Finding Information on Florida Jail Inmate

If you are seeking information on a certain individual who is incarcerated in a Florida jail, it is very helpful to know the crime of which he or she was convicted. If the offense was a felony, you should search the inmate databases of Florida state prisons; if the offense was a misdemeanor, you should search the records of county jails. Either way, obtaining such information is not a difficult task.

Searching Online for Florida Inmate Information

To search online for a Florida jail inmate, you can visit the search page of the Florida Department of Correction's website, located at http://www.dc.state.fl.us/InmateInfo/InmateInfoMenu.asp. This search tool provides information for all inmates incarcerated under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC). If the inmate you are looking for is under supervision outside of a correctional facility, visit the page created specifically for these offenders at http://www.dc.state.fl.us/ActiveOffenders/. These online search tools were developed and maintained so that the general public of Florida can be aware of the status of the inmates within the state, and so that citizens, private organizations, and employers can perform free background checks on individuals. The information on this section is updated regularly. For any additional information, call the office of Probation and Parole Field Services of the Florida DOC at 850-487-2165, or send an email to the office at co-supervision@mail.dc.state.fl.us.

These links can also be used to locate inmates held in the local county jails of Florida. The information in this section is updated every week, but sudden news like the termination of an inmate's sentence or a change in the location of an inmate may not always appear immediately on the website. Any questions can be directed to the Bureau of Classification and Central Records division of the Florida DOC at 850-488-9859, or by e-mail at central.classification@mail.dc.state.fl.us.

To search for release information on a particular Florida jail inmate, visit http://www.dc.state.fl.us/InmateReleases/ and provide the necessary information. This section is updated every night. The Release Management Section of the Florida DOC can answer any questions regarding inmate release. You can call the office at 850-488-9167 or e-mail them at dc.release@mail.dc.state.fl.us.

The Florida DOC also offers information on inmates who have escaped from jail. The search tool for these inmates is located at http://www.dc.state.fl.us/EscapedInmates/. However, these records only hold information on those inmates who escaped after January 1st, 1990. Whenever an inmate escapes or is returned to the facility, his or her status is updated on the DOC's website.

If you have any information on an escaped Florida jail inmate, you should immediately notify your nearest law enforcement agency or call the Florida Department of Corrections at 1-866-850-0335 or 850-922-6867. Do not apprehend or confront escaped inmates; those who escape from state prisons are felons who have been convicted of serious crimes. They may be armed. It is always recommended that you notify the police of an escaped inmate's location instead of acting yourself.

Other Information on Florida Inmates

For further information on Florida jail inmates and their lives in the correctional facilities of Florida, visit http://www.dc.state.fl.us/secretary/legal/Ch33/http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/index.html. This page lists the statutes that grant different rights to Florida inmates. Statute 33-503.002 states that a Florida jail inmate can get married while serving a sentence in any of the correctional facilities of the state. This law was made effective on April 23rd, 1990. The Florida DOC has a provision for giving rewards to inmates who are released or transferred to other facilities. Inmates are also given initial training on basic hygiene, discipline, rules and regulations of the prison, and the desired conduct. This practice ensures that inmates are fit, clean, healthy, and disciplined.

A Florida jail inmate can be contacted only through mail with the United States Postal Service. No deliveries to inmates or packages from courier services are allowed. Similarly, no bubble wrapped or multi-layered packets, packaging with any metal pieces, plastic or padded bags, or envelopes are permitted to reach the inmates. When sending mail to a Florida inmate, the mailing address should be written in a particular pattern: the last name of the inmate, first name and DC number, the institution where the inmate is incarcerated, and finally the mailing address.

For security reasons, inmates in Florida jails cannot access the Internet is not accessible to any Florida jail inmate. Thus, contacting inmates by e-mail is not allowed. Only messages written in English or Spanish are allowed. If the native language of a particular Florida jail inmate is something other than these two, the warden must approve the message before it is delivered. There are no restrictions on number of pages written. Any mail addressed to an inmate is read, examined, and approved by the designated officials of the facility before being delivered. A Florida jail inmate is allowed to receive greeting cards, but there are certain restrictions: the card cannot exceed the size 8"x10", should be made of paper only, and cannot have tiers that can be used to conceal contraband. For more information on correspondence with a Florida jail inmate, visit http://www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/inmates/http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/writing.html.

If you wish to visit a Florida jail inmate, you will need an application form from the inmate. The form has two parts, DC6 11A and DC6 11B, both of which must be completed by the individual wishing to visit the inmate. Submit 11A to the authorities of the Classification Department of the facility where the inmate is incarcerated, and keep 11B with you. It will take one month to process the request; the inmate will notify you about the approval or rejection of the request. Visiting hours in Florida correctional facilities are from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. No new visitors are allowed after 2:00 p.m. Nothing can be brought while visiting a Florida jail inmate other than food items purchased inside. The only belongings that can be taken inside the facility are open packs of cigars or cigarettes, one Bic type lighter, and car keys.