The Philadelphia Police Detention Unit is a 265 bed jail in the city of Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
This page provides information on how to search for an inmate in the official jail roster, or by calling the facility at 311, directions to the facility, and inmate services such as the visitation schedule and policies, funding an inmate's account, mailing them a letter, receiving phone calls from an inmate, voicemail, emailing and texting, tablet rentals, bail bond instructions, and commissary purchases.
Phone: 311
Physical Address:
800 Race Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130-3887
Other Jails and Prisons
To search for an inmate in the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit, review their criminal charges, the amount of their bond, when they can get visits, or even view their mugshot, go to the Official Jail Inmate Roster, or call the jail at 311 for the information you are looking for. You can also look up an offender's Criminal Court Case online in Philadelphia County or any other county in Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia Police Detention Unit Inmate Search
The Philadelphia Police Detention Unit maintains an average of 265 offenders in custody on any given day. The Philadelphia Police Detention Unit has a monthly turnover of 40% of their inmate population, another 30% turnover every 90 days, another 20% every six months, and approximately 10% stay incarcerated between six and twelve months. Every year Philadelphia County law enforcement agencies arrest and detain approximately 137,000 offenders.
The following charts of Philadelphia County inmate population demographics are updated daily. The information shown is for today. For research purposes we have broken down the inmates by sex, age, ethnicity, and criminal charges.
The information is compiled from the Philadelphia County Corrections Department, the state of Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, as well as the United States Department of Justice and Census Bureau records. It represents every person in custody in Philadelphia County.
For complete information on how to get directions, bond, visit, mail, send and receive email and texts, receive phone calls, and send money or commissary to an inmate, find arrest information for Philadelphia County and other counties surrounding this one, scroll down this page. We have a section for each.
We also provide photos of the jail that we have collected over the years.
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To find out if someone you know has been recently arrested and booked into the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit, call the jail’s booking line at 311.
There may be an automated method of looking them up by their name over the phone, or you may be directed to speak to someone at the jail. Sometimes the jail staff may ask you the offender’s date of birth to ensure privacy of the offender’s status.
Keep in mind that after an arrest, the information on an offender may not be publicly available for several hours.
If you don’t want to check up on an offender by calling the jail, you can also try looking up people recently booked online.
Philadelphia Police Detention Unit Booking Roster
After being arrested and taken into custody, and after being read their Miranda Rights, an offender will next be transported to the local police or department or the Sheriff’s Department in Philadelphia County for booking.
Booking is very involved and requires multiple steps in the process, however, keep in mind that most attorneys will advise that an offender remain silent and not offer any additional information about the crime they have been arrested for because anything they do say may be recorded and may very well be used against them in court.
Booking includes having their photo (mugshot) and fingerprints taken, as well as being asked a lot of questions about their personal history and state of mind. If it’s a serious felony, their DNA may also be taken. They will also be checked for warrants in Philadelphia County and other Pennsylvania and USA jurisdictions.
If the offender was arrested for a DUI offense, and has refused a breathalyzer test, they may also be forced to have blood drawn by a doctor or nurse.
It is also very likely that the offender will undergo a humiliating full body search while in the nude. This includes bending over, spreading their cheeks in the direction of an officer, and coughing. They will also be walked through a metal detector or x-ray machine, like those used at an airport.
The arresting jurisdiction will ask about gang affiliations, tattoos, medical conditions, prescribed medication they are taking, recreational drugs they are on or addicted to, allergies, if they are suicidal, and other relevant information that will help with determining their cell assignment and special needs.
During the arrest and booking process an offender will also have all their personal property confiscated and held for either their release from jail, or with the offender’s approval, released to a friend or family member.
Personal property includes the clothing they are wearing, money, wallets, purses, cell phones, jewelry, body rings, earrings, watches, and even glasses if they are deemed a security risk. If they are allowed to keep their shoes or sneakers, the laces are removed.
At this point the offender will be allowed to make a free phone call to a person of their choice to notify them of their arrest, and/or arrange a bond or bail for their release.
If the offender is being detained and housed while awaiting arraignment, the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit will provide a jail garment and slip-on shoes, a blanket, sheets, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a towel.
Often, before they are dressed in the jail outfit and brought to their housing location, they will be forced to take a shower and undergo a disinfectant treatment for body and hair lice, scabies or other pests that may be residing on their person.
Booking can take anywhere from an hour to 24 hours or more. It all depends on the number of people that are awaiting processing, the number of staff on duty at the time, and the behavior of the offender.
If the offender is heavily intoxicated and/or violent, the Booking Officer may decide to stick the offender in a holding cell for several hours until they become more manageable.
How Do You Visit an Inmate in the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit? What is the Schedule?
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Philadelphia Police Detention Unit’s Inmate Visitation Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 311 for further assistance.
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Can I Use My Computer or Phone to Have a Remote Video Visit with an Inmate in the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit?
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Philadelphia Police Detention Unit’s Video Remote Visitation Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 311 for further assistance.
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How Do You Deposit Money for an Inmate in the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit?
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Philadelphia Police Detention Unit’s Inmate Money and Trust Fund Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 311 for further assistance.
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How Do I Receive Phone Calls from an Inmate in the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit?
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Philadelphia Police Detention Unit’s Inmate Phone Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 311 for further assistance.
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How do I Mail an Inmate in the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit, and what can I send them?
Postcards
The Philadelphia Police Detention Unit allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature.
Envelopes
The Philadelphia Police Detention Unit also allows letters to be mailed in envelopes. Letters cannot contain alterations such as glitter, sticker, glue or perfume. There is no limit to the number of letters or postcards an inmate can receive.
All envelopes and postcards must contain a return address that includes your first and last name and complete street, city, state and zip code location. Mail without return addresses might be discarded.
Mail to:
Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center
Inmate's Name, (PID) Photo ID number
8301 State Road
Philadelphia, PA 19136
Newspapers
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher. (It must contain the inmate’s full name, PID number and address)
Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.
The mailing label must include inmate’s full name, facility address and PID number.
Books
Most jails allow books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address above.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit standards will be disposed of.
At this time both hard and softcover books are allowed.
The mailing invoice must contain the inmate’s full name, PID number and facility address.
To confirm that the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit continues to allow hardcover books to be mailed by a third party publisher or bookseller, call 311.
Care packages
Care packages are pre-chosen items packaged together and sent to the inmate from a third-party vendor. They can include clothing, snacks and seasonal items.
This jail contracts with Access Secure Pack to allow care package purchases for inmates.
Care packages are pre-chosen items that are bundled together and delivered to the inmate.
You must register for a free account to begin buying care packs.
Click here to get started.
These can be ordered by you online and are delivered directly to the inmate.
Call 311 or click here or here to see if the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit participates in a Care Package program and if so, how to purchase one.
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Philadelphia Police Detention Unit’s Inmate Mail Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 311 for further assistance.
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Can I purchase Commissary Online for an Inmate in the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit, and what can I purchase?
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Philadelphia Police Detention Unit’s Commissary Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 311 for further assistance.
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How Can I Communicate with an Inmate in the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit using an Online Messaging Service?
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Philadelphia Police Detention Unit’s Text and Email Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 311 for further assistance.
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Do Inmates in the Philadelphia Police Detention Unit have Access to Tablets or Computers?
We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Philadelphia Police Detention Unit’s Tablet Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 311 for further assistance.
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What are the other City and County Jails in Philadelphia County?
What are the other Jails in the Neighboring Counties surrounding Philadelphia County?
This facility, known as "Philadelphia Police Detention Unit" is also known as Philadelphia Police Detention Unit, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
