Alachua County Jail

The Alachua County Jail houses adult men and women who are arrested on misdemeanor and felony charges by all law enforcement agencies in the county. The inmates are pre-trial and/or sentenced to the jail or Department of Corrections. 

The Jail is a 1,148 bed, 314,000 square foot facility, designed to incarcerate offenders for up to one year. The core facility was completed in January 1994, and following upgrades in 2007 and 2009, the optimum number of inmates housed is 975.

Inmate Search

To find out if your loved one is being held in Alachua County, click here, call the jail at (352) 491-4444, or use VINE. Be prepared to provide the inmate’s full name and date of birth when using the VINE website.

Florida VINE

The Florida VINE system is a service through which victims of crime can search for information regarding the custody status of their offender, and to register to receive phone calls and e-mail notifications when the offender’s custody status changes. 

This service is provided to assist Victims of Crime who have a right to know about their offender's custody status. Click this link to register.

Inmates being held for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC), or charges from other counties will not be found by going to the VINE Link above. You will have to call the jail.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visitation at the Alachua County Jail is conducted via video, either on on-site at the jail or remotely from home. Visits at the jail are free, but there is a fee to visit remotely.

All inmate visits at the Alachua County Jail must be scheduled 24 hours in advance via the scheduling website www.videovisitanywhere.com or by using the kiosks located in the Jail Lobby. If you require assistance, please call (352) 491-4511.

• The Registration System can be accessed from any computer 24 hours a day.
• If you are scheduling a visit from outside the Jail go to www.videovisitanywhere.com
  • Click the “Schedule Session” under Onsite Session.
• Inmates who are not in disciplinary confinement are allowed two hours of non-contact visitation per week (Sunday through Saturday). However, depending on where the inmate is housed, a visitation schedule applies.
• Visiting sessions can be two one-hour sessions with a total of two visitors per session.
• Children under 24 months of age do not count toward the number of allowed visitors and must be supervised by an adult at all times.
• Visitors who become rude and/or use vulgar or abusive language will be asked to leave the facility.
• Visitors may only visit one inmate per day and are only permitted to visit the inmate they have signed up to visit.
• Property for inmates will not be accepted during visitation and no items will be transferred between a visitor and an inmate.

All visitors must successfully clear the metal detector and submit to a search before entering the jail. Proper photo identification is required. For a full list of Visitation Rules, click here.

Dress Code

On-site visitors must follow the dress code posted in the jail lobby. Visitors deemed to be dressed inappropriately by jail staff will not be allowed to visit.

• No shorts higher than mid-thigh.
• Bathing suits are not permitted.
• No skirts or dresses that are shorter than knee length.
• Shirts must have sleeves and cover the entire upper torso.
• Pants must be above the waistline and not expose under garments
• No sheer/see-through, form-fitting, or clothing with holes or cut-outs. ·
• No coats, jackets, hoodies or sweaters.
• No hats, caps, or scarves as a head covering.

Remote Visits

Remote visits via the internet are another option for visitors to choose when scheduling inmate visits.  The same web address is used for this visiting option—www.videovisitanywhere.com.

• Click the “Schedule Session” under Remote Session.

Internet visits must be scheduled at least one day in advance and may be scheduled as far as three weeks in advance.

• Eligible inmates are allowed two paid remote visits per week in addition to the two hours of free visitation allowed at the facility. Internet visits may be scheduled as a 30-minute visit for $7.95.
• All major credit cards, check cards, and Visa gift cards are accepted; visitors will enter their credit card billing information when scheduling this visitation option.
• Internet visits are offered seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

For questions about the internet visitation option, call Securus at (800) 844-6591 or call the Jail directly at (352) 491-4444.

All incoming mail must be in the form of a postcard only. The postcard must include the full name of the inmate and a complete return address. And they must be prestamped, and no larger than 4 ¼” by 6”.

Unacceptable postcards that will be returned to the sender include:

• Defaced or altered postcards.
• Plastic or any type of wrapping on the postcards.
• Postcards marked with paint, magic marker, or crayon.
• Postcards with any type of tape, sticker or label, including stamps and address labels.
• Postcards with watermarks or stains.
• Postcards with biohazards, including lipsticks and perfumes.
• Mail that emits a suspicious or foul odor.
• Postcards with depicted nudity, weapons, or gang references.
• Any postcards that have photos or pictures of any type, to include computer generated photos.
• Postcards with drawings on the front or back.
• Oversized postcards.
• Xeroxed or photocopied materials.

The mail is inspected for contraband. Which includes threats of violence, blackmail, extortion, criminal activity, plans for escape, violations of institutional rules, code, and/or information that, if communicated, would create a clear and present danger of violence and physical harm.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at the Alachua County Jail cannot receive incoming phone calls, however, they have access to phones and can make outgoing calls from the inmate housing area. Phone calls are recorded and may be monitored at any time.

• Telephones are available daily between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
• All inmate calls must be made collect to the recipient via SECURUS (the jail’s telephone service vendor).
• The lengths of telephone calls are automatically monitored and limited to 15 minutes.

How to Send Money

Deposits can be made into inmate accounts at the Alachua County Jail by:

• Using the financial kiosk located in the Jail Lobby. (Bills $5 or larger, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards are accepted.)
• Depositing a money order in the Lobby drop box.
• An ATM machine is located inside the inner portion of the Jail Lobby for public use.

Programs For Inmates

This information is not publicly available.

Pictures of Alachua County Jail

Careers at Alachua County Jail

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

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office offers a wide variety of career opportunities for individuals interested in law enforcement and corrections, both civilian and sworn.

They offer a comprehensive benefits package for employees. It includes life, health and dental insurance, paid leave, and tuition reimbursement.