Are Mississippi Inmate Records Public Information?
Under the Mississippi Public Records Act, inmate records are regarded as public information. Thus, interested parties can inspect and obtain copies of Mississippi inmate records upon request from the record’s custodian. An inmate record in Mississippi contains details about a detainee. These include and are not limited to the name of the detention facility where a particular person who’s in custody is housed, their current custody status, charges, and physical description. However, access to inmates' health records is restricted to authorized individuals only and is not available to the general public. However, record seekers can get a court order or have the inmate sign and complete an Authorization for Release form to get permission to access this information.
Mississippi Inmate Search
Mississippi inmate records comprise personal and official information regarding persons incarcerated in various correctional facilities in Mississippi. These facilities include county and city-run jails and detention centers as well as state or privately-operated prisons, penal institutions, and penitentiaries. The information included in these records includes the names, birth dates, gender, nationality, and ethnicity of the inmate, as well as their most current charges, ongoing sentences, designated inmate numbers, and prospective court or release dates.
Offenders' Mississippi inmate mugshots and current custody status are also included in their inmate records. Per the Mississippi Public Records Act, inmate records are available for public inspection upon request.
Inmate records are considered public in the United States and, therefore, are made available by both traditional governmental agencies as well as third-party websites and organizations. Third-party websites may offer an easier search, as these services do not face geographical limitations. However, because third-party sites are not government-sponsored, the information obtained through them may vary from official channels. To find inmate records using third-party aggregate sites, requesting parties must provide:
- The location of the sought-after record, including state, county, and city where the inmate resides.
- The name of the person listed in the record, unless it is a juvenile.
The easiest approach to getting detailed information about incarcerated individuals in Mississippi is to look up their inmate records. Mississippi inmates' records are maintained by the Mississippi Department of Correction (MDOC), the facility where a person who’s in custody is housed, and law enforcement agencies. While most detention facilities and law enforcement agencies offer inmate rosters, MDOC maintains the Mississippi inmate search portal to enable public access to inmate records. Therefore, interested persons can use the MDOC Mississippi inmate search portal or browse the inmate rosters to find someone in jail or a detainee’s inmate record in Mississippi.
How to Find Someone in Jail in Mississippi
In Mississippi, There are mainly two ways to find out why someone is in jail or find out what jail someone is in. Interested parties can query the local law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over the county or city where the subject was taken into custody. Some county sheriff’s departments and offices also maintain online Mississippi inmate search tools inquirers can use to obtain information about a jail inmate. These pieces of information include the inmate's physical description, name, booking number, and offense.
How to Perform a Mississippi Jail Inmate Search
The county's sheriff's office or the local police department is the administrative head of county jails. Interested persons may find a person in jail by contacting the sheriff's office or the police department. These law enforcement agencies often maintain arrest logs and inmate rosters on dedicated websites. Interested persons may perform an inmate search in Mississippi by visiting these websites. Where local law enforcement does not maintain a searchable online search, interested persons may contact the jail administrative desk for information on how to find out if someone is in jail.
Facilities Operated by the Mississippi Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
The Mississippi correctional system comprises county, state, private, and regional correctional facilities, as well as community work centers and restitution centers situated within state limits. While most county and city jails and detention centers are operated by local law enforcement agencies, state, private, and regional institutions are managed by the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC), which is tasked with disseminating inmate records of incarcerated persons in its jurisdiction.
The operational guidelines of most facilities are based on the resident inmates, the housing facility, and its security level. However, the MDC provides guidelines to state-run facilities, which county and city law enforcement agencies often adopt. Listed below are the addresses and contact information of state-run and privately operated correctional facilities in the US state of Mississippi:
Central Mississippi Correctional Facility
3794 Highway 468
Pearl, MS 39208
Phone: (601) 932-2880
Mississippi State Penitentiary
Highway 49 West
Parchman, MS 38738
(662) 745-6611
South Mississippi Correctional Institution
22689 Hwy 463 North
Leakesville, MS 39451
Phone: (601) 394-5600
East Mississippi Correctional Facility
10641 Highway 80 East
Meridian, MS 39307
Phone: (601) 485-5255
Marshall County Correctional Facility
833 West Street
Holly Springs, MS 38634
Phone: (662) 252-7111
Wilkinson County Correctional Facility
2999 US 61
Woodville, MS 39669
Phone: (601) 888-3199
Alcorn County Regional Correctional Facility
2839 South Harper Road
Corinth, MS 38834
Phone: (662) 286-7085
Bolivar County Correctional Facility
2792 Highway 8 West
Cleveland, MS 38732
Phone: (662) 843-7478 Or 2956
Chickasaw County Regional Correctional Facility
120 Lancaster Circle
Houston, MS 38851
Phone: (662) 456-3319
Carroll/Montgomery County Regional Correctional Facility
33714 MS Highway 35
Vaiden, MS 39176
Phone: (662) 464-5440
GCCF – George/Greene County Correctional Facility
154 Industrial Park Road
Lucedale, MS 39452
Phone: (601) 947-9399
Holmes/Humphreys County Correctional Facility
23234 Highway 12 East
Lexington, MS 39095
Phone: (662) 834-5016
LCCF – Issaquena County Correctional Facility
P.O. Box 220
Mayersville, MS 39113
Phone: (662) 873-2153
Jefferson/Franklin County Correctional Facility
279 Highway 33
Fayette, MS 39069
Phone: (601) 786-2284
Kemper/Neshoba County Regional Correctional Facility
374 Stennis Industrial Park Road
Dekalb, MS 39328
Phone: (601) 743-5767
Leake County Correctional Facility
399 C. O. Brooks Street
Carthage, MS 39051
Phone: (601) 298-9003
Marion/Walthall County Correctional Facility
503 South Main Street
Columbia, 39429
Phone: (601) 736-3621
Stone County Correctional Facility
1420 Industrial Park Road
Wiggins, MS 39577
Phone: (601) 928-7042
Winston/Choctaw County Correctional Facility
22062 Highway 25 North
Louisville, MS 39339
Phone: (662) 773-2528
Washington County Regional Correctional Facility
60 Stokes King Road
Greenville, MS 38701
Phone: (662) 537-2000
Yazoo Regional Correctional Facility
154 Roosevelt Hudson Drive
Yazoo City, MS 39194
Phone: (662) 751-8484
How Do I Send Money to an Inmate in Mississippi Prisons or Jails?
Interested persons may send funds to MDOC inmates using the department's designated online vendor or through Western Union. In either case, the sender will be required to provide detailed information regarding the receiving inmate. This will likely include the inmate's full name, DOC ID, and date of birth. Senders will be charged a nominal fee for this service. The prices for Western Union deposits begin at $5.95.
How to Get Approved to Visit an Inmate in Mississippi Prisons and Jails
Intending visitors are advised to confirm that the inmate of interest is serving time in the said facility by using the prison lookup tool. Then, the visitor must study the state's Department of Corrections visitation guidelines before scheduling a visit. All inmates (except those in punitive isolation) are allowed visits from at least ten different persons on the facility's scheduled visitation days. These persons must be included on the approved inmate visitation list, which should be filled out by the inmate.
Approved visitors are issued a written authorization, which should be shown along with a valid, government-issued photo ID on each visit to the correctional facility. Visitors are subject to routine searches upon arriving at the facility and are typically disallowed from leaving the designated areas while the visit is in progress.
Meanwhile, Mississippi state prisoners may be contacted via US mail or phone as provided by the state Department of Corrections. All relevant phone details may be found on the inmates' telephone page. Generally, persons seeking to contact inmates via phone may do so by contacting the designated vendor at (877) 650-4249 to obtain account information or billing details. Inmates may send and receive mail with the exceptions indicated on the inmate mail page of the MDOC website. Outgoing mail should be addressed as follows:
- Sender's Name & Inmate Number
- Current Housing Unit
- Institution/Facility Address
- City, State, ZIP
Incoming mail should be addressed as follows, including a return address:
- Inmate Name & MDOC Number
- Current Housing Unit
- Institution/Facility Name
- Institution/Facility Address
- City, State, ZIP
How to Find a County Inmate Roster in Mississippi
In Mississippi, most county sheriff's departments publish their respective county inmate rosters on their official website. Hence, interested persons can find a particular Mississippi county inmate roster by navigating to the County Sheriff's Department's official website. On most county sheriff's website homepages, there are usually buttons labeled “inmate roster” or “inmate lookup”. Both terms are used interchangeably to refer to a searchable list of who’s in custody. Inquirers can either browse through the list to find a particular inmate’s record or search for inmates by their first or last name.
It is important to note that while most counties maintain their inmate roster themselves, others may outsource their roster’s maintenance to third-party websites.
Mississippi State Prisons and County Jails: Understanding the Difference
There are three types of prisons in Mississippi: state prisons, county jails, and private prisons. State prisons are operated by the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) and house inmates who have been convicted of felonies and those serving a life sentence. Local sheriff's departments operate county jails and typically house inmates who have been convicted of misdemeanors or who are awaiting trial. Private prisons are operated by private companies and usually house inmates who have been convicted of non-violent offenses.
The MDOC operates several Mississippi state prisons and county jails, which collectively house more than 20,000 inmates. The largest state prison is the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County, which can hold more than 2,500 inmates. The smallest state prison is the East Mississippi Correctional Facility in Newton County, which can hold less than 500 inmates.
County jails in Mississippi typically have a capacity of 100 inmates or less. The largest county jail is the Hinds County Jail in Jackson, which can hold more than 1,000 inmates. The smallest county jail is the Neshoba County Jail in Philadelphia, which can hold fewer than 50 inmates.
Private prisons in Mississippi usually have a capacity of 1,000 inmates or less. The largest private prison is the Walnut Grove Correctional Facility in Leake County, which can hold more than 1,500 inmates. The smallest private prison is the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Tutwiler, which can hold fewer than 200 inmates.
As of 2018, there were approximately 23,000 inmates incarcerated in Mississippi state prisons and county jails. The vast majority of these inmates (more than 22,000) are housed in state prisons, while the remaining inmates (fewer than 1,000) are housed in county jails.
How to Perform a Mississippi Prison Inmate Search
All information relating to incarcerated persons in Mississippi state is primarily maintained by individual institutions. Nevertheless, interested persons may run an inmate search from the MDOC. The department maintains online resources such as the Mississippi prison inmate search tool and the central database for performing inmate lookups in Mississippi. A free inmate search by name will provide information on the inmate's personal information, jail term, and offense summary.
However, the inmates incarcerated in Yazoo City Medium prison are not listed in the MDOC prison inmate search tools. This is primarily because the prison is a federal correctional facility. This implies that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is in charge of its oversight and records. Federal inmate searches are handled by the BOP, while state prison inmate searches can be done through the MDOC. In order to provide convenient public access to federal inmate records, the BOP maintains the federal inmate search portal as a tool for public safety and service.
How Do I Find Out an Inmate Release Date?
For persons incarcerated in state prisons, friends and family can use the inmate search tool to look up an inmate's discharge date or parole information. The same procedure applies to inmates serving time in county jails. This time, however, the search is on the county jail roster or arrest log, and the searcher must look out for release status or bond/bail information.
