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Watkins Jail

Watkins Jail

Watkins Jail

Jail Location:
2860 South 28th Drive
Phoenix, AZ 85009
(602) 876-0322

The Watkins Jail is an all-male, medium  security, inmate facility that was built in 2020 and designed to replace the Durango Jail . The Watkins Jail houses approximately 1,600 inmates within the 258,000 square ft facility

Jail Index:

Jail Information Hotline: 602-876-0322

For all general jail questions, including bond amount, charges, visitation, inmate book accounts and phones call 602-876-0322. Alternatively, you may visit the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office website at https://mcso.org.

Buy a Phoenix Bail Bond: 602-258-4488

For immediate help buying a bond with a credit card, bank deposit, wired funds, or using collateral, call our recommended bail bondsman: Maricopa County Bail Bonds (602) 258-4488.

Inmate Inquiry:

The Watkins Jail Inmate Inquiry is provided as a free service to prospective clients actively seeking bail. This Inquiry is not for the purpose of updating you on an inmate’s release status or for individuals just curious about an inmate’s bail or charges. For those of you that need release status of an inmate, please call the SIMS HOTLINE at (602) 876-0322.

Watkins Jail Inmate Inquiry Form

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    Call: (602) 876-0322

     

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Watkins Jail Visitation

Visitation at the Watkins Jail and all other inmate facilities in Maricopa County can be conducted remotely or onsite. All visitors must set up a GTL account to receive a Remote Visit or schedule an Onsite Visit

Setting up a GTL account

IMPORTANT:

  • You must sign up with a valid email address in order to confirm your account and receive updates about your visits.
  • For Professionals Only: Remote visitation for attorneys, case managers, medical officials or other professions whose video visits with an inmate should not be recorded and/or charged, must go to a MCSO Visitation Center, either 4th Avenue Jail or Lower Buckeye Jail, with your State Bar card and a government-issued ID to verify your status as an attorney visitor.

Remote Visits

All Remote video visits take place through GTL’s GettingOut video visitation service and cost $0.25 per minute (see Setting up a GTL account above). These visits are only charged for visit time you use.

Only the inmate can initiate a video visit with you at any time with the on demand “Visit Now” feature. Friends and family cannot pre-schedule video visits from outside the facility by using “Visit Now” in our system – this type of visit can only be initiated by an inmate.

You can receive video visits from anywhere outside the jail with the GettingOut Visits mobile app for Android or iOS.

Onsite Visits

All Onsite video visits take place at Maricopa County’s 4th Ave and Lower Buckeye Jails.  Visits cost $7.95 for a 20-minute visit. Inmates get one free 20-minute Onsite visit per week. The inmate can decide whether the free visit is Onsite or Remote.

Visitation at the facility takes place in the lobby using the video stations. Schedule Now. Review what you should know before you visit the facility by going to GTL’s FAQs page.

Benefits of Remote vs Onsite Visitation

Benefits of Remote Vs. Onsite Visitation
Remote Onsite
You may visit an inmate as often as you choose while visiting remotely. An inmate is only allowed one (1) free personal onsite visit per week.
Remote visits allow you to have visits from the comfort of your home with your entire family visit at the same time. Onsite visits with an inmate are limited to no more than two (2) people at a time.
Remote visits allow you to visit every day, as often as you like, during the hours of 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. An inmate is only allowed one (1) free personal onsite visit per week between the hours of 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Inmates can start a visit with you at any time – no scheduling needed. Onsite visits must always be scheduled ahead of time.
You can visit from any GettingOut Visits-enabled device, like a cell phone or tablet. You must travel to the facility to have an Onsite visit.
Remote visits cost $0.25 per minute but you are only charged for the visit time you use. Onsite visits cost $7.95 and must be prepaid per 20-minute time slots.

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Property/Money Releases

Inmates must release all personal property when requesting a property release. The inmate can release his/her property to anyone they choose including their attorney, public defender, probation officer, bondsman or caseworker. The property release, also known as Tank Order, must be signed and issued by the inmate. The person picking up the property will need to go to the Durango Jail where the inmate is incarcerated, pick up the Tank Order, and take it to the 4th Ave Jail where all personal property is stored. The jail will then release the property. Anyone picking up property will be required to provide a valid government issued picture identification card, such as a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) identification card/driver’s license that is current and valid. An Immigration card (work visa card, or resident alien card) presented with a DMV card is acceptable.

Inmates can release all the money in an inmate account without approval up to 72 hours after booking. Requests for a money release after 72 hours in custody must be approved by the Jail Commander or his designee.

Inmate Medication and Health

Individuals who are arrested and taking Doctor prescribed medications must advise the medical staff upon initial booking of the type and dosages of what they are taking. Medications from home or purchased outside of the jail will not be accepted into the facility for the inmate to use.

Specific inquiries or concerns may be handled via an online form

Child Custody

When a parent or guardian is arrested, the arresting officer will attempt to locate a natural parent or relative, where the child/children can be taken. When no relative is located, Child Protective Services (CPS) will be contacted. Child Protective Service Hotline: is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, at 1-888-767-2445.

If a family member contacts this number looking for Child/Children in custody of CPS, the CPS representative on the phone will take their information. Someone from a CPS office will contact the relative/relatives and meet with them as soon as possible.

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Placing Money on Inmate Books

Deposits to inmate accounts can be made via the TouchPay Systems’ cash kiosks at each jail facility. Using these kiosks, depositors can place money on an inmate’s account using either the booking number or the inmate’s name.

The machines will accept VISA and MasterCard, as well as cash. Once the deposited amount has been validated through the TouchPay System, which takes about an hour, the money will be immediately available for the inmate’s use.

In addition to the payment kiosks, deposits can be made via telephone, the Internet, or at select retail locations.

To make a deposit via telephone, please call toll free 1-866-355-9593.

To make an online deposit, visit the TouchPay website.

To find retail locations where you can make a cash deposit, visit the TouchPay location.

After visitation hours, you may deposit monies at the Bonds and Fines public window located at the 4th Avenue Jail, 201 S. 4th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85003.

During the time the window at Bond and Fines is closed, you may also use one of the touch pay kiosk systems locating in various jail locations, or via the telephone at 1-866-355-9593 or via the internet at www.touchpaydirect.com or https://maricopa.touchpaydirect.net. You must provide the inmates name and MCSO booking number. Touchpay kiosks currently accept Visa/Mastercard and funds are usually posted within 1 hour to the inmate’s account.  There is a fee for this service.

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Jail Information Hotline: 602-876-0322

For all general jail questions, including bond amount, charges, visitation, inmate book accounts and phones.

Post a Bail Bond: 602-258-4488

For immediate help buying a bond with a credit card, bank deposit, wired funds, or using collateral, call our recommended bail bondsman: Maricopa County Bail Bonds (602) 258-4488.