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Jefferson County, Alabama · Birmingham and Bessemer custody lookup
Find a Jefferson County Jail Inmate and Check Current Custody
If you are trying to find someone arrested in Jefferson County, Alabama, start with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s official Inmate Inquiry. The same public system covers the county’s Birmingham and Bessemer jail facilities, so you normally do not need to search two separate county rosters.
- Open the official Jefferson County Inmate Inquiry.
- Enter the person’s legal name, Subject Number or Booking Number.
- Select In Custody when you only want people currently held.
- Use the booking-date or Housing Facility filters if you receive too many matches.
- Open the correct record and verify the person’s identity and current jail before visiting, arranging bond or sending money.
The roster can show the inmate’s name, photograph when available, Subject Number, current-custody status, scheduled release date when listed, date of birth, physical identifiers, multiple-booking status and Housing Facility.
How to Search the Jefferson County Jail Roster
Search by name
Start with the inmate’s legal first and last name. If you are unsure about a middle name, suffix or spelling, use fewer fields first. Adding uncertain information can prevent the correct record from appearing.
Use the Subject Number for a precise match
A Subject Number helps identify a particular person in the jail system and is useful when several inmates have similar names or the same person has multiple bookings.
Use the Booking Number for a specific booking
If an arrest document, attorney or family member already gave you a Booking Number, use it instead of relying only on a common name.
Use the In Custody filter carefully
Select In Custody when you want current inmates. If someone may have recently bonded out, been released or transferred, remove that filter and search again.
Narrow the results by date
The inmate system provides Booking From Date and Booking To Date fields. These are helpful when you know approximately when an arrest occurred.
Check the Housing Facility
Jefferson County operates jail facilities in Birmingham and Bessemer. Always check the current Housing Facility before traveling to a jail or asking staff about visitation, bond or another inmate service.
Jefferson County Inmate Search Fields
| Search field | Best use |
|---|---|
| Name | Best starting point when you know the inmate’s legal name. |
| Subject Number | Helps identify the correct person across one or more bookings. |
| Booking Number | Useful when looking for one particular booking. |
| In Custody | Limits results to people currently marked as being held. |
| Booking From / To | Narrows results to an approximate booking period. |
| Housing Facility | Helps identify Birmingham or Bessemer jail custody. |
Jefferson County Jail Locations and Contacts
Birmingham Jail
Jefferson County Jail
809 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N
Birmingham, AL 35203-0122
- Main switchboard: 205-325-5670
- Administrative Office: 205-325-5772
- Pre-Trial Release: 205-325-5716
Bessemer Jail
Jefferson County Jail
1822 2nd Avenue North
Bessemer, AL 35020
- Main switchboard: 205-481-4160
- Administrative Office: 205-481-8502
- Pre-Trial Release: 205-481-8529
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Corrections Division operates both locations. Both facilities have on-site medical services. The Sheriff’s Office also operates Pre-Trial Release services at both locations, while law-library and adult-education services are available at the Birmingham facility.
Charges, Bond and Pre-Trial Release
After finding the correct inmate, jail personnel can help with available information about listed charges, bond and the release process. Have the inmate’s full legal name and Subject Number or Booking Number ready when possible.
| Service | Birmingham | Bessemer |
|---|---|---|
| General jail information | 205-325-5670 | 205-481-4160 |
| Administration | 205-325-5772 | 205-481-8502 |
| Pre-Trial Release / bond help | 205-325-5716 | 205-481-8529 |
A jail booking is not a conviction. Charges listed during booking can later be changed, dismissed or resolved differently in court.
How to Find an Inmate’s Court Date
The county jail does not maintain individual inmate court dates. After identifying the inmate and the correct division, use the appropriate court contact for the case.
| Court | Phone |
|---|---|
| Birmingham District Court | 205-325-5309 |
| Birmingham Circuit Court | 205-325-5285 |
| Bessemer District Court | 205-497-8520 |
| Bessemer Circuit Court | 205-497-8510 |
The Tenth Judicial Circuit also provides Jefferson County court information online. Court dates can change, so instructions or paperwork issued directly by the court should take priority over an older online schedule.
Jefferson County Court Information
Jefferson County Jail Visitation
The Sheriff’s current Corrections rules state:
- Visitors must be at least 17 and have a valid state ID or driver’s license.
- The inmate must schedule a 45-minute time slot one day before the visit.
- An inmate may have no more than two visits per week.
- Only two adults and two children over age three are allowed per visit.
- Children age 16 or younger must be accompanied and supervised by a parent or legal guardian.
- Children under age three are allowed under the Sheriff’s first-Sunday rule.
- All visitors are subject to search.
- Cell phones, electronic devices, purses and packages are prohibited inside.
- Pay lockers are available in the lobby according to the Sheriff’s Office.
- Food and drinks are prohibited.
- Visitors must follow current dress and conduct rules.
Before leaving home: call 205-325-5670 for Birmingham or 205-481-4160 for Bessemer to confirm the current visitation schedule and inmate eligibility.
If You Cannot Find the Inmate
A missing search result does not always mean the person was never arrested. Try these steps:
- Check the spelling of the legal first and last name.
- Remove the middle name or suffix and search again.
- Remove unnecessary filters.
- Remove In Custody if the person may have recently been released.
- Search using Subject Number or Booking Number if available.
- Use the approximate booking-date range.
- Check both Birmingham and Bessemer Housing Facility options.
- If the arrest was very recent, allow time for booking to be processed.
- Check Birmingham City Jail when Birmingham Police made the arrest.
- Call the appropriate jail if online results still do not resolve the custody question.
Check Birmingham City Jail After a City Arrest
Someone arrested by Birmingham Police may initially be held in city custody instead of appearing immediately in the Jefferson County roster. If you know the arrest happened in Birmingham and the county search gives no result, check the Birmingham City Jail as the next step.
Birmingham City Jail
425 6th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35205
Phone: 205-254-6369 or 205-254-6370
Birmingham City Jail Information
If the Inmate Was Transferred
If the person is no longer in Jefferson County custody, the correct next search depends on where the case or sentence moved.
| Situation | Where to search |
|---|---|
| Current Jefferson County inmate | Jefferson County Sheriff’s Inmate Inquiry |
| Birmingham municipal custody | Birmingham City Jail |
| Transferred to Alabama state prison | Alabama Department of Corrections |
| Federal custody | Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator |
| Criminal case or court date | Jefferson County / Alabama court system |
Mail, Money, Commissary and Phone Services
First confirm whether the inmate is currently housed in Birmingham or Bessemer. Do not send money, mail or property using an old jail-directory page because facility assignments and service instructions can change.
- Find the inmate through the official Jefferson County search.
- Confirm the current Housing Facility.
- Write down the inmate’s full name and Subject Number or Booking Number.
- Call the correct facility using the official number above.
- Ask for the current mailing, deposit, commissary or phone-service instructions you need.
- Confirm the required inmate identifier before sending money or correspondence.
This is safer than relying on an unverified vendor page because an inmate can be released or transferred after the booking record is created.
Older Jail and Arrest Records
The live inmate lookup is primarily useful for custody and booking searches. If you need an older record that does not appear in the public search, contact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and ask which records unit handles the document you need.
For the final result of a criminal prosecution, search the court record instead. A jail booking records custody; it does not tell you by itself how the criminal case ended.
Which Search Should You Use?
| You want to know… | Best first step |
|---|---|
| Is this person in Jefferson County Jail now? | Use the official inmate search with In Custody selected. |
| Are they in Birmingham or Bessemer? | Check the Housing Facility field. |
| What bond information is available? | Identify the booking, then verify with jail staff or Pre-Trial Release. |
| When is court? | Contact the appropriate District or Circuit Court. |
| They were arrested in Birmingham but do not appear. | Check Birmingham City Jail. |
| They were transferred to state prison. | Search the Alabama Department of Corrections. |
| The case is federal. | Use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator. |
| You plan to visit. | Confirm the current facility and call before traveling. |
Jefferson County Jail Inmate Search FAQs
1. How do I find an inmate in Jefferson County Jail, Alabama?
Use the Jefferson County Sheriff’s official Inmate Inquiry. Search by legal name, Subject Number or Booking Number, then verify the current custody status and Housing Facility.
2. Does the Jefferson County inmate search cover Birmingham and Bessemer?
Yes. The official inmate system includes records associated with Jefferson County Jail – Birmingham and Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer. Check the Housing Facility field for the current location.
3. What information can the Jefferson County jail roster show?
The search can show the inmate’s name, photograph when available, Subject Number, custody status, scheduled release date when listed, date of birth, physical identifiers, multiple-booking status and Housing Facility.
4. Why can’t I find someone who was recently arrested?
The booking may still be processing, the name may be entered differently, the person may be in Birmingham City Jail, or the filters may be too restrictive. Search again with fewer filters and contact the facility if necessary.
5. What is the Jefferson County Jail Birmingham phone number?
The Birmingham jail main switchboard is 205-325-5670. The Administrative Office is 205-325-5772 and Pre-Trial Release is 205-325-5716.
6. What is the Jefferson County Jail Bessemer phone number?
The Bessemer jail main switchboard is 205-481-4160. The Administrative Office is 205-481-8502 and Pre-Trial Release is 205-481-8529.
7. Can I find an inmate’s court date through the jail?
The county jail does not maintain individual inmate court-date information. Contact the appropriate Birmingham or Bessemer District or Circuit Court.
8. How do I visit a Jefferson County Jail inmate?
Confirm whether the inmate is housed in Birmingham or Bessemer. The Sheriff’s current rules say the inmate schedules a 45-minute slot one day before the visit and may have up to two visits per week. Call before traveling because visitation times can change.
9. Where do I search if the inmate was transferred to prison?
If the person moved into Alabama state-prison custody, search the Alabama Department of Corrections. For federal custody, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator.
10. Does a Jefferson County jail record mean the person was convicted?
No. A jail record documents arrest, booking or custody information. It does not establish guilt or a conviction. Check the related court case for the final disposition.
Related Jail Inmate Search Guides
- Fulton County, GA Jail Inmate Search & Roster
- Cobb County, GA Jail Inmate Search & Roster
- Broward County, FL Jail Inmate Search & Roster
Official Resources
- Jefferson County Sheriff’s Official Inmate Inquiry
- Jefferson County Sheriff’s Corrections Division
- Jefferson County Jail Information
- Tenth Judicial Circuit – Jefferson County
- Alabama Department of Corrections Inmate Search
Custody status, facility assignment, bond information, visitation rules and jail procedures can change. Use the live official inmate record for current custody and confirm time-sensitive instructions before traveling, sending money or mailing anything.