Guide
Tennessee Inmate Search at a Glance
Tennessee holds state prisoners under the Tennessee Department of Correction at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution and the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center for women in Nashville, Morgan County, Northwest in Tiptonville, West Tennessee State Penitentiary in Henning, Turney Center, Bledsoe County, Northeast in Mountain City, and private prisons under contract at Trousdale Turner, Whiteville, South Central and Hardeman County. County jails run by the 95 sheriffs hold pretrial detainees, misdemeanor sentences and, under Tennessee's local felon rules, many people sentenced to state time for lower class felonies.
The state lookup is FOIL, the Felony Offender Information search. It covers people in prison, people on probation and parole and people in county jails serving state sentences.
Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.
Guide
Tennessee state prison inmate search
| State prison inmates | Yes, FOIL, including local felons in jails |
|---|---|
| County jail inmates | No, sheriff searches by county |
| Parole and probation | Yes, probation and parole |
| Released inmates | No |
| Photographs | No |
| Release dates | Yes, parole eligibility and sentence end |
| Best search key | TDOC ID |
FOIL runs on the TDOC ID or the name and returns the TDOC ID, name, date of birth, race and sex, the location, which may be a state prison, a county jail holding a state sentence or a community supervision office, the status, the sentence, the parole eligibility date, the sentence end date and each offense with the county, the sentence and the sentence date. Because the Department has run probation and parole supervision since 2012, supervision cases appear in the same search.
- FOIL, Tennessee Felony Offender InformationSearch Tennessee prisoners, local felons, probationers and parolees
- Tennessee Department of CorrectionFacilities, visiting, mail, phone and money deposits
- Tennessee Board of ParoleParole hearing schedules, decisions and victim notification
- VINELink TennesseeCustody alerts for Tennessee county jails and state prisons
Guide
County jails and local custody in Tennessee
The Shelby County Sheriff's jail at 201 Poplar in Memphis posts an inmate search with booking dates, charges and bond. The Davidson County Sheriff's Office in Nashville, the Knox County Sheriff's Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility in Knoxville, the Hamilton County jail and Silverdale facility in Chattanooga, the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center in Murfreesboro, the Montgomery County Jail in Clarksville and the Sullivan County Jail in Blountville publish rosters as well. Memphis Police and Nashville Metro Police book into the county jails.
- Tennessee County Sheriff DirectorySheriff offices and jail rosters for all 95 counties
- Tennessee Police DepartmentsCity police records and arrest logs
- Tennessee Criminal RecordsTORIS criminal history checks through the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
- Tennessee Most WantedFugitives and outstanding warrants
Guide
What Tennessee inmate records show, and what stays private
The Tennessee Public Records Act, T.C.A. section 10-7-503, makes the custody record public, and FOIL posts offenses, sentences and release dates. Sheriffs release booking photos with their rosters. Medical and mental health records, the pre-sentence report, classification and disciplinary files and Board of Parole case files are exempt. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation sells a name based criminal history search called TORIS to anyone online for a fee, and county circuit court clerks post case indexes.
Guide
Parole, probation and release in Tennessee
The Tennessee Board of Parole, an independent agency, hears prisoners at the parole eligibility date, posts hearing schedules and decisions and handles executive clemency recommendations. Supervision after release is run by the Department of Correction's Community Supervision division from offices in every judicial district, and the same officers supervise felony probationers, which is why both groups appear in FOIL. Misdemeanor probation is handled by county and private providers. The judgment sits with the clerk of the criminal or circuit court of the convicting county.
Guide
When the search shows nothing
If FOIL returns nothing, the person is held on local charges only: check the Shelby County jail search for a Memphis arrest, the Davidson County Sheriff for Nashville, the Knox County detention facility for Knoxville or the roster for the county of arrest. Check the county court clerk for the case, the federal Bureau of Prisons locator for a federal case, including the federal medical center in Lexington across the Kentucky line, and VINELink for a recent release.
Straight answers
Tennessee Inmate Search, questions
What is FOIL?
FOIL is the Tennessee Department of Correction's Felony Offender Information search. It lists state prisoners, people serving state sentences in county jails, and probationers and parolees under state supervision.
Why is a Tennessee state inmate listed at a county jail?
Tennessee sentences many lower class felons to serve state time in the county jail as local felons. FOIL shows the jail as the location because the sentence is a state sentence.
Where is someone arrested in Memphis held?
At the Shelby County Jail at 201 Poplar, run by the Shelby County Sheriff. Memphis Police book into the county jail, and the sheriff's inmate search lists charges and bond.
Is there a public Tennessee criminal history search?
Yes. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's TORIS search returns Tennessee criminal records by name for a fee, and county court clerks post case indexes.