Holmes County Jail Overview
The Holmes County Jail is operated by the Holmes County Sheriff's Office under Sheriff John Tate, with Captain Roy Wade as Jail Administrator. The sheriff's page also labels the site as the Holmes County Sheriff's Office Work Camp, since the jail and work release center sit together. Its stated mission is a safe, secure, and humane setting for inmates, staff, and visitors.
The jail's main job is holding people pending the disposition of their cases, and the sheriff stresses that most of them have not been tried and are presumed innocent. A smaller number are sentenced county and state inmates. The sheriff calls the jail multi-faceted, and the Holmes County Jail division page describes a kitchen, a work release center, a drug program, and medical staff.
That operational detail makes the jail more than a booking counter, and it explains why staff handle transport, mail, visitation, intake, and care alongside security.
Holmes County Jail Population and Capacity
Hard numbers for this jail are thin. The clearest state-published figure is an average daily population of 156, from the Florida Department of Corrections county detention reports. Those reports flag Holmes County as average-daily-population-only and list the data date as January 2018, so 156 is a benchmark rather than a live count. No current rated bed capacity for the jail was published by the sheriff or the state, so none is invented here.
The county itself is small, with about 20,119 residents in the Census July 2025 estimate and Bonifay as the county seat, which puts the jail's scale in context against a rural population. Because reporting is limited, the jail phone line is the only reliable way to learn who is in custody today, and the 156 figure should be read as the latest official reference the state carries, not as a current headcount.
How to Look Up an Inmate at the Holmes County Jail
No public web roster was found for the Holmes County Jail, so a lookup runs through the sheriff's official channels. The jail phone line confirms current custody, the records section releases booking documents, and Florida VINE handles release alerts. The full set of channels is laid out on the jail inmate records page.
- Call the jail at 850-547-3681 and choose option #2.
- Give the full name and a date of birth or arrest date if you have one.
- Ask whether the person is in custody and whether bond results are in.
- For documents, file a records request with the sheriff's records section.
If the person has been sentenced to state prison, the search moves to the Florida Department of Corrections locator instead of the county jail.
Holmes County Jail Address and Contact
The jail and work camp share one address in Bonifay, the county seat. The sheriff's headquarters sits a short distance away on East Highway 90. Use the jail line for custody questions and the records section for documents.
Holmes County Jail
3207 Lonny Lindsey Rd.
Bonifay, FL 32425
850-547-3681 option #2
Fax 850-547-5360
The sheriff's mail page spells the road as Lonnie Lindsey Drive, so both spellings point to the same facility when mapping a route. The jail sits in Bonifay, the county seat, within reach of the Interstate 10 corridor that serves the area.
Visiting Someone at the Holmes County Jail
Visits at the Holmes County Jail are handled by request rather than on a fixed weekly calendar. The sheriff's visitor page says in-person visits are generally approved only after an inmate has been in jail for thirty days, with thirty days between visits unless the Jail Administrator approves a special one. Visitors bring a driver's license or picture ID and are subject to search.
| Item | Holmes County Rule |
|---|---|
| In-person visits | By request only. |
| Eligibility | Generally after thirty days in custody. |
| Time between visits | Thirty days unless a special visit is approved. |
| Identification | Driver's license or picture ID required. |
| Contraband | Visitors are subject to search; contraband is a felony under Fla. Stat. § 951.22. |
Because there is no set schedule, confirming approval by phone before traveling is the safest move.
Mail, Phone, and Money at the Holmes County Jail
Inmate contact runs through set rules and vendors. Mail goes to the inmate at the Bonifay address, with a sender name and address required, and all mail is searched. Phones in the housing areas run through AmTel Communications on a collect-call basis, and inmates cannot receive incoming calls. Money is added through JailATM online or at the jail kiosk.
The inmate funds page explains the JailATM deposit path and the card fee.
The table below sums up the main service providers and rules for the facility.
| Service | Provider / Detail |
|---|---|
| Mail address | Inmate name, 3207 Lonnie Lindsey Drive, Bonifay, FL 32425. |
| Phone | AmTel Communications, collect calls only, no incoming calls. |
| Money deposit | JailATM online or kiosk; 10% fee on card deposits. |
Any lien on an inmate account is taken from a deposit before the inmate receives the balance, so a family deposit may first cover a charge.
Booking and Intake at the Holmes County Jail
A person arrested in Holmes County is booked at the jail if held locally, and corrections officers handle intake. Florida Model Jail Standards require steps such as a contraband check, a medical screening, and a search by certified staff. Every inmate sees the nurse for a physical within fourteen days, and family can bring prescriptions afterward unless they are controlled substances.
Anyone who does not bond out routinely sees a judge within twenty-four hours, where charges are read and bond may be set. Booking receives those first-appearance results from the Clerk of Courts around 11:00 a.m., which is why bond calls are best made later in the day.
Bond and Release at the Holmes County Jail
Bond decisions start at first appearance. In misdemeanor cases the judge may accept a guilty plea and release on recognizance or time served, while in felony cases the judge may raise or lower bond. The sheriff's bond page sets out how a full bond is paid and reminds families that jail staff cannot recommend a bail bondsman.
- Full bond is paid by cashier's check, certified check, or money order.
- Payment is made out to the Holmes County Clerk of Courts.
- A licensed bail agent can post a surety bond for a fee or collateral.
- A hold from another case or agency can block release even after a bond is posted.
Because an outside hold can keep a person in custody, confirm release eligibility with the jail and the court before paying anything.
About the Holmes County Jail
Beyond custody, the jail runs programs and services that reflect its role in a small county. Its kitchen prepares more than fifty thousand meals a year, and it operates a work release center that helps local agencies. A twelve-step drug program and on-site medical staff round out the services the sheriff lists. Once a person is sentenced to state prison, custody shifts away from the county jail and to a Florida Department of Corrections facility such as Holmes Correctional Institution in the same town.
Inmate health care is staffed by trained, licensed medical personnel and follows Florida Model Jail Standards. Emergency care is provided as needed, and the sheriff cites state law allowing the jail to seek reimbursement for medical services while stating that necessary care is not denied for inability to pay. Charged medical costs can create a lien on an inmate account, which is why a commissary deposit may first cover an outstanding balance.
Note: Confirm custody status and visitation approval with the jail before traveling, since a person may have bonded out, transferred, or moved to another agency.