How to Contact an Inmate at Tulsa County Jail (OK)

Once someone is processed through booking, they're allowed to make phone calls. These calls are for practical first steps: arranging bond payment, notifying family, letting people know they're in custody. If you're waiting to hear from someone who was just arrested, the best thing you can do is stay near your phone and be ready to act quickly on whatever they need.

Visiting at the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center starts with approval, not scheduling. You'll need to submit the Visitor's Request Form and wait to be approved before you can set up a visit. Only immediate family members (parents, spouses, and children) will be approved. The facility also limits visits to one per inmate per week, and you can't visit more than one inmate per week unless the Jail Administrator grants a special visit in writing.

Expect a structured entry process. You'll register when you arrive, then go through screening with hand-held and stationary metal detectors. Refuse the search, and you won't be allowed in. No personal items can go past the last metal detector. That includes cell phones, other mobile communication devices, food, beverages, and tobacco products.

Steps to Follow

• ✓ Be ready for the first call after booking: After processing, the inmate can make phone calls to arrange bond payment or notify friends and family.
• ✓ Decide what you will do if they call: If the call is about bond or urgent needs, have a plan to respond quickly.

1. Complete the Visitor’s Request Form: Anyone wanting to visit an inmate at the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center must submit this form.
2. Sign the consent for a background check: The form requires your authorization for the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office to conduct a criminal background check.
3. Wait for approval before scheduling: You must be approved first. After approval notification, you can schedule a visit.

• ✓ Register when you arrive: Visitors must register upon entry into the facility.
• ✓ Expect metal-detector screening: Visitors are searched using hand-held and stationary scanning devices (metal detectors).
• ✓ Do not bring personal items past the last metal detector: This includes cell phones and other mobile communication devices, food, beverages, and tobacco products.
• ✓ Do not refuse the search: Refusal means you will not be allowed access to the visit.

Before making plans, keep the weekly limits in mind. Each inmate gets one visit per week, and visitors can't visit more than one inmate per week. Need an exception? That requires a special visit granted in writing by the Jail Administrator.

• ✓ Make sure you qualify as immediate family: Only parents, spouses, and children are approved for visiting.
• ✓ If a child is visiting, bring the right adult and paperwork: Children may be accompanied by a legal or court-appointed guardian, and documented proof of the relationship is required at the time of the visit.

A few details can affect how quickly you connect, so confirm the current process directly with the jail. For phone contact after booking, ask about how calls are placed and any limits that could affect when you'll hear from them. For visits, find out exactly how and where to submit the Visitor's Request Form, how you'll be notified of approval, and how far in advance you should plan before trying to schedule.

If your situation isn't straightforward, verify eligibility before spending time on paperwork. The policy limits approval to immediate family (parents, spouses, and children), so ask how the jail handles edge cases and what counts as acceptable proof. Bringing a child? Confirm what documentation is required for a legal or court-appointed guardian at the time of the visit. Also make sure you complete the background-check consent requirement correctly on the Visitor's Request Form. And if you need an exception to the one-visit-per-week limits, ask how to request a special visit in writing from the Jail Administrator.