Are Tennessee Inmate Records Public Information?
Yes, inmate records in Tennessee are public information under the state's Public Records Act. Hence, residents can obtain copies of inmate records directly from correctional agencies or use Tennessee inmate locators designed to improve public safety to search for who's in custody in jail or prison. Note, however, that certain Tennessee inmate records are removed from public access and may only be releasable with an inmate's written consent or on a "need to know" basis. For example, an inmate's protected health information.
Tennessee Inmate Search
Tennessee inmate records are documents containing information about incarcerated individuals in prisons and jails in Tennessee. Generally, these inmate records contain personal information, such as the inmate's name, gender, race, date of birth, and mugshot, as well as administrative data regarding the inmate's incarceration, sentence (e.g., a life sentence), transfer, custody status, and release. This information is available for public access per the Tennessee Public Records Act.
Correctional agencies in Tennessee, like the Department of Correction (TDC), keep inmate records to help the public find information on who's in custody. They also maintain inmate search tools (electronic databases containing inmate records) that individuals can use to find someone in jail or prison. For example, such tools can provide Tennessee inmate mugshots to interested persons.
Inmate records are considered public in the United States and, therefore, are made available by both traditional governmental agencies as well as third-party websites and organizations. Third-party websites may offer an easier search, as these services do not face geographical limitations. However, because third-party sites are not government-sponsored, the information obtained through them may vary from official channels. To find inmate records using third-party aggregate sites, requesting parties must provide:
- The location of the sought-after record, including state, county, and city where the inmate resides.
- The name of the person listed in the record, unless it is a juvenile.
How to Find Someone in Jail in Tennessee
Local police departments in Tennessee are responsible for running jail facilities in Tennessee. Hence, to find someone in a jail in Tennessee, an individual should contact the jail accountable for the inmate's custody. Ideally, this will be the jail facility serving a person's residential area or where the inmate's arraignment occurred. Besides dialing a jail's inmate information line, one can also check the administrator's official website for an inmate locator. With this tool, a person can find out if someone is in a particular jail facility or find out why someone is in jail. It may also be possible to find inmates held by the jail on behalf of a federal or state agency.
It is worth noting that the Tennessee Department of Correction has a Felony Offender Information Locator (FOIL) on its website. However, information seekers can only find individuals incarcerated in the state's correctional facilities with it. In the same way, a person who navigates to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons inmate locator can only conduct a federal inmate search with the tool. A federal inmate search typically reveals a federal inmate's full name, register number, age, race, sex, release date (unless it is a life sentence), and location.
How to Perform a Tennessee County Jail Inmate Search
County jails are facilities where persons convicted for less than one year serve time. The local law enforcement maintains publicly available information regarding jail inmates on jail rosters and inmate lists. This enables record seekers to conduct a Tennessee inmate search with pictures and obtain specific information about inmates. In addition, interested persons who wish to find a person in jail may visit the local law enforcement website or contact the jail administrator directly.
Facilities Operated by the Tennessee Department of Correction
The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) is in charge of 14 state prisons across the state. The agency directly manages ten of these facilities, while CoreCivic, a private corporation, operates the remaining four. Interested persons who wish to access the physical addresses and contact information of Tennessee state prisons may use the prison lookup tool. Besides state-run and private prisons, Tennessee also has county, town, and city jails. These facilities are under the administration of local law enforcement agencies like a sheriff's office or police department.
How to Send Money to an Inmate in Tennessee Prison and Jail
Generally, the TDOC opens a trust account for all incarcerated individuals booked into Tennessee state prisons. Inmates use the funds in this account to purchase items at the commissary. Friends and relatives of inmates in state prisons can send money into the Offenders Trust Fund account through JPay, a third-party vendor approved by the TDOC.
JPay allows online deposits with cards and cash deposits to inmate accounts at walk-in locations around the state. Payment is also possible over the phone by calling (800) 574-5729 or by mail with a money order form. In any way, the depositor must provide the necessary details to facilitate a deposit, including the inmate's full name, identification number, and facility address, where the inmate will be located. The mail-in address for money orders is:
JPay
P.O. Box 279010
Miramar, FL 33027
Note that money orders are processed within three working days. Also, money orders are completed without transaction fees.
How to Get Approved to Visit an Inmate in Tennessee Prisons and Jails
Anyone wishing to visit an inmate in Tennessee prisons must follow the Tennessee Department of Corrections visitation guidelines. A good rule of thumb is to confirm that the inmate is still at the facility of incarceration before applying for visitation privileges. The Tennessee Department of Correction maintains a free online database that provides information on adults serving time in Tennessee prisons. Interested persons may search this database with an offender's name or TDOC number.
Once an inmate's location is known, eligible visitors can schedule a visit by completing a visitation form and mailing the form to the Associate Warden of Security at the prison where the inmate is serving time. It takes up to 30 days to process an application for visitation privileges. Once approved, the individual may visit the prison during visitation hours and per the facility's visitation rules. Generally, all approved visitors must have a valid, government-issued photo ID to gain access to the facility.
Although Tennessee jails have similar ID and dress code requirements, visitation rules are different. As a result, interested persons should visit the jail administrator's website for instructions on visiting persons serving time in county jails.
How to Find a County Inmate Roster in Tennessee
Members of the public can usually find county inmate rosters with county sheriff's offices. To view a specific sheriff's county inmate roster, one must:
- Know the county jail where an inmate is housed.
- Visit the county sheriff's office website.
- Click on the inmate roster to find a list of inmates in the jail facility. Note that some jails may have another name for their inmate rosters. For instance, Knox County's inmate roster is called "inmate population".
A county inmate roster helps find information about inmates housed at a particular jail facility. It can reveal inmates' full names, ages, races, sexes, intake dates, bonds, and the arresting agencies. Individuals can also view jail roster mugshots (pictures of incarcerated individuals) to help them differentiate inmates with similar names. Persons who require further information about how to find someone in jail using a county inmate roster should contact the applicable county sheriff's office.
How to Perform a Tennessee Prison Inmate Search
Tennessee prison inmate search is open to all persons. Interested persons may use the Felony Offender Information Locator (FOIL) to run a free Tennessee inmate search by name. FOIL is an open online database created and managed by the TN Department of Correction. Individuals can access the database to run a free Tennessee inmate search by name, TDOC ID, or State ID Number and find out who’s in custody in a Tennessee prison. The database can also provide prison inmates' release dates (except those serving life sentences) and more. The Tennessee inmate lookup may be used by family, friends, crime victims, legal professionals, and anyone interested in a prisoner.
The database is restricted to information on convicted felony offenders in Tennessee. As such, information on criminals convicted of more minor crimes is not readily available. Persons who wish to access such information must contact the Department of Correction directly.
Tennessee Department of Correction
Rachel Jackson Building, Sixth Floor
Nashville, TN 37243-0465
Phone: (615) 741-1000
Note that if an inmate was transferred to a federal prison, the FOIL cannot provide information about them. In such cases, information seekers should perform a federal inmate search with the Bureau of Prisons inmate search tool to find the federally incarcerated individual.
Tennessee State Prisons and County Jails: Understanding the Difference
There are a total of 14 state prisons and county jails in Tennessee. Out of these, some are operated by the Tennessee Department of Correction, while a few are privately operated.
As of October 31, 2022, there were 19,184 inmates housed in Tennessee state prisons, which had a total of 21,430 active beds. The largest prison in Tennessee is the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, which can house about 2,672 inmates. The second-largest facility is the Hardeman County Correctional Facility, which has a capacity of 2,100 inmates. The third-largest prison is the Morgan County Correctional Complex, which can accommodate 2,066 inmates.
As of October 31, 2022, Tennessee had about 25,350 jail population, with 31,979 bed spaces and 6,640 vacant beds.
How to Find an Inmate Release Date
Tennessee inmate records typically contain the incarcerated individual's release date unless this information is private for safety reasons. In such cases, only the inmate's immediate family members, crime victims, attorneys, and authorized criminal justice officials will have access to the exact release date.
