Ellis County KS Detention Center in Hays, KS is a county detention facility operated by the Ellis 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 Ellis County inmate search or InmateAid's inmate locator, which searches across Kansas 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 Ellis County KS Detention Center at 785-625-1050.
Most people booked at Ellis County KS Detention Center 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 Ellis County KS Detention Center 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 Ellis County KS Detention Center - 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 Ellis County KS Detention Center go through NCIC Inmate Telephone Services and all calls are recorded except attorney calls. Set up a NCIC Inmate Telephone Services 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 Ellis County KS Detention Center are set by the facility and can change without much notice. Before making the trip, call 785-625-1050 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 Kansas 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.
Ellis County Jail - Visitation
Inmate visitation is Tuesday through Friday between the hours of 9 AM and 7 PM. All visitation will be via video phone located in the lobby area between the Courthouse and the Sheriff’s Office.
Up to 3 approved visitors will be allowed at one time.Visitation is for 30 minutes and may be monitored by Jail Staff. Inmate visitations can be scheduled online by the general public:
Inmates do NOT have the right to a contact visit. Inmate visitation will be Tuesday through Friday between 9 AM and 7 PM. All visitation will be via video phone located in the hours of the lobby area between the Courthouse and the Sheriff’s Department. Visitation can be set up by visitors at http://mticonnex.us/schedule.php . Up to 3 visitors will be allowed at one time. Visitation is for 20 minutes and may be monitored by Jail Staff. Visitations will need to be scheduled. Visitation will be Tuesday through Friday. Section visitation days will be:
Tuesday - Sections A, C and D
Wednesday - Sections B
Thursday – Sections E and F
Friday – Sections G and H
Out of state family may be given a weekend exception on a case by case basis to be approved by both Jail Sergeants and/or Jail Lieutenant.
Inmates who violate jail rules and are placed in lock down will NOT have visitation privileges.
WARNING: Your visitation may be monitored as there is NO right of privacy.
No Contact Orders If a No Contact Order is in place, as per Jail policy, you are not to have any contact with the Victim of the Order. If you do have contact with the Victim in any way, disciplinary actions & or criminal charges will be pursued.
Contact visits will not be allowed.
Visitations will need to be scheduled.
Visitation will be Tuesday through Friday.
Section visitation days will be:
|
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
|
Sections A and C |
Sections B and D |
Sections E and F |
Sections G and H |
|
Out of state family may be given a weekend exception on a case by case basis to be approved by both Jail Sergeants. |
|||
Inmate Visitation Hours
- All visitors must present a picture identification card in order to visit (except for minor children). NO EXCEPTIONS! An identification card is a Driver’s License, State ID. card, etc.
- All inmates placed in the Ellis County Jail will be allowed a minimum of one (1) visitation period per week of at least a twenty (20) minutes duration.
- All minor children must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or legal counsel.
- All visitors must sign in upon arrival to the jail. A check will be made on each individual, not including minors, to see if that individual has any outstanding warrant(s).
- It shall be the policy of the Ellis County Jail not to discriminate against any inmate regarding any rights, including visitation.
- All visitors must be dressed appropriately. Visitors must be wearing shirt, shoes, pants or shorts. No provocative or revealing clothing (no miniskirts, short shorts, low-cut tops, etc.) will be allowed.
- Visitors are not allowed to take any items (no purses, backpacks, etc.) into visitation.
- Food products, drinks, or gum will not be allowed in the visitation area. If the visitor takes these items into visitation area the visitor will be removed and not allowed to complete the visit.
- No cell phones or camera’s allowed in visitation. All visitors are subject to audio and video recording while in the building. Visitors are also subject to search for the introduction of contraband into the facility.
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.
Ellis County KS Detention Center 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 Ellis County KS Detention Center 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. Ellis County KS Detention Center accepts incoming mail addressed to your family member at 105 West 12th St. Put their full legal name and booking number on every piece of mail.
Standard rules at most Kansas 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. Kansas has its own rules and its own agencies, and what applies in one state does not always apply here.
InmateAid's Kansas prison resources hub covers all of it - written specifically for families navigating the Kansas 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.