The Florida State Prison System

The Florida State prison system oversees offenders' correction and rehabilitation through incarceration, probation, supervision, education programs, and re-entry programs. The Department of Corrections (FDC) manages and operates state correctional facilities. There are 143 facilities in Florida, including road prisons, re-entry centers, forestry camps, annexes, private facilities, and work release centers.

The FDC typically manages state prisons. County jails are operated and maintained by county Sheriff's Departments and, where available, the county department of corrections.

What Is The Difference Between Jail and Prison in Florida?

In Florida, jails hold persons accused of a crime and awaiting trial. They are also the incarceration facility for misdemeanor offenders—persons sentenced to no more than one year of imprisonment. Jails in each Florida county are generally operated and maintained by the county Sheriff's Department. In some cases, the jail is operated by the county’s Department of Corrections.

Prisons hold persons convicted of felony crimes and other offenses punishable by imprisonment for more than one year. Offenders convicted of violating state laws are incarcerated in state prisons. In contrast, those convicted of violating federal laws are incarcerated in federal prisons. In Florida, state prisons are regulated by the Department of Corrections(FDC), while federal prisons are regulated by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

How Many Prisons Are In Florida?

Florida's prison system is the third-largest in the country. It employs 24,000 people, supervises up to 161,000 offenders, and incarcerates about 94,000 inmates. The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) operates and manages a total of 143 facilities. The facilities are grouped into four regions, with the Tallahassee Central Office providing support and oversight to the regional facilities. There are:

• 50 major institutions and 17 annexes
• Seven (7) private facilities
• Three (3) re-entry centers
• 34 work camps
• One (1) forestry camp
• Two (2) road prisons
• One (1) basic training camp
• 12 FDC-operated work release centers
• 16 privately-operated work release centers

State prisons are the incarceration facilities for convicts sentenced to more than one year of imprisonment. Upon conviction, convicts are transported from county jails to one of the six FDC reception centers - two for females and four for males. At the reception centers, the inmates are assessed, tested, evaluated, and processed for needs and security risks. The results of the evaluation, together with some other factors, generally determines the inmate's placement. Determining factors include:

• Length of sentence
• The seriousness of the offense committed
• The convict's criminal history
• Prison adjustment
• Escape history

How Do I Search For An Inmate In Florida State Prison?

Interested persons may find inmate information in Florida with the FDC's Inmate Population Information Search Tool. The search criteria required include inmate's name and the Department of Corrections (DOC) number. A DC number is the primary identification method for prison inmates. It is six characters long and assigned to each inmate upon arrival at a state prison. The characters can be numeric or alphanumeric. 

The Inmate Population Information Search tool typically returns results containing information about convicts sentenced to FDC facilities or state supervision. Results may include photographs, criminal history, and other public records. Criminal history information includes prior and current offenses, attempted offenses, and crime solicitations. The FDC gets the information contained in its Corrections Offender Database from court records. The database is usually updated weekly, but location changes and release dates are updated nightly. The Corrections Offender Database does not contain information about inmates in county jails or offenders sentenced to county supervision.

Are Incarceration Records Public in Florida?

In the interest of public safety, inmate records are available to the public in Florida. According to the state's Public Records Act, otherwise known as the Sunshine Law, government records are open to the public for inspection and copying. The Department of Corrections maintains state or FDC inmates' information. They are available through the Inmate Population Information Search tool and FDC's Public Records Center. Interested persons may also request incarceration records directly from the facility or institution where the inmate is incarcerated. The FDC's website provides contact information for all its institutions. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains public records of criminal history and makes them available to the public on request. Interested persons may request public records in person, by mail, and by telephone. Requests can also be made online through the Florida Criminal History Record Check tool. The tool provides options for instant criminal history searches, certified records searches, and an ORI-based search.

Interested persons may request public records in person at:

Florida Department of Law Enforcement
2331 Phillips Road
Tallahassee, FL 32308
Office Hours: Monday- Friday 8 AM – 5 PM

Requestors can send requests for public records by mail to:

Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Attn: Office of the General Counsel
P.O. Box 1489
Tallahassee, FL 32302-1489

Alternatively, requestors may contact the records custodian via phone at (850) 410-7676 or email at publicrecords@fdle.state.fl.us.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often simplify the search process by aggregating information from various jurisdictions and providing it to record seekers via a single database. Users are generally required to provide the following information to facilitate a search:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the record or person involved. This includes information such as the city, county, or state where the person resides or was accused.

Third-party sites operate independently from government sources and are not sponsored by these agencies. Therefore, the accuracy and validity of the information they provide may not be guaranteed.

How to Look Up Jail Records in Florida?

Persons convicted of misdemeanor offenses are usually incarcerated in county jails. Typically, crimes for which people are incarcerated in jails are punishable by prison terms of no more than one year. Jails may also serve as temporary holding places for offenders awaiting trial. There are 67 county jails in Florida; the Sheriff's Department in each county manages and operates county jails. Where they are available, county departments of corrections manage and operate county jails.

Some counties, such as Gilchrist and Alachua, provide search tools on their official websites where interested persons may look up jail and arrest records. Where search tools are not available, interested persons may contact the Sheriff's Department, the county jail, or the Department of Corrections in each county. Jail records may also be available through third-party websites.

Can Jail Records Be Expunged in Florida?

Yes, jail records may be expunged in Florida if:

• There were no charges filed against the subject of the record
• Charges filed against the person were dismissed
• There are no prior convictions or delinquent adjudications
• Probation and other sentence requirements for the current offense have been fulfilled
• The offense for which expunction is sought is eligible under Section 943.0584

There are different expungement options available in Florida, and they include:

• Administrative expungement
• Court-ordered expungement
• Human-trafficking expungement
• Lawful self-defense expungement
• Early juvenile expungement
• Automatic juvenile expungement
• Juvenile diversion expungement

The Department of Law Enforcement offers more information on the available expungement options and processes.

According to Section 943.0585, Florida Statutes, an offender must first apply to the Department of Law Enforcement for a certificate of eligibility to qualify for court-ordered expungement. If the applicant meets the eligibility criteria listed in the state statutes, the department may issue a certificate of eligibility. The certificate is valid for one year and should be submitted with the applicant's petition for expungement. Jail record holders may submit applications for record expungement through the Department of Law Enforcement website.