Are Georgia Inmate Records Public Information?
Yes. Inmate records are considered public in Georgia under the Georgia Open Records Act. The records are made available by both governmental agencies and third-party public record providers. Thus, individuals can request inmate records or conduct a Georgia inmate search using these sources. Note, however, that certain information about inmates is exempt from public access.
Georgia Inmate Search
Georgia inmate records contain information relating to a convicted person who has been remanded in a correctional facility managed by the county or Georgia Department of Corrections (GDOC). Persons who conduct a Georgia inmate search to obtain inmate records can expect to see the inmate's full biodata and sentencing information. Biodata information included in inmate records is name, age, sex, and Georgia inmates' mugshot. Also, sentencing information includes offense type, custody status, registration number, and past and current locations.
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 means to 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 the state, county, and city where the inmate resides.
- The name of the person listed in the record, unless it is a juvenile.
How to Find Someone in Jail in Georgia
Citizens can find anyone incarcerated in a Georgia jail using the Georgia inmate search tool provided on a county government or sheriff's website. This must be the sheriff responsible for supervising the inmate or county where an inmate is being held. Individuals can also contact a county sheriff's office to inquire about locally incarcerated individuals. Note that while the State Department of Corrections (GDC) offers an inmate locator to the public, it cannot be used to find someone in county jail. It only helps uncover the whereabouts of Georgia prison inmates.
Facilities Operated by the Georgia Department of Corrections
The Georgia Department of Corrections oversees about 50,000 inmates in 35 state prisons, seven probation detention centers, four private prisons, and 21 county prisons. Interested persons may obtain the physical address and contact information of these correctional facilities on the Department of Corrections prison lookup tool.
The following are the addresses and contact information of Georgia state prisons and correctional facilities:
Albany Regional Youth Detention Center, GA
2030 Newton Road,
Albany, GA 31701-3599
Athens-Clarke County Correctional Institute
2825 County Farm Road,
Athens, GA 30610
Augusta Youth Development Campus (YDC)
3481 Mike Padgett Highway,
Augusta, GA 30906-3815
Blakely Regional Youth Detention Center
763 Jesse Johnson Street,
Blakely, GA 39823-3224
Carroll County Correctional Institution
96 Horsley Mill Road,
Carrollton, GA 30117
Claxton Regional Youth Detention Center
3609 Bill Hodges Road,
Claxton, GA 30417
Decatur County GA Prison
1153 Airport Road,
Bainbridge, GA 39817
DeKalb Regional Youth Detention Center
2946 Clifton Springs Road,
Decatur, GA 30034-3820
East Shaw Regional Youth Detention Center
2735 Underwood Road NE,
Dalton, GA 30721-7499
Eastman Youth Development Campus (YDC)
176 Freamon Graham Blvd.,
Eastman, GA 31023-8003
Effingham County GA Prison
321 Highway 119 South P.O. Box 235,
Springfield, GA 31329
Floyd County GA Correctional Institution
329 Blacks Bluff Road SW,
Rome, GA 30161-9567
Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center - GA
450 Crescent Drive,
Gainesville, GA 30501-5079
GDC - Al Burruss Correctional Training Center
1000 Indian Springs Drive
P.O. Box 5849,
Forsyth, GA 31029
GDC - Albany Transitional Center
304 North Washington Street,
Albany, GA 31701
GDC - Appling Integrated Treatment Facility
252 West Park Drive
P.O. Box 247,
Baxley, GA 31515
GDC - Arrendale Transitional Center
2023 Old Gainesville Highway,
Alto, GA 30510
GDC - Atlanta Transitional Center
332 Ponce de Leon Avenue Northeast,
Atlanta, GA 30308
GDC - Augusta State Medical Prison
3001 Gordon Highway,
Grovetown, GA 30813
GDC - Augusta Transitional Center
601 Taylor Street,
Augusta, GA 30901
GDC - Autry State Prison
3178 Mount Zion Church Road
P.O. Box 648,
Pelham, GA 31779
GDC - Bacon Probation Detention Center (PDC) GA
165 East Eastside Industrial Blvd
P.O. Box 904,
Alma, GA 31510
GDC - Bainbridge Probation Substance Abuse Center
235 State Hospital Road,
Bainbridge, GA 39818
GDC - Baldwin State Prison
Laying Farm Road
P.O. Box 218,
Hardwick, GA 31034
GDC - Bleckley Probation Detention Center (PDC) GA
179 Jac Arts Road
P.O. Box 519,
Cochran, GA 31014
GDC - Calhoun State Prison
27823 Main Street
P.O. Box 249,
Morgan, GA 39866
GDC - Central Probation Detention Center (PDC) GA
2839 Railroad Avenue
P.O. Box 190,
Cadwell, GA 31009
GDC - Central State Prison
4600 Fulton Mill Road,
Macon, GA 31208
GDC - Charles D. Hudson Transitional Center
100 Jim Hester Road,
LaGrange, GA 30241
GDC - Clayton County Correctional Institution
11420 S.L.R. Boulevard
P.O. Box 309,
Lovejoy, GA 30250
GDC - Clayton Transitional Center
242 Falcon Drive,
Forest Park, GA 30297
GDC - Coastal State Prison
200 Gulfstream Road
P.O. Box 7150,
Garden City, GA 31418
GDC - Coastal Transitional Center
309 Styles Avenue,
Savannah, GA 31415
GDC - Colquitt County Correctional Institution
200 South Vandenberg Drive
P.O. Box 339,
Moultrie, GA 31768
GDC - Columbus Transitional Center
3900 Schatugla Road
P.O. Box 8409,
Columbus, GA 31907
GDC - Colwell Probation Detention Center (PDC) GA
189 Beasley Street,
Blairsville, GA 30512
GDC - Coweta County Prison
101 Selt Road,
Newnan, GA 30263
GDC - Dodge State Prison
2971 Old Bethel Road
P.O. Box 276,
Chester, GA 31012
GDC - Dooly State Prison
1412 Plunkett Road
P.O. Box 750,
Unadilla, GA 31091
GDC - Emanuel - Swainsboro Womens's Facility
714 Gumlog Road
P.O. Box 218,
Swainsboro, GA 30401
GDC - Emanuel Detention Center
121 Casa Drive,
Twin City, GA 30471
GDC - Emanuel Probation Detention Center (PDC) GA
121 Casa Drive
P.O. Box 1430,
Twin City, GA 30471
GDC - Georgia Diagnostic & Classification State Prison
Highway 36 West Prison Blvd.
P.O. Box 3877,
Jackson, GA 30233
GDC - Georgia State Prison
300 1st Avenue South,
Reidsville, GA 30453
GDC - Hancock State Prison
701 Prison Blvd
P.O. Box 339,
Sparta, GA 31087
GDC - Hays State Prison
777 Underwood Road
P.O. Box 668,
Trion, GA 30753
GDC - Helms Transitional Center
1275 Constitution Road,
Atlanta, GA 30316
GDC - Johnson State Prison
290 Donovan-Harrison Road
P.O. Box 344,
Wrightsville, GA 31096
GDC - Lamar GA Pre-Release
700 Gordon Road
P.O. Box 70,
Barnesville, GA 30204
GDC - Lee Arrendale Probation Substance Abuse Center
2023 Gainesville, Hwy South
P.O. Box 709,
Alto, GA 30510-0709
GDC - Lee Arrendale State Prison (LASP)
2023 Gainesville, Hwy South
P.O. Box 709,
Alto, GA 30510
GDC - Lee State Prison
153 Pinewood Drive,
Leesburg, GA 31763
GDC - Macon State Prison
2728 Highway 49 South
P.O. Box 426,
Oglethorpe, GA 31068
GDC - Macon Transitional Center
200 Henry Street,
Macon, GA 31206
Judge T.J. Loftiss Regional Youth Detention Center
400 South Pinetree Boulevard,
Thomasville, GA 31792-7128
Long State Prison
1434 US Hwy 84 East
P.O. Box 70,
Ludowici, GA 31316
Macon Youth Development Campus (YDC)
4160 Riggins Mill Road,
Macon, GA 31217-5440
Marietta Regional Youth Detention Center
1575 County Servies Parkway Southwest,
Marietta, GA 30008-4007
Muscogee County State Prison
7175 Sacerdote Lane
P.O. Box 84041,
Columbus, GA 31908
Muscogee Youth Development Campus (YDC)
7700-A Chattsworth Road,
Midland, GA 31820
Northwest Residential Substance Abuse Center
97 Kevin Lane
P.O. Box 98,
Rock Spring, GA 30739
Richmond County GA Correctional Institution
2314 Tobacco Road,
Augusta, GA 30906
Rockdale Regional Youth Detention Center
2165 Chambers Drive,
Conyers, GA 30012
Sandersville Regional Youth Detention Center
423 Industrial Drive,
Sanderville, GA 31082-7007
Savannah River Challenge Program
626 Old River Road,
Sylvania, GA 30467
Screven County Prison
859 Rockyford Road
P.O. Box 377,
Sylvania, GA 30467
Spalding County Prison
295 Justice Boulevard,
Griffin, GA 30224
Sumter County GA Prison
346 McMath Mill Road
P.O. Box 484,
Americus, GA 31709
Sumter Youth Development Campus (YDC)
300 McMath Mill Road,
Americus, GA 31719-8669
Terrell County Prison and Correctional Institution (CI)
3108 Albany Highway,
Dawson, GA 31842
Thomas County GA Prison
324 County Farm Road,
Thomasville, GA 31757
Turner Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Facility
514 South Railroad Avenue
P.O. Box 17,
Sycamore, GA 31790
Waycross Regional Youth Detention Center (RYDC)
3275 Harris Road,
Waycross, GA 31503-6680
How to Send Money to an Inmate in Georgia State Prison or Jails
Georgia inmates can receive money from friends and family through their personal trust account. Only people on the inmate's approved list can send money. An inmate can have up to five people who can send money to them on the approved sender's list approved by the Georgia Department of Corrections. Generally, eligible persons who need to send money to an inmate must know the inmate's full name, the inmate's prison number, and the facility of incarceration. Armed with this information, interested parties can send money to an inmate in four ways:
- Online: parties who want to send money to an inmate online can use either JPay or MoneyGram. MoneyGram users must have the GDC Receiver code 6857.
- Mail: parties can send money orders through the mail by printing them online. Money orders take two weeks to process and should be mailed to:
Jpay
P.O.Box 24
Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
- Phone: Parties can contact a JPay agent at (800) 574-5729
- In-person: Parties can find MoneyGram kiosks in person to send money to an inmate. To use, senders will need the inmate's GDC number and last name.
Jails were created to house offenders with shorter offenses or awaiting trial. The County Sheriff's office runs jails and is responsible for rules for sending money to inmates in jail, which differ from county to county. If information about an inmate is not known, requestors may query these offices for inmate information or conduct a Georgia inmate search using their online resources.
How to Get Approved to Visit an Inmate in Georgia Prisons and Jails
The GDC is in charge of the visitation of inmates in Georgia. First, intending visitors must fill out and apply for visitor privileges, which will be considered and approved by the GDC. Filling in incorrect or false information in the application will lead to the visitor's application being rejected. Upon approval of the visitor's privilege application, the individual can make an appointment to visit the inmate. Visitors to Georgia State Prison must adhere to the guidelines and rules laid down by the GDC.
On the other hand, the procedure for visiting inmates in county jails in Georgia differs from county to county. In Fulton County, for example, inmate visitation is via remote video conferencing. Chaplains and attorneys can still physically visit inmates in Fulton County jail, but all visitors must follow visitation rules.
How to Find a County Inmate Roster in Georgia
In Georgia, a county inmate roster may be accessed on a county government or sheriff's website. These sites often feature inmate locators or databases that can be used to retrieve information about an inmate in a local correctional system (i.e., a city or county jail). Most sheriff's offices update their inmate database daily. Individuals can also visit a county sheriff's office to inquire about people in custody or conduct a Georgia inmate search.
How to Perform Georgia Prison Inmate Search
The GDC maintains prison inmate records in Georgia. Interested persons can perform a free inmate search by name on the Georgia inmate lookup tool to find a person in jail. A Georgia prison inmate search only shows inmate records for adult offenders. Juvenile records are confidential and unavailable to the general public unless the juvenile has committed a designated felony or federal crime. Besides finding offenders by name, searchers can also use inmate IDs and case numbers to conduct a Georgia prison inmate search, especially on third-party websites.
How to Perform Georgia County Jail Inmate Search
County jails, unlike state prisons, are run by sheriff's offices in Georgia. So, Georgia jail inmate search in these correctional facilities differs from county to county. Most sheriff offices publish a full list of current inmates, while others have an online Georgia inmate search tool. For instance, Union County has a list of its current inmates published online, while Fulton County Jail maintains an online search portal.
Georgia State Prisons and County Jails: Understanding the Difference
Georgia has a three-tiered system of prisons and jails:
- State prisons, which the Georgia Department of Corrections operates.
- County jails are operated by individual counties
- Private prisons are contracted out to private companies
However, all Georgia state prisons and county jails are under the oversight of the state department of corrections.
As of 2017, there were 34 state prisons in Georgia, housing over 50,000 inmates. Of these prisoners, approximately 50% to 60% were African American. County jails vary widely in size, with the largest jail in the state housing over 3,000 inmates. Most prisoners in Georgia are incarcerated in state prisons, but some are held in county jails or private prisons.
Most prisoners in Georgia are incarcerated for non-violent offenses, such as drug possession or probation violation. However, the state has many prisoners serving life sentences, and the death row population has been increasing in recent years.
How to Find an Inmate Release Date
Inmate release date is one of the pieces of information obtained from record custodians or by looking up inmates online. However, this information may be unavailable for privacy or security reasons, and only eligible persons may access the exact inmate release date. These eligible persons include the inmate's immediate family members, crime victims, attorneys, and authorized law enforcement officials. Like most Georgia inmate search queries, the requesters will need to provide information to facilitate the search.
