How to Find if Someone is in Prison
If you believe that someone you know is in prison, you can do a quick search to confirm your suspicions. Inmate information is public record and can be obtained anonymously by searching online. Note that this method will only return results for individuals incarcerated in federal prison; if you are looking for someone confined in a state prison, you will need to perform a different search through the state's corrections department website, which generally requires the same inmate information to conduct a similar search.
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Instructions
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Gather personal information about the person you wish to locate in prison. A first and last name is required. While not required, knowing the individual's date of birth or age, gender, inmate number, race or other identifying information can help you narrow down your search results.
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Visit the official website for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Locate the main page for "Inmate Locator." You will see two search engines: "By ID Number," and "By Name." Type the information you have for the individual into the proper search engine, depending on what information you have available. Click "Search" to start your search.
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Review the results page if you searched by name and/or description. You will see a list of names, some with links under "Location" and some with the word "Released" listed. Those who have a link next to their name are currently incarcerated; click on the link for more information on the prison, including contact information.
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Conduct a search of the department of corrections website for the state where the inmate last lived. Most state inmate locators operate in a similar way to the BOP. The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, for example, can search by name alone or name and birth date. Other identifying information, such as Department ID Number, can help narrow down search results but is not required.
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Tips & Warnings
The Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator produces results for inmates incarcerated from 1982 to the present.
