How to Conduct a Texas Inmate Search

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is responsible for the supervision of the inmates located in the correctional facilities throughout the state. According to Texas law, information on Texas inmates is accessible to the public. The state repository of inmate records offers a database with details of all Texas inmates. There are a number of ways in which citizens can conduct a Texas inmate search using this database. Citizens can request inmate information by e-mail or telephone, or by using online sources.

Online Texas Inmate Search

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice offers an online inmate search tool, located at http://168.51.178.33/webapp/TDCJ/index2.htm. You can base your search on any or all of the available criteria. These include the inmate's name (partial or full), race, sex, TDCJ number (a unique seven-digit number assigned to each inmate), and SID number. Simply enter the inmate's details and click on the search option; the website will display all inmate records matching your search criteria. You must enter at least a last name and a first name initial to conduct a search. You can also base your search on the TDCJ number or the SID number of the offender; these are the minimum requirements for conducting a search.

The more information you provide, the more accurate the results will be. The search tool provides various information about inmates, including name, age, sex, race, TDCJ number, SID number, current facility of incarceration, projected release date, history and details of offense(s), and scheduled release details (if applicable).

Requesting Inmate Information By Telephone

If you want to locate a particular Texas inmate or obtain general information about him or her, you can call the General Information or Offender Locator Line at 936-295-6371 or 800-535-0283. This service is available Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You must provide either an inmate's TDCJ or SID number, or his or her exact date of birth, to be granted access to the information.

Information on an inmate's parole status can be obtained by calling the Offender Parole Status Line at 512-406-5202 for the Austin Office or 936-291-2106 for the Huntsville Office. To use this service, you must provide the inmate's TDCJ or SID number.

Requesting Inmate Information by E-mail

You can also request for an offender's information via e-mail by sending your request to classify@tdcj.state.tx.us. The offender’s name must be in the subject line of the email. You must also provide the inmate's TDCJ number to process the request. If you do not have the TDCJ number, provide the inmate's exact date of birth, or his or her approximate age and the county where the conviction took place.

Conducting a Texas inmate search via e-mail will provide the following details:

* Offender location
* TDCJ number
* Offense of conviction details
* History of previous incarcerations
* Details of current incarceration
* Release Date (if applicable)

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice

There are many state correctional facilities in Texas. The state is arranged into six regions, with each region having a number of facilities: Region I and II have 13 correctional units each, Region III has 21, Region IV has 16, Region V has 17, and Region VI has 18. More information on the facilities operating under the Texas Department of Criminal Justice can be obtained at http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/unitdirectory/all.htm.

The address and contact information of Texas Department of Criminal Justice are Texas Department of Criminal Justice, William Stephens, Deputy Director, Prison and Jail Operations, 861 B IH 45 North, Room 132, Huntsville, TX 77342. Phone: 936-437-6318, Fax: 936-437-8725

Other Inmate Databases

If you are unable to find a particular Texas inmate using these search methods, he or she may not be incarcerated in a state correctional facility, but in some other type of prison. In order to locate the inmate, you will have to search the database corresponding to that prison. For example, if the individual you are looking for is incarcerated in a federal prison, you should access the federal prison records to obtain his or her details. To search for inmates being held in federal prison, visit http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/LocateInmate.jsp.

In some cases, a convict may be under incarceration in a Texas county jail. These jails are under the supervision of their respective county sheriffs, and their inmates cannot be located from the state inmate search. To locate an inmate under incarceration in a county jail, you will have to contact that particular jail. For example, in Harris County, you can conduct an inmate search from http://apps.jims.hctx.net/sopublic/. Or if you are searching for a convict located in Tarrant County, you can search the county sheriff's inmate database at https://ijis.tarrantcounty.com/inmatesearch/.