Who's in Jail: Mobile AL Metro Jail Inmate Search

Key Inmate Search Resources in Mobile County, Alabama

Mobile County Sheriff's Office oversees the county jail system, and most public custody information is released through its official jail and booking tools. For a broader view of statewide options and background, you can also review Alabama Public Records before you start searching.

To look up someone in Mobile County custody, it helps to have the person’s full name, approximate age or date of birth, and any booking or case numbers you may know. Online rosters and phone systems for Mobile County inmates are updated regularly but not instantly, so very recent arrests, transfers, or releases may not appear right away, and this independent guide does not provide legal advice or make any promise that listings are complete.

  • Focus on current Mobile County jail custody and recent bookings.
  • Have full names, dates of birth, or booking details ready when possible.
  • Expect short delays between events at the jail and public updates.

Understanding Jail and Inmate Information in Mobile County

Jail and inmate information in Mobile County generally centers on custody at Mobile County Metro Jail, which is the primary detention facility for both the county and the City of Mobile. Public tools focus on who is currently held there, recent bookings, and basic identifying information rather than full court records.

An individual entry in a jail roster or booking list will commonly show the person’s name, booking date and time, and current custody status, and may also list charges, bond information, or the unit where they are housed. Each system is different, so not every field appears in every record, and some details may only be available by contacting officials directly.

It is also important to remember that county jail information covers only one part of the larger custody picture. A person you are searching for may instead be held in another county’s jail, a state prison, or a federal facility, or may have been released before the public list refreshed. Jail records are snapshots that can change quickly as people are booked, moved, or released.

Where Someone May Be Held After an Arrest

After an arrest in Mobile County, a person may spend a short time in a city or municipal holding cell, but longer-term local custody is usually at Mobile County Metro Jail. The Metro Jail houses roughly fifteen hundred people on an average day and serves as the main detention facility for both Mobile County and the City of Mobile.

The Metro Jail includes a main jail facility and a minimum security barracks that provide supervised inmate work crews for parks, facilities, and events across the county. While those details will not always appear in a simple online roster, they explain why a location field or housing unit label may mention a barracks or work-release unit rather than simply “jail.”

If you are unsure where someone is being held, start by considering who made the arrest and where it occurred. City police arrests may begin in a municipal holding area before transfer to the county jail. People with warrants or charges in other counties or states can be moved, and some may be in state or federal custody rather than at Metro Jail. When online tools are unclear, Mobile County provides phone options, including a general Metro Jail line at (251) 574-4702 and an automated information system at (251) 574-6412, which can help confirm basic custody details.

When release depends on bond, a person may remain listed as “in jail” even after someone has arranged payment because staff still need time to process paperwork and clear any holds. Bond amounts and types are controlled by local courts and policies, and the jail’s role is mainly to hold the person until those conditions are met and processed.

For in-person questions about custody at the jail facilities, the main public contact locations in Mobile County are summarized below.

Facility Name Physical Address Phone Number
Mobile County Metro Jail 450 St. Emmanuel Street (View on Google Maps) (251) 574-4702
Mobile Metro Jail Minimum Security Barracks Refer to Official Portal (251) 574-2321

Checking Mobile County Custody Using the Who's in Jail Search

The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office maintains an online “Who’s in Jail” search that lists people currently held at Mobile County Metro Jail. This roster-style tool is often the fastest way to see if someone is in county custody without calling the jail directly.

To look up a person, you can open the official Who's in Jail tool and follow the prompts to search the roster. The site typically allows you to search by name, and in some cases you may be able to use additional details such as date of birth or other identifiers, depending on how the Sheriff’s Office has configured the search form.

When using custody tools, the most reliable way to match the right person is usually a booking or inmate number if the system accepts it. If you do not have that, use the person’s full legal name, add the date of birth when you know it, and double-check spellings. This is especially important in Mobile County, where many people may share similar names and results can span multiple pages.

  • Start with the Who’s in Jail roster to see current Metro Jail custody.
  • Search by full name, and add date of birth or other details when possible.
  • If available, use a booking or inmate number for the most precise match.
  • Compare multiple entries carefully when names are common or similar.
  • Remember that very recent arrests may not appear until the next update.

Mobile County also offers a 24-hour booking resource that focuses on recent booking events, which can help you spot very recent arrests even if the main roster has not fully refreshed. If you do not have computer access, you may be able to use the kiosks in the Metro Jail lobby during posted lobby hours or use the automated jail information system at (251) 574-6412 to confirm basic status.

Interpreting Custody Status, Booking Details, and Location Fields

A roster or booking entry from Mobile County typically shows that a person has been booked into Metro Jail, along with when that booking took place and where inside the jail they are assigned. If the person is moved to a different housing unit, such as a minimum security barracks or work-release area, the location field may change even though they remain in county custody.

Custody status fields often distinguish between booked, released, or transferred. A release does not always mean charges are dropped; it may mean the person posted bond, completed a short sentence, or was transferred to another agency. Because systems are updated on a schedule, online status should be treated as informational only, and some details—such as full charge descriptions or court dates—may not appear on the jail roster at all.

Visitation rules at Mobile County Metro Jail are now built around video visits rather than traditional in-person visitation. Families and friends must register with the video visitation system powered by GettingOut, receive approval, and then choose between on-site video at the jail or remote video from another location. On-site video visits at Metro Jail are free, all visits must be scheduled at least one day in advance but no more than seven days ahead, visitors must sign in at least fifteen minutes before the scheduled start time, and only people on the inmate’s approved visitation list can take part.

  • All personal video visits, whether on-site or remote, are monitored and recorded.
  • Non-approved visitors using someone else’s scheduled slot can have accounts suspended.
  • On-site registration help is available in the Metro Jail lobby on weekdays during posted hours.
  • For questions and assistance with video visits, the jail lists a support line at (855) 208-7349.

Mail is handled under detailed security rules at Mobile County Metro Jail. Incoming personal mail must be sent as a metered postcard no larger than about 4 by 6 inches, with no postage stamps attached. The postcard must show the sender’s full name and return address and must be addressed to the inmate using the person’s full name and, if known, date of birth, using the jail’s mailing address at P.O. Box 104, Mobile, Alabama 36601. Mail that does not meet format rules, lacks a clear return address, or contains contraband may be rejected, returned, discarded, or donated after a holding period, and padded envelopes are not accepted.

All non-legal mail is opened and inspected before being passed to inmates, while legal mail must be clearly labeled so staff can handle it appropriately. The jail also notes that contraband discovered in mail that does not amount to a separate criminal offense is handled under internal policies, with instructions given to inmates about how materials may be returned to the sender or disposed of after a set period.

For money and commissary, Mobile County Metro Jail explains that deposits into inmate accounts are handled through the InmateCanteen.com system, and effective September 1, 2023, money clerks are no longer accepting money orders for trust account deposits. Where money orders are still mentioned, they are limited to relatively small amounts, so families are directed to use the online deposit vendor and to contact that vendor’s support at the ICCSupport@TKC32M.com email or its help chat instead of calling the jail about website issues. Medical services at the jail are contracted through NaphCare, and family members with medical questions are instructed to call the listed medical information line at (251) 574-3368 and leave a message so staff can respond.

If You Can't Find Someone Online: Practical Next Steps

A “no results” message in a Mobile County inmate search does not always mean the person is not in custody. Very recent arrests may appear first in a short-term booking list before they show up in a broader “Who’s in Jail” roster, and people can be moved between municipal holding cells, Metro Jail, other counties, or state or federal facilities.

Start by checking for simple issues such as misspellings or missing middle names. Try entering only the last name and first initial, or expanding the date range if the tool offers that option. If you know a booking or inmate number from court paperwork or prior contact with the jail, use that number where the search form allows it, because it is far more precise than a name alone.

  • Try alternate spellings, middle names, or initials when searching the roster.
  • Use any booking or inmate number you have, if the tool accepts it.
  • Confirm that you are using Mobile County’s official jail resources, not a third-party site.
  • Check both the current “Who’s in Jail” roster and any 24-hour booking resource.
  • Allow time for new bookings, releases, or transfers to be entered into public systems.

If someone still does not appear after you have adjusted spellings and checked both current-custody and 24-hour booking resources, consider that they may be held in another jurisdiction or under a different legal name. At that point, many people call the Metro Jail main line at (251) 574-4702 or use the automated jail information system at (251) 574-6412 to ask staff to confirm whether the person is currently in their custody.

When you still cannot locate a person through Mobile County tools or by phone, you may need to search nearby counties, state corrections, or federal inmate systems. Because those systems are separate from Mobile County Metro Jail, this guide cannot walk through all of them, but you can use the information you have gathered—such as booking dates, case numbers, or arrest locations—to guide those additional searches.

Mobile County Jail Contacts and Official Resources

This section brings together key contact details from Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and Mobile County Metro Jail that are directly related to jail custody, visitation, mail, medical questions, and inmate accounts.

  • Mobile County Sheriff's Office: 510 South Royal Street, Mobile, AL 36603, phone (251) 574-2423 (View on Google Maps)
  • Mail for inmates at Mobile County Metro Jail should be sent as a properly formatted metered postcard to the facility’s mailing address at P.O. Box 104, Mobile, Alabama 36601, using the inmate’s full name and date of birth.
  • Automated jail information about people currently in custody at Mobile County Metro Jail is available through the recorded information line at (251) 574-6412.
  • Video visitation scheduling and appointment questions for Metro Jail can use the dedicated visitation support numbers at (251) 574-4734 and (251) 574-3388, along with the system support line at (855) 208-7349.
  • Medical questions about an inmate housed at Mobile County Metro Jail go through the medical information line at (251) 574-3368, which is managed by the jail’s contracted medical provider.
  • Questions or problems with depositing money to an inmate account through the InmateCanteen.com system should be sent to the vendor’s support address at ICCSupport@TKC32M.com rather than to jail staff.

Always confirm current custody status, visiting options, mail rules, and payment instructions directly with official Mobile County Sheriff’s Office or Mobile County Metro Jail sources before acting on this information.

How do I schedule a video visit with someone at Mobile County Metro Jail?
To schedule a video visit, start by registering with the Metro Jail's video visitation system powered by GettingOut, complete the online registration for approval, then choose on-site or remote video and book a time 1 to 7 days in advance; if you cannot use a computer you can register in the Metro Jail lobby Monday through Friday between 8:00 and 11:00 a.m. or 2:00 and 5:30 p.m., or call 866-516-0115 for registration help, and questions about visits can be directed to the support line at 855-208-7349.

What kind of mail can I send to Mobile County Metro Jail?
Mobile County Metro Jail accepts only metered postcards no larger than about 4 by 6 inches, and each postcard must include your full return address plus the inmate's full name and date of birth, be addressed to the jail's P.O. Box 104 in Mobile, Alabama 36601, and be free of contraband or padded packaging because all non-legal mail is opened, inspected, and may be returned, discarded, or donated if it does not follow jail policy.