How to Visit El Paso County Jail, CO (CO)
Visiting someone in custody usually leads to urgent questions about safety and release timing. Here are the rules the El Paso County Sheriff's Office publishes that matter most when you're trying to help.
If you have an emergency related to the jail or the Sheriff’s Office, call 9-1-1. That reaches the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center, which is staffed 24 hours a day.
If your loved one has a bond set, a six-hour release requirement kicks in once specific conditions are met. The sheriff must release a defendant within six hours after a bond is set, provided the defendant has returned to jail and the defendant, a surety, or a third-party payer has notified the jail that bond is prepared to be posted. The exception: extraordinary circumstances. Posting bond online? The six-hour clock is tied to the electronic action. It starts when the defendant, surety, or third-party payer submits payment for the bond or electronically files a power of attorney.
Fee reminder: Only the bond amount is required to secure release. A $10 bond fee and up to a 3.5% credit card payment fee may be charged as a debt to the defendant after release if the surety or third-party payer does not pay those fees at the time of bonding.
Steps
- ✓ Call 9-1-1 for emergencies related to the jail or Sheriff’s Office dispatch (dispatch is staffed 24 hours a day).
- ✓ If bond has been set, track the six-hour release requirement, which runs after the defendant returns to jail or after the jail is notified that bond is prepared to be posted (unless extraordinary circumstances exist).
- ✓ If you post bond online, treat the “start time” as the moment payment is submitted or a power of attorney is electronically filed.
- ✓ Budget for possible bond-related fees ($10 bond fee and up to a 3.5% credit card payment fee). If a surety or third-party payer does not pay them at bonding, they may be charged as a debt to the defendant after release.
Before you plan a pickup or a ride home, confirm the current bond-processing workflow and what the jail considers "notified" for purposes of the six-hour release requirement. If you're posting online or using an electronic power of attorney, double-check which action starts the six-hour clock in your situation. Also confirm how fees are handled. Only the bond amount is required to secure release, but bond-related fees can still come back as a debt to the defendant after release if they aren't paid at the time of bonding.
Emergency procedures can change. If you're unsure who to call in a time-sensitive situation, verify the Sheriff's Office contact instructions before you need them. For emergencies, call 9-1-1 to reach dispatch (staffed 24 hours a day).
Find an Inmate at El Paso Criminal Justice Center, CO
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
