County Jail, as well as sending money to the inmate so that they can purchase their own items, check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Ada County.
Third Party Jail Inmate Services for Ada County Jail
Gone are the days where Ada County Jail supervised their own phone system, mail system, visitation, commissary and inmate money deposit systems. Jails throughout the United States are now partnering with high tech companies to provide and manage these servives for them and the jail in Ada County is no different.
Everything from video calls, to messages to visitation, and even digital mail and money deposits can be done from your home computer or personal device. Inmates in Ada County Jail, if they don't already, will soon have their own personal tablets for watching movies, TV shows, access to educational and and legal information, and more.
As Ada County Jail adds these services, JAILEXCHANGE will add them to our pages, helping you access the services and answering your questions about how to use them and what they cost.
You can check out this information now by going to the: Family Info page, Visit Inmate page, Inmate Mail page, Inmate Phone page, Send Money page, Inmate Bail page, Mugshots page, Text/Email an Inmate page, Commissary page, Remote Visits page, or the Tablet Rental page.
Ada County Jail
| STATE | COUNTY | BEDS |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho | Ada | 1,144 |
PHYSICAL ADDRESS
7210 Barrister Drive
Boise, ID 83704
TELEPHONE NUMBER
FAX
Jail (Main): 208-577-3009
INMATE MAIL
Inmate's First and Last Name
Inmate's Full Name, Inmate LE #
Ada County Jail
7210 Barrister Drive
Boise, ID 83704
Photos
View 1 photo of this facility
Frequently Asked Questions
How many inmates are in the Ada County Jail in Idaho?
There are 1144 inmates in the Ada County Jail in Idaho. While that is what they are approved to have incarcerated at any one time, they have on occasion had to add additional beds, even having inmates sleep on the floor when overcrowding becomes an issue. When possible, Ada County Jail will temporarily transfer some inmates to a neighboring facility, or if necessary, release some offenders from custody. Learn more about how to search for a specific inmate in the Ada County Jail.
How many people get arrested and booked into the Ada County Jail in Idaho every year?
In 2021, a total of 22880 offenders were booked into the Ada County Jail in Idaho. That is less than previous years, mostly due to restrictions related to the COVID pandemic. As of April 2022, the number of arrests and bookings are returning to normal, which means they are running higher than 2021. Learn more about how to search for an inmate in the Ada County Jail.
How many people work at the Ada County Jail in Idaho?
The Ada County Jail maintains a staff of approximately 286. Staff positions include correction officers, maintenance, clerical, kitchen workers and management. Idaho law allows for inmates to work alongside the paid staff during their incarceration, saving the facility money. Even though the inmates are paid, the cost is less than 15% of what a normal worker from the outside would be paid.
Does the Ada County Jail in Idaho have an inmate search or jail roster to see who is in custody?
Yes, the Ada County Jail in Idaho has an Inmate Search Roster feature. Learn more about how to search for an inmate in the Ada County Jail. When you get to this page click on the big green button that reads 'OFFICIAL Ada County Jail INMATE LIST'. After clicking on the link, type in the offender's name and then click 'search'. You can always call and speak to someone on the staff at 208-577-3000 if you are have further questions. In most cases the Inmate Roster provides information about the inmate's bond, criminal charges, mugshot, and even their release date, as long as they are not being sent to a Idaho prison or the US Bureau of Prisons to serve a sentence that is longer than one year.
What is the address and phone number of the Ada County Jail in Idaho?
The Ada County Jail address and phone number is:
7210 Barrister Drive
Boise, ID 83704. Their phone number is 208-577-3000.
To find out the address for sending an inmate mail, sending newspapers, magazines or care packages, learn more about how to mail an inmate in the Ada County Jail.
Where do I found out all the inmate services at Ada County Jail, such as visitation policy and schedule, how the inmate phone system works, emailing an inmate, and sending them money to buy things in commissary?
Here is where you get direct access to all the information you need for Ada County Jail inmate services: Learn more about how to visit an inmate in the Ada County Jail. Learn more about how to get phone calls from an inmate in the Ada County Jail. Learn more about how to text/email an inmate in the Ada County Jail. Learn more about how to send money to an inmate in the Ada County Jail. Learn more about how to mail an inmate and what's allowed in the Ada County Jail. Learn more about inmate commissary in the Ada County Jail.
How do I bail or bond an inmate out of the Ada County Jail?
Call 208-577-3000 for the type of bond and any information that is required for a particular individual at Ada County Jail.
A bond is set according to a court-approved schedule. You will either have to pay a cash bail, or put up a private, surety or a property bond to guarantee to the court that the defendant will return on their assigned court date. Learn more about how to bail or bond out an inmate in the Ada County Jail.
This facility, known as "Ada County Jail" is also known as Ada County Inmate Search, Ada County Arrests, Ada County Sheriff, Vernon L. Bisterfeldt Public Safety Building.
