There are a lot of people who end up in jail, maybe almost every day there is someone who violates the law and goes to jail. Whether it’s a county jail, federal prison, or state prison. The place and length of jail sentence vary depending on the level of the crime committed, for example only staying overnight, for months, or even years.
If you’re wondering how to find someone who’s in jail, maybe some of the methods outlined here can help you. This may apply when you want to know whether someone you know, such as a friend, relative, or family member you haven’t heard from for a long time, could be in jail.
However, you should know some information about the person you want to search for in jail. The most common is the name, including first name, middle name, and surname, address, date of birth.
Next, you must have information such as the city or state where the person committed the crime. If you have a lot of information about the person you are looking for, you have a good chance of quickly finding out what jail they are serving their sentence in.
How to Find Out Where Someone Is in Jail
Finding information about someone in jail is not difficult. There is easy way you can do this.
Of course, finding information about someone in jail benefits many people, for example, someone is looking for a relative they haven’t heard from for a long time, making sure that the perpetrator of the crime has been punished, the length of time the inmate has been sentenced, and even seeing when the inmate is released from jail.
If victims of sexual crimes receive information about the perpetrator in jail, this is a good thing. Victims can anticipate the possibility of the perpetrator going free so they can avoid perpetrators in the future.
Follow these methods to find out information about someone in jail.
1. Search Information Via Online
Now, the state provides a website to search for someone in jail for free. Some websites call it an Inmate Search or an Offender Database Search. If you don’t know the website for sure, use Google search then type the keyword “Inmate Records Search” and get one of the websites in the top search results.
2. Make Sure You Have the Information of the Person You Are Looking For
Before looking for information about someone in jail online, you should have basic information about that person. The more information you have, the easier your search will be to get results quickly.
At least, the information you have concerns their identity. For example, full name, gender, date of birth, and age. You can also provide information such as their address or where they may have been arrested.
If you don’t know a person’s full name, you can start with a nickname and date of arrest. Without a full name, some websites cannot provide accurate information, especially if the name of the person you are looking for in jail has a common name. Some counties in the state also won’t provide information based on nicknames.
Finding Out Where The Person Might Be in Jail
Usually, someone who is arrested will go to jail in their home area or the area where they were arrested. If you know where the person was arrested, you can start your search from that area. If you don’t know, contact the police or detention center in the area of origin.
1. Use Online Search Through Local Government Websites
Several regional detention center websites have databases that can be accessed to find out who the people are being held there. Try checking the websites of the sector police, resort police, or state courts. This is easier because you only need the name to search for information in the database.
In the past, not all regions in the state had websites to search for inmates, but now there are many websites that you can use to search. You can easily find links to those resources on county law enforcement pages.
2. Neighboring Area Website
If you don’t find the person you are looking for in their home area, try searching through the neighboring area’s website with access to the inmatesplus.com, you might find their information. You only need to enter your first name, last name, and Nation-Wide, then click ‘Search’.
However, this source may only list the area where the inmate is being held which can be accessed online, and does not provide information on surrounding areas that can be contacted by telephone.
3. Access the Federal Bureau of Prisons Website
You can use government-managed websites as a search engine to find this person. If you are looking for someone who is being held in a federal prison, not a county detention center, you can access the Federal Bureau of Prisons website via the link bop.gov/inmates/.
Detention centers are places where people are temporarily held while they await trial or inmates are held for a short time (a few days or a few weeks), while federal prisons are prisons for inmates held for more than one or two years for serious crimes.
To use the Federal Bureau of Prisons website usually requires information such as a number or the person’s first and last name, and it must be written correctly. Then you will get a list of results including name, ID number, gender, age, race, release date, and prison location.
If you select a prison name, you will go to that prison’s website and get additional information about the inmate. So, you can carry out a more detailed search so you can find out whether the person is still detained or free.
However, the government’s website for searching for inmates can only provide information on inmates serving sentences from 1982 to the present.
4. Use the National Crop Farming Website
You can use the national prison locator website if you are unable to find the person you are looking for through the local government website or the Federal Bureau Website. Through an online search, type the keyword ‘search for inmates’ or other variations of words that have the same meaning.
The search results will show several websites that you can access for free. Avoid websites that have lots of advertisements or require you to register accordingly, usually, these websites are fraudulent sites.
5. Inmate Search Website
Inmate Search is a national inmate search service website that can be accessed for free. You don’t have to register something or skip through ads to search.
Access the InmateSearchinfo.com link to search for inmates incarcerated in County Jails, Local Sheriff’s Offices, Department of Corrections, Federal Prisons, and State Prisons.
The Inmate Search site provides an easy way to search for inmates incarcerated in every state in the USA. This website also lists the address, telephone number, and fax number of each detention facility so you can contact them for more information about the inmate you are looking for.
To search for an inmate using this website, you need to include their first name, middle name, last name, city, and state. Then you can see the results including arrest records, court records, sentence information, inmate photos, physical descriptions, and contacts of detention facilities that can be contacted.
6. VINE Inmate Lookup Website
Victim Information and Notification Everyday or VINE is an inmate search website that can be accessed for free. This service also helps crime victims obtain information regarding criminal cases and the perpetrator’s custody status 24 hours a day.
Access the vinelink.com link to start your search. Once logged in on the homepage, select the state you want to search, click the ‘Find Offender’ button, and then you need to enter the Offender ID number.
If you don’t know the Offender ID number, you can use the inmate’s first and last name. You can also use the ‘Advanced Search’ feature to add the name of the detention facility, date of birth, and approximate age of the inmate.
When you get the inmate’s results, there is information regarding the offender’s ID, date of birth, gender, race, custody status, location, and when the inmate was released. You can register if you want to receive information when an inmate is released via telephone or email notification.
However, VINE only provides information on inmates in local jails and state prisons. Federal prison information is not included.
7. Washington State Department of Corrections website
The Washington Department of Corrections also provides a website for inmate searches. This certainly makes things easier for you if someone you are looking for is in the Washington area.
The goal is to improve public safety, so the public can find out information about someone who is incarcerated.
Through this website, you need to provide a DOC (Department of Correction) number. The DOC number is a six-digit inmate identification number. If you don’t know the DOC number, you can use your first name, last name, and the name of the detention facility.
8. Search Information Via Offline
Offline searches can be done when you have decided who to look for in jail. Moreover, if you already know the jurisdiction where they are serving their sentence, you can contact the jail.
You can contact The Department of Corrections in your destination area, they will provide public information about the person you are looking for. This information includes name, gender, date of birth, and age.
9. Contact the County Jail or Clerk’s Office
If you cannot find a list of arrested inmates, or you do not have enough information to search for the inmates online, immediately contact the regional law enforcement office via their telephone number or you can go directly to the regional office to ask directly. The telephone number and address of the detention center are usually listed on the county jail website.
This may be a hassle, but if you’re not sure which jail is the right one, you’ll need to contact several different law enforcement offices.
If you don’t have a telephone number and can’t find a law enforcement office, you may be able to use a special extension number to find information. Later, the operator can connect you with someone who can provide information on the inmate you are looking for, whether they are being held in that jail or not.
10. Talk to the Officer Making the Arrest
If you have not been able to get information from the person, when contacting a law enforcement office, politely ask to speak directly with the officer who arrested the person. The officer may be able to provide information about where the person they arrested is currently being held.
If you have done all the methods above, such as contacting all areas where the person was arrested or jailed, and talking to the arresting officer, but there is no clear information from that person, this means you need to wait a few days to try again.
Usually, for inmates who have just been arrested, their information is only archived after a few days. However, if it is still not there, likely, that the person was never in jail.
How to Find Out Your Release Date From jail
This method applies to those of you who want to know when the release date of your acquaintances, friends, or family members who have been imprisoned is. Of course, this information is very useful if you want to meet this person or avoid them because you are the victim of a crime.
The easiest way to find out your release date from jail is to contact your state’s Department of Corrections by phone. You can also go through their online database or use an inmate search website such as VINELink or InmateSearch. However, the release date may change depending on the inmate’s behavior.
If someone you’re looking for is being held in a smaller jail, their release date may not be listed in the large database.
If the case of the inmate you are seeking is followed by the public, you do not need to independently search for a release date. Usually, local news stations will cover the inmate’s release date.
