Harris County TX - The 1200 Jail

You can support your loved ones at Harris County TX - The 1200 Jail on InmateAid, if you have any immediate questions contact the facility directly at 713-755-7484.

When someone you care about gets locked up, it's tough to figure out all the ins and outs of jail life. From sending mail to visiting, there are a lot of things to sort out. And getting info about the arrest? Not always easy. That's where this webpage comes in handy. It's here to help you get a handle on how things work at Harris County TX - The 1200 Jail so you can stay connected and support your loved one behind bars.

The Harris County TX - The 1200 Jail is a detention center located at 1200 Baker St Houston, TX which is operated locally by the Harris County Sheriff's Office and holds inmates awaiting trial or sentencing or both. Most of the sentenced inmates are here for less than two years. Harris County accepts inmates from surrounding towns, Houston Police Department, and the US Marshal's Service.

New detainees arrive at the jail regularly, with some being released on bail, placed under pretrial services caseloads, supervised by probation agencies, or released on recognizance with a court appearance agreement. Those who are not released await their court appearances at the jail, receiving accommodations including bedding and meals. You can see all the arrest records for Texas here.

INMATE CARE - The public’s trust is essential for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to perform its mission of protecting all citizens and enforcing the law. As part of our core values, the HCSO strives to merit and maintain the public’s trust, embrace and deliver professional service, protect our citizens with honor and courage, exemplify ethical conduct at all times and develop, encourage and care for our Sheriff's Office family. These values are applied throughout the organization, including within the third largest county jail system in the United States, the Harris County Jail.

This portal was created to provide citizens with family and friends incarcerated within the Harris County jail a more direct method of submitting “Quality of Life” concerns related to jail operations. Examples of a Quality of Life concern would include an inmate’s access to appropriate services, activities and general jail conditions, such as:

• Access to medical care
• Access to mental health Care
• Foodservice
• Sanitation
• Jail activities, such as visitation, recreation and religious services

To voice a Quality of Life concern, please click on the link below and be prepared to provide as much information as possible. To help the Sheriff’s Office check into your concern and respond in a timely manner, we ask that you provide:

• Your name
• Contact information, to include your e-mail address and phone number
• The inmate’s name
• The inmate’s System Person Number (SPN)
• The applicable jail facility
• A description of the concern, to include any applicable dates and times

INMATE PHONE CALLS
Inmates at the Harris County Jail are not allowed to receive phone calls.
Inmates can place collect calls to phone numbers where collect calls are not restricted.
Advance Pay Calls:
Advance Pay accounts are set up by the party receiving the calls, allowing them to do so even if their phone number restricts collect calls. Here’s how it works:
• The party receiving the calls should contact Securus at 1-800-844-6591 to obtain instructions on how to establish an Advance Pay account
• The inmate dials the phone number
• The system determines if an Advance Pay account exists and if so, places the call
• The receiving party must accept the call by following the automated instructions
• The cost of the call is deducted from the Advance Pay account balance
Jail Phone Call Rules:
• Calls may be recorded and/or monitored
• Any attempt to call transfer or conference call will disconnect the call
• Calls to some phone numbers may be restricted by the jail for security reasons
Recording of Phone Calls:
• Request to Block Recording of Certain Phone Numbers
• Attorney Information Regarding Recording of Phone Calls
WARNING - To prevent unauthorized inmate collect call charges to your phone bill, do not attempt to transfer any inmate call; do not attempt to conference call another number; do not call forward your phone. If you feel you have been a victim of fraudulent inmate collect call charges, contact your local telephone service provider. You can also contact Securus at 1-800-844-6591 to block any calls originating from the Harris County Jail to your phone.

INMATE MAIL
• All inmate mail must contain the sender’s full name and complete return address, the inmate’s full name (the name he/she is booked into jail under), the inmate’s SPN, the inmate’s housing facility and cell block location. If incoming mail does not have the above information on it, it will be returned to the sender. Letters with no return address or improper addresses will be sent to the U.S. Post Office for final disposition.
• All inmate mail is inspected upon receipt by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
• Incoming letters with perfume, body fluids (to include lipstick), make-up, and other substances will be returned to the sender.
• Inmates may receive up to two (2) paperback books and four (4) magazines or other publications purchased by them, in their possession at any time. Hardbound books are not permitted. The books must come directly from the publisher. Prior to receiving any such publications, the inmate must request and receive approval from the Jail Captain.
o All publications must be new. No used books allowed.
o All publications can be delivered by the United States Postal Service (USPS), United Parcel Service (UPS), or Federal Express (FedEx.)
o All publications are to be sent to the following address:
Inmate Full Name, Full SPN
701 N. San Jacinto, Visitor Control Center
Attn: Books- Mail Room
Houston, Texas 77002
o If a package is sent “Signature Required” or if a signature is required at delivery, the package will be returned to sender.
• The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is not responsible for any lost, damaged, or destroyed publications.
• Legal paperwork from attorneys may be received.
• The following items may NOT be sent to inmates. Unauthorized items received through the mail will be considered contraband and the entire package confiscated and disposed of. Unauthorized items will not be stored in the facility’s property room.
o Greeting cards
o Envelopes
o Pens
o Obscene pictures (Pictures depicting FULL or PARTIAL nudity)
o Pencils
o Perfumed letters
o Markers
o Packages
o Cash or money orders
o Food or food items
o Contraband
o Stamps or Stickers
o Computer-generated materials downloaded from the Internet
o Photocopied images or facsimiles
o Medicine
• Photographs will only be accepted if they are deemed not offensive, are not of a sexual nature, do not contain gang references, and do not display guns, drugs or drug paraphernalia. Photographs shall not be larger than 5” x 7”.
Q:Can I visit an inmate in processing or at court?
A:No, Inmates will not be available for visitaion during processing or while at court.
Q:Can I visit an inmate at the hospital?
A: No, Inmates receiving medical treatment at a hospital or clinic are prohibited from receiving visits.
Q: Can I visit inmates housed outside of Harris County?
A: To visit inmates housed outside of Harris County, contact the appropriate housing facility for visitation date, times and procedures. The current out-of-county facilities being utilized by the HCSO are:

Newton County Correctional Facility
2402 East Court St
Newton, TX 75966
(409) 379-3000 LaSalle Correction Center
15976 Hwy. 165
Olla, LA 71465
(318) 495-6200 West Carroll Detention Center
180 Capital Bank Dr
Epps, LA 71237
(318) 926-4626
Q: Do inmates receive medical care/prescription medication in jail?
A: Yes, upon entry, all inmates are screened for both medical and mental health issues at the Inmate Processing Center (IPC). Before being housed, inmates will be evaluated by the screening nurse, checked for communicable diseases and have the opportunity to provide prescription medication information. The Harris County Jail has medical professionals to deliver services in dental, optical, prescription, medical and mental heath care.
Q: Can I bring prescription drugs to an inmate?
A: No, all pharmaceuticals will be filled by the HCSO full service pharmacy.
Q: Where do I pick up an inmate being released?
A: Inmates being released will exit the Inmate Processing Center through the northwest sally port located at 1201 Commerce Street in downtown Houston.
Q: How do inmates release their property to a designee?
A: In order for an inmate to release his/her property, they must complete a form requesting to have their property released. This request form should be given to the night shift supervisor on the inmate’s housing floor. A Property Release Card will then be completed. The supervisor will make a photocopy of the card and return the copy to the prisoner so he/she can mail it to the person they are authorizing to claim their property. Once the person receives the photocopy of the release card in the mail, they may pick up the property on the third floor of the Inmate Processing Center at 1201 Commerce Street;7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The property must be claimed within 30 days from the date on the card.
Q: What do I need to claim an inmate’s property?
A: In order to pick up any type of property, you must have a valid government photo ID and a completed Property Release Card.
Q: Does the Harris County Jail offer commissary service to inmates?
A: Yes. The Commissary stocks and sells a variety of items and each cellblock has a designated schedule for Commissary delivery. Inmates with appropriate funds and without disciplinary sanctions are allowed to spend up to $150 a week on commissary. Medical may prohibit certain purchases for health concerns.