Pinellas County Jail Inmate Search

Through the centuries, Pinellas County and its contiguous areas attracted Spanish explorers, pioneer farmers, fishermen, and the already resident Tocobago Indians. Initially inaccessible, Pinellas County grew rapidly upon the construction of the Orange Belt Railroad in the year 1887. Originally part of Hillsborough County (established in the year 1834), Pinellas County won independence and was created January 1, 1912. Then the Pinellas County Sheriff's department was organized, in that same year, following a voter referendum and its first courthouse was established also in 1912 at the corner of S. Ft. Harrison and Pierce Street, Clearwater, in a two-story wood frame structure guaranteed to be built in 30 days at a cost in today's dollars of $241,000 ($3,750). A second courthouse was built at 315 Court Street, Clearwater, in the year 1917. By the passage of seven years, the building already reached capacity and required additions to be built, one in the year 1924, and the other in the year 1926. In the early 1960s, having totally outgrown the second courthouse building, Pinellas County built a third courthouse building just west of the present location at 315 Court Street, and it opened in the year 1963. Subsequently, in the year 1968, a judicial wing was added.

Due to overcrowding at the jail's downtown location, Pinellas County built an expanded Criminal Courts Complex in the year 1982; and a newly designed jail complex a year later. In the year 1985, a total renovation of the old jail facility was completed and the building now also houses County government offices. Subsequent to that in 1992, a development order was issued to expand and renovate the jail and courthouse complex that sits on a 54 acre area. Construction commenced and was completed in 1997. Finally, in 2015, the jail and courthouse complex received another upgrade. The Pinellas County Jail, the Pinellas County Government Offices, and the Pinellas County Judicial Complex is located in the Highpoint area near the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport at 14400 49th Street North, Clearwater, Florida, 33762.

The early history of Pinellas County outlined the kinds of criminal operations usually extant in the deep south: moon shining, gambling, and bootlegging. Such criminals were routinely rounded up by the Sheriff's office; but many easily escaped by sawing through iron bars with smuggled tools.

From the year 1912 until the late 1950’s, deputies wore plain clothes, drove their own cars, and carried their own weapons. Also during this time period, the county was partitioned into several districts, each of which employed a Justice of the Peace to supervise legal matters. At that time, there was only the jail located in downtown Clearwater and those at the various municipal police departments. The Sheriff’s Office worked alongside the Pinellas County Patrol. There were instances when county judges ran short of citizens serving in a jury pool. So, deputy sheriffs were sent out to round up citizens to serve.

In the year 1959, Sheriff Donald Genung, transformed his office by taking on a new modern identity. The County Sheriff’s Office, then, in 1960, absorbed the county patrol. A year later, Sheriff’s deputies were issued standardized uniforms, then given health and retirement plus civil service benefits, and a standardized training program was designed and implemented. Also, in 1961, the Office purchased a fleet of new Plymouth Fury automobiles to serve as patrol cars.

It wasn't long, thereafter, that modernization greatly improved the efficiency and scope of law enforcement providing better vehicles, computerization, telecommunications, and authorized private network communications. Then with facial recognition and video surveillance, the prison is much more secure. Truly, the Pinellas County Judicial Complex is a leader in the nation for employing innovative technologies and ingenuity to make Pinellas County a safer community in which to live.