Requesting Information About Pennsylvania Inmates

The state of Pennsylvania provides certain information to the public on the inmates incarcerated in its correctional facilities. The database of inmates is developed, maintained, and updated by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. If you are searching for Pennsylvania inmate records, visit the inmate records page of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections website, located at http://www.cor.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/inmate_information/7278.

Accessing the Online Pennsylvania Inmate Records

According to the Criminal History Record Information Act of Pennsylvania, 18 PA, CSA Section 9101 et seq, inmate information falls under the umbrella of criminal justice information, making it eligible for public dissemination. The online database does not have any information on those inmates who are not currently with Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. The records do include information such as the county jail that an inmate is being held in, along with his or her race, date of conviction, expected date of release, and a description of the crime that resulted in incarceration.

The direct web address of the Pennsylvania inmates search page is http://inmatelocator.cor.state.pa.us/inmatelocatorweb/. To use the search tool, fill out the form by including information such as the inmate's first and last name, identification number, race, date of birth, present location, the county in which the crime was committed, and press the Find Inmate button.

Communicating with Inmates In Pennsylvania

There are ways of communicating with the inmates incarcerated in Pennsylvania correctional facilities. There are three vendors that serve specific counties. These vendors are www.jpay.com, serving fourteen counties including Dallas, Smithfield and Waymart; www.inmatemail.com, serving seven counties including Fayette and Pittsburg; and www.secureinstantmail.com, serving six county jails. To mail an inmate being held in a Pennsylvania county jail, visit the appropriate vendor's website and create an e-mail account with them.

Any e-mail written to an inmate is subject to review. Once the message is approved, it is printed and delivered to the inmate. The inmate would not be able to respond through e-mail since they are not allowed access to these accounts; any reply mail is sent through United States Postal Service, or USPS. To determine which electronic mail vendor serves the county jail where your acquaintance resides, visit http://www.cor.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/inmate_information/7278/inmate_email/614779. You will find the complete list of counties and the vendors that serve them. If you don’t find your county listed, contact your county sheriff directly. You can get the contact information for your county sheriff from the county government website.

The Department of Correction also allows you to pay the fines and outstanding debts of an inmate electronically. For more information about payment procedures, visit http://www.cor.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/inmate_information/7278/inmate_accounts/599988.

Not all Pennsylvania inmates are exempted of their voting rights. Except for convicts incarcerated for felony charges and those who have violated the election ordinances of the state within the last four years, almost any individual can cast a vote. To learn more about the voting rights of inmates, visit http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/inmate_information/7278/inmate_voting_rights/617024. If you still have more questions, contact the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections via telephone at 717-975-4859 or through mail at:

2520 Lisburn Road
P.O. Box 598
Camp Hill, PA 17001-0598