St. Petersburg Community Release Center Overview
St. Petersburg Community Release Center is operated by the Florida Department of Corrections, the state agency in charge of people serving prison sentences. The Department of Corrections lists it as a Community Release Center for men. A community release center, often called a work-release center, is a state facility for inmates who are close to release. Rather than living behind the walls of a large prison, these men stay at the center under supervision and may leave during the day for approved work or programs, then return at night.
The population here is sentenced state inmates, not local detainees. That is a key point for anyone searching. The county jail holds people who are waiting for trial or serving short county terms. This center holds men who have already been convicted and sentenced to state time, then placed in community release as they transition toward going home. Because of that, the lookup, visitation, mail, and money rules all follow state policy.
Although it sits in St. Petersburg in Pinellas County, the center is run by the state, not the county sheriff. The men here do not appear on the county jail roster. They are part of the statewide corrections population and are searched through the state system.
This split between county and state custody trips up many searches. A family member may know a man was arrested locally and assume he is still on the sheriff's roster, when in fact he was sentenced months ago and moved to state custody. Once that move happens, the only accurate place to find him is the state offender locator. The St. Petersburg site is one of four state facilities physically inside the county, alongside a road prison and two other community release centers, so it helps to confirm which one holds the person before assuming any single location.
St. Petersburg Community Release Center Population
The Florida Department of Corrections facility directory does not publish a rated capacity for St. Petersburg Community Release Center, and no sourced capacity figure was located for it. Because of that, no capacity or population number is posted here. Inventing one would mislead readers, so the count is simply not published in the state directory for this site.
What is known is the custody type. This is a men's community release center, which means a smaller, lower-security setting than a main state prison. The number of men in residence shifts as the state moves inmates through work release toward their release dates, so any single-day figure is not made public.
Community release centers tend to be far smaller than the large state prisons that hold thousands. They function more like supervised residences than walled compounds. That smaller scale fits their purpose, which is to ease sentenced men back toward independent life rather than to hold large numbers in secure confinement. If a current capacity is needed, the Department of Corrections is the office that can confirm it for this St. Petersburg site.
How to Look Up an Inmate at St. Petersburg Community Release Center
Men held at St. Petersburg Community Release Center are searched through the Florida Department of Corrections offender search, not the Pinellas County jail roster. The county roster only tracks the county jail and recent releases from it. A man in a state community release center is a sentenced state inmate, so the statewide locator is the correct tool. You can search by last name, first name, or DC number.
A DC number is the identifier the Department of Corrections gives each inmate. It is six characters long, either all numbers or one letter and five numbers. The state notes that an inmate's location, custody status, and release date can change quickly, so a search result reflects a moment in time.
- Open the Florida Department of Corrections offender search.
- Type the last name and first name, or enter the six-character DC number if known.
- Turn on the alias search and adjust the photo options to refine matches.
- Open the profile and confirm the facility shows as St. Petersburg Community Release Center.
- Read the offense, sentence, and listed release fields on that profile.
The state search accepts a few simple inputs, summarized below.
| Search Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Last Name | Matches names beginning with the letters you type. |
| First Name | Combines with last name to narrow a common surname. |
| DC Number | Six characters, all numeric or one letter and five numbers. |
| Search Aliases | Checkbox that also searches alternate names. |
| Photo Options | Hide photos or show only records that include a photo. |
| Limit Matches | Choose how many results show per page, 10 through 50. |
St. Petersburg Community Release Center Address and Contact
The center is on 8th Avenue South in St. Petersburg, in the southern part of Pinellas County. For questions about a sentenced man's status, classification, or records, the Florida Department of Corrections Bureau of Classification and Central Records can be reached at (850) 488-9859. Use the center's own line for matters tied directly to the site.
St. Petersburg Community Release Center
4237 8th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33711-2000
(727) 893-2289
Fax: (727) 893-1182
Note: confirm a man's current placement and any visit before traveling, because the state can move an inmate or change his release status with little notice.
Visiting St. Petersburg Community Release Center
State visitation is set by the Florida Department of Corrections and differs from how the county jail handles visits. The state requires an approved visitor list and advance scheduling. A would-be visitor generally must apply, pass a review, and be placed on the inmate's approved list before any visit happens. Community release center routines can also differ because residents may be away at work during parts of the day.
The research gathered for this site does not include the specific visiting days, hours, or detailed rules for St. Petersburg Community Release Center. Rather than invent a schedule, the table below explains how state visitation is structured and directs you to confirm the exact details with the Department of Corrections.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Approved visitor list | Required; the visitor must be approved before visiting. |
| Scheduling | Arranged through the Florida Department of Corrections, not the county. |
| Days and hours | Set by the facility; specific times were not located, so confirm with FDC. |
| Identification | State rules require valid photo ID for an approved adult visitor. |
| Work schedule effect | A resident may be out on work release, which can affect visit timing. |
Mail and Money at St. Petersburg Community Release Center
Mail, phone access, and money deposits at a state community release center follow Florida Department of Corrections policy rather than county jail vendors. The state controls how letters are addressed, which company handles deposits, and how money reaches an inmate account. The exact vendor names and the current mailing format for this center were not part of the research collected for this site, so they are left out to avoid posting anything inaccurate.
To get mail or money to a man here without delay, confirm the current address format and the approved deposit method with the Department of Corrections before sending. Anything sent under outdated instructions risks being returned. The state classification and records office at (850) 488-9859 can direct you to the correct current process for this community release center.
From County Jail to State Community Release
No one is placed at St. Petersburg Community Release Center directly from an arrest. The route runs through the courts and the main state system first. A person arrested in Pinellas County is booked into the Pinellas County Jail and may show on the county roster while the case is pending. Once sentenced to state prison, that person leaves the county jail count and enters the Florida Department of Corrections.
Inside the state system, a new inmate goes through reception and classification before any facility assignment. Reception is the intake stage where the state confirms the sentence and records the person. Classification is the review that sets custody level and the right placement. Men chosen for community release are usually nearer the end of their terms and considered ready to work outside under supervision. From that point they are searched in the state offender locator, and the county jail phase of the case is described on the jail inmate records page.
About St. Petersburg Community Release Center
St. Petersburg Community Release Center reflects the reentry side of Florida corrections. Work release and community release let sentenced men hold jobs, earn money, and rebuild routines while still in custody and supervised by the state. The goal is a smoother return to life outside, with less of the sharp jump that comes from leaving a high-security prison straight to the street.
For families tracking a man here, the rule of thumb is to use the state system from the start, since the county roster will not list him. A release-notification service can help follow custody changes. Sign up for alerts through VINELink.
Note: Confirm a resident's current status and any approved visit with the Florida Department of Corrections before traveling, since work-release placement and transfers can change fast.