Transfers & Finding Someone in South Carolina (SCDC)
How South Carolina reception and evaluation works (Kirkland for men, Camille Griffin Graham for women), how to find where a person is held with the SCDC Incarcerated Inmate Search, and how classification and transfers change an institution.
A person entering the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) is first held at a reception and evaluation center for assessment, then assigned to a permanent institution. The SCDC Incarcerated Inmate Search shows the current institution, which can change as a person is reclassified or transferred.
Reception and evaluation
A newly committed person is processed at an SCDC reception and evaluation center before being assigned to a permanent institution:
- Men are processed at Kirkland Correctional Institution in Columbia.
- Women are processed at Camille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution in Columbia.
During reception, SCDC completes intake assessment and classification — the process that sets a person’s custody level and program needs. Visiting and other access are limited during this period. After evaluation, the person is transferred to a permanent institution, which may be elsewhere in the state.
All SCDC institutions are state-operated; South Carolina has no private prisons.
How to find someone
The SCDC Incarcerated Inmate Search at public.doc.state.sc.us/scdc-public/ locates a person in SCDC custody. Search by name or by SCDC number. The record shows the current institution, which is the starting point for confirming visiting, mail, and other procedures with that specific prison.
The search covers people held in SCDC custody. It does not cover people held in county detention centers (see below).
Why a location changes
The institution shown in the search is not fixed. A person’s assigned institution can change for several reasons:
- Classification. Custody level is reviewed over time; a change in custody level can result in a move to a different institution.
- Transfers. SCDC moves people between institutions for capacity, program, medical, security, or other operational reasons.
- Reception to permanent assignment. A person at Kirkland or Camille Griffin Graham is moved to a permanent institution once evaluation is complete.
Because a person can be moved with little or no notice, the institution on file may differ from where the person is currently held.
County detention centers are separate
County detention centers (county jails) are run by county governments, not by SCDC, and hold a different population — including people awaiting trial and people serving short local sentences. They are a separate tier and are not listed in the SCDC Incarcerated Inmate Search. A person held in a county facility is located through that county’s sheriff’s office or detention center, not through SCDC.
Verify Before Acting
Sources
This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.