How to Find a County Inmate
People search out inmates at county jails for various reasons. While this process may seem confusing or daunting at first, following a few easy steps should increase the chances of finding the person you are looking for.
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Instructions
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1
Gather as much information about the inmate as possible. The more information you have, the easier it will be to locate the inmate. At a minimum, you will need the correct spelling of the inmate's first and last name; nicknames will not suffice. Additional information such as Social Security numbers, inmate ID numbers, and correct addresses are helpful.
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2
Begin by visiting the website of the county in which you believe the inmate is housed. Many heavily populated counties have an online database of current and past inmates.
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3
If the county does not keep a online database, call the jail telephone number listed on the county's website.
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4
Go to the county jail and tell the clerk or deputy on duty that you are looking for an inmate and relay the information that you have collected to them.
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5
If you do not locate the inmate using steps 1 through 4, you may have incorrect information or the inmate might be housed in a different county or in a state penitentiary system. If so, visit the state's websites and call state penitentiaries.
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Consider hiring a private investigator.
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Tips & Warnings
Talk to friends and relatives of the inmate in order to gather as much information as you can.
If your search does not locate the inmate, search the state's system and nearby counties as well.
Be cordial to the people you interact with, and they generally will be more helpful.
Be careful when locating and interacting with an inmate and do not share any unnecessary personal information.
