Washington County’s correctional facility is called Purgatory Correctional Facility, but is more commonly known as the Washington County Jail. There are three ways to contact an inmate or detainee at the jail: you can send a letter, send an email message, or create an account with the jail’s phone service company, which will allow you to receive phone calls from the facility.
While it’s a good start to contact your loved one while they are in custody, the goal is to have them released as soon as possible. Call Utah criminal defense lawyer Darwin Overson at (801) 758-2287 to set up a free legal consultation or schedule an attorney jail visit. Darwin has more than 16 years of experience handling felonies and misdemeanors throughout Utah, including:
- Assault
- Burglary
- Domestic Violence
- Drug Possession and Distribution
- DUI (Driving Under the Influence)
- Manslaughter
- Murder
- Robbery
- Shoplifting
- Theft
- Vandalism
How to Create an Account for Inmate Phone Calls
Inmates at Washington County Jail are allowed to make but not receive phone calls. However, if the inmate is in solitary confinement, he or she will be limited to making legal calls only – no calls to friends or family.
Telephones are located in each of the jail’s housing units. Inmates can place local or long distance calls for a fee. However, each inmate has the right to make one free call to a loved one’s cell phone.
The jail does not manage its own phone system. Instead, phone services are handled by an external company called Getting Out. In order to have phone conversations with your loved one, you’ll need to create a Getting Out account. There are two ways to set up a phone account with Getting Out:
- Phone – Call (866) 516-0115 and follow the prompts.
- Online – Visit the Getting Out website at gettingout (dot) com. Then, click the “Phone Calls & Messages” link at the top of the homepage. You’ll see three service options to choose between: prepaid calls, collect calls, and Quick Connect. If you choose the prepaid option, you will need to add money to your loved one’s account so that he or she can pay for calls.
You should always assume that jail personnel are listening to your conversations. As the jail’s website cautions, “Inmates shall have no expectation of privacy in their personal telephone calls. Calls may be monitored and recorded.”
Rules for Sending Letters and Email to the Washington County Jail (Purgatory Correctional Facility)
Inmates can send or receive mail from anyone, as long as the sender isn’t another inmate, or a person with whom correspondence would create a safety hazard at the jail.
Incoming mail is delivered to inmates Monday through Friday, except for holidays. Email messages are distributed by jail personnel.
Mail should be sent in the form of postcards measuring no larger than 6” x 11.5”. The jail removes postage stamps once postcards are received, so you shouldn’t write anything underneath. Address your mail to:
Purgatory Correctional Facility
(Inmate’s Name Here)
750 South 5300 West
Hurricane, UT 84737
Other than postcards, you may also send paperback books as long as they are addressed directly to the facility from the retailer or publisher. You could not, for instance, send the inmate a book that was already lying around your house. You can only send books – no newspapers, magazines, or other reading materials.
Mail (and email, where applicable) will be rejected for any and all of the following reasons:
- It doesn’t have a complete return address.
- The envelope features drawings, decorations, glue, tape, staples, or any other markings or items besides the recipient and sender’s addresses.
- It contains threats or attempts at blackmail.
- It contains subject matter that could create a safety hazard at the jail – for example, mentions of weapons or explosives.
- It contains “gratuitous” profanity. (To avoid this issue, it’s best to err on the side of caution and avoid using profanity altogether.)
- It contains sexually graphic images or text.
- It contains codes or secret messages.
- It contains photographs that are larger than 8” x 10”.
- Inmates cannot keep photographs that are larger than 5” x 7” in their possession.
- It contains Polaroid photographs.
- It contains money.
- Instead of sending money directly to an inmate, which will only cause the mail to be returned, you should post bail directly at the jail facility.
Contact Information and Resources for Family Members
If you have any questions about anything you have read in this guide, please don’t hesitate to contact our law offices for help. Darwin has worked on thousands of criminal cases and is available around the clock to provide legal assistance, including nights and weekends. You might also find the following contact information useful:
- Purgatory Correctional Facility
- Hours – 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday
- Phone – (435) 656-6600
- Address – 750 South 5300 West
Hurricane, UT 84737
- Washington County Justice Court – Justice Courts (county courts and municipal courts) handle Class C and Class B misdemeanors, such as simple assault, possession of drug paraphernalia, and intoxicated driving.
- Hours – 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday
- Phone – (435) 634-5728
- Address – 87 North 200 East
3rd Floor (#301)
George, UT 84770
- Fifth District Court (St. George) – Washington County is part of Utah’s Fifth Judicial District. District Courts have jurisdiction over Class A misdemeanors, such as possession of marijuana (over an ounce, but less than 16 ounces). They also handle felonies.
- Hours – 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday
- Phone – (435) 986-5700
- Address – 206 West Tabernacle
Suite 100
George, UT 84770
If your loved one is being detained at the Washington County Jail while awaiting trial, they need an experienced Salt Lake City criminal defense attorney on their side. If they are charged and convicted, they could face thousands of dollars in fines, months or years of incarceration, and other miscellaneous penalties. They will also receive a criminal record, which can cause problems when it comes to finding employment or getting approved for certain types of loans. Call the law offices of Overson & Bugden at (801) 758-2287 today to set up a free legal consultation or schedule a jail visit with attorney Darwin Overson.
