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How to Use the Federal Inmate Locator

By May 16, 2018August 14th, 2019Uncategorized

The Federal Inmate Locator is a giant database containing information about all inmates who have been incarcerated from 1982 to the present. This service is provided for and managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and may be accessed online. The locator also contains records of people who have been taken into custody with the Federal Bureau of Prisons but did not serve time for reasons such as dismissal of charges, etc.

Basically, the Federal Inmate Locator is an extremely helpful tool in identifying where an inmate is housed, as well as other personal details such as their date of birth, race, etc. For certain states, local inmate locators are being used for information regarding inmates in local penitentiaries and do not contain the information of those detained outside the state. For example, Denver inmate search will only provide information of inmates in these locations:

  • County Jail
  • Denver Health & Hospital
  • Downtown Detention Center

Learning how to use this impressive tool is surprisingly easy. All you have to do is provide identifying information regarding the person you’re searching for. The information must be accurate to be able to generate an output.

Here are the steps on how to use the Federal Inmate Locator:

Step 1

Gather information about the inmate you’re trying to look for. The best chance of finding a match would be to provide an identification number, such as a Register Number. These may be indicated on records and written correspondence. If you don’t have access to this information, then you can also use their name. Just make sure to input their correct first and last names, including the proper spelling.

Step 2

In your preferred Internet browser, enter the following URL on the search bar: http://www.bop.gov. This will take you to the Bureau of Prisons website.

Step 3

Look for the ‘Inmates’ on the main menu or nav bar. From the drop-down menu, click on “Inmate Locator”.

Step 4

If you need more information regarding the Inmate Locator, you may click the ‘More Information’ link which can be found at the top right-hand side of the page, or right below the search bar in the middle of the screen.

Step 5

If you have the identification number for the inmate you’re looking for, you can use the ‘Search by ID Number’ tab found in the middle of the screen. From the drop-down box next to ‘Type of Number’, select the box indicated ‘Choose the proper type of ID number’.

They have different options as to what type of number you can present:

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

Step 6

If you were not able to get an identification number, you can use the ‘Search by Name’ option. Type in a first and last name (they must both be spelled correctly as there are no Boolean or advanced options).

You may also filter the results by race and sex, which you can find on the drop-down menu. In the ‘Age’ box, enter the person’s age.

Step 7

You’re almost done! All you have to do now is click the ‘Search’ button. This will open a new page that will display all the results that match your description of the inmate. The information they provide will include the following:

  • Full Name
  • Register Number
  • Age
  • Race
  • Sex
  • Release date

The Denver inmate lookup service is updated on a daily basis to ensure that all the information you find is as complete and accurate as possible. To say this tool is impressive would be a massive understatement.