Florida Inmate Search
The Florida prison system is the third-largest in the country, consisting of a comprehensive network of more than 200 local, state, and federal correctional facilities. It currently comprises 143 state-run facilities (seven of these are private partner facilities and five are women-only prisons), 11 federal facilities, 87 county jails, and 21 juvenile detention facilities. Florida has an incarceration rate of 795 per 100,000 people. There is an average of 157,000 Floridians behind bars annually, with roughly 80,000 of them in state facilities, while another 60,000 and 13,000 are held in local and federal prisons, respectively.
State prisons are operated by the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) – this department, which happens to be the largest agency in the state, typically houses felons sentenced to more than a year. On the other hand, county jails are run by local law enforcement agencies (usually the county sheriff's office in their respective jurisdictions), while federal prisons are operated by the Bureau of Prisons. It should be noted that juvenile detention centers are separate from the FDC; these facilities are managed by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
According to the Florida Department of Corrections, the state's correctional system includes 143 state-run facilities (including 7 private partner facilities and 5 women-only prisons), 11 federal facilities, 87 county jails, and 21 juvenile detention facilities. The system houses approximately 157,000 prisoners annually, with 80,000 in state facilities, 60,000 in local prisons, and 13,000 in federal prisons. Florida has an incarceration rate of 795 per 100,000 people, making it the third-largest prison system in the country.
Florida Department of Corrections Inmate Search
The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) is statutorily empowered under Florida Statutes Chapter 944 to operate and manage the state's prison system. As part of its responsibilities, the department manages over 80,000 inmates statewide and supervises more than 146,000 offenders in the community. The FDC is also charged keeping records on its inmates and supervised population (parolees).
To this end, the FDC maintains a Corrections Offender Network. This network hosts several web applications that interested parties can use to access information on inmates in the Florida state prison system and get details on currently incarcerated, released, and escaped inmates as well as offenders under supervision and absconders/fugitives. Searches are usually done by name and DC number and provide information like the person's full name, aliases, date of birth, sex, race, offense and sentence history, date of incarceration, location, visitation status, and expected release date.
Find Inmate by Name
Running a name-based search is the simplest and most convenient way to locate inmates in the Florida state prison system. Users simply have to visit the FDC's Corrections Offender Network webpage, select their preferred web application, and input the person's name in the designated field. Available web applications/search categories on the network include:
- Inmate Population Information Search: this limits the search to currently incarcerated inmates.
- Inmate Release Information Search: this limits the search to former inmates and inmates scheduled to be released.
- Inmate Escape Information Search: this limits the search to inmates who have escaped from FDC custody, all the way back to 1990, and have not been recaptured within the past 15 days (of initiating the search).
- Supervised Population Information Search: this limits the search to offenders who are under community supervision.
- Absconder/Fugitive Information Search: this limits the search to offenders who have absconded from supervision.
- Search All Corrections Offender Databases: this allows users to perform a comprehensive search of all Corrections Offender Network databases but only provides search options for criteria common to all.
Searches on each database can be done using either the person's first or last name, and users have the option of including the person's known aliases in the search. The search will generate a list of all people whose names begin with the letters inputted in the search field(s). For example, running a search for a person named "Steve" will return results on everyone named "Steve," "Steven," "Stevens," "Stevenson," and so on, as well as anyone with an alias that includes the name "Steve" (if this option is selected). This is handy for people unsure of the correct spelling of a name.
Find Inmate by Number
Members of the public can also perform searches for offenders in Florida state-operated prisons by using the person's DC number. This is a unique ID assigned to individuals by the FDC once they are admitted into the prison system. DC numbers can be either completely numeric (123456) or alphanumeric (A12345).
The process for conducting a number-based search is similar to that for name-based searches – all that is required is inputting the person's DC number in the designated search field. However, number-based searches are typically more constrictive in scope. This is because DC numbers are unique to each inmate, so inputting an incorrect number will either return a "no offender records found" message or provide details on the wrong person.
Find Inmate by Jail Type
The FDC does not provide a dedicated search tool for searching for inmates by jail type. However, search results generated via the department's Corrections Offender Network mention the inmate's current facility. Clicking on this provides details on the facility, including its contact information, visitation hours, and directions.
What Information is Contained in a Florida Inmate Record?
Florida inmate records contain a variety of information about individuals who have been incarcerated in the state. These include details like the person's:
- Full name, known aliases, and photographs
- Date of birth, race, and sex
- Incarceration/prison history
- Offense and sentencing history
- Current sentence term
- Current facility of incarceration
- Confinement and visitation status
- Release date. Depending on the inmate, this may either be the date they were released from the prison, a scheduled release date, or an expected release date. Expected release dates are subject to change and may be influenced by the inmate's behavior while incarcerated
- Supervision begins and scheduled termination dates (this is typically referred to as the parole eligibility and duration periods for federal inmate records and refers to the period when an inmate is physically released from prison but still under the supervision of the FDC or BOP)
Florida Inmate Records by Counties
County jails in Florida typically hold individuals sentenced to terms of less than a year. These local jails are generally operated and maintained by county sheriff's offices and are considered separate from the state-run facilities run by the FDC. County sheriffs are also responsible for creating and managing records of inmates under their custody.
To this end, most county sheriffs offer inmate search portals that can be used to access information on inmates in their respective jails. These portals typically give users the option of running a name-based search and returning details like the inmate's full name, date of birth, sex, race, mug shot, jail number, charges, and booking date. Note that search results are typically limited to individuals who were arrested and jailed in that particular county.
- Alachua County
- Baker County
- Bay County
- Bradford County
- Brevard County
- Broward County
- Calhoun County
- Charlotte County
- Citrus County
- Clay County
- Collier County
- Columbia County
- De Soto County
- Dixie County
- Duval County
- Escambia County
- Flagler County
- Franklin County
- Gadsden County
- Gilchrist County
- Glades County
- Gulf County
- Hamilton County
- Hardee County
- Hendry County
- Hernando County
- Highlands County
- Hillsborough County
- Holmes County
- Indian River County
- Jackson County
- Jefferson County
- Lafayette County
- Lake County
- Lee County
- Leon County
- Levy County
- Liberty County
- Madison County
- Manatee County
- Marion County
- Martin County
- Miami Dade County
- Monroe County
- Nassau County
- Okaloosa County
- Okeechobee County
- Orange County
- Osceola County
- Palm Beach County
- Pasco County
- Pinellas County
- Polk County
- Putnam County
- Saint Johns County
- Saint Lucie County
- Santa Rosa County
- Sarasota County
- Seminole County
- Sumter County
- Suwannee County
- Taylor County
- Union County
- Volusia County
- Wakulla County
- Walton County
- Washington County
Are Incarceration Records Public Information in Florida?
Chapter 199 of the Florida Statutes (known as the Florida Public Records Law) defines public records as any document, regardless of its physical form, that a government agency creates or receives as part of its official business/responsibilities. By this definition, incarceration records in Florida are public information, meaning that they can be viewed and copied by any interested member of the public. However, certain restrictions apply.
For instance, juvenile records are statutorily deemed confidential and are not disclosed to the general public; sealed and expunged records are also restricted. Florida Statutes Section 945.10 also outlines specific inmate-related information restricted from public disclosure. These include inmate medical records, information concerning a victim's statement and identity, and Florida Commission on Offender Review records (this body is responsible for selecting offenders who are appropriate for parole).
Federal Prisons in Florida
Florida has several facilities housing inmates convicted of breaking federal laws. These facilities, which are operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), are listed below:
The BOP provides an inmate locator tool that members of the public can use to look up offenders in Florida's federal correctional facilities. Inmate searches via this tool can be done by name or number (BOP register number, DCDC number, FBI number, and INS number). Note that this tool cannot be used to locate offenders incarcerated before 1982.
| Prison Name | Location | Total Inmate Population | Security Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Correctional Institution (FCI), Coleman – Low. | Sumterville | 2,026 | Low Security | FCI Coleman–Low is an all-male facility with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp housing approximately 23% of its total inmate population. |
| Federal Correctional Institution (FCI), Coleman – Medium. | Sumterville | 1,494 | Medium Security | FCI Coleman – Medium is an all-male facility. |
| U.S. Penitentiary (USP), Coleman I. | Sumterville | 1,310 | High Security | USP Coleman I is an all-male facility. |
| U.S. Penitentiary (USP), Coleman II. | Sumterville | 1,091 | High Security | USP Coleman II is an all-male facility. |
| Federal Correctional Institution (FCI), Marianna. | Marianna | 1,204 | Medium Security | FCI Marianna is an all-male facility with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp housing approximately 20% of its total inmate population. |
| Federal Correctional Institution (FCI), Miami. | Miami | 1,031 | Low Security | FCI Miami is an all-male facility with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp housing approximately 18% of its total inmate population. |
| Federal Detention Center (FDC), Miami. | Miami | 1,068 | N/A | FDCs are administrative facilities that hold criminal defendants (in all security categories) who are awaiting trial and sentencing. FDC Miami houses both male and female offenders. |
| Residential Reentry Management(RRM) Field Office, Miami. | Miami | N/A | N/A | RRMs handle contracts for community-based programs that manage and supervise halfway houses and inmates. They serve as the Bureau of Prisons' local liaison with relevant agencies and community groups and also provide reentry support services for federal offenders looking to transition back into society. There are currently over 14,000 federal offenders in the U.S. federal prison system managed by 22 RRM field offices across the country. |
| Residential Reentry Management(RRM) Field Office, Orlando. | Wildwood | N/A | N/A | RRM Orlando is one of two Residential Reentry Management Field Offices in Florida. These offices handle contracts for community-based programs that manage and supervise halfway houses and inmates. They serve as the Bureau of Prisons' local liaison with relevant agencies and community groups and also provide reentry support services for federal offenders looking to transition back into society. |
| Federal Prison Camp (FPC), Pensacola. | Pensacola | 515 | Minimum Security | FCP Pensacola is an all-male facility. |
| Federal Correctional Institution (FCI), Tallahassee. | Tallahassee | 1,178 | Low Security | FCI Tallahassee is a low-security federal correctional institution with a detention center. This facility holds both male and female offenders. |
Frequently Asked Questions about Inmate Records
Below are answers to frequently asked questions about searching for inmates and inmate-related information in Florida:
You can obtain copies of FDC records by submitting a public record request to the department online . You can also call (850) 717-9774 for assistance if you are having difficulties utilizing the records request submission portal.
You can look up inmates in Florida state-operated prisons online using any of the web applications hosted on the FDC's Corrections Offender Network . Most Florida counties also provide inmate search portals that can be used to find inmates in county jails.
You can access old inmate records in Florida by contacting the facility that held the inmate. The FDC also provides online access to inmates who have been released from its custody via its Inmate Release Information Search portal. In addition, the State Archives and Library of Florida maintains copies of historic records and may be able to provide access to the required records.
You can obtain inmate death records in Florida by contacting the facility that held the inmate or ordering a certified copy of their death certificate through either the state's Bureau of Vital Statistics or a local county health department. Note that, per state law , death records less than 50 years old that include the cause of death are deemed confidential and may only be obtained by the decedent's immediate family, authorized representative, or court order. However, death records without the cause of death can be accessed by anyone.
Information like inmates' release dates and location changes are usually updated nightly on the FDC's Corrections Offender Network, while other details are typically refreshed weekly. The timeframe it takes for inmate information to be published on county jail search portals also varies and can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
Inmates in FDC facilities can only receive money from individuals on their visiting records who have a current "approved" status. The FDC uses third-party vendors to facilitate funds transfers to inmates – CorrectPay is currently the department's only authorized money transfer service provider (as of May 1 2024). This platform offers several transfer options, including online payments, mobile apps, telephone, and money orders.
Note that county jails (and some private prisons) may have additional options for sending money to inmates housed in their respective facilities. As such, you should consider contacting the facility where the inmate of interest is located to find out their specific procedures and options for funding inmates accounts.