Department Of Corrections

The Department of Corrections (DOC) is a branch of the state government and each state has its own department. The DOC is responsible for managing incarcerated individuals who are within their state’s system. The department is also in charge of overseeing DOC USA facilities that are located within the state. Depending on the population and needs of a particular state, these departments may be large or small.

The DOC is also tasked with maintaining a state’s federal prisoner locator resource, which helps families and friends find inmates. This department also establishes rules and regulations regarding how individuals can contact incarcerated individuals. As a result, people throughout the country need to interact with the DOC when they wish to have contact with inmates. Individuals must understand how the Department of Corrections functions and where these DOC facilities are located.

What is the Federal Bureau of Prisons?

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is an entity that oversees prisons and inmates throughout the country. Unlike the Department of Corrections, which operates on a state level, the BOP operates on a national scale. Through the BOP, you can find:

• Correctional facilities in any part of the United States.
• Inmates whose information is recorded in the BOP system.
• Historical information about the bureau.

How can I find a correctional facility near me?

Using this website, you can easily find a DOC prison in your area. While you cannot use this site to locate specific inmates, you can search for federal prisons near you. In order to locate institutions, search by your state and city. Then, you will receive a list of all the correctional facilities located in a particular area. Additionally, you can search for DOC locations by zip code.

What do I need to know about Department of Corrections facilities?

Once you use this prison locator tool, there is various information you can find about a specific facility. For example, you can use this site to learn the following about a correctional facility:

• When the prison holds visiting hours. There are certain hours when you can visit an inmate. You need to learn when these facilities hold visiting hours so you know when you can go and speak with a prisoner.

• How to contact the prison. You need to learn which phone and fax numbers you must use to contact different correctional institutions. You also need to know the facility’s mailing address. This information is available on this site for specific prisons.

• How to contact inmates. Different facilities may have specific protocol regarding who can contact prisoners. It is important that you know how to contact inmates at a particular institution.

• Prison size and security. You can also use this site to learn the maximum capacity for any DOC prison. This site can also tell you whether a facility is minimum, medium or maximum security.

Who is the phone provider at Department of Corrections facilities?

Once you locate facilities through the federal prison locator, you may have specific questions about the institution. This is especially true if you are trying to contact an inmate who is serving his or her sentence at the facility. One piece of information you need to keep in mind is what type of phone provider a specific prison uses. Calls from DOC facilities are not free. Inmates are given accounts they can fill with funds to cover the cost of their calls. Therefore, prisoners or their loved ones need to add money to an inmate phone account so inmates can make calls.

Not every Department of Corrections facility uses the same phone provider. You need to know which service a prison uses so you know also know how to:

• Budget for phone calls. Depending on the distance of the call and the provider, calls can cost different amounts.

• Apply to receive calls. Some providers may require that call recipients apply to receive calls from a DOC prisoner first.

• Open an account. You may need to open an account to speak with someone who calls from this service provider.