Receiving of Prisoners

Deputies and Command Staff at the Inmate Processing Center have designed a receiving system (RCV) to increase the efficiency in which prisoners can be received and booked into jail once they arrive at the IPC. The RCV system also provides the ability to track a defendant throughout the Receiving Process. While their charges are being filed and their System Person's Number, (SPN), is being initiated and researched, prisoners can be accepted in the receiving process. After the prisoner is positively identified, their assigned SPN can be attached to their receiving records and consolidated with any other information found in any other systems.

AFIS Process
The Receiving AFIS Deputy is responsible for performing live scan fingerprinting and photographing procedures on all prisoners in the Sheriff’s Office custody. The AFIS Deputy ensures that the correct prisoner is in custody and that the correct criminal charge is being properly filed by matching both the defendants Systems Person Number (SPN) and Sheriff’s Office (SO) numbers.

Property Inventory
The Property Inventory Office maintains a detailed record of the property received from all Harris County prisoners. Items are entered into the computer system before being safely secured. Currently, the Property Inventory Office is designing a new Valuable Property System to further the Sheriff’s Office’s abilities to receive, maintain, track and locate property for all prisoners incarcerated in the County Jail System.

Where to claim property
Property is to be picked up on the third floor of the Inmate Processing Center located at 1201 Commerce Street.

What you need in order to claim an inmates property
In order to pick up any type of property, you must have a valid State or Federal ID Card or Driver’s License. All identification must contain the bearer’s photograph.

Types of property defined
Valuable property consists of items such as car keys, credit cards, wallets, jewelry and other small items of value. Bulk property consists of large items such as purses, backpacks, etc. Clothing consists of whatever the prisoner was wearing when he/she was arrested.

Prisoners may release their property to a designee
In order for an inmate to release his/her property, they must complete a request form, requesting to have their property released. This request form should be given to the night shift supervisor on the inmate’s housing floor. A Property Release Card will then be completed. Once the Property Release Card is completed, the supervisor will make a photocopy of the card and return the copy to the prisoner so he/she can mail it to the person they are authorizing to claim their property. Once the person receives the photocopy of the release card in the mail, they may pick up the property on the third floor of the Inmate Processing Center at 1201 Commerce Street. This property may be claimed no later than 30 days from the date on the card, 7 days a week, from 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Claiming clothing or bulk property
The Inmate or anyone authorized by the inmate to pick up property located after prisoner's release, such as clothing or bulk property, may claim it no later than 30 days from the date of notification, at the Inmate Processing Center, located at 1201 Commerce, 7 days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Claiming valuable property
The Inmate, or anyone authorized by the inmate to pick up found property, may pick up the property at the Inmate Processing Center, located at 1201 Commerce, 7 days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Claiming property for inmates transferred to TDCJ
Valuable and bulk property will be transferred with the Inmate unless it is claimed by the inmates designee prior to their transfer. Clothing will be donated to a charitable organization unless it is claimed by the inmates designee within the prescribed time period. If the inmate chooses to have someone claim his/her clothing, a notification card will be sent to that individual with instructions for claiming the clothing. This property will be held for no more than 14 days from the date the inmate is transferred. Property may be picked up at 1201 Commerce, third floor, 7 days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Court Clothing
Upon arrest and transfer to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Processing Center, all of the inmate’s clothing shall be sealed until the inmate is released from jail or the inmate is transferred to TDCJ. The Inmate Processing Center will not accept clothing for court appearances.

When the court trial is to begin the family members shall make arrangements with the defense counsel to provide suitable clothing for the day of trial.

Inmate Processing Division - Probable Cause Court
The Probable Cause Court (PCC) Deputies are responsible for obtaining court dockets for prisoners requiring judiciary hearings. These Deputies gather the prisoners listed on the docket for their appearance and return all prisoners after the required court proceedings. The PCC hears hundreds of proceedings each day.

Booking Process
The Booking process utilizes a number of computer systems to capture information on each prisoner. The first is the Justice Information Management System (JIMS). The Booking System is one of the most heavily used systems in JIMS. Among its many online and batch programs are those used to book defendants, book subsequent cases, count the number of inmates in jail, and identify the location of each inmate.

Medical Screening
A prisoner requiring medication or found to have injuries will be seen by the on duty nurse for further evaluation prior to being accepted and/or booked into jail. A chest x-ray is taken of each prisoner during the booking process in order to detect active Tuberculosis. Trained nurse's interview and medically evaluate all prisoners booked into the Harris County Jail.

Inmate Classification Division
The Inmate Classification Division uses a highly specialized system to classify prisoners who will be housed in the County Jail. The Sheriff's Office uses these programs to record a defendant's age, sex, frequency of offense, type of offense, health, mental state and sexual orientation. Based on the prisoners responses to specific questions, they are assigned a designated housing group within a specific area of the jail. Classification computers show which cellblocks and bunks are available for assignment in each area. The Classification Deputy assigns the inmate to a single bunk, in a designated cellblock, and enters that location into the computer system.

Release of Prisoners
Inmates may be released for a variety of reasons. Bonds (Surety, Cash, or PTSA), court order, transfer to another agency, or via satisfaction of sentence. Those inmates who have holds from other law enforcement agencies will be released to that agency after their Harris County sentence has been satisfied. Inmates may also be released to the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) if they have been sentenced to state jail or state prison time.