4th Avenue Jail, Phoenix

What happens here

New arrestees are booked, screened, and brought before a judge for an initial appearance — around the clock, generally within 24 hours of arrest — where release conditions are set: own recognizance, bond, or supervised release. The jail sits at 201 S 4th Ave, adjacent to the Superior Court complex. Information line: (602) 876-0322.

Finding someone and visiting

Use the Sheriff’s Office inmate lookup on mcso.org to confirm where someone is held, their booking number, and upcoming court dates — our inmate search guide walks through it. Visitation at county facilities runs primarily by video, with schedules and rules set by MCSO and subject to change; check mcso.org before planning a visit. Attorney visits are separate and are not limited to visitation hours.

Release and bond

Release happens after the initial appearance — on recognizance, on bond once posted, or to pretrial supervision — and processing takes hours even after everything is approved. How to post a bond, and what release on your own recognizance means, are covered in our guides to posting bond and OR release.

The first 24 hours

Two things matter most while someone is at 4th Avenue: they should say nothing about their case to anyone — calls from the jail are recorded — and someone should be preparing for the initial appearance, where release conditions get set. A criminal defense attorney engaged immediately can argue for better release terms and take over from there.