- To find someone’s prison or jail records, you need to know their full name (spelled correctly) and the county they were arrested in.
- Search the inmate’s name in an online inmate locator to find their record and where they’re being held.
- If you find out where they're being held, consider calling the police station or jail to learn more about their arrest or sentence.
Narrowing Your Search
Gather information about the person you’re looking for. The more information you have, the easier it’ll be to find out if that person is (or has been) in jail. At a minimum, have the individual's full name on hand. Other identifying characteristics, like their birth date, age, gender, race, and hair color, can also help a search, especially if they have a common name. If you don’t have a full name, you may be able to track the person down with a nickname and date of arrest. However, this information alone isn’t useful with online resources or databases.
Determine if the person is likely in jail or prison. Typically, those housed in jails have been arrested but haven’t been arraigned, are awaiting trial but haven’t been released on bail, or are serving sentences less than 1 year in length. If someone’s serving a sentence longer than 1 year, they’re usually in prison. For instance, if you just saw this person a few days ago, chances are they haven’t been arraigned yet and are in a jail.
Figure out where they're being held if they were recently arrested. If you know the status of the person you believe is (or has been) in jail, finding accurate records can be easier if you know what jail or prison they’re in. If the individual was recently arrested, they'd likely go to the jail of the county they were arrested in. Additionally, if someone is awaiting trial or arraignment, they’ll most likely be held in jail in their home county or whichever county they were arrested in. However, sometimes jails will transfer the inmates during their sentence.
Using Online Resources & Databases
Use an online search engine to find a county’s law enforcement website. If you know where the person in question was arrested, start by searching that county's website. If you don’t know where they were arrested but you know their address, search for their home county's website instead. Find the county’s website by searching “[county] law enforcement website” online. Scour the website for tabs associated with “inmate care,” or use the website’s search bar (if there’s one available) to search “find an inmate.”
Search the county website’s law enforcement databases (if available). Some county jail websites have searchable databases of the people being held there. Usually, you don’t need anything more than a person's name to search the database. Look for key terms like “county sheriff,” “police department,” and “municipal court of the county” to find the prisoner or arrest database. Keep in mind that not every county has an online resource that can locate inmates. Not all online databases are updated often, and their information could be outdated. If you find the person you’re searching for through a database, confirm that the individual is still there by calling the jail directly.
Check the websites of neighboring counties. If there is any chance the individual might be held elsewhere, it’d likely be in a neighboring county. Determine the counties surrounding their home county and search those websites as well, or try using a state’s inmate locator. Find a state’s inmate locator database by searching “[state] inmate search” online. Remember, these resources may only list counties with an online inmate locator and not list neighboring counties that can only be contacted by phone.
Search the Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) program. VINE is a service that allows victims of crimes to obtain information about the custody status of offenders. To use VINE, visit this website and click on the state where the offender you’re looking for is located. Search for them by name or identification number. Register to be contacted by VINE (either through email, text message, or phone call) when the offender’s custody status changes, or download the app to receive notifications. Most states contract with VINE to provide service; however, in some states, VINE is only available in certain counties or not at all.
Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmate locator to find federal jail inmates. If you’re trying to locate someone who could be in federal jail instead of a county jail, then the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ website is the best place to look. Type the name of the person you’re looking for in the website to pull up all available records on any possible arrests. The Federal Bureau of Prisons’ website only has records for inmates that were incarcerated from 1982 to the present. To use this website, you need to know the person’s first and last name and their proper spelling. Keep in mind that the Federal Bureau of Prisons' website only applies to people held in federal custody, as opposed to state crimes. In most circumstances, garden variety crimes are punished under state law, while crimes that take place in multiple states or violate a federal statute are punished under federal law. For example, a DUI would likely be punished under state law, while violations of the Securities and Exchange Commission rules would be punished under federal law.
Use a nationwide online inmate locator as a last resort. If you’re unsure where the person is or was arrested or housed, try using a nationwide inmate locator website. In an online search engine, search “find an inmate” to pull up various inmate locator databases. Opt for sites like The Inmate Locator that don’t have ads or cost anything. Websites with lots of pop-ups or fees are most likely scams.
Searching Offline for Someone Recently Arrested
Call the county jail or clerk of courts office for information. Speaking directly with a county jail officer or clerk can help you obtain the information you’re looking for, especially if you don’t have access to online records. Call a non-emergency county law enforcement department and ask to speak to someone about a specific arrest or inmate. Find the non-emergency number for your desired county on the county’s website or by searching “[county] non-emergency number” online. Once you call, there may be a specific phone number or extension used for inmate inquiries. The automated message or receptionist can transfer your call to the correct department. Keep in mind that you may not be able to obtain detailed information about an inmate without proper documentation or information. For instance, legitimate family members of an inmate may be able to obtain more than a friend.
Ask to speak with a recently arrested individual’s arresting officer. If you still can’t locate the person you’re searching for, but know which department or officer arrested them, talk with them. This is a long shot, but knowing the details may help you find the arrested individual. Head down to the police station (or call the station) and ask if you can speak to an officer about a specific arrest.
Press forward until you go through all possibilities. If you’ve contacted everyone possible and haven’t found the arrested individual yet, wait a few days and then try again. It can take a while for new information to be updated within law enforcement databases, so don’t lose hope. Know that if the person you’re looking for isn’t being held in jail in the counties you’d expect, there’s a possibility that they’re not in jail. Consider filing a Missing Person’s Report if this is the case.
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