Ascension Parish Jail: Everything You Need to Know

If someone has been arrested for a crime in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, he or she is supposed to be held in custody at the Ascension Parish Jail in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. This is the primary prison facility in Ascension Parish.

Well, the Ascension Jail is located at 2384 Lemanville Cutoff Road, Donaldsonville, Louisiana, 70390 and contains people who have been arrested for one crime or the other, or they are awaiting trial, sentencing or both. It is also a place for people who are serving misdemeanor terms and have to be at the parish jail. Those who have already been sentenced can be held for less than 24 months. Also, the parish jail houses inmates from neighboring towns that don’t have a jail.

You may be a little bit confused or you may want to know how things work at the Ascension Jail. It’s either you are a resident or visitor who just wants to be informed or you have a loved one who is awaiting trial at the parish jail. Whichever one it is, this article is a guide to everything you need to know.

Here’s a rundown of what the parish jail stands for: Located in Donaldsonville, LA, The Ascension Jail is a facility established in the county to house inmates and provide their basic human needs. Also, they will be equipped with skills that are supposed to be productive as well as have a positive impact on society. Here, they are allowed to learn programs and services that will help them grow the community.

Our criminal defense attorney, Carl Barkemeyer will answer some questions which you may have doubts about.

·      How do I locate an Ascension Parish Jail inmate?

·      Can I call an inmate?

·      What time should inmates be visited?

·      Can I send mail to an inmate and how?

·      How do I send money to an inmate?

·      Does Ascension Parish Jail have a commissary?

·      How do I process bail for an Ascension Parish Jail inmate?

·      Who is allowed to visit an inmate?

How do I locate an Ascension Parish Jail inmate?

If you want to locate an inmate, you can always check on the official website of Ascension Jail. There, you’d find the inmate’s roster. If you don’t find an inmate there, you could to further to call the parish jail directly at 225-473-8674. You can also call the number if you want to inquire about certain information such as visiting hours, bail and so on. Note that while trying to locate an inmate, you need to have the inmate’s names, either first or last or their number.

The Parish Jail may not release information to anyone who wants to locate an inmate under special security orders.

Can I call an inmate?

There are different housing pods in the parish jail and in each, there’s a telephone which can be used without payment. However, the inmates are only allowed to use them to contact their lawyers or legal counselor. They are other phones which the inmates could use to reach out to their loved ones but these will cost them.

Phone privileges for inmates

At the parish jail, inmates do not take incoming phone calls. Also, the jail staff is not allowed to take messages for an inmate. In the case of an emergency, you can reach out to the jail and talk to the officer on duty. If the message is truly an emergency and is worth relating to the inmate, then it would be done. However, the inmates can make calls to their legal counselor or advisor, family, and loved ones. Note that every call made by an inmate will be monitored as well as recorded.

What time should inmates be visited?

Before you can go on to visit an inmate at the Ascension Jail, you have to be a registered visitor. This means that no one can just walk in and be allowed to see an inmate unless superior authority demands so. Note that the visits of registered visitors include online visits. 

As a registered visitor, you should make arrangements and book an appointment 24 hours to the visit. You can do this online or in-person at the parish jail. You cannot just call to book an appointment. You can visit any day of the week but from 7:30 am right down to 9 pm except for Sundays and Saturdays. Visiting ends by 2:30 pm on those days. Therefore, the visiting hours are:

·      Mondays: 7:30 am – 9pm

·      Tuesdays: 7:30 am – 9 pm

·      Wednesdays: 7:30 am – 9 pm

·      Thursdays: 7:30 am – 9 pm

·      Fridays: 7:30 am – 9 pm

·      Saturdays: 7:30 am – 2:30 pm

·      Sundays: 7:30 am – 2:30 pm

Note that inmates who are in the mental health part of the jail facility are not allowed to have visitors.

An inmate can be visited twice a week for about thirty minutes each. You’ll also be thoroughly checked before you can be allowed to visit an inmate. This includes your mode of dressing and what you bring with you to the visit.

Visitation Rules

As a visitor to the Ascension Jail, you must obey all the rules and regulations of the jail facility. If you fail to comply, you may be banned from visiting and may even be prosecuted. Here are the rules you must follow:

·      As a visitor, you must have an ID with your current address on it. A driver’s license is also accepted. If you’re a visitor under the age of 17, then you can be allowed to go in with a student ID card.

·      You must not go in with any electronic device to the visitation area or lobby. This includes cell phones, smartphones, iPods, tablets and so on.

·      Never leave a child unattended to around the jail premises unless an adult is there to guide him or her. Of course, such an individual should also have a valid means of identification.

·      There are certain dress codes and rules for visitors. If you ate dressed inappropriately, you will not be allowed into the jail premises. As a visitor, you must wear the right undergarments. You must not wear shorts, skirts, and dresses that are above the knee, hats, caps or any items that will cover the head, short clothes, spaghetti straps tops, swimsuits, sunglasses, anything that has value and clothes that speak negatively about you.

·      Visitors must come to the jail facility before their scheduled time to make sure that there’s ample time to sign in. Every visit is scheduled because it depends on where the inmate you’re visiting is at that time.

If you keep to all the rules and regulations of the Ascension Parish Jail, then you will have no problems whatsoever. You can also visit anytime as long as it is in the due process.

Can I send mail to an inmate and how?

Jail inmates can receive mail. However, there’s a certain way all mails to them need to be addressed. Here it is:

Full name of the inmate (Necessary)

Cell Location of the inmate and SPN Number

Ascension Parish Jail

2384 Lemanville Cutoff Road, LA, 70390, Donaldsonville,

Here’s the mailing address:

Ascension Parish Jail

NAME OF THE INMATE

2384 Lemanville Cutoff Rd

Donaldsonville, LA 70346

You need to follow this particular order to send mail as well as all other standards. This is because of security reasons. Mails are sent through the United States Postal Service. If your requirements to not meet up, your mail will be returned to you. Legal mails, however, do not fall into this category.

Every incoming mail will be searched thoroughly for drugs and any other contraband before it will be delivered to the inmate. The only mails that will not be searched are those that have been marked as legal mail.

Here’s what you should not mail to inmates:

·      Any item which may be a health hazard to the inmate as other inmates

·      Any material which contains pornography or has obscene content

·      Blank stationery and envelopes not addressed to an inmate

·      Cards with more than six inches by eight inches dimensions

Mailing Guidelines

At the Ascension Jail, there are no rules and regulations guiding mail sending and receiving. However, there are guidelines to help you and put you through. If you follow the guidelines, there is no way your mail will be returned to you.

Every mail should have a valid return address and mailing address. This should include the full name and must not be sent from a third party. If a mail is sent by a third party, it is a violation of the rules and the mail will be returned. The mails sent to the jail facility are usually screened before passing on the inmates. This is because contraband is not allowed. Materials considered as contraband include drugs, weapons, racist items, materials that contain pornography, tobacco and so on. Sending inappropriate materials will make the mail to be sent back to you and can even get you prosecuted.

There are other materials when are not allowed to be mailed to inmates although they are not contraband items. They include drinks, food, makeup items, snacks, lotions, newspapers, perfumes, books. Inmates can be allowed to received photographs or postcards but there’s a size limit for that. Also, you cannot mail or send writing materials to an inmate as they have to buy them through commissary.

How do I send money to an inmate?

You can send money to an inmate’s account at the Parish Jail in many ways. Here they are:

You can go in person: You can personally go to the visitation center lobby, give details and have money given to an inmate.
Card: You can also make use of your credit or debit card to deposit money
Online: You can use TouchPay to pay in money into an inmate’s account online. However, some fees come with this service.
Phone: You can contact TouchPay on the phone with the number 866-232-1899. There are also fees applied.
Mail: Depositing money to an inmate’s account at the county jail can be done with money orders. You can either use Western Union or snail mail (US Postal Service). Note that you should have “Inmate Accounting” written on the envelope and the money must not be more than $75. Do not include a postcard to the envelope or else it will be returned to you alongside the money.

Does Ascension Parish Jail have a commissary?

Yes, the Ascension Jail runs a commissary for inmates which is otherwise known as the canteen. The commissary is a general store where inmates can purchase items of needs ranging from toiletries, envelopes, mailing items and so on.

The money which friends and loved ones pay into their accounts is what they use to purchase items from the commissary. The county jail makes use of Commissary Deposit to run the inmate’s trust account. In this way, the public can buy commissary orders as well as a deposit into the trust account with a credit or debit card. They take Visa cards, Discover, American Express and Master cards. Charges on the credit card always show as a cashless transaction from the system. Before you can deposit into an inmate’s trust account, you should have their ID or name. If the inmate has any outstanding debts, the money would be used to clear it.

Goods usually bought from the commissary by inmates include toiletries, snacks, stationery and so on.

How do I process bail for an Ascension Parish Jail inmate?

Before an inmate can be allowed bail, a due process must be followed. The family, friends, loved ones or representatives of the inmate in question have to request for bail. Also, the bail can be gotten from a bail bonds agency or private funds. You have to post a bond through the office of the Sheriff with the 23rd Judicial Court. There are three kinds of bonds which are property bonds, cash bonds, and surety bonds.

To begin the appearance bond process, you need to take an assessment certificate from the Assessor’s Office, proceed to get the bond amount from the Sheriff, get a mortgage certificate with cash, credit or debit card from the Clerk of Court, collect the bond made by the Sheriff with a fee of $30 to be paid in cash, make sure the bond is signed and approved by the 23rd Judicial District Court Judge, record the bond at the Clerk of Court’s office and then proceed to take all the paperwork to the county jail. Note that every fee paid to the Clerk of Court cannot be refunded. Also, you can cancel an appearance before the judicial proceedings of an inmate.

Next is the surety bond which is usually paid by a third party. These types of third parties are called sureties and are usually provided by bonding agencies. Note that the bonding agency needs to be approved by the state and in this way, they are legal. The bonding agents usually charge about 12% of the bail amount to post a surety bond and the fee is non-refundable.

For cash bond, the representative of the inmate must pay the full bond amount either with cash or money orders. The cash bond can be refunded if the inmate is done with the judicial proceedings.

Who is allowed to visit an inmate?

Every prison has rules and regulations or guidelines helping family and loved ones know what is expected of them. In this way, the Ascension Jail has rules to guide who is allowed to visit an inmate during the visiting hours. Here are those allowed to visit:

·      The immediate family members of the Inmate

·      Approved family members and relatives

·      Friends. The list of approved friends to visit is usually not more than 10

·      Employers

·      Criminal defense attorney, lawyer or legal adviser

·      Religious heads

·      Sponsors

There are also certain things which are put into consideration before you can be allowed to visit an inmate. If you have an outstanding warrant or an order of protection made against you, then you cannot be allowed to go in. Also, if you have previously been convicted of a felony or any serious criminal offense, it may be difficult to let you visit someone. You will be thoroughly assessed and check before being allowed to see an inmate.

Conclusion on the Ascension Parish Jail

As earlier mentioned, the Ascension Jail is the primary jail facility for Ascension Parish, LA and it is located in Donaldsonville. To reach the jail and inquire for any information concerning an inmate or activities in general, you can call the jail’s phone line at 225-473-8674. Now, the jail facility is run and foreseen by the Sheriff’s Office and this is in turn headed by Sheriff Jeff Wiley.

The jail came to be in the year 1806 and currently, it can house 572 inmates with a trustee population of 80 inmates. Well, you may also be wondering how inmates cope with health issues or if anyone develops a health challenge along the line. Doctors may be allowed to check on the inmates from time to time to help them with health problems. An inmate who feels he or she needs to see a doctor can also relate with the jail warden who will, in turn, pass it on to the Sheriff. In all, the jail facility at Ascending Parish is all about helping inmates become better people in society.

Arrested and Detained at the Ascension Parish Jail?

If you or your loved one has been booked at the Ascension Jail, then you need to get legal help or counsel as soon as possible. You can always reach out to us at the Barkemeyer Law Firm and we will do our best to help your case whether is a DWI, drug possession, theft, etc. . We will put the Louisiana bail process in action if it is allowed for your case and do everything possible to negotiate on your behalf. Getting a good outcome and a favorable one at that is what we aim to do.

More so, our criminal defense attorney, Mr. Carl Barkemeyer has a lot of experience in handling cases. Our team will be able to represent you in court, give you legal advice and also help you with all your court proceedings. More so, we will let you know the severity of your crime, tell you what to do at the right time as well as let you know what to expect. We have been representing clients, residents, and visitors all over Louisiana. It doesn’t matter what crime you have been arrested for, whether it is a felony or a misdemeanor, we will help you get around it.

 

Call Us For Help

Carl Barkemeyer, Criminal Defense Attorney understands and acknowledges how tough it is when you’re accused of a crime, arrested and detained. It is one of the most difficult and trying times in one’s life. Because of this, we have made ourselves available to be reached at any time of the day. We are ever ready to help you fight for, defend and protect your rights as a citizen. Remember that your rights are still intact until you are convicted. Bearing this in mind, our Ascension criminal lawyers do all we can to get a favorable outcome for your case.

Tell us your situation and let’s help you out. Remember that every crime is too broad to be handled alone and without judicial help. In as much as you think you can do it all by yourself, you need to get a professional criminal defense attorney in Ascension Parish to help you with all your judicial proceedings. Contact us at 225-964-6720 if you need help.