Hamilton County Justice Center Phone Directory

The main phone number for the Hamilton County Justice Center is 513-946-6400. The line is answered by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, which runs the Justice Center at 1000 Sycamore Street in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. The facility holds up to 1,240 inmates and is the county’s primary adult detention center.¹

Before you call, know that a lot of what people ring the Justice Center about — talking to an inmate, posting bond, sending money — is actually handled somewhere else. The numbers and systems below will usually get you there faster than the main line.

Direct Department Numbers

The main number routes general inquiries, but calling the right unit directly saves time. From the Sheriff’s Office directory:¹

Main line: 513-946-6400
Medical Department: 513-946-6500 — health questions about a detainee
Property Office: 513-946-6330 — personal belongings inventoried at booking

For records tied to an inmate’s file, call the main line and ask for the Records Department.

You Cannot Call In to Reach an Inmate

Calling 513-946-6400 will not get you connected to someone in custody. All inmate phone calls and video visits run through HomeWAV, the facility’s contracted communications provider, and the inmate has to start the call from a kiosk or tablet inside the jail.²

To receive calls or do a video visit, create a free HomeWAV account on the website or app and upload a photo of a valid government ID. Once approved, you get a notification when the inmate logs in and can accept the call. You cannot have an active warrant or an active temporary protection order against the inmate. Minors need an adult present, and no more than four visitors can join a session.²

Remote video visit hours are Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 8:40 PM, and Sunday, 11:00 AM to 8:40 PM. On-site visits take place in the North Lobby of the Justice Center. For technical trouble with HomeWAV itself, their support number is 844-394-6639.²

One restriction surprises families: inmates within 30 days of their release date are not eligible for HomeWAV visitation. If scheduled visits suddenly stop going through, that is usually why.²

Look Up the Inmate Before You Call

Any call about a specific person goes faster if you have identifying information in hand. The Sheriff’s Office runs a free inmate search where you can look someone up by last name or SPN number, the facility’s unique identifier for each detainee.³ The results show current housing location and other details, which can change without notice.⁴

Have the SPN number ready when you dial. Without it, give the inmate’s full legal name — not initials, not a nickname. For court dates and case information, the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts has its own search by case number, attorney name, or party name.⁵

Posting Bond Goes Through the Clerk of Courts

Bond is not posted at the Justice Center. Payment is handled by the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts, which accepts cash, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and certified or cashier’s checks. Cashier’s checks are only taken during hours when the issuing bank can confirm them. You will also need a valid ID and extra money for state fees.⁶

If you pay by credit card and the bond is later refunded, the Clerk cannot credit it back to the card. A refund check is mailed instead, which takes longer than people expect. Bonds can also be posted through a licensed bail bondsman registered with the Clerk, or as a property bond with a completed Affidavit of Justification of Suretyship.⁶

Mail, Books, and Commissary Money

Personal mail no longer goes to the Justice Center’s street address. Letters sent there will be returned. Correspondence is processed through TextBehind (via HomeWAV) at:⁷

Offender First & Last Name, Control #
Hamilton County Justice Center, OH
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131

Every envelope needs the inmate’s full first and last name, their control number, and your full name and complete return address. Anything missing is rejected and discarded unopened. Legal documents, money orders, checks, cash, cards of any kind, magazines, newspapers, and catalogs are not accepted.⁷

Books follow separate rules and must be shipped new, directly from a vendor like Amazon, to the inmate’s name and JMS number at 900 Sycamore St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. The limit is three per month.⁷

To put money on an inmate’s commissary account, use the deposit kiosks in the lobbies of the North and South buildings of the Justice Center. The weekly commissary spending limit is $75.00, and when an order exceeds the balance, hygiene items are filled first.⁸

For personal property picked up at booking, call the Property Office at 513-946-6330 to arrange retrieval after release.⁹

1
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Contact Us – Section: Phone Directory
2
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Phone Visitations
3
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Inmate Information
4
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Hamilton County Justice Center – Inmate Search
5
Hamilton County Clerk of Courts. Records Search
6
Hamilton County Clerk of Courts. Frequently Asked Questions – Bond Information
7
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Inmate Mail
8
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Commissary
9
Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Inmate Property