If a family member texted you "700 N. San Jacinto" or a police officer told you that's where someone is being taken, that address is the Harris County Joint Processing Center (JPC) — the intake and booking building for the Harris County Jail. Everyone arrested in Harris County for a Class B misdemeanor or higher passes through it: Houston Police, the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the eight constable precincts, DPS, and the suburban departments (Pasadena, Baytown, Katy, and the rest) all deliver arrestees here.
Brian Foley and Luis Baez are former Harris County prosecutors who worked probable-cause dockets in this building. Our office at 310 Main Street is a five-minute walk across the bayou. Call or text (713) 703-1718 any time, day or night.
The Harris County Jail Complex: Which Building Is Which
| Address | What it is |
|---|---|
| 700 N. San Jacinto Street, Houston, TX 77002 | Joint Processing Center — booking, magistration (probable-cause court), bonding window, and release. This is where a newly arrested person is for the first 12–36 hours. |
| 1200 Baker Street, Houston, TX 77002 | Main jail housing and the address for inmate mail and most visitation scheduling. |
| 701 N. San Jacinto Street | Additional housing, connected to the JPC. |
| 1307 Baker Street | Additional housing. |
| 1201 Franklin Street | Harris County Criminal Justice Center — the courthouse, connected to the jail by tunnel. All misdemeanor and felony courts are here. |
Step by Step: What Happens After Arrival at 700 N. San Jacinto
- Intake and booking (0–6 hours)The arresting officer turns the person over to Sheriff's Office staff. Fingerprints, photo, medical screening, and property inventory. The charge is entered and a SPN (system person number) is assigned. The person will appear in the online inmate search once this step is complete — usually 2 to 6 hours after arrival.
- Charge review by the District AttorneyBefore or during booking, the officer calls the DA's intake division, which decides whether to accept the charge. Charges are sometimes declined or reduced at this stage — one reason to have a lawyer who can call intake on your behalf.
- Magistration / probable-cause hearing (usually within 12–24 hours)The person appears by video before a Harris County magistrate. The magistrate reads the charge, advises of rights, finds probable cause (or not), sets bond, and imposes conditions. In a family-violence arrest, an emergency protective order is almost always signed here. Under Harris County's misdemeanor bail rules most first-time misdemeanor defendants are released on a general order bond or a personal bond at this stage.
- Bond postedCash bond at the JPC window (24 hours), a bail bondsman, or an attorney bond. A personal bond costs nothing but may carry conditions and a small fee later.
- Release (typically 4–12 hours after bond)Out-processing, property return, and release through the JPC lobby. Friday nights and weekends run slower. The person leaves with paperwork listing the court and first setting — usually 2 to 4 weeks out.
Finding Someone in the Harris County Jail
Use the Harris County Sheriff's Office online inmate inquiry (JIMS) — search by last name and date of birth. It shows the charge, bond amount, court, and next setting once entered. The Harris County District Clerk's website shows the same case once a court has been assigned. If the arrest was in the last few hours the record may not be up yet; try again in an hour or call the jail information line at (713) 755-5300. We look up arrestees for callers every day — (713) 703-1718.
Bond in Harris County: What to Expect
Bonds are set from the county's schedule by charge, then adjusted by the magistrate for criminal history, the facts, and ties to the community. Rough guides: a first-offense misdemeanor DWI is frequently a personal bond or a low surety bond with an ignition-interlock condition; an assault family member misdemeanor commonly $1,500–$5,000 plus a protective order; a state-jail-felony drug possession such as POSS CS PG 1/1-B <1G $2,000–$5,000; aggravated assault and robbery $30,000 and up; murder commonly $150,000 to no bond.
Three things a lawyer can change at this stage: the amount (a bond-reduction motion or an argument at the hearing), whether it is a personal bond, and the conditions — no-contact orders that keep a parent out of the home, interlock devices, GPS monitors, and curfews are all negotiable when the facts support it.
Calling and Talking to Someone in the Jail
Inmates can make collect or prepaid calls through the jail phone vendor; you cannot call in to an inmate. Every call is recorded and prosecutors listen to them. Tell your family member not to discuss the facts of the case on the phone, with cellmates, or with anyone but their lawyer. What is said on a jail call is admitted in Harris County trials every week.
After Release: The First Court Date
The release paperwork shows the court number. Misdemeanors go to one of the sixteen County Criminal Courts at Law; felonies go to one of the District Courts — all at 1201 Franklin Street. Our court-by-court guide lists the judge, floor, phone number, and coordinator for each. Missing the first setting results in a bond forfeiture and a warrant, so if the paperwork is unclear, call us and we will confirm the date.
Why Call Us Before the Bond Hearing
Brian Foley is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and served as a Felony Chief Prosecutor in the Harris County District Attorney's Office; Luis Baez is a former Trial Bureau Chief. We know the magistrates, the DA's intake process, and the bonding system at 700 N. San Jacinto because we worked inside it. Call or text (713) 703-1718 — we answer after hours because that is when arrests happen.