How to Connect With an Inmate at William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility

The William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility, formerly known as the West Jefferson Correctional Facility, opened in 1982. Its name was changed in honor of a correctional officer who was killed by an inmate.

This maximum-security prison currently houses around 1,425 male inmates and specializes in repeat and/or repeat violent offenders with behavioral challenges. A few hundred of the inmates housed at Donaldson have been sentenced to life without parole. Donaldson has the largest solitary confinement unit in Alabama. It can house up to 300 inmates.

Donaldson Correctional Facility Contact Information

Donaldson Correctional Facility is located outside of Birmingham in Bessemer, Alabama in unincorporated Jefferson County. It is approximately a half an hour drive west of Birmingham, off of AL-269.

General contact information for William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility

How to Reach Inmates at Donaldson Correctional Facility On Your Own

Visitations

Inmate visitation day at William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility is Saturday. Hours are from 8 am-12:40 pm. Inmates may receive one visit per month. You will need to contact the inmate ahead of time to determine which day is his visitation day and to arrange the visit.

To visit an inmate at Donaldson:

• You must be on the inmate's approved visitors list.
• Fill out an Alabama inmate visitors application and return it to the inmate at the mailing address below. The approval process takes 2-6 weeks.
• The inmate will let you know of your visitation status.
• Inmates may have up to 8 adult visitors on their visitors' list.
• You must bring a valid photo ID to visitation.
• Minors or anyone under the age of 19 may visit if they are an immediate family member.
• Minors must fill out a ”request for minors to visit form.”
• Only 4 minors may visit an inmate at a time with a parent or guardian.
• Minors must provide birth certificates or other court documents to visit.

Rules for visits at Alabama prisons:

• Current or past employees of the Department of Corrections may not visit.
• Nothing may cover your head or face. Religious exemptions need prior approval by the Warden.
• Inmates can have up to 4 adults and 4 minors per visit.
• Upon first entering, expect to be finger-printed, checked with a metal detector, and searched.
• Up to $20 dollars may be brought into the facility for use on the vending machines.
• No cell phones, tobacco products, lighters, or matches are permitted.
• No purses or bags are permitted.

Calls

Inmate phone calls are handled through Securus Technologies. As with any prison, inmates at Donaldson may only make outgoing calls. They may not receive incoming calls.

Send money

Money may be sent to an inmate in the following ways:

1. Deposited in an inmate's account online. Use Access Secure Deposits.
2. Use a debit or credit card by phone. Call (866) 345-1884
3. Cash. Deposit cash using a kiosk. Visit www.CashPayToday.com or call 844-340-CASH(2274) for kiosk locations and to register for your account.
4. Send a money order by mail. Mail your money order and the order deposit coupon, which can be found here, or visit a facility to request a coupon. Once you have both the money order and coupon, mail to:

Secure Deposits–Alabama DOC

P.O. Box 12486

St. Louis, MO 63132.

Keep in mind that fees will generally apply to these services.

Send mail

Writing letters to inmates is an important part of their rehabilitation process. You may write a prisoner or a prison pen pal at William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility by sending a card, letter, or photos using a plain white envelope. Up to five 4X6 photos may be sent at one time. Mail will be rejected if the envelope is marked or decorated in any way.

You are also allowed to send an incentive package with pre-approved items once per quarter. When you address a letter to an inmate, make sure to include their AIS number and housing or bed assignment in addition to the prison name and address.

Getting In Touch With Your Loved Ones Via DoNotPay

There are a lot of rules, regulations, and fees to keep track of with the above methods of communication. But with DoNotPay, things are much simpler and quicker. To use DoNotPay to reach an inmate at Donaldson, go to DoNotPay and select the Connect with an Inmate product.

To get going, simply enter the inmate ID or Booking Number, the name of the prison, and the unit the inmate is located in, if applicable.

From there, DoNotPay can help you connect with an inmate at Donaldson. This will save you much of the time and money you would have to invest in reaching an inmate through one of the other methods.

DoNotPay Can Help You Locate and Contact Your Imprisoned Friend

If you're trying to reach your friend in prison but don't know what prison they're incarcerated in, DoNotPay can assist you with those needs as well.  Once again, it's easy. To use DoNotPay to locate your imprisoned friend, follow these steps:

1. Locate the Connect With an Inmate service on DoNotPay.

    

2. Choose whether you want to locate a loved one, create a virtual mailbox, or send a personalized letter.

    

3. If you want us to find your loved one, provide his or her personal details and the state they are located in. We'll then conduct a search on the appropriate state database.

    

4. If you want to create a virtual mailbox, just provide your full name! We'll set one up for you so you can easily receive incoming mail from your loved one.

    

5. If sending a personalized letter, tell us which facility your loved one is located in and what you would like to say to them. You can even include a photo! Your letter will be delivered automatically - just wait 10 days for it to arrive to your loved one!

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

DoNotPay does a lot more than help you find and contact inmates at Donaldson Correctional Facility. We help you do all sorts of things that might seem confusing or time-consuming on your own. Some of these include:

• Dealing with issues with credit cards
• Participating in clinical trials
• Dealing with bills you can't pay
• Getting revenge on robocalls
• Suing people and companies in small claims court
• Scheduling a DMV appointment
• Getting refunds for delayed or canceled flights
• Fighting parking tickets
• Protecting yourself from stalking and harassment
• Getting refunds from other companies
• Protecting your copyright

Give DoNotPay a try today to learn more about these and many other services offered.