Perform a Free Indiana Inmate Search (Detainee Lookup)

Run a free Indiana inmate search via the various public agencies and lookup tools linked throughout this streamlined resource.

Inmates are individuals who are incarcerated, regardless of whether they’re held in jail or prison. Those held in county or city jails can also be looked up for information about an inmate’s current location and details of charges.

Knowing which agencies hold these records and how to request them or look them up via online databases is vital. Use this resource to access the right search tools quickly and find a loved one or track an inmate’s status today.

What’s the Difference Between Prison & Jail Inmates?

Not all incarceration is created equal. There’s a big difference between maximum security prisons and county jails. Review some of those differences and how they might guide an inmate search.

County & City Jails: Local jails are where those arrested for minor crimes typically spend their sentenced time. County jails are usually operated by the county sheriff’s office, and hold people arrested by the sheriff’s office or by city or municipal police departments within the county.

City or municipal jails are much smaller. They’re often used as a holding area while offenders are processed by the local police department, before those who are convicted of a crime are sent to serve their sentence at larger jails or in state prisons.

Anyone waiting for a trial or a bail hearing is held in one of these locations. Material witnesses and those held for contempt of court are also often incarcerated in county or city jails.

State Prisons: Those incarcerated in state prison have usually committed a more heinous crime with a correspondingly longer sentence upon conviction.

The Indiana Department of Corrections runs the state’s prisons, and these come in various security levels.¹ Some prisons have community-based facilities to ease transitions for those leaving a correctional facility. Only those convicted in circuit courts go immediately to state prisons, though there may be transfers from local courts for major crimes.

Federal Prisons: The federal law enforcement agencies prosecute crimes and send offenders to a separate prison system. These correctional facilities are overseen by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.² Those convicted of federal crimes serve their sentences in these facilities.

Most people held in a corrections facility are in jail. State prisoners are slightly less common, and there are even fewer federal inmates.

How To Conduct an Indiana Inmate Search & Review Details of Anybody in Jail (Free)

Every Indiana County has its own jail and district court to prosecute relatively minor crimes. Court records are available to the public, so searchers can access this information.

Citations, misdemeanors and even some classes of felony may result in a sentence to the local county or city jail. Larger municipalities often have the facilities to house more dangerous felons, while most counties work with the state’s attorney’s office to handle prosecution for felony offenses.

Be sure to read any disclaimers about how to use the information provided by local law enforcement agencies. There are approved and forbidden uses for all public records. Here’s how to use local search tools to find offenders and inmates.

Marion County Inmate Search: All incarcerations from county police arrests are handled by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Their Inmate Lookup Tool provides information about both currently incarcerated adults and those already released.³

There are two jail facilities in Marion County:

Marion County Jail I
40 South Alabama Street,
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Phone: 317-327-1574

Core Civic Jail II
730 East Washington Street,
Indianapolis, IN 46202

Phone: 317-266-0882

To run a search, users must have at least the last name of the person in question. To filter results for more common last names, users can add their first name or date of birth. Another search option is to use a unique identification number, such as the booking number or state ID number.

Indianapolis Inmate Search: Indianapolis is the largest city in Indiana, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office administers the jail facilities. The same inmate lookup tool mentioned above searches jails in the city and throughout the county, making it a one-stop shop to find any adult in detention for any reason.

Third–party search sites also offer criminal history and inmate lookup tools for performing an inmate search, along with any online database search options.

How To Verify if Someone Is Being Held in an Indiana State Prison

For an inmate lookup of state prisons, use the Department of Corrections Online Search Tool.⁴ The Department of Corrections (DOC) has 18 facilities in which it detains prisoners at various points in their sentences. Diagnostic services are available at one facility, while another only houses women in prison.⁵

To find the location of a specific inmate, use either the first or last name of the offender. Common names such as Smith or John might return thousands of individuals. Narrow results by including an additional name or using the unique DOC number given to each inmate.

Once the inmate record is located, search results show:

• Name
• Date of Birth
• Gender
• Race
• Facility/Location
• Earliest Possible Release Date
• Sentence Information

The sentence information includes details about the original court case and total sentence length. Some offenders may have repeating sentence information, which indicates a parole or probation violation.

Here are some other resources for those running an statewide inmate search to find out more about parole processes and visitation:

• IDOC Facility Locations
• IDOC Visitation and Contact Information
• IDOC Friends & Family Resources
• IDOC Victim Services
• IDOC Sex & Violent Offender Registry
• IDOC Parole Hearings
• IDOC Frequently Asked Questions

How To Search for Prisoners in Federal Facilities for Free

To find out information about those held in federal prisons, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is the first stop. With 122 prisons and 22 residential reentry management offices throughout the U.S., the BOP handles a large group of people who are incarcerated at any one time.

To find out information about those arrested in or after 1982, use the BOP Inmate Locator Tool.⁶

Users can search by BOP Register Number or first and last name. There’s no option to use a partial name when running a search. Results for each search only include an offender’s:

• Name
• Register Number
• Age
• Race
• Sex
• Release Date
• Location

For those arrested prior to 1982, searchers will need to contact the National Archives for information. These older records haven’t been consistently entered into BOP database records. For faster and more relevant information from the National Archives, include the following formation with every request:

• Legal first and last name
• Date of birth
• Approximate age when incarcerated
• Race
• Dates spent in prison

If no information is available through these sources, searchers can check the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system to review court records.⁷ Not all returned records from these searches refer to offenders. Some of these records may be related to detained witnesses or those held regarding civil matters.

With the right tools, finding someone currently held by a law enforcement agency is quick, convenient and free. Use the search tools throughout this resource to find a loved one or watch for the release of a specific offender when you run an Indiana inmate search.