Wayne County Jail

Wayne County Jail is operated by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and serves as the main booking and detention facility for Detroit and the rest of Wayne County, Michigan's most populous county. The jail complex sits in downtown Detroit and processes people arrested by the Detroit Police Department and other local agencies across the county. Most people held here are in pretrial status, waiting for their cases to move through Wayne County's court system, though some are serving shorter sentences.

Families can reach someone at Wayne County Jail through two main services. GettingOut handles electronic messaging, photo sharing, and money transfers, all managed through a single online account. Securus handles phone calls and video visitation. To send a message or photo, create a GettingOut account and search for your contact by name and booking number. To set up phone calls, fund a Securus account so you can accept collect or prepaid calls from the jail's phone system. Video visits through Securus can be scheduled in advance or, at some facilities, used as a walk-in option depending on availability.

Detroit is a major metro area, so many families live close enough for in-person visits, but jail visitation hours and rules change often, so it helps to call ahead or check the Sheriff's Office website before making the trip. People convicted of felonies and sentenced to state prison time are transferred out of the county jail to a Michigan Department of Corrections facility, where different communication providers usually apply. Always confirm current facility placement before assuming a provider account will still work.