You can speak with someone at the 265-bed Philadelphia Police Detention Unit about an inmate at any hour by calling 311.
This facility books and processes misdemeanor and felony arrestees for the county. Once booking and processing is complete, inmates are either bonded out, released on their own recognizance, or held until their trial is resolved.
See who is currently in custody by using the inmate search tool.
Those sentenced to less than one year serve their sentence at the jail. Those sentenced to more than one year are sent to the Pennsylvania State Prison System or the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
This page has information about the visitation schedule, inmate account funding, mail, phone calls, voicemail, email and texting, tablet rentals, bail bond instructions, and commissary.
Keep the inmate’s booking number or jail ID close by. It’s required for most communication. If you can’t find it online, call Philadelphia Police Detention Unit at 311.
Phone: 311
Physical Address:
800 Race Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130-3887
Other Jails and Prisons
To search for an inmate in the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit, review their criminal charges, the amount of their bond, when they can get visits, or even view their mugshot, go to the Official Jail Inmate Roster, or call the jail at 311 for the information you are looking for. You can also look up an offender's Criminal Court Case online in Philadelphia County or any other county in Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia Police Detention Unit Inmate Search
The Philadelphia Police Detention Unit maintains an average of 265 offenders in custody on any given day. The Philadelphia Police Detention Unit has a monthly turnover of 40% of their inmate population, another 30% turnover every 90 days, another 20% every six months, and approximately 10% stay incarcerated between six and twelve months. Every year Philadelphia County law enforcement agencies arrest and detain approximately 137,000 offenders.
The following charts of Philadelphia County inmate population demographics are updated daily. The information shown is for today. For research purposes we have broken down the inmates by sex, age, ethnicity, and criminal charges.
The information is compiled from the Philadelphia County Corrections Department, the state of Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, as well as the United States Department of Justice and Census Bureau records. It represents every person in custody in Philadelphia County.
For complete information on how to get directions, bond, visit, mail, send and receive email and texts, receive phone calls, and send money or commissary to an inmate, find arrest information for Philadelphia County and other counties surrounding this one, scroll down this page. We have a section for each.
We also provide photos of the jail that we have collected over the years.
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Following an arrest, individuals are processed at Philadelphia Police Detention Unit. The booking process confirms identity, charges, and whether the individual will be released, granted bail, or held until court.
It is advisable to remain silent during booking, as anything said can be used against the individual later. Legal counsel should be consulted before any statements are made.
The booking steps at Philadelphia Police Detention Unit include:
To inquire about posting bond for an arrestee, contact the facility at 311.
What are the other City and County Jails in Philadelphia County?
What are the other Jails in the Neighboring Counties surrounding Philadelphia County?
