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Direct answer

What to use for inmate lookup all states

The Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator covers federal inmates and does not represent state or local jail custody. USA.gov provides a directory to state departments of corrections for state prison and prisoner information.

Important

Federal, state, and local custody systems are separate

Choose the custody system. Start with the government level responsible for the detention record. Federal, state, and local systems maintain separate custody records.

Route

Custody sources for inmate lookup all states

Need Official source What it can establish
State prison: select a state. USA.gov - State departments of corrections. Open the state directory, select the likely state or territory, and use that agency’s inmate/offender search or published contact route. Prepare the person’s name and state inmate number if known; follow that state tool’s required fields. Repeat only for states supported by a location or case clue.
Recent local booking or no state match. County/city jail, sheriff or local detention agency. Check the jail serving the arrest location rather than assuming a state-prison search covers it. For example, King County’s jail guidance links Subject Lookup for adult custody, facility and booking number; it also supplies a phone alternative and nearby-jail routes. Use this example only for King County, Washington.
Federal custody. Federal Bureau of Prisons - Inmate Locator. BOP Inmate Locator is limited to federal custody information.

For federal custody, use BOP Find By Name with first and last name, adding middle name or age to narrow the match, or Find By Number with the BOP register number (format #####-###). The locator covers federal incarceration from 1982 onward.

BOP “Released” or “Not in BOP Custody” without a facility does not rule out another system’s custody or supervision. Release dates may be recalculated. If no result appears, check exact name spelling and number, then consider state/local custody or pre-1982 federal records; USA.gov directs older federal-record research to NARA.

Check

Confirm the person before relying on a custody match

  • Verify the person. Make sure the hit points to the intended individual: compare middle name, date range, record location, and the number attached to the file before relying on the hit for a final conclusion.
  • Confirm the outcome. Do not infer present custody or case status from an older locator alone. Use the current custodian or court outcome when present status is material.
  • Find the local custodian. Use the local agency that actually created or keeps the record. The responsible office can differ between booking, warrant, court, and police records.

Related Record Guides

Sources

Authoritative next stops

Official federal corrections source; Federal custody

Federal Bureau of Prisons - Inmate Locator

BOP Inmate Locator is a federal inmate locator and does not represent state/local arrest or jail custody.

Federal custody