Rhode Island Inmate Search

Rhode Island inmate records are accessible to the public and can be obtained with an internet search or a phone call. Whether you are a family member trying to find a loved one or a victim of a crime committed by the offender, knowing where he or she has been incarcerated is valuable information. To make the inmate search as easy as possible, ensure you have all the key details about the inmate at hand. Besides their name, you should also know the type of facility housing the inmate. Rhode Island has two types of facilities, county/ city jails and state prisons. Additional details include the inmate’s ID number, gender, race and age. Knowing these details will help speed up the search, especially if the inmate has a common name.  

Here are some quick and easy techniques to find an inmate in Rhode Island.

Finding an Inmate in A State Facility

If the inmate you are searching for is in a state facility, the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) is the easiest place to find their records. The RIDOC provides the public with inmate records in its seven facilities. Five facilities house male inmates, and two accommodate female inmates. Visit the RIDOC website and look for the inmate search function. Upon opening the inmate search function, a disclaimer notice pops up. The disclaimer notice warns users not to rely on the information in the search since the Rhode Island Department of Corrections cannot guarantee its accuracy. If you agree to the terms on the disclaimer, the site proceeds to the inmate search function, where you must input the inmate’s first and last name and ID number on the search field. The search results show the inmate’s name, gender, mugshot, race, and physical attributes (height, weight, hair colour, eye colour, and tattoos). The search also shows the sentencing information, such as charges, sentence length, arrest date, and release date.

Finding an Inmate in A County or City Jail

If an inmate is in a county or city jail, your best option for finding their records is the county clerk, the county sheriff’s office, or the city police department.

County clerks keep records of all that happens in the county justice system. These records include arrest, court and inmate records. Contact the court clerk by phone to access the inmate records or file a formal records request.

The county sheriff’s office is also a custodian of inmate records in county jails. The sheriff runs and maintains county jails. To access the records from the sheriff’s office, call and ask. You can also check if the county provides the information online. Most county sheriffs have adapted to the online search system, which makes it easier for the public to access information.

City jails are similar to county jails, but city police departments operate them. If an inmate is in a city jail, contact the responsible police department and request the information, you can also search if the jail provides inmate records online.

Finding an Inmate Using VINE

Inmate information is subject to change. Sometimes inmates are transferred to other facilities, and other times their charges are dropped. The information can also change when an inmate is released on parole/probation, when they escape prison or are released into a program. 

Rather than constantly checking to see these changes, you can register with VINE and get notified every time there is a change in the inmate’s status. VINE is a reputable notification service that tracks an inmate’s movement through the justice system and relays this information to registered victims and family members.