North Tower Detention Facility Overview
North Tower Detention Facility is operated by the Dallas County Sheriff's Office at 111 W. Commerce St., Dallas, TX 75202. Dallas County describes North Tower as a maximum-security facility and lists a capacity of 3,292 inmates, including 188 single cells and a staff of 350. It is one of the active Lew Sterrett jail towers next to the Frank Crowley Courts Building, so its records, visits, mail, and commissary deposits flow through the countywide jail systems.
North Tower can hold men and women in the Dallas County jail population. That population includes people awaiting court because they have not posted bail, people detained on warrants, people ordered into custody by a judge, and people waiting for transfer after court proceedings. North Tower is not a separate city jail, TDCJ prison, or BOP institution. Search the Dallas County Jail Lookup first, then use the public jail and tank location fields to see whether the person is listed in North Tower.
The Dallas County Sheriff detention-center page identifies North Tower as part of the active Lew Sterrett jail system.
The same county source also distinguishes North Tower from West Tower, Suzanne Lee Kays, the closed Old Jail, and the depopulated George Allen Jail.
North Tower Detention Facility Capacity and Population
Dallas County lists North Tower capacity at 3,292 inmates. The public research did not locate a separate current North Tower population count, so the best sourced current population figures are systemwide: TCJS listed Dallas County at 7,003 inmates against 7,364 capacity on June 1, 2026. That systemwide figure matters for North Tower because classification, tank placement, and tower movement are managed inside a jail system that was operating at 95.10 percent of rated capacity on that date.
How to Look Up an Inmate at North Tower Detention Facility
North Tower does not publish a separate public roster. Use the Dallas County Jail Lookup for current county custody and look for the jail location or tank location on the profile. If the person was sentenced to state prison, use TDCJ instead. If the person is in federal custody, use BOP. If the person is in immigration detention, use the ICE detainee locator.
- Open the Dallas County Jail Lookup search page.
- Search by the available name fields, book-in number, or case number when known.
- Open the matching profile and confirm the book-in number, date of birth, jail location, and tank location.
- Use the jail information line if the profile is missing, stale, or inconsistent with a recent arrest.
If a recent city arrest is not visible, check the municipal channel as well. Dallas, Garland, Irving, and Mesquite each have city custody paths that may show short-term custody before transfer to Dallas County.
North Tower Detention Facility Address and Contact
North Tower uses the same public jail information channel as the rest of Lew Sterrett. Call before traveling if the lookup shows a tower or tank location that may have changed after classification, medical review, court transport, or a housing restriction.
North Tower Detention Facility
111 W. Commerce St.
Dallas, TX 75202
Jail/Inmate Information: 214-761-9025
Bond/Warrant Information: 214-761-9026
Visiting Someone at North Tower Detention Facility
Dallas County in-person visitation is scheduled by the inmate's last name. Visits are 20 minutes, each inmate is limited to one visit per day and two per week, and a visit may include up to four visitors with no more than two adults and two minors. Cellphones are prohibited during in-person visits. Video visitation uses Smart Communications and SmartInmate, must be scheduled at least 72 hours ahead, and has a separate on-site schedule with no Wednesday video visitation.
| Day | Hours | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. | In-person A-L |
| Tuesday | 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. | In-person M-Z |
| Thursday | 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. | In-person A-L |
| Friday | 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. | In-person M-Z |
| Saturday-Sunday | 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. | All inmates |
Mail, Phone, and Money at North Tower Detention Facility
Regular Dallas County inmate mail must include the inmate's name and book-in number and is sent to the Mail Processing Center in Seminole, Florida. Attorney and legal mail uses the Dallas legal-mail address or SmartInmate for confidential secure legal delivery. Money deposits are separate from bond payments; commissary deposits can be made through jail kiosks, CashPayToday, Access Corrections, or the phone deposit line.
| Service | Provider / Detail |
|---|---|
| Regular Mail | Inmate name and book-in number, c/o Mail Processing Center, P.O. Box 9226, Seminole, FL 33775-9226 |
| Phone / Video | Smart Communications / SmartInmate for video visitation and secure legal delivery |
| Money Deposit | Access Corrections from $2.95 online, CashPayToday $5.00, phone 1-866-345-1884 from $3.95, or jail kiosk |
Booking and Intake at North Tower Detention Facility
A person is not usually booked into North Tower as a standalone public process. Booking occurs through Dallas County jail intake, then classification and housing decisions determine whether the person is placed in North Tower. The public profile may update after booking, transfer, court movement, or tank reassignment.
Because North Tower is maximum-security and has single-cell housing, a person's tower placement can reflect security classification, medical screening, court status, disciplinary restrictions, or operational needs. Confirm location before mailing legal material, scheduling a visit, or asking a bondsman to act on a jail profile.
About North Tower Detention Facility
North Tower was constructed in 1993 and is one of the details that makes Dallas County's custody map different from a single-building county jail. Its public role is tied to Lew Sterrett, but the tower name matters because roster profiles may point families, attorneys, and bondsmen to a specific jail or tank location. Do not confuse North Tower with municipal detention in Dallas, Garland, Irving, or Mesquite, and do not use it as a label for state or federal custody.
Note: Confirm current custody, housing, and visitation status with Dallas County before traveling, scheduling video visitation, or sending money.
Dallas County Custody Routing
This facility should be read within the larger Dallas County custody map. The county jail roster, city detention lists, TDCJ locator, BOP locator, ICE locator, court records, and public-information request channels each answer a different question. A missing result in one system is not proof that the person is not in custody. It often means the arrest is still at a city detention center, the person has moved from county jail to state or federal custody, the record has not refreshed, or the searcher is using a county roster for a non-county custody status.
For Dallas County jail custody, the practical fallback is the Dallas County Jail Lookup, then the jail information line at 214-761-9025, then the sheriff public-information request path or Records Division at 214-653-2677 for records that are not online. For a recent municipal arrest, Dallas city detention, Garland, Irving, and Mesquite custody channels can matter before a county transfer. For sentenced state prisoners, use TDCJ inmate search and IVSS. For federal custody, use the BOP inmate locator. For immigration detention, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator and confirm whether the person is under the Dallas Field Office context or at a regional facility outside Dallas County.
Record details also change as the case moves. A jail profile may show book-in number, tank location, charges, warrant number, magistrate, and bond, while the later court record may show the formal complaint, information, indictment, amended charge, dismissal, plea, conviction, or disposition. Dallas County research did not confirm a universal release-retention period for the jail roster, a separate city-to-county transfer clock, or a facility-specific public update time for every custody channel. When timing matters, verify through the agency that controls the current custody record before visiting, sending money, relying on a bond amount, or assuming release.