Houston County Work Release Overview
Houston County Community Corrections operates from the Community Corrections Center at 164 N. Oates Street in Dothan. The county describes the office as part of a local alternative to higher-security jail or prison placement for eligible offenders. Its work is tied to county probation, court referral, state and federal probation contacts, work release, substance-abuse treatment, education, employment, and supervision. That makes the facility important for inmate-population research, but it should not be described as the same thing as Houston County Jail.
The county says Community Corrections was created in 1993 to alleviate overcrowding in Houston County Jail. It later grew from misdemeanor population management to include eligible felony diversions from state facilities. In 2002, the Houston County Work Release Facility opened, and the official county page says it became the largest facility of its type in Alabama. Those claims are central to the facility's role: it was built to manage local correctional pressure while still requiring accountability, work, treatment, and court-linked supervision.
People assigned to Houston County Community Corrections Center / Work Release Facility may be under a court order or program condition rather than a normal jail booking. A current inmate list for this program was not located in the official sources reviewed. For that reason, a lookup starts with the office, the court, the supervising probation contact, or the Houston County Jail roster only if physical jail custody is at issue.
Houston County Corrections Contacts
The official county page and FAQ provide several contact lines because the office touches different supervision tracks. County Probation, State Probation and Parole, Federal Probation and Parole, and Court Referral are not interchangeable. Use the contact tied to the person's case source or paperwork. If the question is after hours and involves an emergency tied to community corrections supervision, the county says security officers are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays, and an on-call staff member handles after-hour emergencies.
Houston County Community Corrections Center
164 N. Oates St.
Dothan, AL 36303
County Probation: 334-671-8725
Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Program Contact Lines
Court Referral: 334-677-1156
State Probation & Parole: 334-793-7079
Federal Probation & Parole: 334-671-0311
Fax: 334-673-9452
The official Houston County Community Corrections page is the source for the office location, hours, program history, and this facility image.
The page places the work-release program near the county government and court area on North Oates Street, which fits its court-supervision role.
Houston County Work Release Lookup
Houston County Community Corrections Center / Work Release Facility is not searched the same way as a county jail. The research did not locate a public program roster. If a person is assigned to work release, county probation, court referral, or another community-corrections program, the better route is to contact the office connected to the supervision track or check the underlying court case through the Houston County Circuit Clerk or Alacourt. If the person is physically in jail, use Southern Software Citizen Connect or call Houston County Jail.
- Review the court paperwork or release order to identify whether the case mentions community corrections, work release, probation, or court referral.
- Call the correct office line, such as County Probation at 334-671-8725 or Court Referral at 334-677-1156.
- Use the Houston County Circuit Clerk or Alacourt for formal court case status and court dates.
- Search Citizen Connect current confinements only if the person may be physically held at Houston County Jail.
- Use ADOC, BOP, USMS, or ICE channels only when the person has moved to state, federal, or immigration custody.
| Question | Best Houston County Source |
|---|---|
| Work-release assignment | Community Corrections or County Probation. |
| Court referral status | Court Referral line and the court case record. |
| Current jail custody | Houston County Jail roster or jail phone. |
| Formal charge or case date | Houston County Circuit Clerk or Alacourt. |
| State prison transfer | ADOC inmate search. |
Houston County Program Population
Official sources reviewed did not publish a current population count or rated bed count for Houston County Community Corrections Center / Work Release Facility. The county does publish why the program exists. It was created in 1993 to ease Houston County Jail overcrowding and grew as Alabama expanded community-corrections use. The work-release facility opened in 2002 and was described by the county as the largest work-release facility of its type in Alabama.
The population is different from the jail roster population. The program focuses on eligible low-risk, nonviolent offenders who can remain under local correctional control while working, attending treatment, completing education, or meeting court conditions. Some may be diverted from state facilities. Others may be managed locally to reduce jail crowding. That kind of supervision can still be strict, but it is not the same as a public list of people booked into the jail.
Houston County Work Release Programs
The official county narrative says the work-release model lets low-risk, nonviolent offenders take responsibility in a local setting instead of being placed in higher-security prison. The core requirements named by the county are employment, substance-abuse treatment, and education. The program also works with local service providers and agencies, and the county notes that Alabama's 2015 Prison Reform Act recognized the growing role of community corrections.
| Program Element | Local Purpose |
|---|---|
| Employment | Requires approved work and local responsibility while under supervision. |
| Substance-abuse treatment | Connects eligible offenders with treatment while remaining in the community. |
| Education | Supports completion of education programs named by the county. |
| Probation coordination | Links county, state, and federal supervision contacts. |
| Court referral | Routes court-ordered program questions through the listed referral line. |
Community-corrections programs are governed by Minimum Standards through the Alabama Department of Corrections. That state link does not turn the Dothan work-release facility into a state prison, but it does explain why local program questions can overlap with state policy and court supervision.
Houston County Work Release Visits
The official Community Corrections pages reviewed did not publish a public family visitation schedule like the Houston County Jail visitation page. That makes sense for a work-release and community-supervision setting, where daily movement, employment, treatment, and program rules may control access. Do not use the jail's weekend face-to-face schedule for this facility unless staff specifically directs it.
| Access Type | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Office visit | Use Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. office hours. |
| After-hour emergency | Follow the county's security officer and on-call staff process. |
| Program contact | Call the office connected to county probation, court referral, or other supervision. |
| Jail visit | Use Houston County Jail rules only if the person is physically jailed. |
Note: Confirm program status, access rules, and the correct contact line before going to the North Oates Street office.
Houston County Corrections Mail
The research did not locate separate public mail, commissary, or money-deposit rules for Houston County Community Corrections Center / Work Release Facility. Do not assume that jail mail, InmateCanteen, ICSolutions, or the jail lobby kiosk applies to a work-release participant. Those services are documented for Houston County Jail, not for every community-corrections status.
If a person is in Houston County Jail custody, jail mail must follow the sheriff's card-stock rule and commissary deposits go through InmateCanteen. If the person is a work-release participant, call Community Corrections, County Probation, or Court Referral for the rule that applies to that supervision status. The distinction matters because a failed jail-style mailing or deposit may not reach someone who is not booked into the jail.
Houston County Custody Terms
Several records terms overlap here, but they do not mean the same thing. A jail booking is an intake record for physical custody. Work release is a supervised status that may permit approved employment. Community corrections is a local program structure used to manage eligible offenders under court-linked rules. A court referral may be tied to treatment, education, compliance, or another ordered condition.
- Work release
- A correctional status that can allow approved employment while the person remains under supervision.
- Community corrections
- A local program model for eligible offenders, often used to reduce jail crowding and support structured supervision.
- County probation
- Local supervision connected to the county program or court requirements.
- Court referral
- A program contact route for court-ordered services or conditions.
- Jail roster
- The public custody list for people physically confined in Houston County Jail.