Inmate Lookup for any offender in any City or County Jail

To find any Inmate, in any jail or prison in America, there's only one source with all the recent contact information - JAILexchange.com. Companies that charge typically are using databases that are updated no more recent than monthly.

The bad news is that there is no single integrated Inmate Search for all prisoners in the United States. The good news is that one website has a directory of every free County Jail Inmate Search in America for your use.
Using a paid search will NOT help you find your jail inmate as paid searches are NOT in ‘real time’. In fact, while this website’s searches are updated hourly and daily, paid searches are updated at best, monthly.
Inmate Search – City or County Jail
While it is not necessary to know the exact facility in which the inmate is incarcerated, you must know first what city, or more specifically, the county where they were arrested. If you do not already have this information you can find it by reviewing local Crime News Stories, Arrest Records or if the information is not available, by locating the general area of the state in which you believe they were arrested.
Armed with this information, make a note of the counties in this area and begin researching them one at a time. Because JAILexchange.com lists ALL facilities; ALL counties and every city with a population of 25,000 or more, you can complete your search in one place beginning here.
1.  From the drop down menu, choose your state. This will bring you to a page that lists all of the major cities in the state and the county.  Click on the city or county you have decided to search first.
2.  The page that loads next will have a list of all the jails in that county. Some counties have just one jail. Others, for example LA County, California, have as many as 100 facilities. Click on any one of the County Jails first, as the Inmate Search will be the same source for every county facility. It does not matter which one you choose.
3.  The Facility Page that loads has every bit of information available on that jail, from Inmate Search to Contact and Visitation information. Some facilities have dozens of unique links for any additional information you may want or need. At the top of the page, you will see (in orange) a series of links for Inmates. Click on the link for County Jail Inmate Search and follow the instructions for the FREE search.  If you come up empty handed, try the link for County Jail Inmate List or VINELINK – Jail Inmate Search.
It is important to use the inmate’s full legal name in order for the computer to recognize them. Some inmate searches will allow you to search by last name only, others will allow you to list all the inmates in custody by just clicking the ‘search’ button. Still others allow you to view the bookings from the previous 12-36 hours.
4.  If you still come up empty, you can always call the telephone number for the County Jail, which is provided for you on every Facility Page in our directory of 9,000 facilities. The information you are seeking is public information and they will provide it if you ask.
5.  In many cases, the person you are looking for may have been booked into a City Jail located within the county. These jails typically hold a person arrested for up to 72 hours until they get transferred to the County Jail. Very few of these have automated Inmate Searches so you will have to phone them to find the person you are researching.
If you still can’t find the person, hit the back button to the page that lists all the counties in the state, move to the next county on your list and repeat steps 2 – 5.
All Inmate Searches in America are free. Our website has accumulated a Directory of all the Inmate Lookups for you in one, simple-to-use Directory. You should never believe you need to use a paid service for an Inmate Search again.

Inmate Searches – How to conduct an Inmate Lookup for any State or Federal Prison in America

The bad news is that there is no single integrated Inmate Search for all prisoners in the United States. The good news is that one website has a directory of every free Inmate Search in America for your use.

Using a paid search will NOT help you find your inmate as paid searches are NOT in ‘real time’. In fact, while this website’s searches are updated hourly and daily, paid searches are updated at best, monthly.

State Prison Search

Go to any State Prison Facility Page in the state where the inmate is incarcerated to find the inmate. Use JAILexchange.com for FREE searches in all states.

Almost every state in America has an online Inmate Search that can be accessed from this website.
1. From the drop-down menu, choose the state where the Inmate is located.
2. The next page will load all the State Prisons in that state. All the prisons share the same Inmate Search query, so you do not need to know the facility in which they are incarcerated. Therefore, choose any facility.
3. The Facility Page that loads has complete information on everything you will ever need to know about that prison, as well as that state’s Department of Corrections.  Most states have 50 or more links that will bring you to the specific information you want to read. On the upper left side of that page look for the INMATES section (the orange box).
Click on the link titled State Prison Inmate Search. This is the state’s primary search feature for looking up inmates in the prison system.  Make sure to enter their full legal name. The information that loads will tell you what facility they are located in, their incarceration date and their release date.
If you come up empty handed finding your inmate on this query, or there is no State Prison Inmate Search, click the link for USA and State Inmate Search.  This is the free VINELink Inmate Search, a database that keeps track of two thirds of all Inmates in America. Click here to learn how to use VINELink.
If you still cannot find your inmate, or there are no state Inmate Searches available, which is a rare occurrence, you have the final option of calling the telephone number we have provided on each Facility Page and asking the DOC for assistance.  This is public information and they must provide it when asked.
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Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Search

Click on this logo, which you will find on any BOP Facility Page on JAILexchange.com to look up any federal inmate from 1982 on.

Inmate Searches for the Federal Bureau of Prisons are pretty simple, as the search query is the same for every facility in the BOP.
1. Begin here.
2. From the drop-down menu, choose the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This will bring you to a page that lists all of the Federal prisons by type and if you scroll down, they are listed by the state where they are located.
3. Choose any one of the facilities – it does not matter whether your inmate is located there or not, however if you know the facility where your inmate is located, it may be interesting to go there to see all the information there is regarding mailing address, email information, visitation schedules, photos and more.
On the top left of the page you will see (in orange) a link for Inmate search within the BOP.  There is also an US Justice Department icon below the facility name labeled ‘Federal Prison Inmate Search’. Click on either of those and search for your inmate.  You must know their legal name or it will not register.  For example, ‘Bernie Madoff’ does not exist, however ‘Bernard Madoff’ can be found.
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US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Inmate Search
Inmate Searches for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are pretty simple, as the search query is the same for every facility in the BOP and ICE.
1. Begin here.
2. From the drop-down menu, choose the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This will bring you to a page that lists all of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities by the state where they are located.
3. Choose any of the facilities – it does not matter whether your inmate is located there or not, however if you know the facility where your inmate is located, it may be interesting to go there to see all the information there is regarding mailing address, email information, visitation schedules, photos and more.
On the top left of the page you will see (in orange) a link for ICE Inmate Locator.  There is also a colorful icon below the facility name labeled ‘ICE Detainee Locator’. Click on that and search for your inmate.  You must know their legal name and their country of origin, or their A-Number and country of origin or it will not confirm the inmate exists.  For example, ‘Bernie Madoff’ would NOT exist, however ‘Bernard Madoff’ would (if he was in an ICE facility).

VINELink Inmate Searches – The largest Free Integrated Inmate Search in the United States

 February 6, 2011

Other than the complete Directory of every free Inmate Search on JAILexchange.com, the best kept secret for free, nationwide, Inmate Searches is VINELink.com. This Article will explain what VINELink is and it will instruct you on how to use it.

There are 2.4 million inmates in jails and prisons on any given day in America. VINELINK is one of the best resources for finding almost all of them...and like JAILexchange.com, it's always FREE!

What is VINELink?

VINELink is the online version of VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday), the National Victim Notification Network. Initially designed to allow crime victims a way to obtain timely and reliable information about criminal cases and the custody status of offenders 24 hours a day, VINELink has established itself as a favorite for anyone with access to the internet or a telephone to do an Inmate Lookup in almost every jail and prison in the United States.

VINELink was established in 1994 by the family of Mary Byron, a women murdered by her ‘stalker’ ex-boyfriend. Mary’s violent boyfriend was let out of jail, and even though she was assured that she would be notified of his release, she was not. She was shot in the head by him while sitting in her car in her own driveway.

VINELink, completed in 2000, provides information on criminal cases and the custody status of Offenders. It will notify you of any Transfers, Releases or Escapes by email, telephone or on their website. You can use VINELink to search for Inmates in ‘near real time’, meaning it is updated every 15 minutes with new information including new bookings.

Who Uses VINELink?

While VINELink is not available everywhere, it is currently being used by over two thirds of the nation’s jails and prisons. It helps keep victims informed and allows for Inmate Searches using a name, court case information or other identifying inmate number. While JAILexchange.com has every available county, state and federal Inmate Lookup list on each of its 9,000 Facility Pages, we also consider it mandatory to have links to VINELink because it is clearly the largest integrated inmate database in the country.

Some states within VINE even provide the option to display their information on the website in Spanish. If this option is available, you will see an “English | Español” toggle in the upper right hand corner of the state’s VINELink webpage.

If you don’t have regular access to the internet, you can arrange to be notified via phone, fax, letter or TTY 24 hours a day. VINELink will continue to phone you until you respond with a personal four-digit pin, chosen by you.

The following gives you an idea of the scope of VINELink’s annual reach. Every year they record:

• 14.5 million offender status changes
• 500,000 notifications to victims and others
• 7.2 million calls – inbound and outbound
• 1.2 million VINELink registrations

VINELink has live operators on call 24 hours a day for every state that uses its services and

each state has a toll-free number. At the bottom of this Article is information on how to find each state and their VINELink toll-free number. We have included the states that are not currently using VINELink.

How to use VINELink online

1. Go to http://www.vinelink.com
2. Click on the state you wish to search.
3. Register by clicking on Offender in the upper left corner of the page.
4. Click on name for details and the option to Register
5. Register for notification (optional – you don’t have to do this). Then enter your contact info.
6. Click Register. You are done.

How to use VINELink by telephone

Go to JAILexchange.com and click on ‘Inmate search’ and choose your city or county. The link for our State or County VINELink page, listed in the orange box on each of our Facility Pages will list the phone number you can call for assistance.

The following states are not currently using VINELink:

• Indiana
• Kansas
• Maine
• South Dakota

The following States have a limited VINELink database:

• Arizona
• Georgia
• Massachusetts
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• West Virginia

VINELink is an excellent free source for Inmate Searches within the United States and Puerto Rico. In addition, JAILexchange.com provides every public Inmate Search list available in our directory of 9,000 Facility Pages. If no list is provided, we provide telephone numbers direct to the facility.  Feel free to call the facility and ask for their assistance.

Inmate Searches – What is a Jail? A State Prison? A Federal Prison?

Justin Walker, an Oklahoma Inmate that is serving life in Prison poses for a picture with a smuggled Blackberry.

What is a JAIL?
(aka Detention Center)

Jails are facilities designed for holding people (adults and juveniles) accused of committing a crime and those who are serving sentences after conviction. On average, one half of the people in jails have not been convicted of the crime they’ve been charged with. The remainder of the jail population is convicted inmates serving sentences of less than one year.

Jail Time is temporary – Prisons, because of the time an Offender lives there, becomes their Home

What is a STATE PRISON?

State Prisons are facilities designed to house people convicted of breaking state laws and ordered to serve from one year to life incarcerated. Those convicted in a state court and given the death penalty are also held in state prisons.

What is a FEDERAL PRISON?
There are several different categories of Federal Prisons, prisons under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Federal Government.
1. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)

Federal Prisons house people convicted of breaking federal laws and ordered to serve from one year to life incarcerated. Those convicted in a federal court and given the death penalty are also held in federal prisons.

They fall under the jurisdiction of the United States Government. They’ve crossed state lines in the commission of their crimes or affected an institution under the authority of the federal government, such as a federally insured bank or the US Postal Service.

Only 73% of BOP Inmates are American citizens.

2. U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Individuals who have been found to be in the United States illegally and have not committed a crime that would put them under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons are held in these facilities until their case is heard. ICE Facilities are primarily temporary holding facilities. Because they are temporary, there is are considerable amount of inmates transferred between the facilities on a regular basis.

ICE works closely with the BOP, State Prisons, County and City Jails on matters involving the detention and transfer of illegal immigrants. ICE also has the distinction of being the only detention program that holds all members of detained families in the same facility whenever possible.

ICE Facility populations are very fluid, however the majority of the time approximately 70% of the detainees are of Hispanic origin.

3. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

Individuals that are arrested, being held of convicted of crimes that require short term incarceration on Native American controlled land (reservations) fall under the jurisdiction of this federal department. Each of the jails, detention centers and holding facilities are located and managed on and by the Native American Tribe which controls the reservation where the crime was committed.

BIA offenders that have been convicted and sentenced to more than one year serve their time in Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities.

Native American inmates make up approximately 2% of the BOP population.

4. U.S. Military Prisons and Jails

This group of Jails and Prisons are inhabited by members of the U.S. Military who are being detained or serving sentences for crimes committed on a military base or in foreign lands where they are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Military.

5. U.S. Enemy Combatants – High Value Detainees (HVD)

U.S. Enemy Combatants are individuals from other nations who have declared war on the United States and are held by the U.S. Government or U.S. Military. In times of war, and specifically the War on Terror we are in the midst of, these facilities become more visible to us and sometimes controversial.

People whose lives intertwine with the world of jails and prisons fully understand the difference between them, but most people just don’t know. Finding information about a facility or finding an inmate can be daunting. Hopefully this will give you give you enough information to get you started in your search for a jail, prison or incarcerated inmate.

Jail and Prison app.

Every day app developers are adding thousands of new apps. There are apps that I find I can use in my daily life that I had no idea I even needed. Actually, I don’t need most, but boy do they come in handy when I need the information quickly!
Our new Jail and Prison Inmate Search app (for androids only) is one of those apps… you don’t need it all the time but if you are someone who thinks there is a chance you or someone in your life will have contact with the law; local, state or federal, you will really find this helpful on multiple fronts.

Jail Exchange App

If you are a cop, work in a jail, a prison, a lawyers office or a bailbondsman’s office, you will appreciate this app as well. Look up other jails and see how yours is represented.
If you are someone who is fascinated with the world of jails and prisons and wants to find out about any of the 9,000 lockups nationwide, we have them all and lots of fun information.
It’s a tool to look up the following:
9,000 Inmate Searches
9,000 Jail and Prisons
The most information in a simple easy-to-find format on the internet
Links to your local Mugshots
Links to your local Most Wanted and Warrants
Crime News and Videos
Criminal Laws by State
Sentencing Guidelines by State
Sentencing Grids by State
Federal Laws, Sentencing Guideline and Grid
Enjoy the Jail and Prison app. It’s free and always will be.