Jackson County Jail Inmate Search

Jackson County, Alabama was founded in the early 1800’s with the creation of the Alabama Territory and the incorporation of Scottsboro, Alabama between 1870 and 1890. Jackson County Jail is a medium detention center, meaning the facility holds inmates that are awaiting trial or their sentencing. This correction facility is locally run by the Jackson County Sherriff’s Department. Considering the individuals being held in this facility have not been sentenced, the security level is what is often pictured in the movies. An area surrounded by concrete walls and towers for the guards, often crowded cells which can hold 2-3 inmates at a time.

With very little information on the history of the Jackson County Jail, there is one historical moment which made Jackson County Jail famous. The Scottsboro Boys was a case in 1931 of nine black men that were falsely accused of raping two white women. Since racism was still a very prominent issue in the early 1900’s these nine men were sentenced to death, even with solid evidence proving these men were not responsible for the sexual assaults. With an all white jury and a racist judge, these men were doomed from the start. The Scottsboro Boys had brought the country’s full attention while causing four of the men to be dropped while the other five had sentences ranging from 75 years in prison to the death sentence. It wasn’t until 82 years later in 2013 when the parole board overturned three of the Scottsboro Boys sentences.

With the county sheriff being a white male, one of the most historical events was a lynching mob arriving at the doorsteps of this facility demanding to have the Scottsboro Boys released. Sherriff Matt Wann made a courageous decision to defend his facility and refuse to let this angry mob touch any of the inmates. Sherriff Wann stood his ground and had the Alabama Army National Guard to protect the facility and everyone in it. In such tense times, this was unheard of. Although these men were found to be innocent after all of these years, this event is a truly heartbreaking event which put Jackson County Jail on the map and made its mark in the arts. With the Scottsboro Boys being its own musical in 2011, but also the inspiration for the plot of the famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird.