Thurston County Jail & Sheriff COVID-19 Coronavirus Visitation Policy

Thurston County Jail & Sheriff

Address:
106 5th St
PO Box 370
Pender, NE 68047

Phone:

402-385-3018

New Visitation Policies in Thurston County Jail & Sheriff Due to COVID-19 Coronavirus

Because of concerns for the safety and wellness of both staff and inmates at the Thurston County Jail & Sheriff in Pender, Nebraska, contact visits of any type may be suspended. Even if they have visits, from time to time, face masks may be required.

Approved Non-contact visits with family, friends and the inmate’s lawyers may still be allowed when at-home or onsite video visitation is not available, however given that new guidelines are changing daily please check the visitation page or call 402-385-3018 for updates.

Video Visitation at Thurston County Jail & Sheriff

At-home and onsite video visitation guidelines for Thurston County Jail & Sheriff, when this service is available, can be found by going to the visitation information page.

We highly recommend that you call 402-385-3018 first for any changes due to staff shortages or other unforeseen circumstances, including whether your inmate has become ill and is unable to be in the general population where video kiosks are available.

How Long Will These Changes Last?

Experts in the study of the COVID-19 are anticipating that spread of the virus will be a ongoing concern for Thurston County, the state of Nebraska and the entire United States until well into 2024 and maybe even beyond. We are witnessing the virus becoming more contagious, but less deadly over time. Many people think that the 'more contagious, but less deadly' variants will infect so many people that a higher level of natural immunity for the majority of Americans will be the end result.

Will the Inmates in Thurston County Jail & Sheriff Be Safe from Getting Sick With COVID-19 Coronavirus?

Whether the inmates are safe from contracting the coronavirus depends entirely on two things:

  1. The Virus being introduced into the facility by a staff member or inmate who is unaware that they have it.
  2. How easily it spreads.

At this stage most people who get the coronavirus show very few symptoms beyond what you might experience with a bad cold or a mild case of the common flu. Newer variants are turning out to be less deadly than the common flu we experience every year.

Studies that have been done are showing that the hardest hit are those 60 years of age and older, those with pre-existing medical issues like diabetes, leukemia or obese individuals. Young men and women rarely become very ill, and when they do, seem to recover quickly.

Given the close proximity of inmates and staff to each other in this lockup, it is going to be very difficult to prevent the spread of COVID-19 once it is introduced into the facility as the virus can spread via the microscopic vapor that we release every time we speak, cough or sneeze.

We will continuously update this page as the virus changes and new policies are instituted.

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Thurston County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Thurston County Jail & Sheriff follow these steps:

  • Go to JailATM, choose Nebraska, then choose Thurston County Jail & Sheriff
  • Type in your inmate's last name or their Inmate ID.
  • Select your inmate, and then you will be prompted to Register with them to open an account.
  • Select the products you want shipped to them at Thurston County Jail & Sheriff, and then input your payment method. 
  • NOTE: There may be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in Thurston County at any one time.
  • If you need to phone customer support, call 877-810-0914

For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages or sending money to an inmate in Thurston County Jail & Sheriff check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Thurston County.


 

How Does an Inmate Make Phone Calls in Thurston County Jail & Sheriff?

To receive phone calls from an inmate in Thurston County follow these instructions:

Thurston County Jail & Sheriff uses the services of NCIC for inmate phone calling. It is called a ‘friends & family account”.

In order to receive phone calls from your inmate, you need to do the following:

  • Register here, or by phone 800-943-2189
  • Choose Nebraska.
  • Choose Thurston County Jail & Sheriff
  • Select your Inmate.
  • Enter the phone number your Inmate will be calling.
  • Fund your Account. ($10-$100 at a time)

NOTE:
1.   You cannot receive any calls to your phone number from your inmate until both you and your phone number are registered.
2.  When you do receive a call, the number you will view on your phone from the incoming call is: 800-943-2189.
3.  When allowed by Thurston County Jail & Sheriff, families can also leave secure voicemails for inmates to listen to.

Fees

  • Adding funds to your account - $3.00 
  • Cost of phone call of a Prepaid Collect Account - $0.21 per minute
  • Cost of an interstate (ex. Nebraska to a different state) phone call NOT Prepaid - $0.25 per minute
  • Cost of an intrastate (ex. Nebraska to Nebraska) phone call NOT Prepaid - $0.25 per minute
  • Cost if you set up your account (or fund it) by phone using a live agent, you will be charged a one-time fee of $5.95.

NCIC Customer Service
Phone - 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069
Email – [email protected]
Full list of participating jails.

For all the information regarding phone calls with Thurston County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, fees, limits and more visit our Inmate Phone Page.


 

How to Deposit Money Online for an Inmate in Thurston County

To deposit money online for an inmate in Thurston County Jail & Sheriff follow these steps:

  • Register to open an account, or Sign In to JailATM, a service that acts as a bank for inmates in Thurston County.
  • After registering and signing in, select 'Send Money Now'.
  • Choose Nebraska, then choose Thurston County Jail & Sheriff
  • Type in your inmate's last name or their Inmate ID.
  • Select your inmate.
  • Input an amount to deposit to your inmate in Thurston County Jail & Sheriff, and then input your payment method. 
  • NOTE: There may be a limit on how much money you can send your inmate in Thurston County at any one time.
  • If you need to phone customer support, call 877-810-0914.

For all information, tips and procedures for sending money to an inmate in Thurston County Jail & Sheriff, or depositing money at the jail, over the phone or by mail, check out our Send Money Page for Thurston County.


 

How to Have Remote Video Visits and 'At the Jail' Visits with an Inmate in Thurston County

To register and sign up for a remote visitation account with correctpay.com to communicate with your Thurston County Jail & Sheriff inmate, follow the instructions below:

Thurston County Jail & Sheriff uses the services of correctpay.com (aka JailFunds) for you to schedule and visit your inmate via remote video visitation.

You can ‘video visit’ your inmate one of three ways:

  • Visit from your home computer.
  • Visit from the correctpay VendEngine Kiosk in the Thurston County Jail & Sheriff lobby.
  • Visit by using the JailFunds iphone or Android app

Begin the process to schedule a visit:

  • Register by creating an account.
  • Add a payment method.
  • Select Nebraska
  • Select Thurston County Jail & Sheriff
  • Select your inmate
  • Schedule a visit.

24/7 Customer Service - 855-836-3364

For all the information on remote video visits and 'at the jail' visitation for Thurston County Jail & Sheriff, including fees, schedules, how it works and more, check out our Visit Inmate Page.


 

How to Send a Secure Email or Text Message to an Inmate in Thurston County

To send a secure email message and digital photos to an inmate in Thurston County Jail & Sheriff follow these steps:

  • Register with correctpay by creating an account.
  • Select Nebraska, then select Thurston County Jail & Sheriff, and then the inmate you want to send your message to.
  • Choose the amount of money you want to spend, and input your payment method. The funds can also be used by the inmate to send a message back to you.
  • NOTE: All messages between you and your inmate will be permanently recorded and seen by the staff and could be used against your inmate in court... So be careful what you write.
  • Uploading photos to Inmate’s email
    Make sure the file size is less than 5MB.
    Also make sure your file is a .jpg, .jpeg or .gif.

For all information on how to Text/Email an Inmate in Thurston County Jail & Sheriff and send them photos, check out our Secure Messaging Guide for Thurston County. 
24/7 Customer Service - 855-836-3364