The St. Clair County Inmate Population
St. Clair County has two official detention facilities that matter for inmate population work. The St. Clair County Sheriff's Office Corrections page identifies one county jail in Pell City. That jail holds pre-sentenced people, local sentenced inmates, and people committed to county jail custody. The Alabama Department of Corrections also operates St. Clair Correctional Facility in Springville, a male state prison for sentenced ADOC prisoners. These populations should not be combined as one jail count.
The live St. Clair County inmate population changes when local agencies book a person, when bond is posted, when a court changes release terms, or when a sentenced person transfers to ADOC. The sheriff's roster is the first place to check for a new arrest. The ADOC locator is the better source after a felony sentence and prison transfer. Federal and immigration custody use separate BOP, ICE, or U.S. Marshals channels because no official federal or ICE detention facility was located inside St. Clair County.
St. Clair County Inmate Population Statistics
The county jail source and the state prison source report different measures. The sheriff roster displayed an Inmate Roster (247) count when inspected on May 27, 2026. Vera Institute county jail data reported a 2023 St. Clair County Jail population of 155 and a rated capacity of 192, while the ADOC St. Clair prison page showed a bed occupancy or inmate population of 1,089 in May 2026. Each number has its own scope and date.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Current county roster count | 247 | Sheriff roster, May 27, 2026 |
| County jail population | 155 | Vera county dataset, 2023 |
| County jail rated capacity | 192 | Vera county dataset, 2023 |
| Estimated jail admissions | 1,221.75 | Vera county dataset, 2023 |
| ADOC prison population | 1,089 | ADOC facility page, May 2026 |
St. Clair County Inmate Population Trends
Trend data is clearest in the Vera county jail dataset. It shows the St. Clair County Jail population fell from 224 in 2019 to 155 in 2023. The same dataset shows rated capacity moved from 221 in 2019 to 192 in 2023. Those figures are not the same as the live sheriff roster count, which is a web snapshot of people listed on the roster at a point in time.
| Year / Source | Population | Capacity or Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Vera county dataset | 224 total jail population | 221 rated capacity; 213 pretrial and 11 sentenced |
| 2023 Vera county dataset | 155 total jail population | 192 rated capacity; 121 pretrial and 34 sentenced |
| May 27, 2026 sheriff roster | 247 roster count | Live roster count, not an annual average |
Who Makes Up St. Clair County Inmates
Vera's 2023 county data is the most specific demographic source for the local jail population. It reported 126 male and 29 female jail inmates. It also reported 121 white inmates, 29 Black inmates, 3 Latinx inmates, 1 AAPI inmate, and 1 person in another race category. The same data set listed 121 pretrial inmates and 34 sentenced inmates. The sheriff did not publish a live demographic breakdown with the roster.
- Pretrial custody: Vera reported 121 pretrial jail inmates in 2023.
- Sentenced jail custody: Vera reported 34 sentenced jail inmates in 2023.
- Sex breakdown: Vera reported 126 male and 29 female jail inmates in 2023.
- State prison custody: ADOC custody is separate from the county roster and uses the state locator.
Laws Governing St. Clair County Inmates
Alabama law and sheriff procedure explain why some St. Clair County inmate records are public and why other records require a formal request. The sheriff roster is public, but it carries a warning that roster facts may not be certified or current. For records outside the roster, the sheriff uses the updated Alabama resident-based public-records process and requires a specific request for an existing record.
Key statutes:
Alabama Code Section 36-12-40 gives Alabama residents a right to inspect and copy public records unless an exception applies.
Alabama Code Section 36-12-43 defines resident access, standard requests, and proof-of-residency concepts used by the sheriff.
Alabama Code Section 41-13-1 broadly defines public records made or received by public officers.
St. Clair County State Prison Population
St. Clair Correctional Facility makes the county's custody footprint much larger than the county jail alone. ADOC describes the Springville prison as a close-custody male facility. The 2024 PREA final audit reported a designated capacity of 1,195, an average daily population of 1,000 for the prior 12 months, and 1,040 people confined on the first day of the audit. ADOC's facility page showed 1,089 for bed occupancy or inmate population when captured in May 2026.
Sentenced ADOC prisoners are searched through the Alabama Department of Corrections inmate search. The county roster does not replace the state locator. A person arrested in St. Clair County may start in the jail roster and later appear in ADOC after conviction, sentencing, and transfer.
Search St. Clair County Inmate Records
The official St. Clair County inmate roster is the best first stop for a person booked into the Pell City jail. The roster includes current, released, and archived controls, name and date sorting, a visible Search By Name field, booking cards, mugshots, charges, bond, and profile links. The sheriff's roster disclaimer matters because charges and bail can change after court appearances.
- Open the official St. Clair County inmate roster.
- Accept the roster disclaimer if it appears, then start with Current for an active jail booking.
- Use Search By Name, or browse by Date and sort newest to oldest for recent bookings.
- Open View Profile to check booking number, age, booking date, charges, bond, release date, and VINELink.
- Call the Detention Center at 205-814-3525 before posting bond or relying on a charge amount.
Current St. Clair County Jail Lookup
The roster search is simple, but the surrounding tabs are useful. Search By Name handles a person-specific lookup. Current, Released, and Archived Inmates separate active jail custody from past entries. Date sorting helps when the booking is recent and spelling is uncertain. The archive link appears on the official roster but points to a separate archive host, so it should be treated as a secondary official channel.
The sheriff roster page shows the current search controls and booking-card layout.
Those controls are enough for most current jail lookups, but bond and case-number questions should still be confirmed with detention staff.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search By Name | Text | Unspecified | Single visible name search; try last name first. |
| Current | Tab | No | Shows people listed as current jail inmates. |
| Released | Tab | No | Shows recently released roster entries. |
| Archived Inmates | Link | No | Official archive link, but behavior was not fully inspected. |
| Date sorting | Sort link | No | Newest-to-oldest or oldest-to-newest booking order. |
Past St. Clair County Inmate Records
Released and archived roster entries are the first public route for past St. Clair County inmate records. The sheriff does not publish an exact retention period for released entries, so no page should promise that a booking stays online for a set number of hours or days. If a booking, mugshot, release time, or charge detail is no longer visible, use the sheriff's public-records request process.
The public records request page says requests must use the current sheriff form, certify Alabama residency, include proof of residency, and ask for a specific existing public record. The sheriff may take up to 10 days to acknowledge a proper request and 15 business days after acknowledgement to fulfill or deny it.
What St. Clair County Records Show
A St. Clair County inmate profile is a custody snapshot. It may show facts that change after a first appearance, a bond review, a transfer, or release. The sample profile inspected in May 2026 showed a mugshot, VINELink icon, booking number, demographics, arresting agency, booking and release times, a charge or hold, and bond information. It did not show a housing unit, court date, case number, charge code, or full date of birth.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Mugshot | Public booking photo when available on the result card or profile. |
| Booking # | Numeric jail booking identifier for that custody episode. |
| Arresting Agency | The agency that brought or committed the person to jail. |
| Booking / Release Date | Jail-reported date and time for custody entry and release when shown. |
| Charges | Plain-language charge, hold, FTA, probation violation, or custody reason. |
| Bond | Displayed bond amount, which may not be current after court action. |
| VINELink | Custody-notification route linked from the sample profile. |
St. Clair County Jail vs State Prison
The main lookup mistake is using one custody system for every person. The county jail roster covers local jail custody. ADOC covers sentenced state prison custody. BOP and ICE cover different federal systems. If a person was just arrested, start with the sheriff roster and detention phone. If the person was sentenced to prison, use ADOC. If the case is federal or immigration-related, use BOP, ICE ODLS, VINELink, or the U.S. Marshals Northern District of Alabama.
| Custody Type | Who Is Held | Where to Look |
|---|---|---|
| County jail | Pretrial detainees and local sentenced jail inmates | St. Clair County sheriff roster |
| State prison | Sentenced ADOC prisoners | ADOC inmate search |
| Federal prison | Federal inmates from 1982 to present | BOP inmate locator |
| Immigration detention | ICE custody or CBP custody over 48 hours | ICE ODLS |
State and Federal Inmate Search
The ADOC inmate search accepts AIS number, first name, or last name and contains currently incarcerated ADOC inmates only. Youthful Offender Act inmates are excluded. The BOP inmate locator covers federal inmates from 1982 to present. The ICE Online Detainee Locator System searches by A-number and country of birth or exact biographical information, but it does not search minors under 18.
St. Clair County Detention Facilities
St. Clair County's facility map has one county jail and one state prison. The county jail is the source for new local arrests and the sheriff's booking roster. The state prison is a separate ADOC facility for sentenced adult male prisoners. The lookup route depends on which facility and custody stage applies.
- St. Clair County Jail - sheriff-operated county jail for pre-sentenced and sentenced individuals committed to county jail custody.
- St. Clair Correctional Facility - ADOC male state prison for sentenced Alabama prisoners.
St. Clair County Inmate FAQ
How large is the St. Clair County inmate population? The answer depends on the source. The sheriff roster displayed 247 entries on May 27, 2026. Vera's 2023 county jail data reported 155 jail inmates. ADOC separately reported 1,089 at St. Clair Correctional Facility in May 2026.
How do I search St. Clair County inmates? Start with the sheriff's official inmate roster for local jail custody. Use Search By Name, Current, Released, Archive, and date sorting. Call 205-814-3525 when bond, hold, or case-number information must be current.
Can I look up a released inmate? Yes, if the entry remains in the Released or Archived roster areas. If it is no longer visible, use the sheriff's public-records process with Alabama residency proof and a specific booking-record request.
Where are court charges found? Court charges belong with the 30th Judicial Circuit and Alacourt ACCESS. The jail roster may show arrest or hold text, but formal court charges and dispositions are court records.