Alabama inmate search

Legal custody of the county jail, and of the prisoners inside, belongs to the county sheriff. Under Code of Alabama Section 14-6-1, this law covers every one of the 67 counties. With sheriffs in charge of local custody, jail rules and how releases work vary by county.

It is the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Corrections Division that runs the Jefferson County Jail. Roughly 43,000 inmates pass through its 2 facilities each year: Birmingham County Jail and Bessemer County Jail.

At the Madison County Detention Facility, the Madison County Sheriff's Office is in charge. The Pistol Permit Office at 603 Fiber Street is where released inmates pick up their remaining funds. The office is open 8 to 3 on weekdays.

Sheriffs set up their county rosters in different ways. Depending on the county, what you can search and view changes.

• The Jefferson County Jail lets you look up records by booking number, by booking date range, or by Birmingham or Bessemer housing facility. The results include a name, photo, birth date, race, gender, height, weight, subject number, custody status, facility, and scheduled release date.
• Name searches, current or released filters, and booking date sorting are available at the Madison County Detention Facility. Booking number, booking time, and bond amount all appear on the roster.

While staff complete the booking process, call the jail directly if an arrest took place within the past few hours.

State prisons are run by the Alabama Department of Corrections, or ADOC. Use the Alabama Department of Corrections Inmate Search to look up state prisoners. You can search this database using an inmate's AIS number or full name.

Only inmates currently serving time in state prison show up in this lookup. At this time, historical records cannot be viewed online.

A county jail is not the same as state prison. After an arrest, or while someone waits for trial, county sheriffs hold them. People convicted and sentenced to state prison are held by ADOC.

Alabama VINE is a confidential service that tracks custody status, protective orders, and criminal case updates. You can search online or call the VINE line at 1-877-846-3425.

Finding someone in custody lets you sign up for free notifications by text, email, or phone. You get an automated alert when an inmate is transferred or released. It's worth signing up because jail staff don't always call about a release. The Madison County Detention Facility doesn't call families when someone is released, so you must get your alerts through VINE.

Most people can get a secured appearance bond, an unsecured appearance bond, or personal recognizance under Alabama Rule of Criminal Procedure 7.2. With personal recognizance, no money is paid upfront; you simply promise to return to court. You can post a secured bond through a professional bail company, with property, or in cash.

When a bail agent posts bond, the bail company charges you a fee known as a premium. No fixed percentage for a premium is set by Alabama law. There is a separate bail bond court fee of 3.5% of the bond face value under Code of Alabama Section 12-19-311. For misdemeanors it runs from $100 to $450, while felonies range from $150 to $750.

The Alabama Bail Bond Regulatory Act in Section 15-13-200 and Code of Alabama Title 15, Chapter 13 govern bail. The Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board must license bail and recovery agents. Under Code of Alabama Section 15-13-3, capital murder is not bailable.