Pennsylvania Inmate Search

Inmate records in Pennsylvania (PA) are files comprising official and personal information regarding individuals detained, booked, or incarcerated in correctional facilities within Pennsylvania. Typically, these correctional facilities include jails, county detention centers, penitentiaries, and state prisons. These records follow a person's arrest, conviction, probation, or parole.

Personal information refers to identifying details such as the incarcerated individual's full name, gender, age, race, date of birth, nationality, ethnicity, and a detailed physical description (height, eye color, weight, hair color, tattoos, or any defining marks). Most inmate records also contain administrative details, including mugshots, crime details, arresting agency, booking date and time, sentencing information, incarceration facility, bail/bond amount, mugshots, fingerprint, court dates, and projected release date.

Per the Pennsylvania Right To Know Law, the general public or interested parties can inspect or obtain these records from legal record custodians upon request. Usually, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections is the state agency responsible for inmate records, facilities, and offenders. Alternatively, you can acquire these records from your local sheriff's office or police department.

Conducting an inmate search is simple when you know where to begin. Here are some legitimate platforms to search for an inmate in Pennsylvania:

Pennsylvania State Inmate Locator

Start your search on the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections' official website to find out if your loved one is in a state-run correctional facility. This agency allows public members or interested parties to search for an incarcerated loved one using the "Inmate and Parolee Locator" search tool. It contains information regarding offenders and parolees based on the locator selected. It also provides the Digital Photo Upload System allowing users to upload photos. This locator includes information about every offender currently under DOC's jurisdiction and comes in handy for learning the inmate's race, date of birth, and location.

This website also features a "Parolee Locator" containing information about every parolee currently under the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole. It is essential to note that parole information on this website does not necessarily mean a parolee is a wanted person.

Generally, to conduct an inmate search using this tool, first select the type of search you are interested in. This site requires you to provide the following inmate information:

• First Name, Middle Name, Last Name
• Inmate Number
• Parole Number
• Gender
• Race or Ethnicity
• Committing County
• Current Location
• Citizenship
• Date of Birth or Age

Pennsylvania SAVIN

The Department also allows crime victims and concerned citizens to sign up and receive updates on changes to an inmate's custody status, including escape, transfer, release, or recapture. These notifications are typically available through the PA Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (PA SAVIN).

Furthermore, crime victims or survivors can receive additional notifications by registering services through the PA Office of Victim Advocate.

County Jail Offender Locator

County jails in Pennsylvania operate under designated local sheriff's offices. If you are arrested in this state, you will spend some time in county jail as you await trial or bond. Most county jails provide an online inmate roster published on the jail's or sheriff's office's official websites. Rosters typically contain a list of all offenders at the designated jail facility.

Other jails provide online inmate search tools where you can search for an inmate using their full name and ID number. Consider calling the jail if you cannot locate an inmate using the above options.

Federal Prisoners

Pennsylvania is home to ten stand-alone federal prisons with five adjacent federal camps. Cumulatively, there are about 8578 incarcerated federal prisoners in this state. You can search for an inmate using the "Find an Inmate" search tool on the BOP official website.