Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. How do I find out if someone is currently detained at Bay County Jail?
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Bay County Jail maintains an online inmate list where one can find the list of detainees. The list is updated usually fairly frequently. To check the inmate roster please visit Bay County Jail Sheriff Department website. If that doesn't work, another good way to find someone is to call the Panama City police department at 850-785-5245 and find out about the inmate directly.
Q. What if you are not able to find the inmate in Bay County Jail?
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It means the inmate is transferred to nearby county jail or state prison facility or is released from jail. Check Florida inmate search page for more details on how to search for an inmate in Florida.
Q. What are the visitation rules of Bay County Jail?
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Any individual with valid government ID and who isn’t on felony probation is allowed to visit an inmate. Children below 18 years, must be accompanied by a legal guardian.
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For more information one can call 850-785-5245.
Bay County Jail Visitation Hours
| Sunday |
7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. |
12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday |
7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. |
12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
|
| Tuesday |
7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. |
12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
|
| Wednesday |
7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. |
12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
|
| Thursday |
7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. |
12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
|
| Friday |
7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. |
12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
| Saturday |
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. |
12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
Map & Directions for Bay County Jail
More Information
The Bay County jail in Panama City, Fl has a history of being destroyed. On November 18, 1920, two people who were friends with some inmates in the jail torched the building. The hope was that the inmates would be able to escape. Sheriff Carl Russ acted quickly and rounded up the prisoners. They were kept safe, though the jail burned down. The courthouse and the clock were fixed. All was reopened in February of 1922. Almost 100 years later in 2018, the jail was damaged by Hurricane Micheal. The jail was said to have taken the biggest hit of all the county buildings. The air conditioning equipment was pulled from the concrete building. To deal with the extremes in temperatures, the nonviolent offenders were sent home.
The United States Supreme Court had a say in how a case that started in Bay County. The case Gideon vs. Wainwright was based off the felony arrest of career criminal Clarence Earl Gideon for breaking into a Panama City pool hall in 1961. During the break-in, Gideon stole all the money from the vending machines. In the court case, the presiding judge of the original case told Gideon that lawyers were only available to be provided to defendants facing the death penalty. Because of the Florida law, Gideon represented himself. He was sentenced to five years. Gideon then sued to be released for this reason. It went to the Florida Supreme Court and moved up to the United States Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that lawyers had to be supplied to defendants.
On November 17, 1917, Bay County Deputy Sheriff Charles Scott was attacked by a man who approached him at the train station. The man got Scott's gun and killed him. The man was arrested and sentenced to life. The governor of Florida pardoned the man in 1921.
Bay County Deputy Sheriff Don Johnson was a motorcycle escort for a funeral on July 11, 1999. A pickup truck was tailgating and kept attempting to pass the procession. Johnson was hit head on so hard that his helmet and gun belt were thrown off of him. Johnson was taken to the hospital where he died a few hours later. The driver got a citation for an illegal lane change.
Nearby Facilities
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