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Ada County Jail

The Ada County Jail was built in 1977 when the Ada County-Boise City Public Safety Building first opened. The jail was originally built to hold a maximum of 160 inmates, plus 32 work release inmates.

The jail has been expanded several times since then. Today, the Ada County Jail has 1,116 beds.

The Community Transition Center, where some inmates go to prepare for their release back into the community, has 100 beds – 68 for men, and 32 for women.

Inmate Classification

All inmates at the Ada County Jail are classified using a specific system which is basically a risk assessment. By classifying all inmates, security of other inmates and jail staff is greatly increased.

To classify an inmate, a team of officers researches the inmate’s past and criminal history. They also consider the inmate’s past and present behavior when in custody. Mental or physical disabilities are also taken into consideration when determining appropriate housing.

Inmates are assigned a security risk level, or classification, ranging from minimum to maximum.

Minimum security inmates enjoy the highest level of benefits and privileges. Medium security inmates may also have certain privileges, like dormitory housing and access to programs. Inmates who are classified as maximum risk do not have access to most programs or privileges.

Inmate Housing

Most inmates are housed in dormitory settings to make most efficient use of space, but the Jail has multiple other options for housing, based on inmate classification system and inmate’s medical needs.

The jail has six main dorm units – four for men and two for women, for minimum-security inmates. Five of those dorms have 92 beds. One of the male dorms has 56. Those dorms are open and house more than half of all inmates.

The jail has 308 beds for male medium-security inmates where movement is more restricted than the dorms. The medium-security unit has housing areas than can hold from two to six at a time. Those Inmates have daily but limited access to a common area.

The maximum-security unit, the most secure housing area for the inmates with the highest security risk, has 88 beds.

The rest of the beds in the jail are in the Health Services unit for inmates with medical or mental health issues, or the closed custody units, which are used for a variety of security and classification issues. Female medium-security inmates are housed in closed custody.

Release From Jail

There are two main ways to be released from jail following an arrest in Ada County: pay a bond associated with each criminal charge, or a 4th Judicial District Judge orders a release from custody.

If an inmate has a bond attached to an arrest warrant or if a judge sets bond for a criminal charge in court, that inmate can be bailed out of the Ada County Jail for the amount of the bond and an additional $25 administration fee. For inmates with multiple charges, separate bonds and $25 fees must be paid for each charge. If a judge combines multiple charges under one single case number, a single $25 administrative fee covers the bonds associated with those charges.

Bonds must be paid in cash; or with a cashier’s check or money order; or by a bail bond service. Personal checks and credit cards are not permitted. Additionally, a fee of $25 must accompany each bond.

For example, if someone is being held in the jail on separate misdemeanor charges of petit theft and failure to appear, with bonds of $500 and $200, whoever wants to bond that inmate out would have to bring $750 in cash; or separate cashiers checks or money orders of $700 and $50; or hire a professional bail bondsman to pay the bond to get that inmate out of jail.

The Ada County Jail has an ATM machine in the lobby. Cash withdrawal limits can vary, depending on what bank the customer has an account with.

To find out if an inmate qualifies for a bond release, look up the name at  Ada County Inmates The amount for bond is listed on the “Bail” column to the right of each charge, with a bail total on the bottom.

People must pay in person at the counter in the lobby of the main Ada County Sheriff’s Office building at 7200 Barrister Drive. The jail is located in the same campus.

Jail meal area