Jails and prisons are secure correctional facilities that house individuals awaiting trial, serving short-term sentences, or serving longer sentences for state and federal crimes. County jails typically hold pretrial detainees and misdemeanor offenders, while state prisons house felony offenders sentenced to longer terms.
There are 52 states with Jails Prisons locations across the United States. The U.S. correctional system includes approximately 1,700 state prisons, 3,100 county jails, and 220 federal facilities housing more than 2 million incarcerated individuals.
Jails Prisons in the United States
Browsing by state helps families of incarcerated individuals, attorneys, and service providers find facility locations, visitation schedules, and inmate services contact information for correctional facilities in each state.
Common Services
- Inmate location search and facility directory information
- Visitation scheduling, rules, and eligibility requirements
- Inmate funds deposit and commissary account management
- Bail bond and pre-release program information
Family members seeking to visit an incarcerated individual should contact the facility's visitation office well in advance to complete visitor registration, background checks, and scheduling — visiting policies vary significantly between facilities and can change without notice.
For official information, visit Federal Bureau of Prisons.
About Jails Prisons
County jails are operated by the county sheriff's office or a jail administrator appointed by the county, while state prisons are operated by the state department of corrections. Federal prisons are managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons under the U.S. Department of Justice.
Common Services
- Inmate reentry and transition program coordination
- Legal aid and public defender access for incarcerated individuals
- GED, vocational, and educational program enrollment
- Substance abuse treatment and mental health services referrals
Attorneys and legal representatives should contact the facility's legal services coordinator to arrange privileged attorney-client visits, which typically require separate scheduling from general visitation and may be available at expanded hours.
For official information, visit National Institute of Corrections.