Ventress Correctional Facility

The Alabama Department of Corrections maintains a searchable public database of all of the inmates they have in custody. They do not however, publicize a list of former prisoners. Once an inmate is out of prison, there is no record online of their former status as inmates.

The Alabama Department of Corrections maintains different types of prisons. The prison that an inmate is assigned to depends on factors such as security classification, remaining time of their sentence, gang affiliation, and location of their residence.

These are the different prison designations in Alabama, and the code/acronym that you will see in the search results for each inmate:

• Correctional Center (CF),
• Correctional Facility (Corr. Fact.),
• Work Release (WR),
• Work Center (CWC),
• Community Center, and
• Some facilities are just spelled out completely

Locations containing the acronym SRP refer to the Alabama Department of Corrections 'Supervised Reentry Program' and will also list the county in which the inmate resides on the program.

Inmates currently assigned to other states will appear with the name of that state in the 'Incarcerated' field.

Every inmate listing has a projected release date which is subject to change if the inmate loses 'good time', which every inmate automatically gets, due to disciplinary action or escape.

Lastly, there are special sentence codes to explain certain inmates that do not have a projected release date.

The codes are as follows:
DR: Death Row
LW: Life Without Parole
LB: Life & Barred from Parole
LP: Life with Parole Possible
BP: Barred from Parole

Every inmate is assigned a number called an AIS, also known as their Alabama Institutional Serial. This number follows them for life.

If an inmate is released and then re-arrested, convicted, sentenced again, and then put back in prison in Alabama, they will be identified using the same AIS. That is why when you look up an Alabama Department of Corrections inmate, you will see his or her previous Alabama prison experiences.

How to Search for State Prison Inmates in Alabama

Since incarcerating its first inmate in 1842, in a prison with 20 guards and 208 cells, the Alabama Department of Corrections has grown into an organization today of over 3,400 employees with an inmate population approaching 26,000+ prisoners.

The following will explain the tricks and hacks you can use to find any inmate in custody with the Alabama Department of Corrections, even if you don't know how to spell their name.

Step 1

There are many ways to search for an inmate doing state time in Alabama:

• Search for an inmate using their AIS.
• Search for an inmate using their full name, FIRST and LAST.
• Search for an inmate using just their LAST name.
• Search for an inmate using just their FIRST name.
• Search for an inmate using a single letter of their LAST name; for example 'A'.
• Search for an inmate using a single letter of their FIRST name; for example 'A'.

• List all 26,000 inmates currently in the Alabama Department of Corrections prisons. 

To produce the entire list, enter % in the field for the last name and click the 'search' button.

Step 2

Once you click the search button you will see the results of your search. If you searched using the inmate's AIS, or if it's an uncommon name, the results will display your inmate.

If you chose to search for an inmate with a common name, or you chose to use just a single letter, or the %, you will be presented with a list that looks like this:
(Note, we have covered names and AIS numbers)

Step 3

Click on the name of  the inmate you wish to see displayed. The listing will give you their AIS, the insitution they are located, custody status, aliases, personal characteristics, personal information, admit date, time served, projected release date, parole consideration date and information about previous time served within the Alabama Department of Corrections on prior convictions.

County Jails in Alabama

County Jails in Alabama are primarily run by the local sheriff, and in the case of a few cities, there are also city jails run by their local police department.

After an arrest, an offender is sometimes held in the jail of the county where they were apprehended until they either pay a bond or bail, which entitles them to be released upon a promise to return to court for their trial, or they are held until their trial.

If an offender is found guilty and is given a sentence of less than one year, he or she will do their time in the county jail.  

If they are found guilty and given a sentence of more than one year, they will be remanded to the Alabama Department of Corrections to do their time. The only exception is if their crime is a federal offense. In that case they will be tried in a federal court and if found guilty, will be remanded to a federal prison.

Ventress Correctional Facility uses Access Corrections Secure Deposits (also known as 'Smart Deposit') for depositing money into an inmate's account. 

The information below provides you complete instructions regarding the Ventress Correctional Facility:
- Inmate Accounts and Deposits,
- Commissary Information,
- Depositing Money Online,
- Mailing Inmate Money, and
- What 'property' Ventress Correctional Facility inmates are allowed to have in jail and/or have dropped off to them.
Follow the instructions below on this page exactly to help ensure that your inmate has access to commissary, and in some cases medical and bail money, as soon as possible.

Alabama Department of Corrections Inmate Visitation

Upon initial intake into the ADOC, an inmate shall list all immediate family members on ADOC Form 303-F, Inmate Immediate Family Members and return the form to the Visitation Officer within thirty (30) days upon receipt.

An inmate shall complete ADOC Form 303-A, Inmate Visitation Form for visitors to be considered to be placed on an inmate’s active visitation list. An inmate shall have a sixty (60) day waiting period for visitation privileges, unless approved by the Warden, or his/her designee.

An inmate may update ADOC Form 303-A, Inmate Visitation Form, to the Warden, or his/her designee, every six (6) months. Notification of visitors approved or disapproved is the responsibility of an inmate.

An inmate’s approved visitation list shall have no more than eight (8) adult visitors active at any one time, all others will be placed on an inmate’s inactive list. Minor children should be identified on ADOC Form 303-A.

A married inmate may not have a friend of the opposite sex on their approved ADOC Form 303-A. An unmarried inmate may have one (1) friend of the opposite sex and one (1) friend of the same sex on his/her approved ADOC Form 303-A.

An adult visitor must be at least nineteen (19) years of age or older to be included on ADOC Form 303-A unless he/her is legally married to the inmate and has proof of such marriage.

Request For Minor Children to Visit shall be completed by the non-incarcerated parent or legal guardian. The ADOC Form 303-B shall be notarized and submitted to the Visitation Officer prior to the scheduled visit. A birth certificate or legal document establishing an inmate’s paternity or maternity must be provided for a minor child to be approved to visit an inmate. Only four (4) minor children are authorized to visit an inmate at any one (1) time.

An individual who is a victim of an inmate will not be approved to visit.

An inmate assigned to the Community Corrections Program or Supervised Re-Entry Program shall be prohibited from visiting an incarcerated inmate.

Ex-felons, parolees and probationers may be considered after two (2) years from the date of release. The ex-felon shall be an immediate family member. Parolees and probationers must have written approval from their Parole/Probation Officer.

A visitor may not be approved on more that one (1) inmate’s visiting application unless an inmate is an immediate family member of the visitor and the relationship can be substantiated.

Falsification of any visitation application information shall result in denial of the visitor to the institution.

A visitor may be denied due to being directly involved in an inmate’s criminal behavior.

Current or former employees of the ADOC will not be allowed to visit an inmate unless they are immediate family members and have prior approval from the Warden.

Scheduled Visits:

A parent or legal guardian who has custody of an inmate’s minor child may authorize an immediate family member, who is on the active visitor list of an inmate to accompany or supervise an inmate’s children by submitting a notarized ADOC Form 303-B, Request for Minor Children to Visit. The notarized form should be submitted to the institutional Warden, or his/her designee, prior to the scheduled visit.

A separate notarized ADOC Form 303-B is required for each immediate family member who is approved to accompany or supervise an inmate’s minor children.

After the Warden, or his/her designee, reviews an inmate’s proposed ADOC Form 303-A, the names of those persons who are approved will be entered into the inmate database, Visitation Module, and a copy of the approved or disapproved list will be given to an inmate and a copy of the list will be scanned into the inmate’s database.

Four (4) adults and four (4) minor children are authorized to visit an inmate at any one (1) time. Visitors who bring minor children to visit will be expected to properly supervise the children so that they do not cause disruption to the institution, staff, or other visitors. Violations may result in the visitors being terminated from visitation. 

General Rules for Visitation:

Adult visitor must have valid photo identification and be listed on the approved inmates visitation list or have a special visit approved by the Warden.

Visitor(s) and all item(s) will be searched.

Visitor(s) are required to return all unapproved item(s) to their vehicles. Staff shall not be responsible for any unapproved items.

Visitor(s) providing false name(s) or introducing or attempting to introduce contraband may be committing a criminal offense and face possible felony prosecution.

Visiting schedule is subject to change without prior notice due to security reasons.

If visitor(s) or inmate(s) fail to abide by the established visitation rules their visit will be terminated.

Each adult visitor may enter the visitation check-in area with no more than $20.00, identification card and car keys in a clear plastic bag.

Visitors may also have the option of purchasing a $20.00 debit card.

An inmate’s adult children and/or grandchildren will be allowed to visit with a birth certificate establishing an inmate’s paternity or maternity. Minor children must also have a completed ADOC Form 303-B, Request for Minor Children to Visit.

Visitor(s) must wear a complete set of undergarments.

Parent(s)/legal guardian(s) with babies will be allowed no more that four (4) disposable diapers and one (1) will be changed during searches. One (1) small baby blanket and two (2) plastic baby bottles will be allowed on the visiting area.

All dresses, skirts, and pants shall extend below the knee (females only). Splits/Slits must be knee length or lower (females only).

All blouses and shirts must be long enough to cover the waist and chest area.

Sitting in laps or other type of behavior which is deemed offensive or considered inappropriate or illicit is prohibited.

A brief hug and kiss between an inmate and his or her visitor at the time of entry and at the time of departure will be permitted.

Visitor(s) shall not be allowed to leave any item(s) for an inmate.

Visitor(s) are permitted to wear religious headwear into the visiting area with advanced written approval from the Warden. This headwear is subject to search. It may be necessary for ADOC staff to search this item at any time during the visiting process.

Prohibited Items:

 1. Sunglasses, except prescribed by a doctor.
 2. Electronic equipment to include, but not be limited to, cell phones, video games, radios, MP3 players, laptops, etc.
 3. Jewelry, except wedding set/band.
 4. Medication, except prescribed by a doctor and with prior approval of the Warden.
 5. Tobacco products, matches, or lighters.
 6. Firearms/Weapons.
 7. Purses, briefcases, or duffel bags.
 8. Hats, caps, scarves, or headbands.
 9. White or any light colored clothing that appears white.
 10 Wigs, except prescribed by a doctor and with prior approval of the Warden.
 11. Scrub type garments.
 12. Sundresses or sleeveless shirts.
 13 Shorts, stretch pants, or tight fitting trousers with elastic type fabrics. All trousers must be at least ankle-length.
 14. Slippers, shower shoes, and beach shoes.
 15. Tight fitting, sheer, and see-through clothes.

The Ventress Correctional Facility Inmate Phone System is Securus. 

Sign up with Securus by clicking the banner below.

1.  AdvanceConnect – Good Option - You control all phone numbers your inmate can call.

This type of account offers you the following benefits:
•    You are able to receive inmate calls as long as funds are available in your account.
•    You can add multiple phone numbers to your account so your inmate can reach your home phone, work phone, cell phone, other relatives, neighbors, friends, etc.
•    Calls WILL connect to cell phones.

2.  Inmate Debit – Inmate can call anyone they choose (subject to jail's approval)

This type of account offers you the following benefits:
•    You can fund an Inmate Debit account without having your own calling account.
•    Inmates can call anyone on their approved calling list without requiring friends and family to create separate prepaid accounts.
•    Calls WILL connect to cell phones.
•    Funds placed in the Inmate Debit account will become the property of the inmate and friends & family members will not be able to receive refunds on this account. 

3. Direct Bill - You receive calls from your inmate, and the charges are billed to you monthly.

• Requires a credit check. 
• Costs more.
• Good for lawyers, bail bonds, long-term inmates, etc.

Resources
Contact Securus by Phone:  972-734-1111 or 800-844-6591
Contact Securus Online
Frequently Asked Questions
Submit a Question for Securus Online
Online Rate Quote

Ventress Correctional Facility Inmate & Family Voicemail

Securus Outbound Voicemail provides your inmate an opportunity to leave a message for their family and friends when a call to their mobile goes unanswered. Once the inmate leaves a voicemail, a text message containing a link will be sent to the dialed number. The recipient of the inmate's voicemail is then sent to a web form to pay and listen to the message. The voicemail will be available for up to 30 days after it is sent, and then another 30 days after it is paid for.

Securus Phone System Cost & Fees - *Subject to Change

ADVANCE CONNECT Phone Calls 
$0.21 per minute

INMATE DEBIT Phone Calls
$0.21 per minute

DIRECT BILL Phone Calls
$0.25 per minute

TRADITIONAL COLLECT Phone Calls
$0.25 per minute

VOICEMAIL Message
One minute - $0.75 per minute

For current online rate quote, go here.

Ventress Correctional Facility Inmate Mail Guidelines

Postcards
The Ventress Correctional Facility 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 Ventress Correctional Facility 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 addressed as follows:
Inmate's Full Name
AIS# 
Facility Name
Housing unit, bed assignment
Facility Address

Legal Mail

Address all Legal Mail as follows:
Inmate's Full Name
AIS# 
Facility Name
Housing unit, bed assignment
Facility Address

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 Ventress Correctional Facility 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 noted.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Ventress Correctional Facility 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.

Inmates are allowed to receive two books and four magazines or newspapers per month.

Address all newspapers, magazines and books as follows:Inmate's Full Name
AIS# 
Facility Name
Housing unit, bed assignment
Facility Address

Ventress Correctional Facility contracts with Access Securepak (aka MyCarePak) for families to send pre-determined packages of commissary items to your inmate.

Access Securepak carries over 1,000 different items in the following categories:
- Food and Snacks
- Personal Hygiene Products
- Electronics
- Apparel

Registration Process:
1. Register here.
2. Select Alabama.
3. Select Ventress Correctional Facility.
4. Find your Inmate.
5. Deposit Funds.
6. Order Commissary Items.
Once you are logged in, you will receive instructions on how much (and what products) you can send your inmate.
Contact Information:
* If you have any questions, you can call Access Securepak at 800-546-6283.
* You can email My Care Pack at customerservice@securepak.net.
* You can write them at:
    Access Securepak
    10880 Linpage Place
    St. Louis, MO 63132

* You can Live Chat with a Representative online: (bottom left corner of page)
   Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.–11 p.m. CST, 
   and Saturdays, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. CST.

*Note* Access Securepak will issue a refund for or replace broken, damaged, or missing products reported by Ventress Correctional Facility staff. They will not honor reports of discrepancies from inmate's families or friends.
My CarePack is the Ventress Correctional Facility's outside vendor for Commissary Items. They have a very good mix of Chips, Snacks, Candy, Meat, Seafood, Hygiene products, Letter writing materials, Electronics and Apparel items for sale on their website.

*NOTE* -- Once you are fully registered and have selected the inmate you wish to send commissary to, you will receive instructions on how much you can deposit, how much (and what) you can purchase for your inmate, and how often you can send commissary.

.........

Sending Footwear

Union Supply Direct is the exclusive Footwear provider for the Alabama Department of Corrections.

Family and Friends can order their loved ones incarcerated in the Alabama Prison System a Footwear Package offering product pre-approved by ADOC.

Refer to the Rules & Regulations section for more information.  Males - Females

There are four ways for family and friends to order:

1. Order online at: Union Supply Direct

2. Order by phone: (562) 361-5715

3. Order by Fax: (310) 603-1188

4. Mail your order to:
UNION SUPPLY DIRECT
Dept. #651
P.O. Box 619059
Dallas, TX 75261-9059

Ventress Correctional Facility uses Securus eMessaging for Inmate Email.

Register here. (You are already registered if you signed up with Securus for 'Phone' or 'Remote Visitation').

Steps: 
1.  Sign up for eMessaging
2. Find your inmate.
3. Purchase a book of Securus ‘stamps’.
4. Type & Send message.

Things you CAN do:
1.  You CAN ONLY send messages from the Securus website, or with the Securus app. (links below).
2. You CAN transfer ‘stamps’ to your inmate.
3. You CAN deposit money to your inmate, and they can purchase ‘stamps’ on their end.
4. Each time you send a message, you CAN pay for them to reply.
5. You CAN send photos. (Jail staff will review for appropriateness) 

Things you CANNOT do:
1.  You CANNOT use your own personal email to send messages.
2. You CANNOT send any message or photo that would normally be rejected by regular mail.

Other Things:
1.  Photos must be .jpg, .jpeg or .png.
2. eMessages and photos must meet the jail’s standards for regular mail.
3. If your eMessage or Photo is rejected you will be notified of the reason, but you will NOT get a refund.

What is the cost of sending inmate messages?

• Send a text Message - 1 stamp
• Purchase a reply for your inmate - 1 stamp
• Attach up to 5 photos - 1 stamp each photo
• Share up to 5 eCards - 1 stamp each eCard
• Send just a photo with no text - 1 stamp
• Send a 30 second VideoGram - 3 stamps

What can your inmate do with digital 'stamps'?

• Reply to your eMessage if you attach a return stamp
• Receive transferred stamps you share with them (no cost to transfer)
• When available, they can purchase their own stamps from their Inmate Debit Account

Contact Information and Help:
eMessaging FAQ  
eMessaging Signup & Helpful Information  
Online Customer Service Support 
Phone Support: 972-734-1111 or 800-844-6591
iphone app
Android app

Mailing Check payments
Securus Correctional Billing Services
PO Box 650757
Dallas, Texas 75265-075

Ventress Correctional Facility now offers Securus 'SecureView' Tablet Rentals to their inmates.

  
Securus is the same company that handles the inmate phone system, video visitations, email and texting and digital letters.

The tablets can be rented on a monthly basis and while not directly connected to the internet, the inmates can use them for the following activities:

• Phone Calls - Inmates may make calls directly from their tablet allowing for more privacy. The rates are the same as the phones in the unit, and the calls are still recorded and monitored.
• eMessaging - Communicate via a text based message or picture. Fee based system.
• Job Search - Using JobView, a secure job search application, inmates have the ability to see what jobs are available when they are released.
• Education - Free educational platform and course catalog that provides thousands of educational resources.
• Self Help -Inmates have daily access to mental health and addiction recovery programming.
• Music - Top-40, Hip-Hop, Country, Rock, Gospel, and more.
• Law Library -  Legal research with up-to-date case information.
• eBooks - Thousands of available titles.
• Religion - Religious resources for spiritual guidance.
• Games - Inmates can play their favorite games. Available through monthly subscriptions
• Facility Services - Digital access to submitted forms, requests, facility documents, and notifications from staff.

Here's how it works:

• Register here.  It is recommended you use Chrome or Firefox.
• Pay for the subscription using Paypal.
• You get charged the 1st of each month. 
• You get charged a full month even if it's only used for a partial month.
• No activation or early termination fees.
• Your inmate will receive their tablet in 3-5 business days, after you pay.

Questions:

• By phone - 800-844-6591 or 972-734-1111.
• By email - tablets@securustech.net

Once an inmate is convicted and sentenced for a violation of that state’s felony laws (and their sentence is more than one year in length), they are moved from the City or County Jail and sent to a State Prison in Alabama. If the violation they are convicted of is a federal crime, they will be sent to a Federal Prison, but will not necessarily be doing their time in Alabama.

Alabama State Prisons are operated and maintained by the state government and are used to confine and rehabilitate criminals. State prisons are funded by state tax money. The fund is used to provide food and clothes to inmates and to hire employees to keep the prison running. Inmates in state prison enjoy certain privileges such as TV use and recreation, both indoor and outdoor. The number of privileges allowed depends on the security level of the prison, the inmate and the overall needs of the prison on a specific day.

Alabama has minimum, medium and maximum security prisons. The Corrections Department in Alabama also maintains low (or no) security residential settings and camps where inmates assist in state property maintenance and duties such as fighting fires. Almost all prisons provide ‘jobs’ where an inmate can earn a small hourly wage and even learn a trade. Some prisons even contract with call centers and handle phone calls on issues related to their state government. Criminals who have committed a violent crime or killed someone are likely housed in a maximum security prison. If the inmate in these prisons behave, they are also eligible to recreate and/or work as well.

In Alabama Prisons rehabilitation is the stated goal but the reality is that they exist to punish inmates for their crimes and keep them from hurting or harming innocent people on the outside who follow the laws and live and act responsibly. The fact is that most prison systems are underfunded, overcrowded and are not able to spend time and money rehabilitating offenders. This is not the fault of the people hired to work in prisons, they are just victims of the lack of resources due to budgeting constraints.

The Alabama Department of Corrections maintains a searchable public database of all of the inmates they have in custody. They do not however, publicize a list of former prisoners. Once an inmate is out of prison, there is no record online of their former status as inmates.

The Alabama Department of Corrections maintains different types of prisons. The prison that an inmate is assigned to depends on factors such as security classification, remaining time of their sentence, gang affiliation, and location of their residence.

These are the different prison designations in Alabama, and the code/acronym that you will see in the search results for each inmate:

• Correctional Center (CF),
• Correctional Facility (Corr. Fact.),
• Work Release (WR),
• Work Center (CWC),
• Community Center, and
• Some facilities are just spelled out completely

Locations containing the acronym SRP refer to the Alabama Department of Corrections 'Supervised Reentry Program' and will also list the county in which the inmate resides on the program.

Inmates currently assigned to other states will appear with the name of that state in the 'Incarcerated' field.

Every inmate listing has a projected release date which is subject to change if the inmate loses 'good time', which every inmate automatically gets, due to disciplinary action or escape.

Lastly, there are special sentence codes to explain certain inmates that do not have a projected release date.

The codes are as follows:
DR: Death Row
LW: Life Without Parole
LB: Life & Barred from Parole
LP: Life with Parole Possible
BP: Barred from Parole

Every inmate is assigned a number called an AIS, also known as their Alabama Institutional Serial. This number follows them for life.

If an inmate is released and then re-arrested, convicted, sentenced again, and then put back in prison in Alabama, they will be identified using the same AIS. That is why when you look up an Alabama Department of Corrections inmate, you will see his or her previous Alabama prison experiences.

State Inmate

Most states have Department of Corrections websites that allow you to type in a felon's first and last name and pull up inmates in that state.

If you need to find a sentenced inmate serving time in a state other than Alabama, go here. To find an inmate in Alabama, just scroll to the top of the page and click on the Inmate Search button.

Once you locate them click next to the inmate's name or on the link provided and it will show you which prison the inmate is housed in. If the inmate is no longer incarcerated, but is on parole/probation or discharged, it will tell you that as well. In addition, many state prison inmate pages show recent mug shots.

Federal Inmate

The federal prison system has its own inmate locator called the Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator.

Type in the inmate's name and it will tell you where he or she is incarcerated and their projected release date. It also lists released federal prison inmates and the date they were released.

Federal inmates who are moved from one prison to another will show as "No longer in federal custody" on the system until they reach their next federal prison destination. This movement can take a few days to several months to complete, so keep checking back to find out where the inmate was taken.

ICE Inmates

The ICE Detainee Lookup allows friends, family members and interested parties to locate illegal and/or undocumented immigrants that are in the United States without permission.

Has the Inmate been recently arrested?... Try a County Jail

In many cases, the person you are looking for has either not been convicted or sentenced or has been sentenced and is awaiting transport to a State or Federal Prison and is still incarcerated in a City or County Jail.

To locate that person, go here to first find the State, and then the County where they were originally arrested or have been transported to. From there you can begin your search in our databases that contain the names and information of millions of inmates.

Jailexchange.com has all information on every jail and prison in the United States.