FAQs: Adult Detention Center

General Information about ADC and Courts

• Where is the Adult Detention Center (county jail)?
  
  

• What is the main phone number at the jail?
  
  

• How do I find out information such as court dates and bond amounts?
  
  

• I've been the victim of a crime and want to know when the perpetrator is being released or moved. Whom do I contact?
  
  

• What is the inmate’s charge, bond, court date, release date?
  
  

Inmate Contact/Visiting

• What information do I have to write on the envelope to ensure that an inmate receives mail?
  
  

• What items can an inmate receive in the mail?
  
  

• Can the inmate make phone calls?
  
  

• Can I call or leave a message for an inmate in the Adult Detention Center?
  
  

• Can I visit an inmate?
  
  

• Is there a minimum age requirement for visitors?
  
  

• On what day can I visit the inmate?
  
  

• How long are the visits?
  
  

• Do I need a picture identification to visit?
  
  

• If I live out of town can I visit an inmate?
  
  

• What type of property can I leave for an inmate?
  
  

• How do I arrange to make a professional visit?
  
  

Inmate Money/Possessions

• How do I leave an inmate money and in what form?
  
  

• Where is the best place to get a cashier’s check/money order?
  
  

• What information do I have to put on the money order?
  
  

• Do I make the money order out to the inmate or the Adult Detention Center?
  
  

• How long will it take to deposit the money into the inmate’s account?
  
  

• How long does it take before the inmate has access to his/her money?
  
  

• Is there a limit to the amount of money I can place into an inmate’s account?
  
  

• How can an inmate get his money after he or she is released?
  
  

• Can I get information about an inmate’s account? (how much money does he/she have in their account, what have they purchased from the commissary, etc.)?
  
  

• Can an inmate’s money be used to bond him/her out of jail?
  
  

• How can an inmate release money from his/her account?
  
  

• What can an inmate purchase with the money I leave in his/her account?
  
  

• Can inmates purchase tobacco products from the commissary?
  
  

Inmate Privileges

• What programs are available to inmates in the Adult Detention Center?
  
  

• Are inmates allowed recreation?
  
  

• Are inmates allowed to wash their clothes?
  
  

• Are inmates allowed medical prescriptions?
  
  

• Are inmates allowed to go to a family member's funeral?
  
  

 

Where is the Adult Detention Center?
The facility is located in downtown Fairfax at 10520 Judicial Drive, just west of Chain Bridge Road.

What is the main phone number at the jail?
Call 703-246-2100 to receive directions to the Adult Detention Center, information on visiting days and hours, and general court information. You can also be connected to staff for additional information concerning traffic and general district courts; medical, mental health and substance abuse services; inmate programs; inmate visiting; the inmate’s charge, bond, court dates and release date; and inmate finance, commissary, property and mail. The hearing impaired TTY number is 711.

How do I find out information such as court dates and bond amounts?
Call the Inmate Records or Booking Desk staff at 703-246-2100. The hearing impaired TTY number is 711.

I've been the victim of a crime and want to know when the perpetrator is being released or moved. Whom do I contact?
Call the Fairfax County Police Department's Victim Services Section at 703-246-2141. The hearing impaired TTY number is 711.

What is the inmate’s charge, bond, court date, release date?
You may obtain this information from the staff member assigned to the information desk in the Adult Detention Center lobby. After normal business hours and on weekends, please call 703-246-2100. The hearing impaired TTY number is 711.

What information do I have to write on the envelope to ensure that an inmate receives mail?
Inmate’s full name (first name, middle name or initial, and last name)
Fairfax County Adult Detention Center
10520 Judicial Drive
Fairfax, Virginia 22030

What items can an inmate receive in the mail?
Inmates can receive personal and legal correspondence. There is no restriction on the number of letters sent or received. Inmates are not allowed to have books or magazines as part of their personal property in the cell, so they may not receive these items in the mail. C.O.D. and postage due mail will not be accepted. Money sent in the form of a cashier’s check or money order will be held and deposited into the inmate’s financial account. Cash and personal checks will not be accepted. Incoming mail will be opened and checked for contraband. Sexually explicit items may not be received. Illegal items discovered in the inmate’s incoming mail will be seized. The inmate and the sender will be notified if the item is seized. Both parties are subject to criminal charges for any illegal items discovered in the inmate’s incoming mail.

Items commonly RETURNED by the ADC include:

• • letters or envelopes with lipstick on them
  • blank stationery, envelopes, post cards or greeting cards
  • musical or oversized cards
  • plastic cards or book markers
  • money orders not filled out
  • personal checks, travelers checks or cash
  • gang-related material
  • photographs of nude or partially clothed individuals
  • stickers on letters
  • stamp(s) or self-addressed stamped envelopes
  • items taped or glued to letters or cards
  • magazine pages, newspaper clippings or book pages (original or copies)
  • more than five Internet printouts
  • more than 10 pictures in an envelope
  • bank statements, credit card information or identifying documents

Can the inmate make phone calls?
Yes. Upon admission, inmates are allowed reasonable access to phones to make official and personal outgoing phone calls. Upon classification and transfer to an assigned housing area, inmates are allowed to make personal collect phone calls (local and long distance). Inmates are allowed to make free local official calls to their attorneys, probation and parole officers, bonding agent, and some community agencies.

NEW! Friends and family of inmates can establish a PRE-PAID COLLECT ACCOUNT online to receive calls from the Adult Detention Center and/or the Pre-Release Center. The addition of funds to existing accounts can also be done online. Copy and paste this Web site address into your browser to set up your account: www.icsolutions.com. For more information, call IC Solutions at 888-506-8407.

Can I call or leave a message for an inmate in the Adult Detention Center?
Inmates may not receive incoming phone calls. Only verified emergency messages will be delivered to inmates.

Can I visit an inmate?
Once an inmate has been classified and moved to the general population (usually after the first three days), the inmate is allowed ONE VISIT PER WEEK. No more than three adult visitors and three children are allowed during that one visit per week. If scheduling permits, visits are up to 20 minutes in length. Visitors must fill out and submit a visiting card along with a valid picture identification card.

Visiting is a privilege and will be treated as such. Any visitor entering the visiting area is subject to search. A visitor not consenting to search will not be allowed to enter the facility. Violation of any visitation rule will result in immediate termination of visit and/or loss of future visitation privileges. Visitors are permitted to take only their identification and their keys to the visiting area. All other items, to include cell phones, should be left at home or in the visitor's vehicle. The Sheriff's Office assumes no liability for any items lost, stolen or left unattended in the lobby.

All visitors must make an appointment by phone or online to visit an inmate.

On what day can I visit an inmate?

• Saturday and Sunday ONLY. There is NO visiting Monday-Friday.
• 9-11 a.m.
• Noon-4 p.m
• Visitor check-in/sign-up is on the first floor of the Adult Detention Center.
• Visitors must arrive 30 minutes prior to their scheduled visit to check in.

Inmates will not be removed from programs or recreation for personal visits. Professional visitors such as attorneys, probation and parole officers, and law enforcement officers are allowed to visit any time except during meal hours.

How long are visits?
Up to 20 minutes.

Is there a minimum age requirement for visitors?
Yes, children ages 14 and younger must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Teenagers from 15 through 17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian OR submit a notarized letter signed by the parent or legal guardian giving permission for the teenager to visit specific inmates without the parent or legal guardian being present. Most banks have notary services. Include in the letter the parent's name and address as well as a phone number where he or she can be reached during the scheduled time of your visit. A deputy may verify your parent's approval. The letter must include the full name of the inmate you wish to visit. Bring the letter and photo identification with you to the Adult Detention Center on the day of your visit.

Do I need a picture identification to visit?
Yes.

If I live out of town, can I visit an inmate?
Yes. You must follow the same rules as county residents to visit an inmate.

What type of property can I leave for an inmate?

• Money order or cashier’s check in the money box located in the Adult Detention Center Lobby.
• One suit or set of clothing for appearances in Circuit and Federal Courts only. These clothes must be exchanged for those being held in the inmate’s property for safekeeping. The inmate must submit a release form for the clothes in his/her property to the property deputy at least 24 hours prior to the exchange.
• No other items can be left for the inmate. The inmate may purchase all other items such as socks, underwear, hygiene items, snacks, over the counter medications, and stationery from the inmate commissary twice per week. If a holiday occurs during the week, commissary is available once per week.

How do I arrange to make a professional visit?
Inmates are allowed confidential, unscheduled visits with attorneys, probation officers, law enforcements officials, paralegals and law clerks. We encourage professional visits to take place between the hours of 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sunday through Saturday, but such visits may take place outside of business hours. Visiting professionals must verify their identity with professional credentials and picture identification and sign in and out in the ADC lobby. Professional visits normally will take place in the professional visiting booths. Professional visitors are not allowed to escort family members or friends into the ADC to visit the inmate.

How do I leave an inmate money and in what form?
Only money orders and cashier’s checks are accepted (no personal checks or cash). The money order or cashier’s check must be made out to the inmate's full name and include the inmate’s number. Include your name and address, and place it in the money safe located in the Adult Detention Center lobby. There are two safes in the lobby. The money safe is the one on the left. Cash and personal checks will not be accepted. Please do not enclose any correspondence to the inmate with the money order or cashier’s check; it will be disposed of and not delivered to the inmate. Please do not enclose the money order in an envelope. It could be mistaken for correspondence and discarded.

Where is the best place to get a cashier’s check/money order?
Most banking facilities and convenience stores will issue cashier’s check/money order.

What information do I have to put on the money order?
Include the inmate's full name, inmate number, and your name and address.

Do I make the money order out to the inmate or the Adult Detention Center?
Make it payable to the inmate, not the Adult Detention Center.

How long will it take to deposit the money into the inmate’s account?
The money will be deposited into the inmate’s account on the next business day after it is received. Business days are Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

How long does it take before the inmate has access to his/her money?
The inmate has access to the money the day after it is deposited. Please note that inmates are charged $1 per day of incarceration to offset the cost of their housing. An inmate who does not have funds to cover this fee will have his or her account debited each day until a deposit is made. Then the account is reconciled, and the inmate has access to the account balance.

Is there a limit to the amount of money I can place into an inmate’s account?
No, there is no limit.

How can an inmate get his money after he or she is released?
Call 703-246-2100, press option 4, then option 4 (again), and you will be connected to the Finance Office. You will be asked to provide an address so that your funds (in the form of a check) can be mailed to you.

Can I get information about an inmate’s account? For example, how much money does he/she have in the account, what has he/she purchased from the commissary, etc.?
Information about an inmate’s account cannot be released to anyone but the inmate, even if the person asking for the information is the one placing the money into the inmate’s account.

Can an inmate’s money be used to bond him/her out of jail?
The inmate can release the money to anyone he/she wishes, including a bonding company or the magistrate’s office, by completing and signing a release of funds form.

How can an inmate release money from his or her account?
The inmate must complete and sign a release of funds form.

What can an inmate purchase with the money I leave in his/her account?
An inmate may purchase commissary items such as snacks, toiletries, and over the counter medications; medical and dental services; haircuts and beard trims; and notary services. Note: Inmates will still receive medical and dental services even if they have no money in their accounts.

Can inmates purchase tobacco products from the commissary?
No. The Adult Detention Center is a smoke-free facility.

What programs are available to inmates in the Adult Detention Center?

• Education Programs
  • Adult basic education (basic reading, writing and math skills)
  • General Educational Development (preparation for high school equivalency diploma)
  • English as a Second Language
  • Special education
  • College correspondence courses
• Computer learning lab
• Alcohol and drug services
• Mental health
• Health education
• Religious services and programs
• Opportunities, Alternatives and Resources (OAR)
• Library services
• Law library services
• Job training - NEW! ServSafe, a food safety training program

Are inmates allowed recreation?
Yes, inmates have access to physical exercise activities as well as passive recreation such as board and card games. Inmates also have access to television in the dayrooms of their housing areas.

Are inmates allowed to wash their clothes?
Linens are washed once per week. Towels, washcloths and personal clothing items are washed twice per week.

Are inmates allowed medical prescriptions?
Medications may be dropped in the medical prescription safe for all inmates confined to the Adult Detention Center. All prescriptions must be in their original container and have the inmate's name on them.

Are inmates allowed to go to a family member's funeral?
A court order is required to transport an inmate to a funeral service. Funeral transports are made only in the Northern Virginia area. There will be cost to the family for the overtime salary and expenses of two deputies. Once a court order is obtained, contact the Transportation Section Supervisor for information at 703-246-4433. The hearing impaired TTY number is 711.