What Happens During Booking at Mahoning County Justice Center (What Your Loved One Will Go Through)

At the Mahoning County Justice Center, booking is how staff admit someone into the facility, document them in the system, and get them safely placed in housing. These steps are outlined in the facility's inmate handbook (revised April 3, 2025).

Early in booking, staff search your loved one and remove any valuables or contraband. They also record personal information to create or update the jail file.

Fingerprinting and photographing come next. These are standard identification steps during intake at the Justice Center.

Your loved one will then shower, change into a jail uniform, and receive issued property. This marks the transition from street clothes to what they're allowed to have inside.

During admission, staff conduct a preliminary medical screening to check physical and mental well-being. The goal is to flag immediate health concerns and identify anything that could affect safety or care.

Your loved one can also make phone calls during booking. These calls help them arrange bail or contact someone they choose.

As part of admission, incoming inmates are classified and assigned to a housing unit. This determines where they'll be placed inside the Justice Center.

The facility uses three custody levels: minimum, medium, and maximum security. This classification shapes housing placement and how someone's time inside is managed.

If your loved one believes their classification is wrong, they can appeal through the facility's request and grievance form process. This is the formal way to challenge a classification decision.

Any personal funds deposited at the jail go into an individual inmate account. Your loved one can use this account for commissary purchases, and any remaining balance is returned when they're released.

Valuables and contraband are removed during the booking search. Your loved one won't keep these items through admission or into housing.