Bartow County Sheriff's Office

I was put in jail for charges that were false. On top of that the guards were violent. They dished out verbal and physical abuse. Some of my punishment for doing whatever they called ""bad"" was to loose a meal. Nothing was really edible. The conditions in that jail are horrible. I know its jail but its not sanitary in the slightest. And I have been to other jails. This place is like a torture chamber. I would have rather spent a year in another jail over a day there. more

I spent a night or two there and felt like they did an exelent job of detouring me from wanting to come back. Even those who came to bond me out felt the same from the waiting room. Pros: Atmosphere causes inmates to not want to return. Cons: None, that I've experianced. more

i was in and out of bartow county jail serval times over ten years. the officers respect you if you respect them once you were feed better but it still edible. heck the jail once was better but it getting old hold way to many people needs to be renovated or a new and bigger one in its place i have been on the other side to visit that has gotten worse over the years for the same reason it looks so bad its over populated We certainly didnt get more hours in the day or days for that matter to make sure inmates got to see their visitors The trustee Clean, inmates are required to clean their cell block Pros: its not other county jail like floyd Cons: it is like a jail more

This place is truly nightmare in Carterville, Bartow Jail is not a place you would choose to see your love one's in the staff there is so disrespectable to the inmate as well as the families that come to visit . This place need an all around cleaning and I do mean cleaning . Someone please tell me as a tax payer what in the world are we paying for this is the worst form of slavery I have ever seen . And if you are a minority and find yourself in the arm of Bartow County God help you there's double the charge just because you are a minority and if you don't pay this county you could be looking a one to two years stay just because you can't Pros: Thank God you are a vistor Cons: Service's Hell on Earth more

I too have been to support a family member recently, and would like to add my opinion. The staff is belligerent, and treats the family as if they were criminals. The waiting room is not air-conditioned, and in summertime is so hot I am surprised no one passes out. It is also extremely filthy. The waiting hours are never adhered to, and often I find the guards have not done their job and completed roll call on time. I feel this is used as a punishment to the prisoners. The food served is always the same, either a PBJ sandwich or bologna sandwich, and my family member never gets enough to eat, and as a result has to buy food from the commissary at a ridiculously inflated price. The inmates were punished recently by a guard, who threatened to turn the fans off, and then promptly did. After that, the air-conditioning mysteriously went down, and the inmates lived like that for over a week. The company running the food service had no ice, because the ice machine was down and they were too cheap to fix it, so there was no access to ice during this time. more

A week ago last Wednesday I went to visit my grandson in the Bartow Correctional Facility. After calling ahead and being informed that the visiting hours were from 8am to 11am, I arrived at 8:15 am. to a waiting room full of people. Most were children waiting to see their incarcerated parent. Some were grandparents, like me. As I sat there waiting, I began to hear several conversations around me about previous visiting hours. People were understandably upset about having to wait for hours.- some being turned away, never getting to visit their loved one. Many of the people around me had taken part of the day off work and many had driven distances to support the inmates they were coming to visit. Myself, I had driven about 20 miles to get to the facility. After waiting for an hour and still no one had been in to visit, I approached the guard in the window area and asked her how much longer it would be until visitation began. She replied that she didn't know. I asked her why visitation hadn't started yet and she informed me that the guards hadn't completed roll call and visitation would not begin until it was completed. I then asked her if the visiting hours were new and she told me ""no,"" they were the regular hours. Then I asked her if the guards knew the hours and she said ""yes."" For clarification, I restated what I understood from what had been said so far; ""So the visitation hours have not changed, the guards know the hours and it's their job to do roll call in preparation for visitation?"" She replied, ""Yes."" Throughout this conversation, each time she answered one of my questions, she turned off the outside speaker in an effort to dismiss me. Realizing that this wasn't working, she asked me who I was there to visit. I told her and she informed me that I was on the second list and more than likely, will not get to visit my grandson today. [Please look for ADDED PUNISHMENT FOR INMATES -- AND FAMILIES - Part II] more

people coming to visit someone incarcerated are not treated to the best service either. the waiting room has not been cleaned in God knows when...5 yrs or more i would say...the heat in there is ridiculous...how bout some a/c people...we are paying for it, remember??? visiting hours are to start at., say, 6:00...they might get around to signing people in by then...you might get in to see someone by 7:00, maybe. God help you if shift change comes in the middle of visitation...you have another hour wait there. The guards are too busy eating, talking on the phone, fixing their hair...who knows? saw one perverted guard the other night could not take his eyes off this little girl...maybe 14...in tiny shorts and even tinier top...wont let men in with tank tops on, but the less clothes a female wears, the better the guards like it. they treat visitors as if they are without any rights, opinions or lives. So...I dont recommend that you ever find a reason to go there, and dont be surprised if you end up there if nobody comes to visit you...they are probably still in the waiting room trying to find their way thru the filth to the front and waiting for someone to come and let them sign in!!! Pros: getting to leave Cons: everything else more

I must say, from downtown Cartersville the jail is very conveniently located. Just a hop skip and a jump away which is good when you are ready to just curl up and go to sleep. Check in time is smooth. You don't even have to show I.D (for those of you trying to get a room underage) just give em' your social and your fingerprints and you are booked in!! You have two colors of fine attire to choose from...blue or orange. Know that ahead though....orange is for the more ""hard core"" guests. Decide your fate ahead of time because you can't choose your color once you pass the check in point. My advice, wear flip flops, their rubber flip flops have seen better days. Just make sure your flops don't have anything on them that you could use to injure or harm the other guests or they will make you leave them at baggage check in. The check in guard's on the other hand are very friendly. They give you your towel...thats right..towel-not plural---and your washcloth promptly upon arrival. They are nice enough to escort you directly to your room and they even close the doors and lock them for you. If you are a rowty guest they are nice enough to turn the lights out for you....all of you. They will even turn the TV off so as not to have to make you get up. The bunk beds are cozy--not a Sleep Number bed but you may get lucky and get one of the beds with a phone number etched in it. Breakfast is served a little early but if you aren't hugry one of the other innocent guests will be happy to eat yours for you. It's not the Hilton but they will make you feel right at home!!! Keep all your phone numbers handy...once you check in you are there baby!! more

I can't remember when I have stayed at a nicer jail. The guards are great - really friendly. And the other inmates - oh my! Charming. And innocent, every one of them. While the food service was a little slow, I have to say it - YUM! No stuffy five star restaurant this. Just great food, wonderful ambiance and a few close friends. Just like Mom used to make. Who could ask for more? Pros: Great service, excellent food Cons: Chair/table combination was a little uncomfortable. Does everything HAVE to be nailed to the floor? more