Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer

To search for an inmate in the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer, review their criminal charges, the amount of their bond, when they can get visits, or even view their mugshot, go to the Official Jail Inmate Roster, or call the jail at 205-481-4160 for the information you are looking for.

Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer Inmate Search

Jefferson County maintains an average of 2,015 inmates in custody on any given day (in all jails combined). The jails have a weekly turnover of 55% of their population. Every year Jefferson County law enforcement agencies arrest and detain approximately 40,300 offenders.

The following charts of Jefferson County inmate population demographics are updated daily. The information shown is for 6/8/2023. For research purposes we have broken down the inmates by sex, age, ethnicity, and criminal charges.

The information is compiled from Jefferson County, the state of Alabama, as well as the United States Department of Justice and Census Bureau records.

For complete information on how to bond, visit, mail, send and receive email, receive phone calls, send money or commissary to an inmate, find information in this and other counties, and view the Most Wanted Fugitives, scroll down this page.

For a collection of over 20 additional graphs and charts of the demographic and criminal arrest information of the inmates in Jefferson County and Alabama state prisons, click the button below.
Jefferson County INMATE DEMOGRAPHICS

The Jefferson County jails, both Bessemer and Birmingham, recommend that you call the jail at 205-481-4160 or go to the inmate search, to look up the inmate's bond amount. 

If you can't afford it, they recommend you look up a local bail bond agent and contact them.

How Do You Visit an Inmate in the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer? What is the Schedule?

Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer ON-SITE (at the jail) VIDEO VISITATION SCHEDULE
1822 2nd Avenue North
Bessemer, AL 35020
205-481-4160

Schedule Video Visits online with gettingout

• On-site Visits are free.
• Visits are 30 minutes.
• Visitation schedule subject to change.
• Inmates are allowed two visits per week
• A maximum of 2 guests are allowed per an On-site video session.

Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer REMOTE (at home) VIDEO VISITATION SCHEDULE

• All visits must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.
• Visitation Schedule subject to change.

Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer uses GettingOut for their Remote Video Visitation and/or Visit Scheduling. 

There are three ways to remotely visit your inmate:
1.  Using the GettingOut/GTL Kiosk at the jail.
2. Using your computer from home.
3. Using your phone on the GettingOut or GTL apps.

How it Works with GettingOut
1.  Register an account.
2. Select Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer
3. Choose either an INMATE ACCOUNT or FRIENDS & FAMILY ACCOUNT.   

• **NOTE** Friends and Family must have funds in their "Friends & Family Account" to respond to inmate messages. 
• If you deposit money online in the INMATE ACCOUNT, than they have the freedom to spend the money on visits or phone calls to anyone, or any other communications services available at Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer.
• With the FRIENDS & FAMILY ACCOUNT, you control all communication services such as phone calls, video visits and messaging. Your inmate can only call the phone number you want.

4. You will then receive prompts to validate both your identity and phone number .
5. Again, choose your inmate's facility, then type their name and select your inmate.

GettingOut will then guide you through the steps needed to arrange your remote visit.

Customer Service for GettingOut
If you have any questions, you can call them at 866-516-0115.
GettingOut online contact form
Frequently Asked Questions
The GettingOut App is available on Google Play and Apple Store.

How Do You Visit an Inmate in Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer?

To visit an inmate in Jefferson County, whether by video or in person 'at the jail', follow these steps:

Other than 'at the jail' visits between you and your inmate, which is explained and outlined in detail on our Visit Inmate Page, Jefferson County remote video inmate visitation can be done using the services of GettingOut. 

There are three ways to remotely visit your inmate in Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer:
1.  Using the GettingOut Kiosk at the jail.
2. Using your computer from home.
3. Using your phone on the GettingOut apps.

To remotely visit an inmate in Jefferson County follow these steps:
1.  Start by confirming that Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer's Video Visitation is working correctly by looking up Jefferson County here.
2.  The next step is to create an account here for GettingOut.
3. Then add funds to your account.
4. Last, select Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer, and then the inmate you wish to communicate with.

Other Jefferson County Services provided by GettingOut:
 - Phone Calls & Voicemail 
 - Email, Photo & Video Sharing
-  Inmate Tablet Rental
-  Deposits

Customer Service
If you have any questions about the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer Visitation Services you can call them at 866-516-0115.
Frequently Asked Questions

* All the information you need to have complete knowledge about inmate visitation; policies, rules, fees, schedules, tips, dress codes, and children, lawyers and clergy visitation in Jefferson County, can be found on our Visit Inmate Page.

Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer Phone: 205-481-4160

Can I Use My Computer or Phone to Have a Remote Video Visit with an Inmate in the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer?

Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer REMOTE (at home) VIDEO VISITATION SCHEDULE

• All visits must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.
• Visitation Schedule subject to change.

How Do You Deposit Money for an Inmate in the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer?

How Do I put Money on an Inmate's Commissary Account in the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer to Purchase Phone Cards?

There are FOUR options for putting money on an inmate's books:

Option 1 - Dropping Money at the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer
Bring money to the jail in person. 
Either the jail personnel will process the Inmate Account payment or you will use the NCIC self-serve kiosk in the lobbies that accepts cash, debit or credit cards.

Option 2 - Deposit Inmate Money Online
Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer uses NCIC to process all online deposits to an inmate's account. NCIC charges you a small fee for doing so, but the fee probably isn't as much as gas and parking would cost to take it to the jail in person.


Option 3 - Mail the Inmate Deposit to the Jail
Mailing a deposit takes more time to process than the other methods but can be done if you live too far away to bring it in person and you don't have a debit/credit card for online deposits. Never send cash. Always send a Money Order from the US Post Office, a reputable bank or Western Union.
Make the Money Order out to the inmate's name and put their Inmate ID# in memo section of the Money Order.  Mail it to the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer address on this page, or to the address below if it is different than the facility address.
Inmate's Full Name & Subject Number
Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer
1822 2nd Avenue North
Bessemer, AL 35020

Option 4 - Make an Inmate Deposit over the Phone by calling 800-943-2189

For more information about sending an inmate money for phone cards or other commissary sundries, check out our Inmate Money Page.

How Do I Receive Phone Calls from an Inmate in the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer?

How Does an Inmate Make Phone Calls in Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer?

To receive phone calls from an inmate in Jefferson County follow these instructions:

Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer uses the services of NCIC for inmate phone calling. It is called a ‘friends & family account”.

In order to receive phone calls from your inmate, you need to do the following:

• Register here, or by phone 800-943-2189
• Choose Alabama.
• Choose Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer
• Select your Inmate.
• Enter the phone number your Inmate will be calling.
• Fund your Account. ($10-$100 at a time)

NOTE:
1.   You cannot receive any calls to your phone number from your inmate until both you and your phone number are registered.
2.  When you do receive a call, the number you will view on your phone from the incoming call is: 800-943-2189.
3.  When allowed by Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer, families can also leave secure voicemails for inmates to listen to.

Fees

• Adding funds to your account - $3.00 
• Cost of phone call of a Prepaid Collect Account - $0.21 per minute
• Cost of an interstate (ex. Alabama to a different state) phone call NOT Prepaid - $0.25 per minute
• Cost of an intrastate (ex. Alabama to Alabama) phone call NOT Prepaid - $0.25 per minute
• Cost if you set up your account (or fund it) by phone using a live agent, you will be charged a one-time fee of $5.95.

NCIC Customer Service
Phone - 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069
Email – [email protected]
Full list of participating jails.

For all the information regarding phone calls with Jefferson County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, fees, limits and more visit our Inmate Phone Page.

How do I Mail an Inmate in the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer, and what can I send them?

Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer Inmate Mail Guidelines

Postcards
The Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature. It is best to only use blue or black ink. Always include your name and return address.

Envelopes
The Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates. It is best to only use blue or black ink.

Postcards and envelopes MUST HAVE the sender's full name and return address on the envelope. 

Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate's Full Name & Subject Number
Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer
1822 2nd Avenue North
Bessemer, AL 35020

Legal Mail

Send all legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate's Full Name & Subject Number
Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer
1822 2nd Avenue North
Bessemer, AL 35020

Newspapers
Newspapers may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher.

Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.

Books
The Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address above.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer standards will be disposed of. 
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.

All newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Inmate's Full Name & Subject Number
Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer
1822 2nd Avenue North
Bessemer, AL 35020

Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer Inmate Mail Policies and Address - What Can You Send, and Where?

For inmates receiving mail in the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer there are different addresses and policies depending on the inmate's status, as well as what type of mail they are receiving; personal mail, legal mail, subscriptions or books sent from a third-party such as Amazon.

All mail, newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer:
Inmate's Full Name & Subject Number
Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer
1822 2nd Avenue North
Bessemer, AL 35020


For complete information on mail policies, what you can send an inmate and what address to send them, check out our Inmate Mail page.

How Can I Communicate with an Inmate in the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer using an Online Messaging Service?

Emailing Messages & Photos

Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer contracts with GTL GettingOut, the same service that handles Inmate Phone Systems and Video Visitation, for sending secure messages and photos between you and your inmate.


If you are not already registered, do so here, or Log in.

Then use the Facility Finder to:
1.  Select Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.

How Messaging Works
Watch this video on how to send a message.
1.  Messages can be up to 500 characters long, including punctuation. At the bottom of your message there is a 'character countdown' feature.  
2. After you click the “CONTINUE” button, you can review the cost to send your message to your inmate. You can also attach credits for your inmate to reply to your message.  Be sure to accept the Terms and Conditions and click the “SEND” button for your message to be successfully delivered to your inmate.

How Uploading Photos Works
Watch this video on how to upload a photo.
1.  Select the Photos Tab.
2. Select “Take New Photo” or “Upload New Photo”.
3. Take a new photo with your webcam, or select "Choose File" to upload a photo from your computer.
4. Give your photo a Title or add it to the "Gallery" of your choice.
5. Select the "Share" button.
6. Select your inmate(s) and then select "Share".
7. Once the photo is approved, it will be shared with your inmate(s).

Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call   866-516-0115

How to Communicate with an Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer Inmate by Mail and by Email

To mail or email an inmate in Jefferson County follow these steps:

When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please follow these instructions:

• All mail sent to an inmate at the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer must include the sender's name and mailing address in the top left corner of the envelope or postcard.
• All mail must include the facility's address, as well as the inmate's name and assigned number.
• Failure to include your return address will most likely result in your mail NOT being delivered and your letter destroyed.
• The Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer has a zero-tolerance policy regarding mail violations. 
• All the information you need to understand mail and email policies can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.

Emailing Messages & Photos

Facility_name_1} contracts with GTL GettingOut, the same service that handles iInmate Phone Systems and Video Visitation, for sending secure messages and photos between you and your inmate.
 
If you are not already registered, do so here, or Log in.

Then use the Facility Finder to:
1.  Select Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.

• Messages can be up to 500 characters long, including punctuation. At the bottom of your message there is a 'character countdown' feature.  
• After you click the “CONTINUE” button, you can review the cost to send your message to your inmate. You can also attach credits for your inmate to reply to your message.  Be sure to accept the Terms and Conditions and click the “SEND” button for your message to be successfully delivered to your inmate.
• You can also send your Jefferson County inmate photos and videos.

Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call   866-516-0115

Go here to this FAQ to get answers to how the transition to ViaPath from GTL and gettingout will affect your account.

All the information you need to understand mail and email policies for Jefferson County can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.

Do Inmates in the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer have Access to Tablets or Computers?

Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer allows inmates access to tablets to use for the services provided by 'gettingout'.

The devices are similar to common handheld tablets, but are made exclusively by GettingOut, a GTL company.
Tablets offer specialized content and services for inmates to use during their stay at Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer, such as:

• Music
• Books
• Games
• Education
• News
• Radio
• Television
• Read mail and messages
• Video visits

-  Free services are already available for use on the device at Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer.
-  Subscription services are funded separately by family and friends with deposits made into an inmate’s Debit Link account.
-  Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer Inmates will then be able to purchase subscription services and premium content to enjoy.

What Does a Tablet Cost?

• Tablet devices include some services and the content is free.
• The subscription services require additional funding.
• There may be multiple options such as 7-day or 30-day subscriptions.
• Costs are dependent upon the available services and what the Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer charges.

To estimate costs for phone calls, sign in to your account and click “Rate & Fees Calculator” in the footer (bottom of the page) or call 866-516-0115 for assistance.

How Inmates Can Use a Tablet to Access Services at Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer

To find out how to get access to a tablet for inmate read the following:

1.  First, Register or Sign In to GettingOut/GTL

2.  Purchase the services you want for your Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer inmate.
3. All inmates have free access to the tablets to read their letters from family & friends, but there are many other services available to keep your inmate busy while incarcerated... such as Games, Books, Music and Movies. These other services come with fees that you can pay for when you pay for phone service.

To learn more about Tablet Rentals for inmates, including the cost, all the services available and everything else you need to know, check out our Tablet Rental Page.

What are the other City and County Jails in Jefferson County?

What are the other Jails in the Neighboring Counties surrounding Jefferson County?

Do you have a list of Arrest Warrants, and the Most Wanted Criminals in Jefferson County, the state of Alabama and the United States?