Federal inmate search

Federal prisoners incarcerated at any time since 1982 can be located in this online database. You can also check a prisoner's expected release date, notes the prisoner records page at USAGov. The lookup also covers 1870 to now. For cases from 1982 onward, use this online locator directly.

The 118 federal prisons the agency runs are called institutions on the Bureau of Prisons facilities page. Every institution carries a security rating, from minimum or low up to medium, high, or administrative level. The result of your search shows the facility where the person is held at this time.

Name and identification number searches

By number or by name, the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator lets you look someone up. With case paperwork in hand, Bureau of Prisons ID lookup accepts 4 identification numbers as follows:

• BOP Register Number
• DCDC Number
• FBI Number
• INS Number

Use Bureau of Prisons name lookup when no number is available. Type in their first and last name. A middle name can be added as well. If several people share that name, narrow results by current age, sex, or race.

Release date and custody status notes

The Bureau of Prisons inmate locator may show release dates that aren't up-to-date. Pending Federal Time Credit revisions tied to the First Step Act mean sentences are under review and being recalculated. Recheck the locator every so often to see whether anything has changed.

When a listing shows "Released" or "Not in BOP Custody" without any facility, the person has left Bureau of Prisons custody. Custody may continue under a law enforcement office, a criminal justice agency, or another correctional system. They might also be out on parole or supervised release. After prison, supervised release means living in the community under rules set by the court.

The Bureau of Prisons inmate page walks you through visits, packages, mail, e-mail, and sending money once you know the prison. Bureau of Prisons phone rules say the inmate ordinarily pays for calls, though the receiving party sometimes does. Calls through a third party or any alternative arrangement aren't permitted, so read the jail phone number rules before taking a call.

Once a U.S. District Court places someone in custody, the U.S. Marshals Service takes charge of prisoners facing federal charges. The arresting agency can be local, state, or federal law enforcement, and this still applies. When your federal inmate search shows nothing right after an arrest, the person is probably being held by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Safe confinement, care, and transportation for federal prisoners are managed by the U.S. Marshals Service. Custody continues until an acquittal, which happens when a court finds the person isn't guilty. A conviction means the prisoner is handed over to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, where the sentence is served.

People held in the federal prison system

Not everybody kept in a federal facility has been sentenced yet. People awaiting trial for violating federal laws are part of the population, according to the inmate overview from the Bureau of Prisons. The population covers people already convicted of a federal crime, too.

2 more groups of prisoners are also in the agency's custody. Under a law from 1997, the Bureau of Prisons keeps District of Columbia felony offenders in custody. If the case began in the capital, try the Washington DC inmate search page. State inmates may also be housed in federal institutions when special circumstances and agreements apply.

Sometimes the only thing you know is the state the person was sent to. Select a state on the Bureau of Prisons home page, and its tool will locate a federal prison.

Phone calls to the jail or court for new arrests

The U.S. Marshals Service prisoner page doesn't have a separate online roster. Right after an arrest, phone the county jail where it happened to track down the person. Ask whether their jail keeps federal prisoners for the marshals when you talk to the booking clerk.

Another option is to phone your local U.S. District Court clerk's office. Get the hearing time from the court clerk, along with the jail that keeps detainees for that court. A detainee in U.S. Marshals Service custody may sometimes face a medical or mental health condition that threatens their life. Report that emergency right away through the alert feature on the agency's prisoner page.

Where and when the person was incarcerated determines which records you should check. When you need state and local prison records, the USAGov guide to prisoner records directs you to that state's corrections department. When a federal search comes up empty, a state prison or county jail is likely holding the person.

The USAGov prisons and prisoners portal lays out the steps for finding state or local records. If the arrest happened tonight, your first call should be the county jail. Request that the booking desk look at their roster.

Federal and state bail bond premiums

When a judge sets bail, a bail bond is something you can use. A bail bond works as a written promise of payment to the court should the arrested person miss their hearing. Arkansas bail bond rules call the fee paid to a bondsman or bail company for release the premium. States set their own rules for these fees, and the state-by-state bail laws page lets you compare them.

Court payment and deposit rules

Cash deposit can be paid straight to some state courts, without going through a commercial bail agent. The Oregon rules on court bail say release requires a deposit equal to 10% of the total security release. Of the amount posted, the court keeps 15%, with $5 as the minimum and $750 as the maximum.

In states with commercial bail agents, laws often fix the portion of the fee due up front. The bail bond rules in Minnesota cap the premium at 10% of the bail amount and set a $100 minimum. Bonds of $10,000 or less call for at least 50% of the premium up front, while larger bonds call for 30%.

The bail bond statutes in Missouri let bail bond agents charge a minimum premium of $50 on bonds of $1,000 or less. Extra charges for investigations or services connected to carrying out the bond aren't allowed.