Polk County Inmate Search
A Polk County inmate search offers inquirers a means to access information about detainees in the County's correctional facilities. In Polk County, Florida, the County Sheriff's Office runs the Polk Jail System. The system comprises two detention facilities that house the following categories of detainees:
- Persons awaiting trial for a felony or misdemeanor
- Felons or misdemeanants awaiting sentencing
- Individuals sentenced to a year or less
- State parole violators
According to the Polk County Jail Inmate Manual, Polk County inmates undergo a process known as classification. It involves the determination of housing for inmates. Inmates are classified within 72 hours after booking by the Classification Unit. Following this, inmates are assigned a housing unit. Inmates cannot participate in any recreation, programs, or visits until they are classified. An inmate's behavior, past criminal history, charge(s), and conduct at other detention facilities determine how the jail administration ranks them. All inmate information is usually published as part of Polk County Public Records and made available to inquirers per Florida's Public Records provisions.
Polk County Crime and Incarceration Statistics
According to the Polk County Criminal Justice Profile, the three criminal offenses that had the highest incarceration numbers in the County in 2020 were drug offenses (148 commitments), burglary (102 commitments), and property theft/fraud (95 commitments). That year, the total number of new commitments to the Polk County Jail System was 674, a 56.6% decline from the total (1,552 new commitments) recorded in 2019.
As of June 2020, the County had an average daily inmate population of 2,131 inmates.
Polk County Prison System
The Polk County Sheriff's Department of Detention runs the County's prison system. The department is divided into the Support Division and Security Division. The Support Division handles inmate intake, inmate records, inmate programs, court processes, court security, and food services. Meanwhile, the Security Division oversees the housing of inmates within the two Polk County Jails: the Central County Jail and the South County Jail. The Department of Detention also handles court processing services, court security, inmate transportation, and inmate work programs.
Under the Security Division, a courtroom is provided at both county jails for a first appearance and other hearings. Visitors are permitted to watch the proceedings in the lobby of either county jail daily. The Support Division operates the Sheriff's Processing Center, also known as Booking. The center processes all Polk County inmates. The facility books an average of 50,000 people in a year. The Classifications Unit maintains inmate files during their period of incarceration.
The staff creates a hard and soft file on all inmates during Booking. A book-out process is also completed for every inmate before they vacate a Polk County Jail. The center is open daily at every hour. An on-site public window is available for parties to obtain information. Below is the contact information for the center:
7101 De Castro Road
Winter Haven, FL 33880
Phone: 863 (292)-3400
Email: BookingClerks@polksheriff.org
How to Find an Inmate in Polk County
To obtain information on Polk County inmates, family and friends can utilize the Automated Information System (AIS) any time by calling (863) 457-3738 or a call center agent at (863) 292-3400. Information seekers can also access the sheriff's Jail Inquiry database to search for an inmate.
How Does a Polk County Inmate Search Work?
Polk County inmate information is accessible to the public under Florida's Public Records Law, although some information may be excluded by law. The available inmate data in Polk County includes:
- Name
- Alias
- Booking date
- Release date
- Date of birth
- Race
- Physical characteristics (height, weight, etc.)
- Arresting agency
- Charge description
- Bond type
- Bond amount
- Offense statute and description
- Length of prison sentence
- Case number
- Sentence date
- Mugshot
- Inmate status
Where to Find a Polk County Inmate Locator
The Polk County Sheriff's Office provides an inmate locator online that the public can use to find Polk County inmates' whereabouts. Search criteria used to access the database include a first and last name, booking date, and alias. Information seekers can restrict their searches to only current inmates.
At the state level, the Florida Department of Corrections receives incarcerated persons from Polk County jails sentenced to over a year. The department has an offender search engine that the public can use to find inmates sent to state prison. Researchers can utilize the following search criteria to locate an inmate: DC number, full name, and alias.
For Polk County inmates held at a federal facility, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) maintains a publicly accessible inmate locator to run a search. The inmate's name, age, sex, race, BOP number/INS number/DCDC number, or FBI number is required to search.
Third-party public records websites may also disseminate information on inmates incarcerated at a Polk County detention facility. However, an individual may need to pay to access these search engines.
How to Send Money to a Polk County Inmate
Family and friends have four options for sending money to Polk County inmates: kiosk, phone, online transfer, and money order. Generally, to send money to an inmate, the following information must be provided: the state the inmate is located in (i.e., Florida), the jail facility, and the inmate's ID or last and first name.
Online/phone: Online deposits are available daily; however, there is a daily limit of $300. Depositors can visit a third-party secure site to create an account and make deposits with a debit or credit card. The service charges a handling fee per transaction, depending on the amount deposited. Individuals can also deposit money by calling the secure site's designated number.
Kiosk: Depositors can use cash and credit/debit cards to deposit money into inmate accounts at kiosks located in the front lobbies of the jail facilities. A daily limit of $300 applies. Following the deposit, a receipt will be printed from the kiosk directly. The service attracts a charge based on the amount deposited.
Money Order: Individuals can deposit money by mail using money order deposits. Money orders should be made payable to an inmate and have the inmate's ID included. The money order should be sent to the following address:
Sheriff's Operation Center
Attention Inmate Accounts
[Inmate name and Inmate ID]
1891 Jim Keene Boulevard
Winter Haven, FL 33880
Note that money orders over $100 are placed on a 7-day hold.
How to Visit a Polk County Inmate
Individuals can visit Polk County inmates through the County's video visitation system. Visitors can schedule an Anywhere Video Visit (inmates are permitted to have such visits twice a week for 20 minutes each day). All visits are by appointment only and can be scheduled up to two weeks in advance. An Anywhere visit costs $10 for 20 minutes.
Any visit creation, alteration, or cancellation requires a 24-hour notice. Changes must have a 24-hour notice to avoid the original appointment being counted as one of the allotted visits for the week. Individuals can call the facility for assistance to make alterations to an existing visit after the visit has been scheduled at (863) 534-6153 or 6173 (Central County Jail) or (863) 635-6826 or 1126 (South County Jail).
Visitors must dress adequately and conduct themselves appropriately. Any misconduct that disrupts the visit may result in prosecution.
Information about professional video visits should be obtained from the sheriff's website.
How to Send Jail Mail in Polk County
Family and friends can send mail to Polk County inmates via an authorized third-party site. There is no charge to citizens who want to set up an account.
Senders must note that Polk County inmates do not receive postal mail (except legal mail). However, if unable to set up an account online, the jail administration can receive postal mail at the address below, and the mail will be scanned and sent to the inmate through the third-party mail service. The service is provided at no charge to the inmate or sender. Postal mail should be sent to the following address:
PCSO-CO SC [INMATE NAME-ID NUMBER]
P.O. Box 1848
Pinellas Park, FL 33780
Senders must ensure that the inmate's name and ID number are printed clearly on the envelope or postcard for the staff to deliver the mail to the right inmate. Every postal mail, excluding legal mail, is scanned and delivered to the inmate to view at the kiosks in the housing units. Legal mail should be appropriately marked as such from an inmate's lawyer on record. In the presence of the inmate, the legal mail will be opened and scanned into the inmate's legal mail account. Below is the address to send legal mail:
2390 Bob Phillips Road
Bartow, FL 33830
Polk County Jails and Prisons
Polk County Central Jail
2390 Bob Phillips Road
Bartow, FL 33830
Phone: (863) 534-6123
Polk County South Jail
1103 U.S. Highway 98 West
Frostproof, FL 33843
Phone: (863) 635-6920
