Jefferson County Jail

The Jefferson County Jail has two facilities located in downtown Birmingham, Alabama and Bessemer, Alabama. The facilities are operated by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. They hold adult male and female inmates who have been arrested by local county or municipal law enforcement. The two facilities are the primary detention centers for all law enforcement agencies in Jefferson County. 

Inmates are incarcerated for crimes ranging from a violation to misdemeanors to felonies. The Jefferson County Jail houses:

• Persons who have been charged with a crime and are awaiting trial
• Those who have been arrested on warrants
• Those who have been sentenced to the county jail for one year or less for a misdemeanor crime
• Those who've been placed on hold by Alabama Probation and Parole
• Inmates sentenced by municipal courts in the county
• People who have been placed in the jail "on hold" by other agencies, and
• Inmates who are waiting to be transferred to their assigned Alabama Department of Corrections facility

To check a current inmate roster, click here. 

The corrections division of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office processes approximately 43,000 inmates in and out of the jail each year. The average population at the Jefferson County Jail is 1,000 between two facilities located in downtown Birmingham and in Bessemer.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visitation at the Jefferson County Jail takes place Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. There are no visits allowed on Monday or Friday. Visitation days and times are subject to change.

Inmates must schedule a 45-minute time slot one day prior to the visit. An inmate may have only two visits per week.  Visits can be scheduled at www.gettingout.com.

Visiting Rules

• All visitors 17 and older must have a valid state ID or driver’s license.
• Only two adults and two children over the age of three per visit.
• Children under the age of three are only allowed to visit on the first Sunday of every month.
• Children (16 and under) must be accompanied by an adult parent or legal guardian and must be supervised at all times.
• Visitors must be properly attired. Clothing of a provocative/revealing nature will not be allowed.
• Any visitor creating a disturbance will be subject to being banned from the facility.
• Any visitor caught bringing in contraband to inmates will be prosecuted
• All visitors are subject to being searched. Any visitor who refuses to be searched will be denied entry.
• No cell phones, electronic devices, purses, or packages are allowed in our facility (pay lockers are located in the lobby).
• All outside food and drink is prohibited.
• The Jefferson County Jail reserves the right to refuse entry to any person or persons.

No hand-delivered mail or packages are accepted.

How to Call an Inmate

You can't call an inmate who is housed at the Jefferson County Jail, but they do have access to phones in their cell blocks through GTL/Telmate. Deposits into an inmate's phone account can be made with a debit or credit card at www.gettingout.com.

There is also a kiosk in the lobby of the Jefferson County Jail for making deposits into an inmate's phone account.

How to Send Money

During the booking process at Jefferson County Jail, a commissary account is set up for each inmate. If the inmate has money in their possession during the booking process, the money will be taken and placed into their inmate commissary account. 

The Jefferson County Jail uses Legacy as their commissary vendor, and you can make deposits into the inmate's commissary account online at www.jailatm.com.

You can also use the commissary/visit Kiosk located in the lobby of the Jefferson County Jail during normal business hours to deposit money into an inmate's account.

Programs For Inmates

Both Jefferson County Jail facilities have on-site medical services. Law libraries and adult educational services are available at the Birmingham location. 

The Sheriff’s Pre-Trial Release Office operates out of both facilities to help conduct the release of qualified individuals and assist the public in making bonds for inmates who have not qualified for the pretrial release program.

Renewed for Reentry Program

Sheriff Mark Pettway says that one of the issues he campaigned on was addressing the revolving door at the jail. 

"We’re looking to lower the recidivism rate right here in Jefferson County.” Pettway said, “We want to make sure those inmates who come into our facility have an opportunity to get an education and vocational skills. 

When they leave our facility, they have the opportunity to be employed. They’re not going back to the street corner. They’re not going back to an area where they can harass you. They will be employed so they can take care of themselves, their families, and they can be productive citizens in society.”

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has the Renewed for Re-Entry Program at the Jefferson County Correctional Facility, in partnership with Bevill State College and Lawson State College. 

Inmates eligible for the program -- which is funded through a community grant -- are being held on non-violent offenses. Program Officials work with judges to identify the inmates who are best suited for the program, and Sheriff Pettway said Renewed for Re-entry may also be used as a sentencing alternative.

Inmate students can use that education to show the judge they want to do something better with their life, and they will have a job available at the end.

Pictures of Jefferson County Jail

Careers at Jefferson County Jail

If you are interested in a career with the Sheriff's Department and would like more information about the job openings at the Jefferson County Jail, click here.