Pennsylvania Inmate Search
In Pennsylvania, an inmate search is a process of looking up details about a specific individual who is presently incarcerated in a government-owned correctional facility or who has been incarcerated in the past. An inquirer may perform an inmate search online via different government or private sites or by reaching out to specific correctional or law enforcement agencies physically. Usually, records containing inmates who are or have been incarcerated are organized by correctional facilities, Pennsylvania courts, and law enforcement agencies. These records are made public by the Pennsylvania Right To Know Law and the Pennsylvania Criminal History Record Information.
Also, several counties in Pennsylvania provide online inmate locator services for their users. Some of these counties include the Allegheny County Sheriff's Department, and the Delaware County Inmate lookup site. Thus, requesters may obtain records on any specific inmate or past inmate by contacting the appropriate government agencies. To contact a correctional facility or government agency, a Pennsylvania phone number search may be helpful for finding the most up-to-date contact information for the office or facility.
What Do Inmate Records Contain
Typically, inmate records in Pennsylvania comprise various information related to an inmate's incarceration or criminal history. Below are some types of information a requester should expect to see:
- The inmate's name
- Date of birth
- Age
- Physical description
- Custody status
- Any previous criminal history (include previous arrests, convictions, and sentences)
- Booking number
- Case numbers
- Holding facility
- Bail information
- Charges
- Parole eligibility date
- Arrest details
- Mugshot
- Details of the inmate's behavior while in prison
It is essential to point out that the exact information of an inmate's record may be available or restricted by policy or law. Also, specific information may be excluded from public access and depend on the holding facility or jurisdiction.
How to Find Someone in Jail in Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, there are various fail-proof ways by which an inquirer may find someone in jail within the state. An inquirer may query local law watchdogs like the City Police Departments and County Sheriff's Departments physically.
Within the state, many different law enforcement agencies provide online inmate locator portals for members of the public to use to search for individuals who are currently incarcerated or were recently released. Most often, these online locators are free for users to interact with, and they can be located on the websites of most law enforcement agencies. Requesters will usually find these search portals under the segment "Inmate Locator." An example is the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections official website Inmate/Parolee Locator.
Typically, requesters can look up an inmate's record on a law enforcement agency's inmate search portal while providing some specific search information like the inmate's name or booking number. Also, within the state, some portals may require the inquirer to provide further details of the inmate, such as the inmate's date of birth.
State Prisons in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Department of Correction (DOC) controls and oversees the state prison and state-operated community corrections centers. The DOC has jurisdiction over 23 state correctional institutes, and one motivational boot camp. Each of these correctional centers is located in diverse regions of the state. Members of the public who are interested in using the map of the state prison facilities may visit here. Below are the contact details and addresses of the state-run prison facilities in Pennsylvania:
SCI Huntingdon (Huntingdon County)
1100 Pike Street
Huntingdon, PA 16654-1112
Phone: (814) 643-2400
SCI Rockview (Centre County)
1 Rockview Place
Bellefonte, PA 16823
Phone: (814) 355-4874
SCI Muncy (Lycoming County)
6454 Route 405
Muncy, PA 17756
Phone: (570) 546-3171
SCI Camp Hill (Cumberland County)
2500 Lisburn Road
Camp Hill, PA 17011
Phone: (717) 737-4531
SCI Dallas (Luzerne County)
1000 Follies Road
Dallas, PA 18612-0286
Phone: (570) 675-1101
SCI Mercer (Mercer County)
801 Butler Pike
Mercer, PA 16137
Phone: (724) 662-1837
SCI Frackville (Schuylkill County)
1111 Altamont Boulevard
Frackville, PA 17931-2699
Phone: (570) 874-4516
SCI Smithfield (Huntingdon County)
1120 Pike Street
Huntingdon, PA 16652
Phone: (814) 643-6520
SCI Waymart (Wayne County)
11 Fairview Drive
Waymart, PA 18472
Phone: (570) 488-5811
SCI Cambridge Springs (Crawford County)
451 Fullerton Avenue
Cambridge Springs, PA 16403-1238
Phone: (814) 398-5400
Quehanna Motivational Boot Camp (Clearfield County)
4395 Quehanna Highway
Karthaus, PA 16845
Phone: (814) 263-4125
SCI Somerset (Somerset County)
1590 Walters Mill Road
Somerset, PA 15510-0001
Phone: (814) 443-8100
SCI Coal Township (Northumberland County)
1 Kelley Drive
Coal Township, PA 17866-1020
Phone: (570) 644-7890
SCI Mahanoy (Schuylkill County)
301 Grey Line Drive
Frackville, PA 17931
Phone: (570) 773-2158
SCI Albion (Erie County)
10745 Route 18
Albion, PA 16475-0001
Phone: (814) 756-5778
SCI Greene (Greene County)
169 Progress Drive
Waynesburg, PA 15370
Phone: (724) 852-2902
SCI Houtzdale (Clearfield County)
209 Institution Drive
Houtzdale, PA 16698-1000
Phone: (814) 378-1000
SCI Laurel Highlands (Somerset County)
5706 Glades Pike
Somerset, PA 15501
Phone: (814) 445-6501
SCI Chester (Delaware County)
500 E. 4th Street
Chester, PA 19013
Phone: (610) 490-5412
SCI Pine Grove (Indiana County)
189 Fyock Road
Indiana, PA 15701
Phone: (724) 465-9630
SCI Fayette (Fayette County)
50 Overlook Drive
LaBelle, PA 15450
Phone: (724) 364-2200
SCI Forest (Forest County)
286 Woodland Drive
Marienville, PA 16239
Phone: (814) 621-2110
SCI Benner Township (Centre County)
301 Institution Drive
Bellefonte, PA 16823
Phone: (814) 353-3630
SCI Phoenix (Montgomery County)
1200 Mokychic Street
Collegeville, PA 19426
Phone: (610) 409-7890
Pennsylvania Prison Inmate Search For Free
Members of the public who are interested in performing a Pennsylvania prison inmate search can do so using the Pennsylvania Department of Correction official website. Via the online search system, an inquirer lookup information on an inmate by inputting the inmate's name or booking number. There are also various search criteria by which an inquirer can input to obtain the result of the individual they're searching for.
Some of the details a requester can search for include names, inmate numbers, parole numbers, gender, race/ethnicity, committing counties, citizenship, and current locations.
How to Conduct a Federal Inmate Search
Members of the public can search for a federal inmate by using the "Inmate search" section of the Federal Bureau of Prisons' official website.The Bureau of Prisons is responsible for the custody and care of federal inmates throughout the US. It is also responsible for managing the operations of over 120 correctional facilities across the country. Requesters can search for a federal inmate by filling up the necessary fields such as the Inmate's Bureau of Prisons register number, FBI number, DCDC number, or NIS number. Optionally, a requester may perform an inmate search on the BOP website using the Name search on the BOP inmate locator portal.
How to Make and Receive Inmate Phone Calls in Pennsylvania
Typically, it is not possible for relatives and friends of anyone incarcerated in a Pennsylvania prison facility to call the inmate directly. However, inmates in the correctional facilities are the ones that must initiate the phone calls by themselves. The REPORT AND ORDER ON REMAND AND FOURTH FURTHER NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING have simplified the call rates for members of the public trying to call their relatives in the state prisons. This bill puts a cap on the previous call rates to inmates in Pennsylvania prison facilities. It reduces the call rates from 25 cents a minute for collect calls and 21 cents a minute for debit and prepaid calls to 16 cents a minute for debit, prepaid, and collect calls and 14 cents a minute for debit, prepaid, and collect calls from Pennsylvania jail phone numbers.
The report also requires that ICS providers provide multiple payment gateways for friends and family of inmates to make deposits to make it easier for them to call the inmates. Besides all that, the report also inhibits various transaction charges for calls and deposits to inmates within the state prison facilities. Some of these fees include restrictions on high interstate and intrastate calls to jails and prisons.
How to Visit an Inmate in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Jails
Members of the public who seek to visit an inmate in a Pennsylvania jail must first visit and schedule a meeting with the state's Department of Corrections official website. The DOC enables an online inmate locator tool that members of the general public can use to obtain information about an inmate incarcerated within the prison system. This information includes rules and regulations for visitors, visitation schedules, and even the visitation application form.
Moreover, the requester must know the facility where the inmate is held and provide it in the given search fields in the locator tool. Within Pennsylvania, the contact addresses, phone numbers, and websites of the correctional facilities in the state are enlisted on the DOC's website. Requesters may contact the correctional facilities by phone call to obtain more details about their unique visitation policies and processes.
There, the requester can schedule a visit with the facility. On the given day of visitation, the visitor(s) will need to go to the prison/jail and check in with the staff. All visitors will need to carry along a means of identification, such as a government-issued ID or driver's license, as this will be necessary for the security screening of visitors.
After checking in with the facility staff, the prospective visitors will be directed to the visitation room of the prison facility. There, visitors and inmates are allowed to meet, though the staff will monitor them to ensure the safety and security of all inmates and visitors.
Alternatively, other ways exist to visit an inmate in a Pennsylvania prison facility. Below are a few other ways inquirers can try out.
Contacting the Correctional Facility Directly
A prospective visitor can contact the prison facility directly where the inmate they intend to visit is incarcerated. Visitors may contact the facility via phone, mail, or visit directly to make more inquiries. The contact details, websites, and addresses of these correctional centers are online and can be searched on the internet or obtained from the DOC's official website.
Contacting the Inmate's Attorney
This is another way friends and family of an inmate incarcerated within a Pennsylvania prison facility can visit the individual. In rare scenarios, an inmate's attorney can arrange for visitation outside standard visiting hours. They may also provide other necessary information on visitation alternatives.
Contacting a Prison Advocacy Group or Prison Ministry
Various organizations offer support and assistance to individuals who are incarcerated in Pennsylvania prison facilities and their families. Among the various benefits they provide, these groups may also help to organize visitations for family members. Intending visitors and family members of Pennsylvania inmates can search out prison ministries or advocacy associations in Pennsylvania to obtain more information.
Moreover, it's important to note that the various facilities in Pennsylvania have their unique policies, rules, and procedures concerning visitation. Thus, it is essential to check with the appropriate agency before trying to visit an inmate.
How to Conduct an Inmate Release Date Lookup
The simplest way to perform a Pennsylvania inmate release date search is by leveraging the inmate locator tool made available by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections official website. The locator tool provides extensive information on the inmates, including information concerning their release dates. On the website, navigate to the inmate locator section and input the individual's name in the given field. The locator provides members of the public with various options (such as the subject's name, booking number, and date of birth) to use in searching for an incarcerated person or someone who was recently incarcerated. After inputting the inmate's identifying information, the requester must press the search button and wait for the system to provide a list of records that tally with the given search options. When the requester locates the record of the inmate in question, they can click on it and see the inmate's release date. Also, some records may be restricted from the public due to policy or legal restrictions.
Another way to conduct an inmate release date lookup in Pennsylvania is by contacting the prison or jail where the inmate is being incarcerated to request the inmate's records. An inquirer may choose to use the prison facility's online inmate locator tool or query the prison/jail to obtain access to an inmate's release date. However, all requesters must provide valid information about the inmate to speed up the query process. Some of these details may include the inmate's name, booking number, or date of birth.
Moreover, it is also important to point out that, depending on the jurisdiction, holding facility, and some other essential factors, the release dates of some inmates may be confidential and pursuant to a court order. In such peculiar scenarios, only a unique set of acceptable inquirers are permitted access to the details. Among this set of individuals may include the inmates themselves, immediate relatives, victims, the inmate's attorneys, and specific criminal justice officers.