Visiting Lew Sterrett / Dallas County Jail?
Page updated: 07.08.23 – Please always check for latest updates on the jail websites and rules and visitation can change. Have you been through the system recently or do you see anything inaccurate on this page? Please contact us.
Dallas County Jail also known as Lew Sterrett Justice Center
Address
111 Commerce Street, Dallas, Texas (Links to Google Maps)
Bus Stop
Dart bus route 35 (Links to Dart)
Dallas County
Inmate General Info Line (214) 761-9025
Inmate Programs Division (214) 653-2839
Jails in the area
George Allen Jail
600 Commerce Street Dallas, Texas 75202 (Links to Google Maps)
Read this list of official visitation rules.
Check for visiting days and times.
Jail Visitation Hours (as of July 2023)
Mondays and Thursdays 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Visitors will not be processed after 8:30 p.m. (Last name A-L)
Tuesdays and Fridays 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Visitors will not be processed after 8:30 p.m. (Last name M-Z)
Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00 a. m. – 2:00 p. m. Visitors will not be processed after 1:30 p.m. (Last name A-Z)
Information on Care Packages.
How do I find someone in the Dallas Jail? The kiosks in the lobbies for depositing funds can also be used to get the incarcerated persons number and location. http://www.dallascounty.org/jaillookup/
Arrival Time: Always arrive AT LEAST 30 minutes before the end of visitation or you will not get to visit. There is a line starting at about 6pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays even though visitation processing doesn’t start till 7pm.
Parking: There is a $4 (subject to change) parking lot next to the jail.
The different sections at Lew Sterrett:
- North Tower Detention Center
- West Tower Detention Center
- Suzanne L. Kays Detention Center (South Tower)
The line outside is for south tower. For the north tower line, go inside the building.
Visiting: Incarcerated people may have only two visits a week. Your name has to be on their visitor’s list. If you are the only person on their approved visitor list, you may visit twice a week. If they have more than one person listed on the approved visitor list, then you can only visit once a week.
The time limit for a visit is about 20 minutes.
If you are with someone who is visiting an incarcerated person but you are not, be aware: there is no place inside to wait if you are not going to visit.
There are two cash machines for transferring cash to the prisoners (it takes all size bills), and at the end there will be a desk and several police officers. Ask for the slip of paper to request a visit.
Once you have that, write down the information about the incarcerated person (their number and location), hand it back to the officer, then go to the waiting line (on the left, against the wall) and be prepared to stand and wait. You will pass through a metal detector again. Follow the corridor around two corners until you come to an elevator. Take the elevator to the floor where your incarcerated person is housed.
On each floor is a window to the left of the elevator that is the guard station. Present your visitor slip and your ID. You will be directed to a booth where you can talk to the incarcerated person. Each of these “booths” have “phones”. You sit on one side of a glass window and the incarcerated person sits on the other side and you talk via phone.
The jail has a strict dress code. Check it online before you go. No tank tops, no skirts or shorts above the bottom of the knee, no flip flops or open toe shoes, no jackets over sleeveless shirts, no metal, no gang colors.
You will have to walk through several metal detectors. Here is what you should take in:
- your identification
- keys
- one piece of paper (NOT a notebook with wires or staples)
- a small pencil
- money, if you are trying to pay a bond or get money to an incarcerated persons jail account
- a piece of paper with the incarcerated persons name and number and where they are being housed
Leave everything else at home (particularly jewelry or clothing with metal in it.)
Before you go, you will need to know your family member’s incarcerated persons number and where they are being housed. You can find out this information here.
If you have been told someone is an incarcerated persons in Lew Sterrett and has not been released, but the web page doesn’t pull up information, they are probably in “Holding.” It can take up to five days to move from Holding to the Jail. The average time in Holding seems to be about 24 hours.
Medication: They will not allow you to bring the incarcerated persons prescription medication to Lew Sterrett. The incarcerated person must wait for the jail’s physician to confirm their condition and prescribe a medication. It may take more than a week for someone to be seen by the doctor. Incarcerated persons must buy their own medication; the Jpay account is used for this.
Posting a bond: It can take up to 20 minutes to post a bond once you reach the window. If there’s a long line at the bail bonds windows, be prepared to wait for more than an hour. The best time to post a bond is 8-8:30 in the morning. Bring cash or a cashier’s check. When you receive the bond paperwork, be sure to read the document VERY CAREFULLY. It will spell out certain things that have to be met to get your money back.
Phone calls: There is no way to call into the jail to talk to an incarcerated person. They can call you collect OR you can deposit money into an account.
Connect Network for pre-paid collect calls from the jail facility.
Access Corrections for commissary funds.
Incarcerated Person Mail: Mail should be addressed as such:
Incarcerated Persons Name (ie: John Doe #05123456)
Incarcerated Persons Location (ie: Tank #11 S 14)
P.O. Box # 660334
Dallas, Texas 75266-0334
Remember: Each visitor will be checked for outstanding arrest warrants. No one may visit who has been booked in and housed in the Dallas County Jail within the last six (6) months before a visit, except for those with proof of marriage visiting a spouse.
Visitors 18 years of age and older must present proper identification containing their photograph. The following types of identification shall be accepted:
- Valid Driver’s License from any state. A temporary (paper) license may be accepted as long as it is current and the person has another type of photo identification.
- Valid identification card issued from any state.
- Valid passports are acceptable identification under the following rules per the U.S. Department of State:
- If the person was 16 years of age or older when the passport was issued, the passport is valid for 10 years from the date of issue.
- If the person was 15 years of age or younger when the passport was issued the passport is valid for five years from the date of issue.
- Immigration ID card with photo, issued by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service
- Mexican Consulate cards
- Mexican Voter Registration cards with a United States address listed as a residence are not valid forms of identification.
- Military ID cards, including active duty, reserve, National Guard, retired or dependents. All of these ID cards are issued by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) with the exception of the State Guard, which is issued by the respective State.
Prohibited Items:
Tobacco, lighters, matches, electronic cigarettes, cameras, electronic recording devices, cell phones, iPhone watches, backpacks, bags, purses or unlabeled prescription medication are not permitted within visitation areas. No food or drinks shall be taken to the visitation areas except as allowed for infants. Prohibited items apply during regular visits in the jail as well as approved visits at the hospital.
Request Medical Information for someone in jail with this form.
More information about Dallas County Jail.