Alabama Inmate Records

Alabama has an average of 390 individuals per 100,000 residents in correctional facilities. This is higher than the average national incarceration rate, which stands at 355 per 100,000 total population. The state's inmate population has declined over the last few years, with an average of 26,421 now incarcerated in state-owned prisons, about 3,410 in federal prisons, and an estimated 14,050 in local jails. Inmates sentenced for felony convictions to one or more years make up the largest part of Alabama's inmate population, while a small part of the population serves shorter sentences.

Records of all inmates incarcerated within the state's prison system are maintained by different agencies. Each prison/jail authority tasked with the duty of administering correctional facilities in Alabama is also responsible for keeping proper records of all inmates in their custody. These include relevant government agencies at the state, local, and federal levels. A typical record of each inmate incarcerated in Alabama includes some crucial details, including the following:

• Personal Information - This includes an inmate's name, aliases (if any), gender, height, weight, date of birth, mugshot, eye color, and hair color.
• Arrest Details - These show the time of the arrest, the arrest warrant, the date of the arrest, the charges filed, and information about the arresting agency.
• Incarceration Details - These include the admission date, time served, total term, parole status, parole consideration date, holding facility information, and minimum release date.
• Sentences Information - This includes the case number, date sentences, offense committed, pre-time served, commitment county, term, type of sentence, and jail credit for each sentence.

Are Inmate Records Public in Alabama?

Yes, inmate records are considered public information in the state. Per Section 36-12-40 of the Code of Alabama, every member of the public has a right to inspect and make a copy of any public record, including an inmate record, unless otherwise expressly prohibited by law. Upon proper requests, the custodians of Alabama inmate records must make copies of such records available to the requesters, according to Section 36-12-41 of the state's Code.

In Alabama, information regarding ongoing information, financial records, medical records, Social Security numbers, juvenile records, and victim information is all restricted records/information and cannot be disclosed as part of an inmate record. Similarly, expunged or sealed inmate records are exempt from public disclosure in the state.

What Agencies Are Responsible for Inmate Records in Alabama?

Government agencies authorized to oversee correctional facilities, supervise inmates, and/or maintain records of incarcerated persons in Alabama include the following:

• The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) - The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) prides itself as the largest law enforcement agency in the state, with about 26 correctional facilities under its purview. It is solely responsible for supervising all the inmates incarcerated in state-owned correctional facilities as well as keeping their records. The ADOC generally houses individuals convicted of felonies and sentenced to state-run prisons.
• County Sheriff's Offices - In Alabama, county sheriff's offices are responsible for managing local county jail facilities, overseeing the daily operations, and maintaining records of offenders incarcerated in those jails. The state has about 67 county jails, all housing offenders awaiting trial or transfer to the Alabama Department of Corrections. They also hold low-level misdemeanor offenders who are sentenced to a maximum of one year of incarceration.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) - All four federal prisons in Alabama are managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), a government agency charged with the responsibility of taking in individuals convicted of violating federal laws. The BOP also maintains records of all inmates held in the federal prisons operating in the state.
• Police Departments - Local police departments in Alabama maintain digital and physical records of arrests made in their jurisdiction, some of which are generated for individuals currently in jails or prisons. Although the police departments do not house inmates, they are the primary source of arrest records, which are a part of a typical inmate record in the state.

How To Search an Inmate's Information in Alabama

Before beginning the search for an inmate's information in Alabama, it is crucial to find out where the inmate is incarcerated, which may be a federal, state, or local correctional facility.

Find an inmate in Alabama State Prisons

With the Alabama Department of Corrections Inmate Search system, anyone may retrieve important information about inmates held in any of the state-run prisons. While interested persons may look up inmates by name and Alabama Institutional Serial (AIS) number using the Inmate Search system, the AIS number as the search criterion is the quickest way to find a specific inmate. Typical information retrieved from this search includes an inmate's personal information (including mugshot), incarceration details, holding correctional facility, and sentence details.

If anyone needs to obtain more detailed records about someone incarcerated in an Alabama state-owned prison, they should visit the correctional facility where the inmate is physically held. With basic information like the inmate's name, AIS number, and gender, the custodian will be able to locate the inmate's file and furnish the requester with the sought record.

Find an Inmate in Local Jail

Interested persons may obtain information regarding inmates serving jail sentences in any of Alabama's county jails through the online inmate search tools managed by the county sheriff's offices in charge of those jails. These resources are often featured on the websites of county sheriff's offices and are publicly accessible. They generally allow inmate search by name, inmate number, admission date, and gender.

Alternatively, anyone may obtain detailed information regarding an inmate housed in a county jail in Alabama by contacting the holding facility directly or visiting there in person. However, they must be able to provide any useful information to help facilitate a quick search of the inmate's file.

Find an Inmate in Federal Prison

Any individual housed in any of the following federal prisons in Alabama has their record maintained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons:

• Talladega FCI
• Aliceville FCI
• Montgomery RRM
• Montgomery FPC

Records of inmates incarcerated in these correctional facilities may be accessed through the BOP Inmate Locator, which allows users to search for inmates by their names and BOP register numbers. The result of any inmate search conducted on the BOP Inmate Locator typically includes an inmate's full name, age, registration number, location, race, gender, and release date.

How Can I Access Old Inmate Records?

Inmate search tools provided by different Alabama prison/jail authorities are linked to databases containing only records of current inmates. Hence, they will not provide information regarding old or previously incarcerated inmates. Historical records of individuals who served terms in state-run prisons are maintained in digital form by the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Similarly, anyone looking to obtain information about persons formerly incarcerated in federal prisons in the state may check the National Archives.

Some third-party sites, like Alabamapublicrecords.us are reliable and can provide interested persons with records of former inmates in the state. Generally, these sites collate records from multiple official sources and keep them in their databases, where they remain publicly accessible when needed, although at a small cost.

A conventional way to access old inmate records in Alabama is to visit the prison or jail facility where such inmates were released. With information like an inmate's name, ID number, and release date, the custodian will be able to locate any old inmate file and furnish the requester with the needed records. Alternatively, if the inmate of interest was incarcerated in a state-operated prison, anyone may submit a public record request to the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) by mail or email to obtain their records. For an inmate released from a federal prison in the state, submit a FOIA request to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Can I Find an Alabama Inmate Record for Free?

Yes. Alabama inmate records are publicly available and may be searched for free through online inmate search resources provided by each prison/jail authority in the state. While these tools are great, each one can only provide the public with information about inmates incarcerated in correctional facilities overseen by their supervising agency/authority. For example, the BOP Inmate Locator only has records of inmates housed in federal prisons, not county jails or state prisons.

Credible online public records service providers like Alabamapublicrecords.us provide centralized access to all inmate records in the state, regardless of where the inmate is housed. In other words, these sites are a one-stop database for all inmates across local, state, and federal correctional facilities in Alabama. However, they typically charge users a nominal fee.

Jails and Prisons in Alabama

Correctional facilities operating within Alabama boundaries are grouped into different classes based on how they are managed, and they include the following:

• State Prisons - All of Alabama's 26 state-run prisons are managed by the state's Department of Corrections. They include major correctional facilities and community-based facilities/community work centers and operate at four different custody levels, namely Medium, Minimum, Maximum, and Close. The Minimum custody level is further divided into three separate levels: the Minimum-Community, Minimum-Out, and Minimum-In.
• Federal Prisons - The 4 federal prisons in Alabama are overseen by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
• Local Jails - Alabama has about 67 county jails managed by county sheriff's offices and several other municipal jails supervised by the local police departments.
• Private Prisons - Only one private prison operates in Alabama, and it is managed by a private corporation, CoreCivic.

State Prisons in Alabama

Listed in the table below are some state-run prisons under the purview of the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC):

Private Prisons in Alabama

The only private facility in the state is the Alabama Therapeutic Education Facility.

Alabama Inmate Statistics

• Alabama Incarceration Rate - 390 per 100,000 residents
• Male Incarceration Rate - 749 per 100,000 males
• Female Incarceration Rate - 51 per 100,000 females
• Youth Custody Rate - 130 per 100,000 youths
• Number of Prisoners in Private Prisons - 253
• Black/White Imprisonment Disparity - 2.8:1
• Number of offenders under community supervision: 1,224 per 100,000 people
• Number on probation - 1,116 per 100,000 people
• Number on parole - 186 per 100,000 people
• Felony Disenfranchisement Rate - 6%

* Source: United States Bureau of Justice Statistics