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Tennessee Inmate Search

Updated on: February 12, 2024
Tennessee

The Tennessee criminal justice system comprises various correctional facilities, such as state prisons, federal facilities, count jails, penitentiaries, community corrections, and private prisons. Inmate records in Tennessee contain information about persons incarcerated in the above correctional facilities within the state. They are composed of all the files alongside accompanying documentation following an inmate through the state's penal system. These records can include forms, mugshots, fingerprints, digital records, and audio and videotapes. Typically, these records originate with law enforcement after an arrest and go to courts and confinement facilities.  

Generally, inmate records contain personal and official information. People who obtain these records can expect to see the inmate's identifying details such as full name, aliases, age, gender, race, date of birth, nationality, eye color, hair color, weight, height, tattoos, scars, and defining body marks. On the other hand, official data includes the inmate's arresting agency, booking date and time, registration number, criminal history, custody status, charge description, mugshots, fingerprints, court dates, sentence information, transfer details, and maximum release date.  

According to the Tennessee Public Records Act, inmate records are publicly available. This means public members or interested parties can inspect or obtain these records from record custodians upon request. The Tennessee Department of Correction is this jurisdiction's chief custodian of all inmate records and related information. You can also obtain them from the county sheriff's office or local police department. 

Locating an offender usually depends on where the inmate is serving time. Here are ways you can search for incarcerated loved ones within Tennessee.  

Locating an Inmate in a State Prison 

The Tennessee Department of Correction operates and maintains 14 state prisons across Tennessee. The Department operates ten of these facilities, while CoreCivic manages the remaining four https://www.corecivic.com/. Additionally, this Department runs the Tennessee Correction Academy, which trains corrections and criminal justice professionals from other government agencies. As of 2018, the average daily population of state prisons was 20608. The recidivism rate in this jurisdiction was 26.8%. This figure means more than one in four inmates released from prison in Tennessee will be re-incarcerated within three years.  

To conduct an inmate search, visit the TDOC's official website and on the "State Prisons" dropdown list, click "FOIL-Offender Search." This will direct you to the "Felony Offender Information" search tool, which contains information regarding individuals who have been in this Department's custody. You can perform an inmate search using the following options: 

  • Search By Name: Enter Last Name, First Name, or Race 
  • Search By TDOC ID: Enter TDOC ID 
  • Search By State ID: State ID 

How to Locate a Federal Prisoner 

Tennessee has one stand-alone federal prison alongside one federal prison camp under the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office. FCI Memphis is a medium-security correctional institution with an adjacent minimum-security camp and a detention center.   

You can find out about an incarcerated individual in a federal facility by visiting the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). This agency allows you to search for an offender using the "Find an Inmate" search tool. 

County Jail Inmate Search 

County jails typically house offenders awaiting trial, bond, or serving short-term sentences of less than a year. County sheriff's offices operate and manage county jails in Tennessee. Most county jails provide online access to a jail roster containing a list of all current offenders at the jail facility.  

If you cannot find your loved one online, consider calling the jail or designated sheriff's office.  

Basic Information

Types of Correctional Facilities in Tennessee

Tennessee Prisons and Jails

Correctional Facility Name
Type
County
Bledsoe County Correctional Complex State Prison Bledsoe County
Riverbend Maximum Security Institution State Prison Davidson County
Morgan County Correctional Complex State Prison Morgan County
South Central Correctional Facility State Prison Wayne County
Johnson City Observation & Assessment Center State Prison Washington County
Middle Tennessee Juvenile Detention Facility County Jail Maury County
Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center County Jail Knox County
Van Buren County Jail County Jail Van Buren County
Mountain View Youth Development Center County Jail Jefferson County
Fentress County Jail County Jail Fentress County
McNairy County Jail County Jail McNairy County
Meigs County Jail County Jail Meigs County
Trousdale County Jail County Jail Trousdale County
Crockett County Jail County Jail Crockett County
Hardeman County Jail County Jail Hardeman County
Stewart County Jail County Jail Stewart County
Hickman County Jail County Jail Hickman County
Sequatchie County Justice Center County Jail Sequatchie County
Tipton County Jail County Jail Tipton County
John S. Wilder Youth Development Center County Jail Fayette County
Obion County Jail County Jail Obion County
McDowell Juvenile Detention Center County Jail Dyer County
Grundy County Jail County Jail Grundy County
Claiborne County Jail County Jail Claiborne County
Maury County Jail County Jail Maury County
Bledsoe County Jail County Jail Bledsoe County
Cheatham County Jail County Jail Cheatham County
Cocke County Jail County Jail Cocke County
Chester County Jail County Jail Chester County
Bedford County Jail County Jail Bedford County