Common FAQS about Inmate Search
When your friend or a family member has been incarcerated, it can often be difficult to determine the correctional facility they have been held in. Keeping contact with your loved one is important to support them financially and emotionally to increase their chances of better rehabilitation.
If you need to find a person in prison, the best first step is determining the type of correctional system they are in. Persons in most facilities have either been charged with an offense or convicted of a crime. After arrest, the person is brought into custody until they face trial or are released. Moreover, those officially charged with the alleged offense typically remain in jail or prison until they complete their time.
Knowing where to begin your search is essential. For instance, you want to achieve this by asking yourself about the types of corrections systems in the United States. Some standard systems include state prisons, federal prisons, and local or county jails.
Below are some of the questions that arise concerning conducting an inmate search and related topics;
How can I Find an Inmate in a State-Run Correctional Facility?
Generally, every state in the United States has a Department of Corrections in charge of operating and maintaining designated state prisons. The department of corrections offers safety, security, and custody for all inmates convicted of state felonies. In addition, they have an online website that permits you to access information concerning incarcerated inmates. The websites contain detailed details on how to search for an incarcerated individual.
Most state departments offer online access to inmate records. The terminologies used for search forms and queries differ from state to state. You can expect to see, but not limited to:
- Prisoner Search
- Residents
- Inmate Search
- Offender Database Search
- Inmate Locator
- Incarcerated Lookup
- Individuals in Custody
To perform an inmate search on the websites, start by looking for the Department of Corrections. You can search directly by clicking on the state, followed by the department of corrections inmate search. For a successful search, you can include the following inmate’s information as full name, age, date of birth, DOC number, physical description, and correctional facility. The correctional facilities regularly update most of the information provided by the websites. However, some facilities will only add inmates to their search tools after finishing the classification and intake process.
How can I Locate Someone in Jail?
If a loved one is arrested, a county or city jail is where they are likely to spend the night. Typically, jails detain inmates awaiting trial and conviction, and after conviction, they may be released, incarcerated, or transferred to a state or federal facility.
If you believe your loved one is serving time at a county jail, the first step is to find the jail’s official website. The county sheriff’s offices typically operate and maintain local jails. The law enforcement department often has a website hosting the facility’s webpage and inmate search tool. Currently, most county jails permit you to view current inmates using an online inmate roster.
On the other hand, some facilities offer an inmate search tool similar to that of DOC. You must submit the inmate’s name and identification number to perform the search. The search will provide you with the inmate’s information, such as full name, booking information, registration number, custody status, charge description, sentence details, physical description, age, gender, and release date.
However, some counties do not offer online search tools. In such cases, you can visit the sheriff’s office website to obtain the contact information. Alternatively, you can contact the facility directly to acquire information concerning an inmate.
How do I Find a Federal Prisoner?
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a federal law enforcement agency and a subdivision of the United States Department of Justice. The BOP is responsible for administering the national system in the United States. The agency operates over 119 federal prisons spread throughout the country. In addition, the BOP is in charge of the care, safety, security, and custody of more than 200000 federal inmates. About 85% of the inmates are held in federal correctional facilities or detention centers under a BOP.
If you believe your loved one is serving time in federal prison, the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ official website is where you should start your search. BOP allows you to find the whereabouts of an incarcerated offender using the “Find an Inmate” search tool. The tool contains details concerning federal inmates from 1982 to the present and gives you two search options as follows;
- Search by Number; enter the BOP register, DCDC Number, FBI number, or INS number.
- Search by name; enter the inmate’s first, middle, and last name, race, age, and sex.
What Information do BOP Records Contain?
It is essential to remember that federal prisons only accommodate offenders convicted of violating federal laws or awaiting trial for violating them. It is possible that an offender record can exist for an individual who was in BOP custody but never served a federal sentence of incarceration. Below are some circumstances of when it can happen;
- One was held for civil contempt.
- If someone was held as a material witness
- When a person is detained pre-trial but criminal charges are dismissed
How can I Acquire More Information Concerning an Inmate?
According to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), anyone interested can obtain certain information concerning federal inmates upon request. In addition, if you want to acquire information beyond what the inmate locator offers, you can submit a FOIA request alongside a properly filled out Form DOJ-361. For more information, visit “Find an Inmate.”
What can I do if I have a Challenge Finding an Inmate?
If you have trouble finding an inmate, you should check if you submitted the correct information. The problem could be that you misspelled the name or entered the wrong registration number. If you still cannot obtain the result, either the inmate is not a federal inmate, or they were in the federal system before 1982. If you encounter technical challenges when using the inmate locator, you can visit the BOP’s “Contact Us” page and send a Technical Issue email.
Can I Locate an Inmate in a Private Prison?
Generally, private companies own and operate private prison facilities, and the state and federal government usually contract with the private facilities to house about 8% of all prison population in the U.S. Private prisons are paid per diem for each inmate. In most cases, they are cheaper than state prisons. However, the care and rights of offenders may be compromised.
The main difference between private prisons and other correctional facilities is that they are for-profit groups and bid contracts with the government. Since the state does not operate them, they decide how to spend their funds and what inmate services to provide. The private facilities are often less crowded and provide better working environments for their employees. The CoreCivic is one of the most extensive contract prison companies in the U.S.
You can find an inmate serving time in a private prison by visiting the facility’s official site. For instance, CoreCivic offers a list of its correctional facilities. You can click the links to your desired prison to find out about an inmate serving time there. Moreover, some facilities provide an online inmate roster.
How do I Find Inmates who were recently arrested?
If you still cannot locate an inmate, or they are not in prison but a jail, you can search for them using the Vine Link. The victim Notification System covers almost every state, and it provides instant notification of a change to an offender’s status. You can sign in with VINE to be notified when the inmate is moved or released. You can be notified through a text message, email, or telephone.
How do I find out if someone is in Immigration?
An immigrant may be arrested and put in an ICE detention center for an alleged visa violation. Other reasons for the arrest include entering the country illegally, orders for deportation by the court, or while a removal proceeding is pending.
When your friend or a family member is taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) (ICE) custody, it can be quite a frustrating experience, especially if you have no idea how to go about it. It can be even worse if you don’t know what facility they have been held in. However, you can locate them using the online ICE Detainee Locator System, which allows you to search all ICE detention centers across the United States. The locator permits you to find a detainee using the following options:
Search by A-Number
You can search for an ICE detainee by using the Alien Registration Number. The A-Number is a unique nine-digit number given to a non-citizen when their A-File is made. If the A-Number has fewer digits, you must add zeros at the beginning. Alongside the A-Number, you should include the detainee’s country of birth for better results. You can get the A-Number from several immigration documents such as an immigrant fee handout, passport visa stamp, work permit, and green card.
Search by Biological Information
To search by biological information, you must provide the detainee’s information, such as full name, date of birth, and country of birth. You should ensure that the name is an exact match, and if you encounter issues searching, you should check out for misspellings, versions, reversed names, and removing or adding a hyphen.
How do I Find a Sex Offender near Me?
If you would love to know the sex offenders living near your area, check out online through the sex offender registries or law enforcement entities such as the police department and the sheriff’s office. In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice provides a tool where you can search for sex offenders across several jurisdictions simultaneously and is known as the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Registry or NSOPW.
As per the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, certain sex offenders become subject to registration when convicted of specific sexual offenses, especially those involving children or violence.
