What can I say. The justice center is a center of justice, several floors of it. The entranceway - rather than ominous - is aesthetically rather neutral if not even pleasant as you approach. Walking in is typical of an indoor pedestrian security checkpoint and it might bring to memory a time or two you stood ready to catch a flight with a couple of rows of TSA agents lined up on either side and a nice HAL-like semisphere gazing unblinkingly as you wonder 'is this all the metal I've got?' while rubbing a piece of pocket lint between your fingers.
The clerks have always been most helpful and seemingly happy to help. The line moves a little faster than I've experienced in only a couple other courthouses, though the story inside the rooms can be a little different. Its easy to navigate. Getting in from this side, its a rather professional feeling experience. If you didn't know better, a little ethereal mall music could really set the atmosphere.
Getting out, well. To be expected that is a different story. I won't try to depict that experience but to say this about the process: it is long but rather uneventful. However, if you are or were as I was homeless, and thought perhaps with the court date you had coming up you might be going to jail for a few days... I highly recommend you DO NOT bring your few possessions with you. Even if they are secured in a backpack and clean and don't smell and its mostly just clothes and some shaving equipment and shoes you need to get a job when you get out - leave it with a family member or friend or wrap it in trash bags and bury it in the woods.
TWO THINGS if you're on the WRONG SIDE of the law:
1) The Justice Center has on several times destroyed or 'lost' my only belongings in such a situation where I was doing a few days to a few weeks. If you really need it to put your life together when you get out of jail, do not expect it to be around if you bring it to jail and then get out. At some point they give you an evidence 'list' printout without your items on it and there is no way for you to contest or obtain the things you need like dress shoes and clothes or shaving equipment or soap. I tried contacting evidence department and the normal pickup for inmates as well as the sheriff's office on ulmerton, most people ignored me until I left. Don't expect responsibility for your belongings from those who take them from you. I made that mistake.
2) Do you have food stamps - EBT for instance? Please be VERY aware that there have been taxi cabs waiting outside the jail exit attempting to solicit rides home in exchange for FOOD STAMPS. This seems like it would be highly illegal to me. Don't end up right back inside, with a new charge, and without what little help you manage to get that you need by risking possibly illegal use of food stamps (I did not notice taxi cabs on the SNAP website as an accepted purchase item). To my knowledge this potential crime has been reported several times but I would not be surprised if it still happens. Perhaps the police would like to investigate these unmarked taxi cabs that insist they can take SNAP/EBT as compensation from people just getting out of jail? read more
