Q. My son, daughter, husband, friend, etc. has been arrested. What happens now?
A. 1. Approximately 40 user agencies including county, city, state, and federal agencies bring their arrestees to our Arrest Processing Center. They could be visual field arrests, arrests for outstanding OFA's, warrants, Grand Jury Indictments or similar processes, writs of Habeas Corpus ordering them to be transferred here for court, or those being housed for the federal government.
2. After a security screening, medical screening, fingerprinting, and photographing, the paperwork involving the individual is organized in one packet and the individual is presented to the Magistrate for action to be taken upon the case.
3. After seeing the Magistrate the person is afforded the option of securing his or her release through the County Court Services Division.
4. Once done with court services, the individual is afforded ample time to use the telephone, local and reverse charge long distance phones, to secure release if Bond conditions permit this.
5. If the individual cannot make bond or has a "No Bond" condition, he or she is "dressed-out" and "classified" according to their charge, medical circumstances, risk, and or other criteria to be housed in one of our facilities.
6. The important thing with all of this is to remember that this takes time. Considerations here include the time from initial arrest until the person is presented at the Arrest Processing Center. This may be lengthy if the person had to be taken to the arresting agency for interviews or the processing of a crime scene or automobile accident. The average time between being presented and the ability to use the phone is on average 2 hours. Due to volume and time of night or day, this may be shorter or longer. All efforts are made to process an individual as quickly as possible while being considerate of the safety of the staff and the arrestee during the entire process.
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Q. What is the PID number for an inmate?
A. Every arrestee is fingerprinted and this process assigns a number. This unique number becomes the arrestees accounting number and will never change. It is the responsibility of any inmate housed in the Mecklenburg County Jail to forward all pertinent information, including his/her PID number to friends and family if they expect money to be sent to them. The PID number can be retained in the Web system by looking up the inmate's name as incarcerated.
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Q. Has my son, daughter, husband, friend, etc. received a money order I sent to him/her?
A. If you send a money order or cashier's check to an inmate and suspect a problem of him/her not receiving it, you must write the Inmate Trust Account Department at 801 East Fourth St, Charlotte, NC 28202. This information is only given out in writing and the money order or check number must be included in the inquiry. View Instructions.
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Q. How do I send money to an inmate?
A. Only money orders or cashier's checks are accepted. It must be addressed to the inmate's name, as incarcerated, with a return address on the envelope to P.O. Box 31427, Charlotte, NC 28231-1427. The money order or check must be made payable to the inmate's name, as incarcerated, with his/her PID number and date of birth. The sender's name and address must also be written on the face of the money order or cashier's check. View Instructions.
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Q. I sent a money order and it was returned. Why?
A. Proper procedures were not followed. It was missing a PID number for the inmate, there was no date of birth written on the money order or check, the sender's name and address was not written on the money order or cashier's check. Also, if a money order or cashier's check is returned because improper procedures were followed, the inmate is held liable for the postage to returned this item. View Instructions
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Q. How much do commissary items cost?
A. A copy of the order form is located on the website in English and Spanish.
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Q. Someone I know was arrested and his/her money was taken. It is not in his/her account there at the jail. Can you tell me where it is?
A. If an inmate is arrested on a charge such as possession of drugs, intent to sell or distribute drugs, or larceny, for example, this money can and probably will be used as evidence by the arresting officer. The specific arresting agency can be contacted to verify, but this is the responsibility of the arrestee or the responsible party.
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