Prison and Jail Locator
The Correctional System
The United States correctional system consists of prisons and jails. Prisons are more extensive facilities compared to jails. They accommodate inmates serving long sentences and those with higher security and treatment needs. The federal and state governments are responsible for overseeing all operations in prisons. The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates federal prisons, while state prisons are under the state department of corrections (DOC).
On the other hand, jails serve local governments and are smaller. They are short-term facilities that house inmates with sentences of below one year. The county or municipal governments mainly operate jails. County jails are under the jurisdiction of the county sheriff’s office, while municipal/city jails are under the municipal police departments.
Currently, the US has 1,566 state prisons, 102 federal prisons, 2850 local jails, 1510 juvenile correctional centers, and 82 Indian country jails. According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics, the country had a prison inmate population of 1,204,300 in 2021 and 1,221,200 in 2020.
Prison Locator
The prison locator gives access to inmate records. Inmate records are information about an inmate maintained by correctional facilities and law enforcement agencies. Inmate records are public records under the Freedom of Information Act meaning the general public has a right to access the records upon request. However, an exception is made for juvenile records, which are only accessible to parents and legal guardians. The information on the records mainly consists of the following.
- Inmate’s personal information
- Physical description
- Court records
- Arrest records
- Sentencing information.
Since different entities manage federal and state prisons, inmate records are also provided separately. We’ll look at how to access inmate records from state and federal facilities.
Federal Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) provides public information on prisoners in federal facilities. The BOP gives access to inmate records through its online prisoner locator. The locator has records on inmates dating back to 1982. To access the locator, visit the BOP website and click on the inmate locator feature on their homepage. The locator has two search fields. One uses the inmate’s number for the search, and the other uses the inmate’s name.
The number search requires you to fill in either of the following inmate numbers
- BOP registration number
- FBI number
- DCDC number
- INS number
The name search uses the inmate’s first, middle, and last name for the search. You can also add the inmate’s age, race, and sex to filter the results. The number search is much easier since each inmate has a unique number.
State Prisons
Each state has a department responsible for state prisons. In most states, the department is referred to as the department of corrections. However, some states, like Texas, have a different name for the department, but the functions are similar. The state department of Corrections is responsible for maintaining state inmate records. Each state gives the public access to information through its websites. The websites have a prisoner locator tool that provides information regarding the status and location of state inmates. The locator tools use the inmate’s name and the DOC number to run the search. The number search gives precise results, but the name search might provide you with a list of inmates with similar names. You can use other details to narrow the search. The information provided on the inmate includes the following.
- Inmates name
- Physical description (height, weight, tattoos, scars, hair, and eye color.)
- Race
- Gender
- Age
- Sentencing information (sentence length, facility, charges, and possible release date)
To access a particular state prisoner locator, search for the state name followed by the department of corrections on google or other search engines. You can also access the information by contacting the department by phone. The contact details should be on their website.
Jail Locator
A jail locator is a search tool that gives access to information on inmates in county and municipal jails. Let’s look at how one can use the jail locator to access information in county and municipal jails.
County Jails
County sheriffs are responsible for county jails. They are also responsible for providing the public with information on county inmates. Most county sheriffs avail the information on their websites. The websites have a search locator similar to the one on DOC websites or an inmate roster. To access information on the jail locator, one must know the inmate’s name, race, gender, age, and date of birth. The information on the jail locator shows inmates currently incarcerated in the facility, inmates who have not been presented to the court, and inmates who are awaiting bail.
Information in county jails is subject to quick changes. For this reason, one might miss an inmate, especially if they have been arrested within 24 hours. It is advisable to search the jail locator periodically to keep up with the most recent information.
Municipal Jails
Municipal jails are located in major cities and are operated by municipal police departments. They provide access to inmate information through their websites. Visit the responsible police department’s website and look for an online jail locator tool.
Use the inmate’s name, age, race, gender, and booking number for the search. Alternatively, contact the police department via phone and request the information.
Vine
Vine refers to Victim Information And Notification Every Day. It is a notification service that provides the public with accurate, up-to-date information on inmates in jails and prisons across the United States. Vine uses an interface with prison and jail systems to get inmate information immediately after it is entered.
To access inmate records on Vine, visit their website and register as a victim or family member. Vine will ask for the inmate’s name, number, age, race, gender, and date of birth. They will provide you with all the current information on the inmate. Once you have registered for the notification service, Vine will send a notification via phone, text, or TTY with any changes in the inmate’s status. The changes in the inmate’s status may include the following:
- Inmate escape
- Inmate transfer
- Release on probation or parole
- Death
