The Florida Department of Corrections is the third-largest state prison system in the United States, housing approximately 85,000 inmates across about 50 major facilities, plus work camps, work release centers, and community correctional centers. FDC is a separate system from Florida's county jails: anyone sentenced to over one year on a Florida felony is transferred from county custody to FDC. This page explains how to find a state inmate, how transfers work, and what each facility type does.
Official FDC Inmate Population Information Search, covers all current FDC inmates and many released inmates.
Open FDC Inmate Search →Or call our free 24/7 line: (786) 600-3533
Florida runs two distinct incarceration systems. Knowing which one holds your person tells you which search tool to use.
Run by the county sheriff (or county corrections department in Miami-Dade and Orange counties). Houses pretrial defendants, anyone serving a sentence of 364 days or less, and probation violators awaiting revocation hearings. Search at the specific county sheriff's site. See our 67-county directory.
Run by the state of Florida. Houses anyone serving a state felony sentence of over one year. Approximately 85,000 inmates across approximately 50 major institutions plus work camps and reentry centers. Search at fdc.myflorida.com.
A typical pattern: someone arrested is booked into the county jail, held pretrial, convicted at trial or by plea, sentenced to over one year, then transferred to FDC within 30-90 days. FDC first takes them to a Reception Center for classification, then assigns them to a long-term institution matching their custody level, medical needs, and program eligibility.
FDC's Offender Information Search is free and publicly available at fdc.myflorida.com/OffenderSearch. It covers current inmates plus historical records back decades.
Visit fdc.myflorida.com/OffenderSearch. Choose "Inmate Population Search" for current FDC inmates, or "Inmate Release Information" for recently released inmates, or "Supervised Population" for those on state probation or parole.
Search by DC Number (FDC's internal inmate ID) if you have one, or by name. Name searches allow partial names, sex, race, and birth year range for narrowing results. DC Number is the most reliable identifier.
Results show current facility, custody level, sentence details (charge, date sentenced, projected release), county of conviction, and aliases. Photos are usually included.
Once you know which FDC facility holds your person, contact that facility directly for visitation, mail, phone, and commissary procedures. Each institution has its own phone number and policies.
The Florida Department of Corrections operates several types of facilities, each serving a different purpose in the sentence and reentry process.
Where newly sentenced inmates first arrive from county custody. They undergo classification (medical screening, custody assessment, program eligibility). Reception can take 30-90 days before assignment to a long-term institution. Main reception centers: Central Florida Reception Center (Orlando), South Florida Reception Center (Miami), Lake City Correctional Institution (Lake City), North Florida Reception Center (Lake Butler), and Florida Women's Reception Center (Lowell).
Long-term housing facilities. Approximately 50 major institutions across Florida, organized by custody level (minimum, medium, close, maximum) and gender. Examples: Union Correctional Institution, Florida State Prison (the maximum-security facility with Death Row near Raiford), Lake Correctional, Charlotte Correctional, Everglades Correctional, Hardee Correctional, Lowell Correctional (women), and many more.
Smaller, generally lower-security facilities where inmates perform labor for state and local agencies (road maintenance, groundskeeping, agriculture). Work camp assignment is a privilege requiring good disciplinary standing.
Allow inmates nearing the end of their sentence (typically the final 12-24 months) to work in community jobs during the day and return to FDC custody at night. Helps transition to reentry. Inmates must pay a portion of their wages to FDC for room and board.
Focused on reintegration programs (GED, vocational training, substance abuse treatment, family reconnection). Some operate as contracted private facilities under FDC oversight.
Death Row inmates are held primarily at Union Correctional Institution (formerly at Florida State Prison at Raiford). Florida Women's death row inmates are held at Lowell Correctional. Florida has approximately 300 Death Row inmates, one of the largest death-row populations in the country.
Must be pre-approved on the inmate's visitation list. Apply online at fdc.myflorida.com. Wait time for approval is typically 4 to 8 weeks. Each facility has specific visiting hours (usually Saturdays and Sundays). Dress code is strict.
Standard mail is accepted at all FDC facilities. Some facilities have transitioned to a centralized mail processing service that scans letters and forwards digital copies to the inmate (physical mail is not delivered). Packages are severely restricted.
FDC contracts with a phone vendor (currently ViaPath / GTL) for inmate calling. Family members create a prepaid account, and inmates call out from the facility. Rates are regulated but still higher than standard phone rates.
Send money through FDC's contracted deposit service (currently JPay) online, by mail, or at kiosks. Funds deposited to the inmate's trust account can be spent in the commissary on food, hygiene items, phone credits, and stamps.
Florida law allows most FDC inmates to earn "gain time" (time off a sentence for good behavior and program participation). Key rules:
The "projected release date" in the FDC search includes earned gain time to date. Actual release date may shift if gain time is revoked for discipline, or additional time is earned.
Upon release, most inmates transition to state supervision (probation or parole, though Florida parole is rare today for offenses after 1983). Some are released on Conditional Release, which includes supervision until the end of what would have been the full sentence. Supervised inmates must report to a Florida Department of Corrections Probation Office in their county of residence.
If you're not sure whether your loved one is in a county jail or has been transferred to FDC, call our free 24/7 line. We check all Florida systems simultaneously.
Call (786) 600-3533 →Calls may be answered by a licensed bail bond agent.