How to Find a California Inmate

The California Prison System is the third largest in the country, because of that fact, it is not very easy to find a California inmate. Many states will allow you to search for a prison inmate online, but the process is still archaic in California. Follow these steps to learn how to find a California inmate.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. KNOW THE OFFICIAL AGENCY TO CONTACT
   
   The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is the law enforcement agency that is responsible for housing a California inmate. There are so many companies all over the Internet who try to get you to pay them to locate California inmates; you need to know that you can get this information directly from the CDCR for free.

2. MAKE SURE TO HAVE NECESSARY DEMOGRAPHIC INFO FOR THE CALIFORNIA INMATE YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR.
   
   Before you contact the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, you need to make sure that you know specific demographic information pertaining to the California inmate you are trying to locate. You will need:
   
   1) Full name of inmate
   2) Full Birth date of inmate
   3) CDC identification number for California inmate (you will need this only if you do not have the full date of birth)

3. MAKE THE CALL
   
   The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has set up an identification unit to handle all requests for information about California inmates. You can contact them Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. with your inquiry about any California inmate. Their number is listed below. Good luck in your search.

Tips & Warnings

• California Prison Inmate Identification Unit # [phone]