The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC)

The Tennessee Department of Corrections is a cabinet-level position of the Tennessee State government. It began in 1923 under the Department of Institutions. The primary duty of the department is to manage safe and secure correctional facilities while at the same time protecting and serving the public against criminals and their activities.

The Tennessee Department of Corrections includes 14 state prisons located across the state. The state operates ten prisons, and four are privately managed. These prisons house about 28,000 prisoners. In addition, Tennessee has 112 jails in 95 countries that house about 32,000 inmates.

You can find information on the Tennessee Department of Correction by contacting Rachel Jackson Building, Sixth Floor Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0465 phone 615-741-1000.

Inmate and Jail Roster Search

The largest state-run prison is the Northwest Correctional Complex, which is located in Tiptonville, Lake County, Tennessee. The facility houses 2,391 inmates at a range of security levels. This prison is known as an educational prison and provides more than 100,000 hours of community service from inmates to state and local governments.
To search for inmates in the Tennessee Corrections prison system, you can find any inmate for free using the Tennessee Inmate Search Guide. This guide will provide you with inmates in state prisons, federal prisons, county jails, and the Tennessee Department of Corrections of TDOC system.

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Step 1 of your inmate search is to visit the Tennessee Felony Offender Information page. Search options include inputting last name, first name, and race. Step 2 to your search allows you to search with a Tennessee Department of Corrections ID number or State ID. This number will take you directly to the inmate information. Step 3 will return a page of all current and former Tennessee inmates matching your entered information.

The information you receive includes a full name, date of birth, TDOC ID number, and status. You will also see the prison or jail location if the inmate is still incarcerated. If the inmate has been paroled, they can see the parole office where they report.
An example of an inmate search returns the following information, including a mugshot.

Step 4 allows you to click on the TDOC ID number, where you will be given a detailed page for the inmate with a full physical description, sentencing information, and details about the crime committed.

Counties also have their ways of disseminating inmate records. For example, Shelby County is the largest County in Tennessee, with 916,371 residents, and the county seat is Memphis. The inmate lookup and records rules are typical of most counties in Tennessee. The address of the correctional institution in Shelby County is 1045 Mullins Station Rd., Memphis, Tennessee, 38134, phone 901-222-8500. The facility director is Anthony Alexander.

You can find an inmate by searching by name. List the first name, last name, and date of birth. Or you can search for an inmate if you know the booking number and value. These forms can be found on the shelbycounty.gov website, corrections.
Option 1: Search through the inmate roster by entering in the first and last name in the provided boxes.
Option 2: Sarh the inmate roster by using an identifier from the drop-down list or enter a value in the proper field.
The fields that will populate the report are the information you want for the inmate.

Decatur County Jail in Decaturville, Tennessee, is the correctional facility for this region and has information on those who were arrested and are now in jail. The address of this facility is Decatur County Jail, 38 North East Street, Decarturville, Tennessee 38329, phone number 731-852-3703. The search includes the current status, the bail, and visiting hours. Jail inmates are listed alphabetically by their last name.

The Decarturville facility takes mugshots of prisoners. Mugshots are jail-processing pictures in two phases – one frontal photo and a side photo. Your name and intake number are on the photos. You can search for mugshots online once you input the legal name and the arrest date. This process is the same in most counties in Tennessee.

Visitation Guideline and Hours

Before visiting a Tennessee correctional institute inmate, call the county sheriff where the prisoner is housed to find out any visiting hours.

Each county institution will have its own visitation rules. For example, at this time, Shelby County, Davidson County, and most county jails have suspended contact visitation until further notice. You can visit an inmate via video. Shelby County, Tennessee, jail video visits are typical in most counties in Tennessee. Video visitation is a good way to connect with inmates online without worrying about crowds and overwhelming visiting hours. Every inmate can have two video visits per week. However, you must be on the inmate’s approved visitation list.

Video visits are scheduled and paid for in advance. You can visit with an inmate when it is convenient for you.
Onsite video visits are free and can be scheduled in advance. Onsite video visits require you to travel to the facility, and visits are from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm. Every inmate is allowed three visitors at a time, including children. You will need to schedule the visit in advance at https://shelbycountytn.gtivistme.com/app.
After scheduling, you can visit the facility on the Internet. Arrive at the facility 15 minutes before check-in. You will need a valid photo ID, and each facility has its own rules for onsite visits. Make sure you are aware of these visits before arriving for the visit.

At-home video visits can be done on our computer, laptop, or mobile device (Android only). You can save travel time, long lines, and walking at the facility. You must sign into the visitation schedule at least 20 minutes before your visit. Ensure your connection works and follow the steps listed to start the visit.
Remote visits will cost $2.50 per session for 10 minutes, $6.25 for 25 minutes, and $12.50 per 50-minute visiting session.

Inmate Communication

Calls

The Tennessee Department of Correction does not allow inbound telephone calls for inmates. If there is a family emergency, the facility chaplain will facilitate a phone call when necessary. Inmates may have ten telephone numbers, family, and friends on their approved telephone list. The offender phone system only permits calls to these registered numbers.
You can fund an inmate’s account by using ConnectNetwork Advance Pay. This system allows money specifically for calling your telephone number. A step-by-step guide is given online. You can also add funds through Connect Network PIN Debit. Deposit into an inmate’s PIN debit phone account. Once the funds are credited, they can call any number on their approved list.
For additional ways to add funds to a phone account, the instructions are on the TBTN Department of Correction website.

Mail

All incoming and outgoing mail for inmates in Tennessee jails and prisons are processed through the facility mailroom before being sent or received. Mailroom staff opens and inspects all incoming mail for contraband and may read the content to ensure the safety and security of the institution.

In addition, mail determined to be suspicious will be opened and searched for contraband. If contraband is discovered, criminal charges will be against the receiving inmate and the sender.

To send mail to an inmate, the mail must be addressed as follows:

• Inmate’s Full Name
• OCA number
• City and County where an inmate is housed.
• PO Box of Jail
• Name of the county and zip code

Accepted Mail:

• All mail must be stamped and mailed through the US Postal Service
• Legal mail, letters, and standard greeting cards are accepted (cards with glitter will be discarded)
• Pictures may be allowed (35 mm pictures)

Unaccepted Mail:

• Inmate-to-inmate mail
• Stamps, envelopes, paper
• Hardback books or Bibles
• No emergency packages
• Greeting cards with glitter or other embellishments

Sending Money to an Inmate

If you want to send money to an inmate in a Tennessee jail or prison you are required to go through JPay. You can send money through walk-in, Internet, mail, or phone. However, before you send funds, you will need to know the following information:

• The Inmates Name
• TDOC Identification Number
• The current location of the inmate

Sending money through JPAY is easiest. The fee for sending funds online is from $3.90 to $10.90, depending on your sending amount. You can use a debit or credit card.

Funds can be made over the phone by calling JPAY at 1-800-574-5729. The fee for sending money via the phone is $4.90 to $11.90.
You can also send money by mail for no charge. You must purchase a U.S. Postal Money Order. Money orders must be payable to JPAY and include the inmate’s full name and ID number in the memo field. You must fill out a Tennessee Money Order Deposit Slip for inmates and include it with the money order. Mail the money order and the deposit slip to:

• JPAY
• PO Box 279010
• Miramar Fl, 3027

Booking Procedures

General booking procedures include.

• Gathering personal information, fingerprints, mugshots, search of the arrestee
• Recording information and the alleged crime
• Performing a criminal record search and the suspect’s background
• Confiscating personal property
• Placing the suspect in a police holding cell or jail for arraignment

Booking includes a full body search, even if the crime is relatively minor. This search can be quite invasive. This ensures that no weapons or drugs are in the holding cell.

A health check is also performed to determine if the suspect needs immediate care or a threat to the officers or others in custody. This may include blood tests and X-rays.

The offender is placed in a holding cell to await trial or bail posting. Before placement, the suspect is questioned about gang affiliations or other factors that could be a problem in a confirmed space. After booking, a suspect is allowed one phone call.

Mugshots

Booking procedures include mugshots which are photographic portraits of an arrested person from the shoulders up. The mugshot includes identifying information such as the date, references to the rime plus height and weight.

Information about Tennessee

Tennessee is in the upper South of the eastern United States and became the 16th state in 1796. Tennessee stretches from the Appalachian Mountains along North Carolina to the Mississippi River, Missouri, and Arkansas Rivers in the west. Tennessee is part of the Bible Belt and is ranked as one of the Nation’s most religious states. The Southern Baptist Convention has its headquarters in Tennessee.

Tennessee has a rich history connected with the Nation’s foundation. During the Civil War, Tennessee was mainly Confederate, and enslaved people made up 25% of the population. It was the state with the most Confederate volunteers, suffered the most battles, and was the last state to break from the Nation.

Tennessee is known culturally for its musical heritage (Nashville) and Memphis-style barbecue, plus Tennessee whiskey. Laws and government include the executive and legislative branches. The Judicial system begins with the state Supreme Court, and the state is divided into 31 judicial districts.

Tennessee has 95 counties that use a county commission legislative body and elected county executives. Nashville (the capital of Tennessee) shares a government system with the County.