Elmore Co Jail in Mountain Home, ID is a county detention facility operated by the Elmore County Sheriff's Office. Most people here are awaiting trial or sentencing - this is not a prison, and most stays are measured in days or months, not years. If someone you care about was just booked here, you have questions. Start with the one that matters most right now.
If you are not certain they are there, the fastest way to confirm is the Elmore County inmate search or InmateAid's inmate locator, which searches across Idaho facilities by name.
Booking takes time - sometimes several hours after arrest. If the search comes back empty, wait a few hours and try again before assuming they have been transferred somewhere else. You can also pull their arrest record and booking details to confirm the charges and facility assignment. For the most direct answer, call Elmore Co Jail at 208-587-9103.
Most people booked at Elmore Co Jail appear before a judge within 24 to 48 hours. At that first appearance the judge sets the bail amount - or denies bail - based on the charges, the person's history, and whether they are considered a flight risk.
If bail is set, your family member can be released by paying the full amount or by using a bail bondsman, who typically charges 10 percent of the total as a non-refundable fee. If bail is denied or the amount is unaffordable, they remain at Elmore Co Jail until the case resolves. InmateAid's bail and bond guide walks through every option including what to do if you cannot afford a bondsman.
Right after arrest, your family member goes through intake at Elmore Co Jail - identity verification, medical screening, property inventory, and classification. Classification places them in a housing unit based on the charges, prior record, and intake behavior. It is not a punishment. It is how the facility manages a population that ranges from people picked up on minor warrants to individuals facing serious charges.
For the first 24 to 48 hours, phone access and visitation are typically unavailable while booking completes. Once they are assigned to a housing unit, those channels open up. InmateAid's what happens in jail guide covers the full intake process step by step so you know what to expect.
Your family member calls you - you cannot call them. Calls from Elmore Co Jail go through InmateSales.com and all calls are recorded except attorney calls. Set up a InmateSales.com account before the first call so the connection goes through without delay.
Phone contact is more important than most people realize going into this. A regular call - even a short one - makes a measurable difference in how someone holds up inside. Do not let the setup friction stop you. Visit InmateAid's jail calls page for step-by-step account setup, current rate information, and tips for keeping funds available.
Visitation hours at Elmore Co Jail are set by the facility and can change without much notice. Before making the trip, call 208-587-9103 to confirm current hours, any advance registration requirements, and what you are allowed to bring.
The most common mistake families make is showing up without confirming first - and that results in a wasted trip and a missed visit for your family member. General rules across most Idaho county jails: dress conservatively, avoid colors that resemble inmate uniforms, leave your phone in your car, and bring valid government-issued ID. Children may be permitted with specific requirements depending on the facility. InmateAid's visitation guide has a full checklist you can run through before you go.
Visitation Information - Elmore County Detention Center
Facility Contacts
Jail line for legal calls and clergy scheduling: 208-587-9103. Visitation account setup: www.inmatesales.com or 1-877-998-5678
Visiting Format
Detainees can have three free visits per week. All personal visits are monitored and recorded. Visits must be scheduled in advance. On-site and remote (online) video visits are both available.
Setting Up an Account
You must create a visitation account before scheduling. Three ways to set one up:
Use the kiosk in the jail lobby Go to www.inmatesales.com Call 1-877-998-5678
Once your account is set up, you can schedule a visit. Scheduling at least 24 hours in advance is recommended so the detainee has time to accept the visit.
On-Site Visiting Rules
All on-site visits are conducted at the visitation kiosks behind door 6 of the jail lobby.
Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Children must stay under adult control at all times and cannot be left unattended in the lobby, automobiles, or on detention grounds. Parents or guardians of disruptive children will be asked to leave, and the visit may be terminated.
Remote Visiting Rules
No third-party participation. If a detainee gives or sells their visit to another detainee, both the detainee and the visitor account can be suspended.
General Visiting Rules
The following will result in disciplinary action and administrative suspension:
Nudity or explicit sexual behavior Threats of intimidation or harm Misrepresenting your identity
Any violation of the visitation rules can result in immediate termination of the visit and temporary suspension of visitation privileges.
For in-person entry to the facility, every visitor is subject to a pat-down, bag inspection, and metal scan. Refusing a search means you will not be admitted. No firearms or weapons of any kind. No electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, radios) in secure areas. Visitors cannot pass anything to detainees or carry items into the visitation area.
If you appear intoxicated, you will be turned away.
Attorney Visits
In-person attorney visits are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
A list of pro bono legal organizations is posted in every housing unit and updated quarterly. Detainees are responsible for contacting these organizations to schedule appointments.
Legal Calls and Video Teleconferencing
To set up a legal call that is excluded from monitoring and recording, contact the jail at 208-587-9103 for the process.
Consular Visits
Consular officials can meet with their nationals at any time. They must bring appropriate credentials.
Clergy Visits
Clergy can visit at any time but must arrange the visit ahead of time by calling the jail at 208-587-9103.
Note
The ICE.gov source for this facility does not list a specific ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer phone or email. For ICE-specific questions, contact the jail at 208-587-9103.
Money on the books - also called the commissary or trust account - gives your family member access to hygiene items, snacks, phone time, and postage. It is one of the most practical things you can do and it has a direct effect on their daily comfort.
Elmore Co Jail accepts deposits through approved channels that typically include online deposit, phone deposit, or a kiosk at the facility. Use your family member's full legal name and booking number exactly as they appear in the jail's system - any error in the name or number will delay or reject the deposit. InmateAid's send money page lists the specific deposit methods accepted at Elmore Co Jail and walks through the process.
A letter or a printed photo costs almost nothing to send and means far more than most people outside appreciate. Elmore Co Jail accepts incoming mail addressed to your family member at 2255 E 8th St N. Put their full legal name and booking number on every piece of mail.
Standard rules at most Idaho county jails: plain white paper only, no staples, no glitter, no stickers, no colored ink. Photos should be standard print size with nothing written on the back. Mail that does not meet the facility's standards will be rejected - and the facility may not notify you that it was. Keep it simple.
InmateAid's send mail service lets you write and send directly from your phone or computer. We print on approved stock and mail it for you, so rejection for formatting is not a risk.
Books and magazines must come new, ordered directly from the publisher or through an online retailer - not shipped from your home address. Facilities require this to prevent contraband. Order through Amazon or directly from the publisher. Anything shipped from a personal address will be turned away.
County jail procedures, visitation rules, phone rates, inmate search tools, bail processes, and what happens at release all vary by state. Idaho has its own rules and its own agencies, and what applies in one state does not always apply here.
InmateAid's Idaho prison resources hub covers all of it - written specifically for families navigating the Idaho system. Start there when you need answers that go beyond what this facility page covers.
County jail time is hard in a way that is different from anything else. The uncertainty - not knowing how long, not knowing what comes next - wears on everyone. What you can control is the connection. Calls, letters, visits, money on the books. Every one of those things tells your family member that someone out here is paying attention and is not going anywhere.
InmateAid was built for exactly this. Use us.