Department of Corrections Inmate Search

It is possible to conduct a Department of Corrections inmate search in order to find inmates serving time in prison.  Most state government websites maintain their own databases, and records of all inmate corrections are well documented. The official website of the Federal Bureau of Prisons also provides information regarding the inmates held by the various correctional facilities.

While the main objective of the Federal Bureau of Prisons is to protect society from criminals, it also makes every effort to provide updated facts about its inmates by providing an inmate search. The Bureau helps to provide its inmates with a secure and humane environment by providing work and other self-improvement opportunities to the offenders, thereby assisting them in becoming law-abiding and responsible citizens. It is possible to conduct a corrections inmate search with the Bureau for offenders awaiting a trial with the US Marshal Service or the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The Bureau is also responsible for District of Columbia offenders who have been sentenced to imprisonment.

Federal Inmate Search

Persons violating federal law are taken into custody by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Some pre-trial prisoners are held in federal prison, while a substantial number of them are sent to various correctional facilities. It is possible to search through the records of all inmates housed in federal prison at the Bureau website, located at http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/LocateInmate.jsp. Although federal prisons may house some inmates convicted of violating state or local laws, their records are normally maintained by state departments or local law enforcement authorities and not the Bureau.

Searching for a federal inmate by ID number is the best way of conducting a Department of Corrections inmate search. The ID number of an inmate is included with all written correspondence concerning the inmate. It is also possible to conduct the search by the inmate's DCDC, FBI, or IN number, or by any other number used for identifying an inmate housed in federal correctional facilities. Conducting the search by name is also a good method. Both the first and last name of the inmate are required, and must match exactly to find an inmate's record. The search results can also be narrowed down by including the race, sex, and age of the individual in the search.

Online Searching From State to State

If you are interested in finding information about a state or local offender serving time, it is best to conduct a search through the proper state’s correctional departments. Most states provide an online search engine for locating inmates. You can search for New York inmates online at http://nysdocslookup.docs.state.ny.us/. Likewise, the official websites of the Departments of Corrections of Alabama (http://www.doc.state.al.us/inmatesearch.asp ), Illinois (http://www.idoc.state.il.us/subsections/search/default.asp), and Texas (http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/offender_information.htm#online_offender_search) also provide online inmate location services. However, the states of Alaska, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Oregon, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming do not provide any online search facilities. Those wishing to search for inmate records in those states must visit the corrections departments personally.

State-Specific Inmate Search Information:

Florida Corrections Inmate

Illinois Department of Corrections Inmate

Texas Department of Corrections Inmate