What Happens When Someone First Arrives at Staton Corrections Center (ADOC Reception & Classification)
The first days at Staton Corrections Center can feel like a black box from the outside. Here's what ADOC's reception and classification process typically includes—and what you can realistically expect during those first two weeks.
Right after someone arrives at an ADOC institution like Staton, intake begins with basic identity processing - photographs and fingerprints. For families, this is one of the first official steps confirming the person is in the system and moving through the standard process, not sitting in limbo.
Health screening comes next. They'll receive a complete physical exam and a dental exam from medical and dental professionals. This is standard ADOC procedure - documenting health needs early and establishing a baseline before custody placement and programming decisions.
Note: Psychological testing and interviews are also part of reception. That can be unsettling to hear, but it's a normal step in the intake process.
After these initial steps, a Classification Specialist conducts an interview. This conversation - combined with existing records - helps determine the person's initial custody level and living unit assignment. It's a pivotal moment. Those early decisions shape where they live and how they move through the system from the start.
As a general timeline, ADOC says reception and classification is usually completed within two weeks after arrival. That doesn't mean everything feels settled by day 14, but it gives you a reasonable window for when initial placement decisions are typically made and recorded.
Classification isn't a one-time event. After initial placement, ADOC schedules ongoing reviews: at least one classification review per year, plus a file review every six months to check eligibility for custody level or placement changes. Translation: there are regular checkpoints built into the system where status can be reconsidered.
Work assignments also shape daily life after reception. A Job Placement Board assigns an institutional job as the person's regular work assignment. If you're wondering why they settled into a certain routine quickly, this is often why - classification sets the framework, and job placement fills in the day-to-day structure.
When you're trying to figure out where someone is and what stage they're in, the ADOC inmate search is usually the fastest option. If you have the AIS (Alabama Institutional Serial) number - a unique six-digit number assigned to each inmate - use it. It's the quickest way to find the right record. One detail that trips people up: if you enter an AIS number, the search ignores the first and last name fields and only shows records matching that exact number. So if your results look wrong, double-check the digits before assuming the person isn't listed.
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