Details of the Lake County Jail
Officially called the Lake County Detention Center, the facility consists of 960 beds and has an average daily population of 1,037 inmates. The center employs approximately 300 people including more than 200 deputies and 95 civilian staff, all of whom work under the direction of the Lake County Sheriff.Posting Bond
There are three ways to post bond for an inmate in the Lake County Detention Center.You may contact a bail bondsman who will facilitate the release. They may be found in the phone book under “Bail Bonds.”
Bond may also be paid in person in the lobby of the facility, located at 551 West Main Street in Tavares. Bond must be paid by cash, money order or by cashier’s check or certified check. Checks and money orders should be made to “Clerk of Courts” for local charges, and to the “Lake County Sheriff” for all out-of-county charges.
If an inmate has enough money in their commissary account, they also may post bond themselves.
Depositing Money into an Inmate Account
Each inmate has a personal money account which they may use to purchase commissary items, make phone calls, bond themselves out of jail, or pay for various expenses.Money can be deposited into an inmate’s account by using one of the EZDeposit kiosk machines located in the center’s lobby. The kiosks accept cash (bills $5 or greater) or credit cards and debit cards. Kiosks are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Deposits may also be made online at www.offenderconnect.com using a credit card or debit card.
Writing an Inmate
All incoming inmate correspondence must be in the form of a postcard. (This does not apply to privileged or legal mail).The mailing address for sending letters to inmates is:
551 West Main Street
Tavares, FL 32778
Postcards must be at least 3 ½ inches by 4 ½ inches, but no larger than 5 inches by 7 inches in size. You must include a complete return address with your full name and complete address. Messages may be typed, or written in blue or black ink only.
Paperback books of a reasonable size may be sent to the inmate but must be sent directly from the publisher, or by a legitimate retailer.
Postcards will not be accepted if they are wrapped in plastic, marked with paint, pencil, crayon or magic marker, marked with stains, lipstick or perfume or if they have labels or stickers affixed to them. They also may not contain glue, glitter or other attachments, depict any violent or sexual acts, and they may not feature religious or racially charged materials.
Note: Money orders and cashier’s checks may be mailed to the inmates ONLY if the envelope is addressed to the facility and the inmate’s name and ID number is clearly visible. The envelope must be clearly marked “FOR DEPOSIT ONLY.” Envelopes containing anything other than the deposit will be returned to sender.
Questions about the inmate mail system may be directed to the center’s Inmate Mail Department at 352-742-4000.
Visiting an Inmate
After an inmate is booked into the facility and is assigned a housing section, he or she may request a visitation form to place individuals on their visitation list. The process may take up to a week. The center asks that visitors wait at least a week before calling to see if they are on the inmate’s visitation list.Visitors cannot have been incarcerated in the Lake County Detention Center within the past year. An individual who is a victim of a battery charge by the inmate may not visit the inmate unless otherwise specified by the court.
Inmates in general population are allowed two visits per week, up to 1 hour per visit. Special visits are approved on a case by case basis and must be scheduled ahead of time as they can take up to 24 hours for approval.
Normal visitation hours are 8:30 to 11 a.m., 1 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Sunday visitation is from 1 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. No visitation is held on Mondays.
Juvenile visitation hours are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Sunday visitation hours are from 4 to 7 p.m. No visitation is held on Mondays.
Confinement visitation hours are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Sunday visitation is from 5 to 7 p.m. No visitation is held on Mondays.
All visitors must have a valid photo identification card (driver’s license, ID card, military ID, Passport). No other personal property will be allowed inside the facility except for one key. Cell phones are not allowed.
Visitors must be 18 years or older. Visitors who are 12 to 17 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Children under 12 will not be allowed to visit. No minors may be left alone in the lobby – they must have a parent or guardian with them at all times.
The dress code prohibits visitors from wearing tank tops or tops or dresses with thin (spaghetti) straps. Visitors may not wear see-through tops, strapless tops, short skirts or shorts or ball caps. Sunglasses may not be worn unless they have prescription lenses.
Visitors may use lockers located in the facility lobby to store their belongings during their visit. The cost is 25 cents, which is refunded when you retrieve your items. Cell phones placed in lockers must be turned “Off.”
Inmate Phone System
Inmates may make a limited number of collect phone calls from the jail upon intake.The center also offers an inmate telephone system in partnership with Securus Technologies which allows inmates to make more frequent phone calls through a prepaid system.
Individuals who wish to receive a phone call from an inmate must first establish an account with Securus to receive the calls. Accounts may be set up online at www.securustech.net or by phone at 1-800-844-6591. Payment may be made by cash, money order, credit card, Money Gram or Western Union.
