How to Find and Research Federal Inmate Records

A federal inmate is an individual who has been incarcerated in a federal prison for violation of federal laws. In certain cases, individuals convicted of violating federal law can be held in federal prison while awaiting trial. Very few convicts of state or county law violations are held in federal prison; they are generally incarcerated in state and county prisons.

Those looking for records of inmates held in federal prison can visit http://www.bop.gov/inmate_locator/aboutInmateLocator.jsp. This website hosts the information on all inmates who have been incarcerated in federal prison at some point since 1982. This website provides information on inmates of federal prisons only. Those searching for inmates in non-federal prisons should search with the Department of Corrections of their respective states. Almost all the states of the US have their own inmate locator systems.

Aside from federal inmates, federal prisons also sometimes hold detained convicts awaiting trials or US Marshal Service offenders who have yet to be sentenced. Offenders of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and felony convicts sentenced for life imprisonment in the District of Columbia are also held in federal prisons.

Regulations for Federal Inmates

Federal prison inmates are subject to rules regarding their activities. There are visiting hours and restrictions on the individuals who can visit the inmate, and the purpose of a visit is also subject to prison approval. A new inmate is allowed to visit only his or her immediate family members. This is also applicable for those inmates who have been transferred from one prison facility to another. In order to visit an inmate, a family member must notify the prison authorities beforehand. If the authorities believe that the visit could threaten the security of the prison, they may deny the visit.

Federal inmates are not allowed conjugal or business visitation. There are special circumstances in which a federal inmate does have visitation rights. If an inmate is ill, he or she is sent to the community hospital. Immediate family members are allowed to visit the inmate in these cases. Also, despite the restriction on business meetings, if something is very urgent and may have a large impact on the inmate's assets, the warden of the prison may grant visitation rights for such a meeting.

Security in Federal Prisons

In terms of security, federal prisons can be divided into four divisions: minimum, low, medium, and high security prisons. The ratio of staff to inmates in a prison is determined by its classification. As the security level rises, the security system also becomes more sophisticated. Prisons of a minimum security level have almost no perimeter fencing, while the perimeter of a low security prison is double-fenced. In medium security facilities, there are electronic detection systems along with a double-fenced perimeter; high security facilities, also called United States Penitentiaries, have reinforced fences along with restrictions on inmate movement.

There are a total of 28 federal correctional facilities in the United States, 21 of which house both male and female inmates. Five facilities house women offenders only and two have a small unit for male detention. For more information on the federal correctional facilities and their inmates, visit http://www.bop.gov/inmate_programs/index.jsp.