Columbia Co Prison in Bloomsburg, PA is a county detention facility operated by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. Most people here are awaiting trial or sentencing - this is not a prison, and most stays are measured in days or months, not years. If someone you care about was just booked here, you have questions. Start with the one that matters most right now.
If you are not certain they are there, the fastest way to confirm is the Columbia County inmate search or InmateAid's inmate locator, which searches across Pennsylvania facilities by name.
Booking takes time - sometimes several hours after arrest. If the search comes back empty, wait a few hours and try again before assuming they have been transferred somewhere else. You can also pull their arrest record and booking details to confirm the charges and facility assignment. For the most direct answer, call Columbia Co Prison at 570-784-4815.
Most people booked at Columbia Co Prison appear before a judge within 24 to 48 hours. At that first appearance the judge sets the bail amount - or denies bail - based on the charges, the person's history, and whether they are considered a flight risk.
If bail is set, your family member can be released by paying the full amount or by using a bail bondsman, who typically charges 10 percent of the total as a non-refundable fee. If bail is denied or the amount is unaffordable, they remain at Columbia Co Prison until the case resolves. InmateAid's bail and bond guide walks through every option including what to do if you cannot afford a bondsman.
Right after arrest, your family member goes through intake at Columbia Co Prison - identity verification, medical screening, property inventory, and classification. Classification places them in a housing unit based on the charges, prior record, and intake behavior. It is not a punishment. It is how the facility manages a population that ranges from people picked up on minor warrants to individuals facing serious charges.
For the first 24 to 48 hours, phone access and visitation are typically unavailable while booking completes. Once they are assigned to a housing unit, those channels open up. InmateAid's what happens in jail guide covers the full intake process step by step so you know what to expect.
Your family member calls you - you cannot call them. Calls from Columbia Co Prison go through Inmate Calling Solutions (ICSolutions) and all calls are recorded except attorney calls. Set up a Inmate Calling Solutions (ICSolutions) account before the first call so the connection goes through without delay.
Phone contact is more important than most people realize going into this. A regular call - even a short one - makes a measurable difference in how someone holds up inside. Do not let the setup friction stop you. Visit InmateAid's jail calls page for step-by-step account setup, current rate information, and tips for keeping funds available.
Visitation hours at Columbia Co Prison are set by the facility and can change without much notice. Before making the trip, call 570-784-4815 to confirm current hours, any advance registration requirements, and what you are allowed to bring.
The most common mistake families make is showing up without confirming first - and that results in a wasted trip and a missed visit for your family member. General rules across most Pennsylvania county jails: dress conservatively, avoid colors that resemble inmate uniforms, leave your phone in your car, and bring valid government-issued ID. Children may be permitted with specific requirements depending on the facility. InmateAid's visitation guide has a full checklist you can run through before you go.
Visitation is offered as non-contact only at Columbia County Prison. We also offer families the opportunity to register for Video Visitation on a pre-scheduled basis. All on-site personal attorney visits have to be scheduled. They can contact the Inmate Program Coordinator - J. Ackerman her extension is 6341
The Video Visitation system allows families and friends to visit with our residents through a computer with a camera or an Android phone. Facility staff, to ensure both parties comply with the Rules and Regulations set forth by the facility, monitor these visits. Family and Friends can register online by going to icsolutions.com
Visitors on Probation or Parole are not permitted visitation unless you have written permission from the agency supervising you, which must reflect approval for you to visit with a resident.
Visitors who have been released from Columbia County Prison have a six (6) month waiting period before they are permitted to visit a resident. Any special considerations for visitation can be submitted to the Warden.
Visitation Rules – Onsite (face-to-face)
SATURDAY:
- 9:00 AM-11:00 AM: A Unit
- 11:00 AM-1:00 PM: D North Unit
- 1:00 PM-3:00 PM: D South Unit
SUNDAY:
- 9:00 AM-11:00AM: B Unit
- 11:00 AM-1:00 PM: F Unit
- 1:00 PM-3:00 PM: C Unit
- Gym by appointment only.
Residents are permitted one (1) weekly on-site (face-to-face) visit. Visits are limited to thirty (30) minute duration.
- You must be listed on a resident’s Visitation List to visit. If you are not on the Visitation List, you will not be permitted to visit.
- All visitors are required to sign the visitor log when entering the facility.
- Visitors must have a valid Photo Identification for adults (17 and over).
- All visitors are subject to search and screening with a metal detector before entry.
- Due to facility space limitations, there is a limit of two (2) adult visitors per inmate in the visiting area. All children under the age of 10 must be supervised at all times.
- Juveniles must remain seated or no more than an arm’s length away from the parent or legal guardian at all times.
- All visitors must be appropriately attired, excessively tight-fitting, revealing garments are not permitted. Visitors must wear undergarments at all times. (No gang-related symbols, themes or colors, Skirts or dresses must be below the knee, and Shorts at mid-thigh or below.)
- Jackets, coats, and any other outerwear, hooded sweatshirts, and/or hats are not permitted in the visitation area. There are lockers provided in the visitation waiting room for the above items.
- Residents are not permitted to receive any item during visitation. Do not bring pictures, letters, mail, or any other items.
- Cell phones or other electronic devices are not permitted inside the facility.
- You will not be permitted to visit while under the influence or the appearance thereof using alcohol/drugs.
- WEAPONS OF ANY KIND ARE NOT PERMITTED ON PRISON PROPERTY INCLUDING THE PRISON PARKING LOT.
- All visits are subject to monitoring and/or recording.
Money on the books - also called the commissary or trust account - gives your family member access to hygiene items, snacks, phone time, and postage. It is one of the most practical things you can do and it has a direct effect on their daily comfort.
Columbia Co Prison accepts deposits through approved channels that typically include online deposit, phone deposit, or a kiosk at the facility. Use your family member's full legal name and booking number exactly as they appear in the jail's system - any error in the name or number will delay or reject the deposit. InmateAid's send money page lists the specific deposit methods accepted at Columbia Co Prison and walks through the process.
A letter or a printed photo costs almost nothing to send and means far more than most people outside appreciate. Columbia Co Prison accepts incoming mail addressed to your family member at 721 Iron St. Put their full legal name and booking number on every piece of mail.
Standard rules at most Pennsylvania county jails: plain white paper only, no staples, no glitter, no stickers, no colored ink. Photos should be standard print size with nothing written on the back. Mail that does not meet the facility's standards will be rejected - and the facility may not notify you that it was. Keep it simple.
InmateAid's send mail service lets you write and send directly from your phone or computer. We print on approved stock and mail it for you, so rejection for formatting is not a risk.
Books and magazines must come new, ordered directly from the publisher or through an online retailer - not shipped from your home address. Facilities require this to prevent contraband. Order through Amazon or directly from the publisher. Anything shipped from a personal address will be turned away.
County jail procedures, visitation rules, phone rates, inmate search tools, bail processes, and what happens at release all vary by state. Pennsylvania has its own rules and its own agencies, and what applies in one state does not always apply here.
InmateAid's Pennsylvania prison resources hub covers all of it - written specifically for families navigating the Pennsylvania system. Start there when you need answers that go beyond what this facility page covers.
County jail time is hard in a way that is different from anything else. The uncertainty - not knowing how long, not knowing what comes next - wears on everyone. What you can control is the connection. Calls, letters, visits, money on the books. Every one of those things tells your family member that someone out here is paying attention and is not going anywhere.
InmateAid was built for exactly this. Use us.