How to Find Out How Long a Person Was Sentenced to Prison

Finding out how long a person was sentenced to prison doesn't have to be difficult.

There are reasons to find out how long someone was sentenced to prison. A person does not serve time in prison unless he or she has been convicted in a court of law of committing a felony. A felony is considered to be a very serious offense. If you work in the human relations or hiring department of a company, finding out how long someone was sentenced to prison is very important.

Instructions

1. Check your state department of corrections database. It will give information such as prior aliases, crimes committed and time served in prison.

2. Check local county records. See if the specific county publishes public information online. Use this database to obtain the most up-to-date information.

3. Conduct a criminal background check. Provide the person's address and the county in which the crime was committed. This can be done online or through several major companies.

4. Search the national crime database to obtain information about the person's time served in prison in another state.

Tips & Warnings

• A good alternative is to hire a professional or agency to conduct a full criminal background check.

• A lot of services available on the Internet will not search public records and may not provide an accurate check.

References

• Criminal Lawyer Group: How to Conduct A Criminal Background Check
• Jail Guide: Inmate Search and Prison Inmate Locator

Resources

• How To Investigate.com: How To Conduct A Criminal Background Check