IG InmateGuide

A guide for families and friends

Visiting rules & communication guides for every U.S. prison and jail.

Plain-English policies, mail and money rules, phone setup, and inmate-search links for 1,016 state prisons, federal facilities, and county jails — organized state by state, facility by facility.

Browse facilities by state Read the guides
148
Federal
765
State Prisons
103
County Jails

Browse by state

All 50 states →
California 54 facilities Texas 87 facilities Florida 71 facilities New York 3 facilities Pennsylvania 55 facilities Illinois 35 facilities Ohio 37 facilities Georgia 2 facilities North Carolina 20 facilities Michigan 41 facilities Arizona 36 facilities Virginia 37 facilities

Featured facilities

State Prison
Goose Creek Correctional Center
Alaska
State Prison
Spring Creek Correctional Center
Alaska
State Prison
Template:State prisons in Alaska
Alaska
State Prison
Wildwood Correctional Complex
Alaska
State Prison
Bibb Correctional Facility
Alabama
State Prison
Bullock Correctional Facility
Alabama
State Prison
Chalkville Campus
Alabama
County Jail
Coosa County Jail
Alabama
State Prison
Draper Correctional Facility
Alabama

Communication guides

How to Visit an Inmate

Step-by-step approval, scheduling, dress code, ID, and what to expect at the facility.
Sending Mail and Photos

Address formats, prohibited contents, photo limits, and the move to scanned mail systems.
Sending Money to an Inmate

JPay, Access Corrections, Western Union, lockbox deposits, fees, and processing times.
Phone Calls and Messaging

Setting up an inmate phone account, per-minute rates, and using Securus / GTL / ViaPath messaging.
Video Visitation

How remote and on-site video visits work, what equipment you need, and common problems.
Inmate Release and Reentry

Release dates, parole basics, halfway houses, and reentry resources for families.
Understanding Commissary

How an inmate buys food, hygiene, and electronics, and how families can help fund it.
Inmate Rights and Grievances

A plain-English summary of constitutional protections behind bars and how to file a complaint.