How to Send Money to an Inmate in a Prison or Jail
Table of Contents
What is Alabama Inmate Search?
Alabama inmate search involves inquiries made to seek information about individuals currently placed in its correctional facilities, including its community detention centers.
If you are seeking information about an inmate, you may visit the Alabama Department of Corrections in Alabama (ADOC) website. You may use the inmate search tool on the ADOC website to easily locate an inmate. To find Alabama jail records you may send an email or mail to the ADOC. You would, however, need to fill out and submit a Public Records Request Form, and the minimum processing fee for this request is $25. The process of looking up information about incarcerated individuals and its openness to everyone is important to the criminal justice system as it helps the system maintain transparency to the public.
Are Inmate Search Records Open to the Public in Alabama?
Yes. Inmate search records are generally open to the public. The Alabama Open Records Act (ORA) enables the public to inspect or copy public records except those records expressly prohibited by law. The public is exempted from accessing certain records to protect the privacy of the subjects of such records. These restricted records include juvenile records, as Alabama protects the identity of minors (juvenile delinquents).
How To Perform Alabama Inmate Lookup
To perform an Alabama inmate search, visit the Alabama DOC website to use the department's inmate search tool. You will be required to enter a unique six-digit Alabama Institutional Serial (AIS) number. After entering the required AIS number, click on "search". You may also search using the first and last names of the person in incarceration.
Other ways of conducting an inmate search include calling the ADOC at (334) 353-3883 and sending a request via email to public.records@doc.alabama.gov or by mail to the following address:
Alabama Department of Corrections Central Office
Research & Planning Division
301 S. Ripley Street
Montgomery, Alabama
The information obtainable from an Alabama inmate lookup includes date of birth, height, eye color, aliases, fingerprints, a recent mugshot, body art, ethnicity, and gender of an inmate. You may also find a list of persons with the same name when searching by name. However, you will find the specific name you are interested in on the list returned from the search result on the portal.
How To Search for an Inmate in Alabama
To carry out a jail inmate search, first visit the DOC website, click on the inmate search tool, and enter the inmate's name and AIS number. Then click "search" to view the information. However, records for older inmates may not be available online. If you are looking for historical/older records, visit the office of the Alabama Department of Corrections to request a person.
How To Conduct a Free Inmate Search in Alabama
There are multiple online sources for locating an inmate. For instance, you may use any of the third-party websites offering inmate information online. However, you will need to provide certain information, such as the name and the AIS number of the offender, to perform a search.
Note that it is important to use a reliable service when considering third-party website services for free inmate searches. An example of a reliable third-party free inmate search service is RecordsFinder; it provides authentic information, such as the personal details of inmates.
How To Find a Federal Inmate in Alabama
An Alabama federal inmate search involves a search either by name or number. To search a federal inmate by number, visit the website of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and enter the BOP registered number requested in the BOP's Find an Inmate tool.
To search by name, enter the first and last names of the inmates. This will return a list of inmates with matching names. If you want a more accurate result, you may include the age, gender, and race of the inmate, if known. After entering the required fields, click "search" to view results.
Alabama has three federal prisons (two federal correctional institutions and one federal prison camp). The federal prisons in Alabama include the following:
- Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Aliceville
- Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Montgomery
- Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Talladega
What Can You Find with State of Alabama Inmate Search
The Alabama inmate search tool will reveal both personal and incarceration details about inmates in the state's correctional facilities. These details include:
- Institutional Serial Number (AIS)
- Gender
- Race
- Name (First and Last) and aliases
- Currently Incarcerated Inmates
- Crime Charges
- Date of Birth
- Inmate's Prison Term
- Mugshots
- Bail Requirements
- Release Date
Jail and Inmate Search in Alabama
Alabama is one of the states with a very high incarceration rate in the United States. There are 26,421 inmates across Alabama state prisons, and there are approximately 15,652 inmates in the county jails as of 2022. There are 827 people in secure detention centers in Alabama.
Alabama's incarceration rate is higher than the national average. It houses 898 persons per 100,000 U.S. residents compared with the national average of 614 persons. The number of African Americans in incarceration doubles that of any other race. African Americans constitute 54% of inmates in state prisons, while their white counterparts make up 42% of the total population in state prisons. Hispanics make up 23%. Alabama has 7,400 inmates on parole and 42,260 on probation.
Criminal Justice Quick Facts
Alabama Imprisonment Rate (per 100,000 people)
898
Prison Population - (All Federal Facilities / State and Federal jails)
27,001 (2023) / 2,566
Probation Population
42,000
Parole Population
7,400
Racial Disparity in Incarceration Rate
Black: White Ratio: 2:8:1
Juvenile Custody Rate (per 100,000 juveniles)
130
Disenfranchised Population
227,437 (5.95%)
Disenfranchised African Americans
82,684 (8.28%)
Corrections Expenditures (state/local)
over $732 M
Alabama Parole Population
The parole system operates under the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles. At the beginning of 2022, Alabama's parole population was 10,000, and by the year's end, 9,500 inmates remained. Alabama had the highest parole grant rate (20%) in 2024 compared with five years back.
Paroles per 100,000 population (2022)
Nationwide
267
Alabama
186
Parole Total Population in Alabama (2022)
Nationwide
698,820
Alabama
7,400
Parole Entries and Exits (2022)
Entries
3,380
Exits
3,790
Change in 2022, in percentage and number
Percentage
-5.3%
Number
-410
Number on Parole per 100,000 U.S. Adult Residents
Decreased by
267
Alabama Prisons
Alabama has 124 jails and 14 prisons across its 67 counties. It operates on a budget of $571,375,435 and has 3,042 employees in its state-run prisons. As of December 2022, the number of people on parole was 7,400, and 42,260 were under probation. The jail population stands at 15,652 as of 2022. Alabama has one of the largest inmate prisons in the whole of the United States. The correctional facilities page of the ADOC website contains a list of all the prisons in Alabama.
Alabama has a violent crime rate of 409 per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 1,739 per 100,000 people. The cost of maintaining inmates has increased recently in Alabama. The daily cost is $87 per head while the cost for care and housing stands at $32,977 per prison inmate in a year. This is an increase of 21% compared with the $72 budget per head in 2020. This change is due to rising medical costs and salaries for security staff.
| Prison Name | Prison Type |
|---|---|
| Alex City Community Based Facility/Community Work Center | State Prison |
| Aliceville FCI | Federal Prison |
| Bibb Correctional Facility | State Prison |
| Birmingham Community Based Facility/Community Work Center | State Prison |
| Bullock Correctional Facility | State Prison |
| Camden Community Based Facility/Community Work Center | State Prison |
| Childersburg Community Based Facility/Community Work Center | State Prison |
| Decatur Community Based Facility/Community Work Center | State Prison |
| Draper Correctional Facility | State Prison |
| Easterling Correctional Facility | State Prison |
| Elba Community Based Facility/Community Work Center | State Prison |
| Elmore Correctional Facility | State Prison |
| Federal Prison Camp Montgomery | State Prison |
| Frank Lee Community Based Facility/Community Work Center | State Prison |
| G.K. Fountain Correctional Facility | State Prison |
Frequently Asked Questions
The following are some frequently asked questions about Alabama inmate search and their answers.
Why Is an Inmate Not Showing Up in Search?
An inmate's name may not show up on the search portal for several reasons. Some of them include entering the wrong identification number, delays in data updates, and name misspellings. The criminal history of Inmates sentenced under the Youthful Offender Act is also not included to protect their privacy.
To resolve this issue, verify whether you inputted the inmate's information with the correct information. However, if you have the correct information and still cannot find an inmate, you may visit the office of the ADOC in person to submit an inquiry.
How Can I Check If Someone Is in Jail in Alabama?
There are several measures you can employ to verify that a person is in jail in Alabama. You may follow any of these steps to complete the verification process:
- Conduct an inmate search on the website of the Alabama Department of Corrections
- Search jail rosters on the official county website to find people who are currently held in jail
- Contact the law enforcement agency or county sheriff to inspect records
- Use a third-party website
- Send an email or mail to the ADOC to request copies of records
How Can I Conduct an Alabama Prison Inmate Search?
If you are conducting an Alabama prison inmate search, you may visit the website of the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC). Enter the AIS number, either the first or last name or the full name of the inmate. Alternatively, you may send an email to public.records@doc.alabama.gov to receive physical copies of the requested record. In addition, a third-party website, such as RecordsFinder, is a trusted online source for locating jail or prison inmates. It provides you with easy access to inmate information from the comfort of your home.
