Pennsylvania Inmate Search

Pennsylvania has 132 local county and city jails maintained by the sheriff or city. They also have 25 state prisons and two private prisons that commit inmates sentenced for state crimes. Only a dozen federal prisons are available in the state to house inmates found guilty of federal crimes. The state has around 50,000 inmates in the state prisons, while the county jail collectively houses 37,000, which is still significantly higher than 7,500 federal prisoners. 

Most law enforcement is done locally at the county, with all arrested persons sent to the county jails. Inmates stay in the county jails until they receive bail or get sentenced. The state police, federal law enforcement agencies, and sheriff's offices also conduct arrests throughout the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 

Inmates with short sentences serve their term in the county jails, while those serving longer sentences are sent to either state or federal jails. What determines the jail that an inmate is sent to is whether the crime is state or federal. 

Inmate Records 

The management of different lockup facilities in Pennsylvania depends on whether they are federal, county, or state. The respective sheriffs manage county jails, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections manages state jails, and federal jails are in the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Prisons. 

All these institutions working in Pennsylvania are required by the Pennsylvania Right To Know Law and the federal Freedom of Information Act to keep and provide inmate records to the public. Inmate records include the names of the individuals and any relevant details collected at the time of arrest, conviction, incarceration, parole, or probation. 

Conducting Inmate Searches 

Use Lookup tools 

Most county jails and sheriffs have websites that let the resident search the inmate's name. This can enable them to know the location of the inmate as well as the crime, sentence, fine, or bail amounts. All inmates in state prisons are recorded, and you can easily locate them using the prison lookup tool. Federal inmates can also be located using the Federal Inmates Locator. 

Third Party Sites 

Since most inmate data is public, many third-party sites publish it online. A simple search on the internet can provide a treasure trove of inmate search details. You may also perform an inmate search by calling the respective prisons and jails in the county. Details not available in the inmate search can be found by writing to the particular jail or the bodies that administer the jail. All juvenile records are sealed and can only be obtained by authorized parties.