July 2026 · 5 min read
In-Custody Assessments: Getting an Evaluation While Someone Is in Jail
When someone is sitting in jail, their case often stalls waiting on an evaluation nobody thinks can happen until release. It can. A licensed clinician can assess a client in custody, and the resulting report is frequently the thing that gets a release plan, treatment order, or sentencing decision moving.
Why do the assessment in custody?
- Release planning. Judges are more comfortable releasing someone into a concrete treatment plan than into thin air. An assessment with a level-of-care recommendation is that plan.
- Sentencing and negotiation.Defense counsel can't argue for treatment instead of incarceration without a clinical basis. The report supplies it.
- No dead time. Weeks in custody become weeks of progress on court requirements instead of waiting.
- Reentry. Assessment in custody means a treatment start date, not a waiting list, on the day of release.
How it works
An in-custody assessment covers the same ground as one in our office — substance use history, mental health, screening tools, and a written report with recommendations under ASAM criteria. The difference is logistics: the clinician visits the facility or connects through the jail's video system, and scheduling runs through the facility's visitation rules. We handle that coordination — our team has completed assessments at SCORE (the South Correctional Entity) and Kirkland City Jail, and we can arrange other facilities case by case.
Who sets it up
Usually the defense attorney or public defender, since the request often ties into a motion or hearing date. Family members also call us directly; we'll coordinate with the attorney from there. Either way, what we need to get started:
- The client's name, facility, and booking or inmate number
- The attorney's contact information and any hearing deadline
- What the court needs — substance use, mental health, or a co-occurring assessment
After the assessment
The report goes to the attorney, court, or probation officer — wherever it's needed. If treatment is recommended and the client is released, we can provide the outpatient or IOP care ourselves and send the monthly compliance reports courts expect, so nothing falls through the gap between jail and treatment.
Attorneys: how to refer
Call (253) 279-7992 or fax the referral to (253) 292-5191with the client and facility details and your deadline. We'll tell you honestly whether we can hit it before you commit.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Facility access rules and what a court will accept vary — coordinate specifics with defense counsel.