The Washington County Jail is a 250-bed facility housing male and female detainees and inmates accused of Colorado misdemeanor and felony crimes. Also known as the Washington County Justice Center, this facility takes in arrestees and overflow inmates from Boulder and Broomfield counties, as well as the Colorado Department of Corrections, the U.S. Marshall in Wyoming, and Immigration and Customs (ICE).

The Washington County Jail is located in the small town of Akron, CO, which is situated in the northeastern plains area of the state. Akron is about 106 miles east of Loveland, off of US-34. The physical address and main phone number are:

Washington County Justice Center
26861 US Highway 34 Akron, CO 80720
(970) 345-2244

An additional phone number accesses an automated menu providing information for inmates and interested parties. This number is (970) 514-3145.

Provided by Colorado criminal defense lawyers, the following information is offered for the benefit of Washington County inmates and their friends and family. Below you will find information about the Akron detention facility and its policies. This page covers the following topics:

• 1. Find an Inmate
• 2. Paying a Washington County Bail Bond
• 3. Phoning an Inmate
• 4. Jail Visitation Policies
• 5. Cash Accounts for Commissary
• 6. Mail for Akron Inmates
• 7. Property Pick-Up
• 8. More About the Washington County Jail
• 9. Criminal Defense Help

1. Inmate Search

To find out whether an individual has been incarcerated in Akron, CO, you can call the Washington County Sheriff’s department directly at (970) 345-2244 or use the automated phone system at (970) 514-3145 to access inmate information by name or birth date.

You can also use the online Vine system, which provides updated information about inmates across the country, including pending release dates.

2. Bail Bonding in Washington County

Payment of assigned bail may allow an incarcerated friend or loved one to gain temporary freedom pending the outcome of their arrest. To pay a bail bond at the Washington County detention center, you must have cash – no checks are accepted. Payment can be made seven days a week, 24-hours a day.

You can also use the services of a licensed Colorado bail bondsman. A non-refundable fee of 10-15% will generally be charged for this service, and property may be required to secure the bond. Bail bonding agencies can be located online or in the phone directory.

For more information about the bonding process, see: : How to post bail in Colorado.

3. Washington County Jail Telephone Policies

Inmates cannot take incoming phone calls at the jail. You can leave a voicemail message for an inmate by calling the automated phone system: (970) 514-3145 . The cost to leave a voicemail is $1.99.

Detainees and cooperative inmates are free to make collect calls from the jail. The Washington County Justice Center contracts with Securus Technologies for inmate phone services. In order to set up an account to receive inmate phone calls (and contribute funds to prepay for calls), you can go to the Securus website or call (800) 844-6591.

You can also set up a correctional billing services account through the automated phone system of the jail. You will need a credit or debit card to prepay for inmate phone calls.

Be advised that all phone calls are subject to monitoring and recording. Always avoid incriminating statements that could harm the inmate’s case.

4. Visiting an Akron Inmate

Visits are conducted through HomeWAV up until 3 p.m.

Prior to COVID:

For the general inmate population, two 1.5-hour visits are allowed each week. Visiting hours at the Washington County jail are as follows:

Monday through Friday, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
First Saturday of the month – 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Saturday visits have a 45-minute time limit. Segregated inmates are limited to Friday only visits.

The date of an inmate’s allowed visitation is based upon the pod in which he or she is held. To schedule a visitation appointment, call the sheriff’s office at (970) 345-2244 during normal business hours, which are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visits must be scheduled 24-hours ahead of time. (For a Monday visit, you must schedule by Friday.)

Note that visitation appointments are subject to cancellation. Call the jail the day of your scheduled visit to confirm.

The following visitation rules apply at the Washington County detention center.

• You must be present on site at the time your appointment is scheduled to begin. Late arrivals forfeit their visit.
• All visitors need to bring a valid, government-issued photo ID.
• Visitors under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian (and must remain with the adult at all times). Identification with a birth certificate may be required for minors. Disruptive children will need to be removed from the visitation area.
• Only one adult is allowed to visit during the appointment. A maximum of two children may accompany the adult.
• Service pets can enter the visitation area with valid service ID.
• You will not be permitted to visit if you have an active Colorado warrant or if you appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

All visitors may be subject to search. Do not bring:

• Food or drink
• Toys (books for small children are allowed)
• Bags or purses
• Baby carriers
• Cameras
• Cell phones
• Recording devices

All of these items should be left at home or locked in the car before entering the Akron detention center.

There is a strict dress code at this jail. You are asked to dress conservatively, and staff members have the right to deny visitation based upon your attire. The dress code applies to professional visitors, such as attorneys or investigators as well. Banned clothing includes:

• Tube tops or strapless tops
• Tank tops or spaghetti straps
• Low cut shirts
• Short skirts or dresses (ankle length only)
• Shorts (knee length is okay)
• Bandannas
• Hats
• Jackets or Coats

All visits are monitored and recorded. Topics pertaining to criminal charges should be avoided by family and friends.

5. Inmate Cash Accounts

Washington County jail inmates are invited to order items from the commissary, including favored snacks, hygiene products, and other items. Orders are taken every day except Wednesday.

Family and friends can deposit funds for inmates to use for commissary (and telephone calls). Deposits are accepted in one of three ways:

• Lobby deposits – You can use the kiosk in the detention center lobby to deposit funds for an inmate. You can also present money at the sheriff’s office during office hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) Cash, credit and debit cards are accepted.
• Send money by mail – You can send in a money order or cashier’s check to fund the inmate’s cash account. The inmate’s name should be included on the envelope. Personal checks are not accepted. Do not send cash through the mail.
• Online Deposits – Go to My Care Pack to order items directly from the commissary or deposit cash for the inmate to use. Funds post to the inmate’s account within an hour of the deposit. Call (866) 394-0490 for information or help.

6. Mail for Inmates

The address to send mail is:

Washington County Justice Center
(Inmates Name and Booking Number)
18601 Green Valley Ranch Blvd. Ste. 108, Box 532
Denver, CO 80249

Legal mail is sent to:

Washington County Justice Center
(Inmates Name and Booking Number)
26861 Highway 34
Akron, CO 80720

Inmate mail is distributed Monday through Friday, except on holidays. All incoming mail is opened and screened before it is delivered.

All envelopes should include a return address with your first and last name. Send plain envelopes only. Do not decorate with glue, glitter, lipstick, stickers, or ink-stamps

The following items should not be included in envelopes mailed to inmates at the jail:

• Cash or personal checks
• Postage stamps
• Prepaid phone cards
• Greeting cards with embedded music or pop-ups
• Gang-related material or graffiti
• Sexually explicit photos or communications
• Material that is threatening or hate-based
• Material to forward to another inmate
• Books
• Newspapers or magazines (including clippings)
• Sticky notes

Soft-cover books can be ordered and sent to an Akron inmate directly from a vendor such as amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.

You can enclose standard photographs 5” x 7” or smaller in your correspondence. Polaroid pictures, however, are not accepted.

Staff may deny any correspondence that is considered “inappropriate” in any way. Note that inmates cannot send correspondence to one another. To ask a specific question pertaining to mail policies at the jail, you are invited to call (970) 345-2244.

7. Inmate Property

Property confiscated from an inmate will be stored at the Washington County jail until 30 days post-release. An incarcerated inmate can fill out a property release form to allow a friend or family member to pick up his or her property. If you are planning to pick up inmate property, schedule ahead with jail staff. Identification will be required for a property release.

Note that all property remaining at the facility will be discarded 30 days after an inmate is released.

8. General Information

The Washington County Detention Facility is fairly new, opened in January of 2001. This is a “for profit” facility, so is not state run. It is being primarily utilized to house inmates transferred from other, overcrowded facilities, as discussed in this article. Akron is an isolated, very small municipality in the 2,524-acre county of Washington.

The Washington County jail includes minimum security and maximum security holding areas, with inmates segregated by offense, behavior, and gender.

The sheriff’s office has posted Washington County’s adherence to the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), stating they are committed to zero tolerance for sexual abuse or sexual harassment. The jail professes to work to protect detainees believed to be at risk of abuse and encourages reports of any and all sexual abuse or harassment.

9. Criminal Defense

Individuals arrested and charged with a crime have the right to mount a vigorous defense against these charges. An experienced criminal attorney from the Colorado Legal Defense Group can help you or a loved one fight a Colorado charge, and can reduce or eliminate harsh penalties. Our lawyers offer a strong record of results for past clients. To obtain a free consultation and case assessment, call us at (303) 222-0330 today, or contact us online to request a returned call.