Difference Between Tennessee Prison and Federal Prison

What is the Difference Between Federal Prison and Tennessee State Prison?

Federal and state prisons hold persons convicted of violating state or federal laws. While federal prisons hold federal inmates, state prisons hold persons convicted of violating state crimes. Federal and state prisons also hold persons guilty of violating the Federal Criminal Code.

If a crime occurs between state boundaries or on federal property, it is also considered a federal crime. Other federal crimes include mail fraud, tax violation, drug trafficking, counterfeiting, copyright infringement, and immigration crimes.

The state's criminal code provides definitions for criminal offenses in the state. State crimes occur within state limits. Examples of state crimes punishable by incarceration in state prison are burglary, assault, marijuana possession, and rape.

The state departments of corrections oversee state prisons and other correctional facilities. The agency manages the facilities and human resources required to hold offenders. The agencies also offer and oversee the implementation of various treatment and educational programs provided to inmates. Federal prison terms are typically longer than state prison terms as federal inmates are not eligible for parole. However, some state crimes are punishable by life imprisonment. There are more state prisons than federal prisons in the United States. State and federal prisons have different security levels; however, federal prisons' security levels are higher in some cases.

The Tennessee Prison System

The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) oversees prisons and correctional facilities in the state. The agency manages ten (10) of the 14 prisons in the state and the Tennessee Correctional Academy. CoreCiviC, a private organization, manages four (4) state prisons. There are more than 20,000 inmates in state prisons and correctional facilities.

Tennessee state prisons hold persons convicted of felony crimes punishable by more than one (1) year of imprisonment. TDOC ensures that prisons and correctional facilities are safe and that inmates are treated fairly and humanely. TDOC comprises the Community Supervision and Rehabilitation decisions.

The Community Supervision division oversees parole, limited release, probation, and community corrections. On the other hand, the Rehabilitation division oversees education, healthcare, victim services, reentry programs, and religious services.

TDOC allows interested persons to visit, communicate with, and send money or packages to state prison inmates. The agency has visitation and parking rules, and persons interested in visiting inmates must submit application forms. Visitors may not bring drugs, firearms, or drugs onto any state correctional facility. Interested parties may also send mails to inmates. The mails must indicate the inmate's name, I.D. number, and the facility's address where the offender is held. Friends, family, and other interested parties may also send money to inmates electronically, by mail, to the offender's trust fund or phone account.

How to Lookup Inmates in Tennessee

The Felony Offender Information Search (FOIL) provides information about inmates in TDOC custody. Requestors may obtain Tennessee inmate records or inmate information in person or using the online search tool and providing the inmate's name, race, TDOC ID, or state I.D. Interested parties may visit the Tennessee state facilities at the following locations:

Bledsoe County Correctional Complex
1045 Horsehead Road
Pikeville, Tennessee 37367
(423) 881-3251

Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center
3881 Stewarts Lane
Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0468
(615) 741-1255

Hardeman County Correctional Facility
Warden Hilton Hall, Jr.
2520 Union Springs Road
P.O. Box 549
Whiteville, Tennessee 38075
(731) 254-6000

Lois M DeBerry Special Needs Facility
7575 Cockrill Bend Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209-1057
(615) 350-2700

Mark Luttrell Transition Center
6000 State Road
Memphis, Tennessee 38134
(901) 372-2080

Morgan County Correctional Complex
541 Wayne Cotton Morgan Drive
P.O. Box 2000
Wartburg, Tennessee 37887
(423) 346-1300

Northeast Correctional Complex
5249 Highway 67 West
P.O. Box 5000
Mountain City, Tennessee 37683-5000
(423) 727-7387

NECX Carter County Annex
188 Old Railroad Grade Road
Caller #1000
Roan Mountain, Tennessee 37687
(423) 772-3231

Northwest Correctional Complex
960 State Route 212
Tiptonville, Tennessee 38079
(731) 253-5000

Riverbend Maximum Security Institution
7475 Cockrill Bend Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0471
(615) 350-3100

South Central Correctional Facility
555 Forest Avenue
P.O. Box 279
Clifton, Tennessee 38425-0279
(931) 676-5372

Trousdale Turner Correctional Center
140 Macon Way
Hartsville, Tennessee 37074
(615) 808-0400

Turney Center Industrial Complex
Main Site
1499 R.W. Moore Memorial Highway
Only, Tennessee 37140-4050
(931) 729-5161

Annex
245 Carroll Road
P.O. Box 182
Clifton, Tennessee 38425
(931) 676-3345

Whiteville Correctional Facility
1440 Union Springs Road
P.O. Box 679
Whiteville, Tennessee 38075
(731) 254-9400

West Tennessee State Penitentiary
480 Green Chapel Road
P.O. Box 1150
Henning, Tennessee 38041-1150
(731) 738-5044

Tennessee County Jails

Tennessee county jails are holding facilities for persons sentenced to less than one (1) year of imprisonment. County jails also have short-term inmates, like persons awaiting sentencing or trial. Tennessee county jails hold more than 25,000 inmates, over 22,000 of which are male. There are 95 counties in Tennessee; jails in each county are subject to local government agencies or authorities. County Sheriffs, local police departments, or jail wardens oversee county jails.

Persons interested in visiting county jail inmates must first apply for approval. Persons interested in corresponding with jail or sending funds to inmates must also abide by each facility's laws. Facilities may have different rules, including visiting hours, donations, available banking methods, and phone call length; therefore, interested parties must make inquiries by visiting the County Sheriff or the jail's website for up-to-date information.

Some county jails, like Knox County, provide online offender databases; interested parties may find inmates or obtain incarceration information from these public databases. For county jails that do not have the required information online, interested parties must contact the facility or the facility supervisor directly to obtain the information needed.

How Does the Federal Prison System Work?

Federal prisons and correctional facilities are under federal jurisdiction; therefore, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), a federal agency, manages such facilities. The BOP oversees 122 prisons and correctional facilities that hold more than 112,000 inmates in facilities across the country, with more than 37,000 employees. Apart from persons convicted of or awaiting trial for federal crimes, federal prisons also hold felony offenders from the District of Columbia. The BOP ensures that inmates serve federal criminal sentences in secure facilities in a cost-efficient and humane manner.

BOP allows family, friends, and other interested community members to visit and communicate with inmates via phone, email, or mail. Approved parties may also send packages or money to the inmates. The Inmate Locator provides requesting parties information about inmates' location and incarceration. The inmate locator database contains information about persons who have been held in BOP facilities from 1982 to date. Requesting parties may search using the following criteria:

• Name
• Age
• Race
• Gender
• BOP number
• FBI number
• DCDC number
• INS number