Alamosa County Jail is a small detention facility of less than 100 beds that houses inmates arrested for felonies in Alamosa and surrounding Colorado towns.  It is located at 1315 17th Street, Alamosa, Colorado 81101.

The Alamosa County Sheriff’s Department operates the jail. Its office hours are Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

In this article, our Denver criminal defense attorneys answer frequently-asked-questions about the Alamosa County Jail in Colorado, including bail procedures. Click on a topic to jump to that section:

• 1. How do I locate an inmate at the Alamosa County Jail?
• 2. How do I bail out an inmate?
• 3. Can I phone an inmate?
• 4. When can I visit an inmate?
• 5. How do I give money to an inmate?
• 6. Can I send mail to an inmate?
• 7. What if an inmate gets sick or needs medicine?
• 8. Does the jail have a commissary?
• 9. Who gets booked at the jail?
• 10. Other information

1. How do I find a person in custody at the Alamosa County Jail?

Call (719) 589-6608. Currently there is no online database.

2. How do I bail out an inmate at the Alamosa County Jail?

Anyone over 18 with a valid photo ID can post bail. The jail accepts bail 24/7. Call (719) 589-6608 to learn whether a defendant is eligible for bail, and the amount.

People may post bail by cash or by using a bondsman. The benefit of using a bondsman is that the customer pays only 10% to 15% of the bail amount, and the bondsman pays the rest. But once the case ends and the courts returns the money, the bondsman gets to keep that 10% to 15% as payment.

3. Can I phone a person in custody?

No. But the person in custody may make outgoing calls as long as they have sufficient funds in their commissary account.

4. When can I visit a person in custody at Alamosa County Jail?

Visiting hours are Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. To set up an appointment to visit, call (970) 264-8458.

Visitors may have to submit to a background check. The following people may not visit inmates:

• felons
• co-defendants in a pending case
• people with a court order to have no contact
• people who smell of alcohol or appear under the influence of drugs or alcohol

All visitors must have a picture ID and dress in clothing that is not provocative or suggestive. All minors must have adult supervision.

5. How do I put money on a person in custody’s books?

Click here for GovPayNet, or call (719) 589-6608.

6. Can I send mail to a person in custody?

People may send letters to the following address:

(Inmate’s full name)

(Inmate’s ID)

Alamosa County Jail

1315 17th Street

Alamosa, Colorado 81101

Mail must be sent through the US Postal Service. The jail does not accept boxes, envelopes with padding or insulation, plastic or paper bags, or envelopes with metal inside. The jail staff inspects the mail, so do not reveal anything that could be incriminating.

7. Does the jail have medical care?

Yes, Public Health provides inmates with traditional health services. In 2017, San Luis Valley Health donated more than 100 flu shots to staff and inmates.¹

8. Does the jail have a commissary?

Yes. To place money into an inmate’s account, click here or call (719) 589-6608.

9. Who gets booked at the jail?

The jail houses people arrested for felonies in Alamosa and surrounding Colorado towns. Arrestees who do not get bailed out remain there until they reach a plea deal or have a trial.

People who are arrested for misdemeanors or drunk driving in Alamosa usually get booked at jails in Bent, Chaffee, Costilla, and Conejos Counties. To save space, the jail releases some low-risk inmates on home detention.²

10. Other information

Alamosa Jail opened in 1986 with 48 beds, but overcrowding caused the staff to install bunk beds. The jail is still often filled beyond capacity, with overflow sleeping on cots or on floor mats. To save space, the jail houses about 30 of its inmates in neighboring jails.

A recent ACLU report claims that the Alamosa Municipal Court is regularly violating the constitutional rights of its poorest defendants. The judge reportedly issues unnecessary arrest warrants, imposes disproportionately high fines, and lets defendants accused low-level offenses to remain incarcerated for up to several weeks.

Alamosa County (in southwestern Colorado) has 10,000 residents, and more than a third of those live in poverty. The opioid crisis looms large there, but the judge allegedly favors incarceration over rehabilitation. And it is precisely this policy that contributes to the jail’s overcrowding.³

Arrested? Call a Colorado criminal defense attorney at (303) 222-0330

If you or a loved one has been arrested in Colorado, contact our Denver criminal defense attorney for a FREE consultation at (303)222-0330. We may be able to get the charges lessened or dismissed so your record stays clean. And if necessary, we’ll fight for you all the way to trial.

Also see our list of Colorado jails.

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