Conduct a Free New York Inmate Search (Online Tools)

Perform a free New York inmate search seamlessly once you know where to look for their records.

Generally, official government agencies offer online databases that can be checked by the public at no cost, providing information about incarcerated individuals. Inmates are people confined to a security facility run by a government entity. They’re confined because they’ve been charged with committing a crime or violating a court order.

Use the information in this resource to find details of any New York inmates.

Detained in Jail vs Prison

A New York convict search pertains to looking for individuals located in either prisons or jails. Prisons are longer-term detention centers where people are confined to a security facility for more than a year. Jails are shorter-term detention centers where individuals are restricted to a guarded facility for less than a year.

Jails are usually run by county governments, typically a sheriff’s office, or a municipality. Individuals who have been arrested for allegedly committing a crime, or been convicted of a misdemeanor, can be found in jail.

Prisons are for individuals convicted of committing felony offenses, and they are generally run by the New York State Department of Corrections.¹

It is not uncommon for detention centers, prisons, and jails to be divided between males and females. There are also various security levels for prisons and jails, which include maximum security and minimum security.

Because jails include those accused of committing crimes and those who have been convicted, they will harbor the most inmates. The next is state prisons, followed by federal prisons. The Federal Bureau of Prisons holds inmates who have been convicted of committing federal crimes.²

Learn how to find inmates in jail or prison using the information below.

Execute a New York Inmate Search

As mentioned in the section above, inmates can be found in county or municipal jails. In New York, some counties allow members of the public to look up inmates online for free.

The Westchester County Department of Correction provides an inmate lookup for anyone to view who is in jail.³ This search tool only requires you to input the last name of an individual for the search to yield results. It’s wise to also include the first name and age or date of birth to narrow the search results.

The initial results will show a database that includes the jail ID number, last name, first name, middle name, birth date, aliases, and more.

Clicking on the jail ID number will provide additional details including the booking date and next court date.

For more information contact the Westchester County Department of Corrections.

Westchester County Department of Corrections
148 Martine Ave
White Plains, New York 10601

Phone: 914.231.1000

A New York convict search may also be conducted on the city level. The New York City Department of Correction is responsible for holding individuals in custody awaiting trial or serving an incarceration sentence of one year or less.

The New York City Department of Corrections provides the public with a free inmate lookup service.⁴ Interested persons can search inmates located in New York City jails. Researchers can search by name, or New York state ID number, or booking number and case number.

You must input the exact numbers when searching by booking or case number. When searching by name, you only need to input a first or last name. Initial results will display a database that includes an inmate’s name, year of birth, New York state ID number, booking and case number, facility location, discharge date, and next court date.

Researchers can view additional information about an inmate by clicking on their name. That information includes the inmate’s sex, race, height, weight, hair color, eye color, nativity, arrest date, arrest number, bail status, docket number, indictment number, court name, and charges.

For more information concerning inmates located in New York City jails contact the Department of Corrections.

New York City Department of Corrections
75-20 Astoria Boulevard
Elmhurst, New York 11370

Phone: 718.546.1500

There are several county and borough jails located in New York state. Review the free New York Criminal & Arrest Records Search resource to learn more about each jail.

How To Search New York State Prisoners

A New York convict search should also include prisons. New York state maintains its own prisons that house inmates convicted of committing felony crimes.

The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision offers the public a free incarcerated lookup tool that displays information on inmates located in a state prison since the early 1970’s.⁵

Interested parties can search by Department ID number, New York State ID number, or by name. Researchers must input at least a last name for the search to yield results when searching by name.

The initial results will display the department ID number, name, birth date, custody status, facility name, and race. By clicking on the department ID number, additional information will be revealed including the date received, latest release date, crimes of conviction, parole interview date and type, conditional release date, and maximum expiration date.

The New York State Department of Corrections offers many services and resources that the public can gain access to. Learn about them below.

• New York State Prison Facility Locations
• New York State Parolee Lookup
• New York State Office of Victim Assistance
• New York State’s Most Wanted⁶
• New York DOC Visitation

For more information, contact the New York State Department of Corrections.

New York State Department of Corrections
1220 Washington Avenue #9
Albany, New York 12226

Phone: 518.457.8126

Review Information on Any Federal Prisoner

In addition to statewide prisons, there are also federal prisons. Federal prisons house individuals confined to security detention centers for being convicted of committing federal crimes.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons is the federal agency responsible for maintaining and operating federal prisons. There are several federal prisons located around the county and they can be found using the interactive facility map.

Individuals incarcerated in federal prisons can be found using the inmate locator.⁷ The most common way to locate an inmate is to search by their name. Users of the inmate locator need to input a person’s first and last name for the search to yield any results.

When results are generated, a table displays all federal inmates with the same name of the person searched. It shows inmates from 1982 to the present day. The table displays an inmate’s name, register number, age, race, sex, release date, and prison location.

For more information concerning federal inmates, contact the Federal Bureau of Prisons using the information below:

Federal Bureau of Prisons
320 First Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20534

Phone: 202.307.3198

For information on federal inmates incarcerated before 1982, interested parties should research prison records at the National Archives. Researchers can find information on former Alcatraz inmates, and so much more.⁸

Additionally, researchers can find out what charges caused a person to be sent to federal prison through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system.⁹ Anyone can use PACER after they register an account.

From jails to state and federal prisons, anyone can learn information about inmates located in these facilities as long as they search the right places; use this streamlined resource to learn how to conduct a New York inmate search today.