Access State and National DOC Records

The Department of Corrections (DOC) operates and supervises the prisons in a particular state. As such the Department has to also maintain and manage all public and private records of inmates while conforming to state and federal rules and regulations. As per the Freedom of Information Act, most state and national DOC records have to be made available for general viewing as a public safety measure.

Contents of State and National DOC Records

All sections of the state and national DOC records are not available for public viewing. Some if released can pose threats to the security of the individual concerned or the institution. These are deemed confidential and hence can be released only if you have special permission to view them. DOC records are also considered private if they contain confidential criminal justice information about the criminal investigation proceedings, fingerprints and photographs, details about an inmate’s correctional programs, or his/her progress.

Some DOC records may be ordered sealed by the court and so, these cannot be released without court authorization. DOC records are also considered private if they are protected by a right of privacy like medical, treatment, and mental health information and certain pre-sentence investigation reports.

As per the federal laws, state and national DOC records that involve juvenile offenders are not available for viewing by the general public.

Some bits of information from state and national DOC records are considered suitable for public viewing and as such are posted on DOC websites or are available from the respective state DOC administrative or records offices.

Judgments, commitments, courts documents that have not been declared sealed, and documents related to the Board of Pardons and Paroles are considered public records. To be specific, the following details from DOC records are available on the public domain: the full name of the offender and the aliases used, date of birth, age, race, court docket and FBI numbers, and the nature of the offense committed. Public DOC records also contain the date or commitment or release, the date of execution of warrant, the date when the inmate will be entitled for parole, the amount of fine imposed, whether or not the court has ordered him/her to take part in any correctional program, the jail credit time, and compulsory release date, if there is any.

How to Access State and National DOC Records

There are numerous websites that maintain national and state DOC records but it is always a good idea to obtain the information from a government source. You can log on to the respective DOC website and request for arrest or prison inmate information. You may also visit the records department of the DOC to submit your request.

For national DOC records, mail your request, accompanied by a set of fingerprints, and USD 18 by an authorized check payable to the Treasury of the United States, to FBI CJIS Division- Record Request, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, West Virginia 26306. Make sure that the fingerprints are only on the standard fingerprint form (FD-258) available from http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/pdf/fpcardb.pdf. You will receive a response within eight to ten weeks.