Columbia County Jail housed in Walla Walla County Inmate Bail & Bonds

Columbia County shut its jail in March 2023. The Sheriff's Office, on the ground floor of the courthouse at 341 East Main Street in Dayton, transports arrested adults to Walla Walla County Corrections and they are held there. Call that facility at 509-524-5431 for information about an inmate. The Sheriff's communications center answers at 509-382-2518.

Try Columbia County Inmate Search first. If the name does not appear, call Walla Walla Corrections at 509-524-5431 and give the full name and date of birth. For questions about the arrest itself, the Sheriff's administration office answers at 509-382-1100.

Washington requires a probable-cause decision within 48 hours of a warrantless arrest. Weekends and holidays count against that clock. The preliminary appearance follows as soon as practical and no later than the close of business on the next court day, and the court provides a lawyer. Courts may run the hearing by video with the person at the jail.

Columbia County District Court, 341 East Main Street, Suite 4, 509-382-4812, handles misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors and Dayton city cases. Felonies go to Superior Court, Suite 2 in the same building, 509-382-4321. Both are in the courthouse that holds the Sheriff's Office, so one trip covers most questions.

The first choice is release on a written promise to appear. A judge may add conditions: living at a set address, staying away from named people, reporting, treatment, or electronic monitoring. A bond comes into play when those steps will not guarantee appearance. The judge looks at the person's finances as well as the charge, so a lawyer can ask for a lower amount.

Refusal is the exception. The state constitution allows it for capital offenses, and for offenses that can bring life in prison after a hearing with clear and convincing evidence that the person is violent and no condition protects the community. The Supreme Court has ruled that all class A felonies fall in that group. The defense can appeal a detention order quickly.

The person stays in custody until a judge reviews the case, within one judicial day for domestic violence arrests. A DUI or physical-control arrest with a prior in the last ten years also stays in custody until a judicial officer orders release. A judge freeing a domestic violence defendant may also order no contact with the victim.

Ask Walla Walla County Corrections at 509-524-5431 where it takes bail for a Columbia County case, and whether it takes the money itself or sends you to the Dayton court. Ask for a receipt that names the case. Do not send cash with someone you do not know, and keep the exact amount ready.

Yes. A licensed agent can post a bond for a person held in Walla Walla. Washington licenses agents through the Department of Licensing, and agents who write surety bonds also hold an insurance producer license. Ask the agent how the bond will be posted at the Walla Walla facility, and verify the license at 360-664-6611.

Property bond agents are licensed by the state and must list the courts that approved their property bonds. A Columbia County judge decides whether your property is enough. Before you offer a deed, call the Superior Court at 509-382-4321 and ask what the court requires.

A person who cannot afford counsel asks the judge at the first appearance, and the court provides a lawyer at that hearing. For help starting that request, call District Court at 509-382-4812 or Superior Court at 509-382-4321.

Columbia County youth are detained at the Walla Walla/Columbia County Juvenile Justice Center, 455 West Rose Street, Walla Walla, 509-524-2800. Juvenile records are private, so an adult roster will not show a minor. Call that center to learn where the youth is and when the detention hearing takes place.

After the first court appearance, a person cannot be held or kept on release conditions for more than 72 hours, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, unless a formal charge is filed or the person agrees to more time. If no charge is filed by then, the person must be released. Ask the lawyer to track that deadline.

The court reviews the charge, the strength of the evidence, the person's record, family and job ties, how long the person has lived in the area, and any earlier missed court dates. It also asks whether the person was on probation or parole. In a small county such as this one, a steady address and relatives who can attend every date carry real weight.

Collect the full legal name, birth date, the date and place of arrest, and the agency that made the arrest. With that, Walla Walla Corrections, the Dayton Sheriff and the Dayton courts can find the right record. Note each person you spoke with and the time of the call.

A judge can issue a warrant and declare any bond forfeited. A surety gets written notice of the unexplained absence within 30 days, or the forfeiture is void. Contact the lawyer and the bond agent the same day to try to get the date reset.

The Walla Walla facility sets those rules, not the Dayton Sheriff. Call 509-524-5431 for visit times and for how to add money to a phone or store account. Deposits to an account are not bail.

A real bail payment goes to a court, to Walla Walla County Corrections or to a licensed agent. A stranger who wants gift cards or an app transfer is cheating you. Call the Sheriff at 509-382-2518 to check any request.

• Where adults are held: Walla Walla County Corrections, 300 West Alder Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362; 509-524-5431; Columbia County Jail
• Custody lookup: Columbia County Inmate Search
• Bail guide: Columbia County bail and bond pages
• Sheriff's Office: 341 East Main Street, Suite 1, Dayton, WA 99328; communications 509-382-2518; administration 509-382-1100; weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• District Court: 341 East Main Street, Suite 4, Dayton; 509-382-4812
• Superior Court: 341 East Main Street, Suite 2, Dayton; 509-382-4321
• Juvenile: Walla Walla/Columbia County Juvenile Justice Center, 455 West Rose Street, Walla Walla; 509-524-2800

Hours and numbers in Dayton and Walla Walla change, and the judge sets each bail amount. Make a quick call before you drive or pay. This guide is for general help and is no substitute for a lawyer.