Execute a Free Pennsylvania Inmate Search (Prisons & Jails)

Run a free Pennsylvania inmate search to look up details of individuals currently incarcerated in jails and prisons throughout the state. An inmate is someone held in a correctional facility for any reason whatsoever (they could be serving their sentences, awaiting trial, waiting for court orders, ongoing investigation, etc.).

This article will instruct interested individuals on how to initiate a free inmate search (for both jails and prisons) in the state of Pennsylvania using various official resources.

Jail Inmates vs Prison Inmates

Before citizens start their search for Pennsylvania inmates, it is pertinent to have a general understanding of the difference between a jail and a prison and know what type of offenders are housed in each of these correctional facilities.

Prisons are state-level or federal-level correctional facilities that are managed either by the state’s Department of Corrections (DOC) or the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).¹

Prisons are usually highly secure and regulated correctional facilities and house inmates who have committed serious crimes. The records of the individuals (including complete details of the inmates) serving time in prison are usually kept and regulated by the DOC of the state (in the case of state prison inmates) or the Bureau of Prisons (in the case of federal prison inmates).

On the other hand, jails are less guarded facilities made for temporarily holding individuals for various reasons (they could be awaiting trial, ongoing investigation, waiting for the court’s verdict, temporary arrest, etc.). Jails can either be county-level or municipal-level (city, town, etc).

Jails and the records of the individuals held up in them are usually managed by the county sheriff’s office (in the case of county jail) or the local police department (in the case of town or city jails).

It is also important to note here that jails are much more common and in a larger number as compared to state and federal prisons. State prisons come second after jails, and federal corrections facilities are the least common of all.

How To Track Down Individuals Held in Pennsylvania Jails

A Pennsylvania inmate lookup can also help interested parties in searching for individuals held up in county as well as city jails throughout the state.

Residents can also search through the Pennsylvania Criminal & Arrest Records to find information about offenders (the linked source also has addresses and contact information of all county jails in the state for the convenience of users).

To search inmates currently held in the Westmoreland County jail, Pennsylvanian researchers can use the county government’s official free online inmate locator tool. Residents can search through all inmates or select a category such as last name, unit, booking number, or commitment date to filter the search.

The search results will provide a wide range of information about the inmate including date of birth, booking number, current location, etc.

In addition to that, the county government also provides a complete list of all inmates currently incarcerated in its jail that can be viewed by the public.²

To look for additional details of the Westmoreland County jail inmates such as bond information or the nature of the offense committed by them, researchers can file an official request through the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Web Portal.³

Interested individuals can also directly contact the Westmoreland County correctional facility for details of inmates using the following credentials:

Westmoreland County Correctional Facility
3000 South Grande Boulevard
Greensburg, Pennsylvania 15601

Phone: 724-830-6000

In case a resident wants to search inmates held up in the correctional facilities of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they can use the city Department of Prisons (DOP) official free online Incarcerated Person Locator.^{4, 5}

Interested individuals can perform searches on this tool using the inmate’s PID (Prison Identification) number or full name along with their date of birth. The search results will provide a variety of information about the individual including their location, full name, physical description, etc.

As another option, interested individuals can also contact the DOP directly for details of incarcerated individuals using the following details:

Philadelphia Department of Prisons
7901 State Road
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19136

Phone Numbers: 215-685-8394, 215-685-8395, 215-685-8396
Phone Number for Spanish Speaking Inquirers: 215-685-8392

Furthermore, the Department of Prisons also has a complete list of correctional facilities in the city along with addresses and contact details so residents can directly contact these facilities and request information about inmates.⁶

How To Obtain State Prisoner Details: Free Pennsylvania Inmate Search

Searching Pennsylvania inmates can help researchers obtain details of state prisoners. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) manages all the prisons in the state as well as the record of the inmates housed in these facilities.

For the convenience of residents, the department has set up an official, free online inmate locator that provides details of all individuals currently in the custody of the state DOC.

Residents can search inmates using different criteria such as full name, DOC ID numbers, date of birth, etc. Other criteria such as age, gender, county, and ethnicity can also be added to filter the search for more accurate results. The results will include details such as the inmate’s current custodial status, location, basic physical description, and committing county.

In addition to that, this locator can also be used to search active parolees in the state of Pennsylvania. The state’s DOC and Parole Board updates the data of this regulator daily so that citizens can have access to the most recent inmate records.⁸

In addition to the aforementioned method, an official inmate details request can also be filed to the state DOC online. The department can also be directly reached out to for information about currently incarcerated inmates using the following details:

Central Office Pennsylvania Department of Correction
1920 Technology Parkway
Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania 17050

Phone: 717-728-2573
Email: [email protected]

Here are links to some helpful pages from the Pennsylvania DOC official website:

• Family & Friends Page – For details of services for family and friends of inmates.
• Visitation Page – For details on how to visit an inmate in Pennsylvania state correctional facilities.
• Frequently Asked Questions Page – For common questions and queries.
• Contact Information Page – To contact the Pennsylvania DOC for various purposes.
• DOC Facilities Page – List of facilities under the management of the State DOC.
• Call an Inmate Page – For details on how to call an inmate in a Pennsylvania state prison.
• Parole Supervision Page – For details of the parole procedure and other related topics.
• Victim Advocate Page – For details of victim services.

How To Find Information on Federal Prisoners

An inmate search in Pennsylvania will not be able to give details of federal prisoners as federal facilities are managed by the central government. All the federal prisons in the country as well as the records of federal inmates are kept by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).⁹

The department has an online inmate locator that can be used to find information about federal prisoners.

This search tool can be used by residents to locate federal prisoners using their full names or BOP Register Number. Details such as age, projected release date, sex, location and sentence length will be included in the results.

The BOP inmate locator only has information of prisoners incarcerated after 1982.

The National Archives Records Administration (NARA) and Public Access to Electronic Court Records (PACER) can be used to find records dating before 1982 The NARA facilities are located throughout the U.S. and residents can also choose to visit them in person to obtain records.

For PACER, there is a complete guide on how to best use the service that citizens can read.¹⁰

This article contains complete instructions on how to carry out a free Pennsylvania inmate search to find details of all inmates in the state (whether they are in jail or prison) through official sources.