Perform a free Indiana probation search right away to reveal people in your life with a criminal record who are under this kind of supervision. Before delving into a search, it’s necessary to understand the primary difference between probation and parole.
Probation is reserved as an alternative to jail time, during which an individual remains under the watchful eye of a probation officer. Parole is given to those who are released from prison prior to serving their complete sentence, often rewarded for good behavior behind bars.
This resource covers how to search probation records as well as how to find supervision officers, absconders, and report violations in Indiana.
How To Execute an Indiana Probation Search: Check Anybody’s Status
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows citizens across the U.S. to access public records.1 States typically have their own laws surrounding such disclosures. In Indiana, the Access to Public Records Act (APRA) allows citizens to access and inspect public records from all bodies of the government.
These include any information that is provided by government agencies. Some records, such as investigatory records from law enforcement, may be disclosed based on agency discretion, which can be useful during an Indiana supervision record search.
This information can be requested online, in writing, in person or over the phone, with some agencies requiring requests to be sent in a specific way. Official records may come with associated fees assessed to cover the cost of producing them. Contacting the appropriate department for your search via phone and asking how they require records requests to be formatted allows for them to be processed appropriately.
Using the Indiana Courts Case Search Tool via Odyssey, the state unified case management system, it’s possible to look up individuals and review their court records online.2
This can be done using information about the case, such as the case number or citation number, by name of the offender or by attorney name. The system includes court records from across the state and allows for limiting the search to criminal and citation, civil, family, probate, appellate or commercial court cases.
It helps to be as specific as possible when completing the form by name to narrow down the search results. If possible, include the first, middle and last names and a date of birth.
To search for potential probation records, select Criminal & Citation on the checklist. If you know the most likely location the case was filed, you can also narrow the search down by county and the status of the case (open or closed).
Upon completing the search, records matching the parameters will be generated. Within those records, details of the case can be explored, including whether the case has been settled, what the sentencing was and fees or fines pertaining to the case. This includes information about whether an individual was sentenced to probation and how long they must serve.
In Indiana, criminal history records are maintained by law enforcement agencies rather than the courts. It’s possible to receive a limited criminal history report through the Indiana State Police, which will include any misdemeanor or felony arrests less than one year old as well as those over one year old that have been concluded.
These records include the identity of the person (including aliases), arrest dates, charges and the disposition. As disposition reveals the end results of the case, it could reveal probation.
These can be requested using the Indiana State Police Limited Criminal History Search Tool or via mail using a printed Criminal History Information form.3 These records cost $15 online or $7 via mail. The forms can be sent to:
Indiana State Police
Criminal History Limited Check
P.O. Box 6188
Indianapolis, IN 46206
How To Look Up Probationers via County Agencies Throughout Indiana
In most cases, probation departments do not provide records to the public, instead focusing on managing probationers. It’s possible to use the statewide Odyssey Case Search tool to complete an Indiana supervision record search by viewing dispositions. This search can be narrowed down by county when selecting which court to pull files from.
Files may also be requested from the courts and associated departments directly in each county. Below, you’ll find out how to request records from the most populous counties in the state.
In Marion County, these records can be requested in person from the Records Facility or the Superior Court Community Justice Department.
Marion County Records Facility
1330 South Madison Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46225
Marion County Superior Court Community Justice Campus
675 Justice Way
Indianapolis, IN 46203
Marion County records are also accessible from public terminal locations, which allow requestors to view them in JUSTIS, the court’s primary computer system.4 This can be done Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the following locations:
Records Department Old Records
1330 South Madison Avenue, Room B-1
Indianapolis, IN 46225
Records Department Microfilm
1330 South Madison Avenue, Room B-2
Indianapolis, IN 46225
City-County Building Main Lobby
200 East Washington Street, Room W122
Indianapolis, IN 46204
In Lake County, the Clerk of the Lake Circuit/Superior Court maintains court records, including entering court judgments that may include details about probation status, and generates certified records. Records can be requested in person at the following locations:
Courts Building
2293 North Main Street, 1st Floor
Crown Point, IN 46307
Phone: (219) 755-3460
Fax: (219) 755-3520
Hammond Clerk’s Office
232 Russell Street
Hammond, IN 46320
Phone: (219) 933-2857
Fax: (219) 933-2805
East Chicago Clerk’s Office
3711 Main Street
East Chicago, IN 46312
Phone: (219) 398-2442
Fax: (219) 392-2482
In Allen County, criminal records, which may reveal probation information, can be requested from the local sheriff’s department. This requires a state-issued ID and a second form of identification that must include a matching name, such as a social security card or utility bill.
It costs $7 per record. To obtain records for someone other than yourself, a waiver release form must be completed. Records can be requested at the following location:
Allen County Sheriff’s Department
Charles “Bud” Meeks Justice Center
101 East Superior Street, Room B-25
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Phone: (260) 449-7630
In Hamilton County, individuals can request criminal records from the Clerk’s Office, which may assist in a probation search. This can be done via the online Clerk Records Request form.5 To do so, individuals must note what they’re doing with the records, select the type of records they’re looking for and note what they intend to do with them.
From there, they must enter information about the primary party, including their legal name, former surnames and date of birth. If possible, the case number and year of filing can be provided to assist in locating the records.
These can be provided as certified or non-certified documents. Certified documents come with a $3 charge per certification and $0.50 per page. The requestor can select to receive non-certified documents via email or certified documents via pickup or standard mail.
Records can be picked up from the following address:
Hamilton County Courts
1 Hamilton County Square Suite 313
Noblesville, IN 46060
Phone: (317) 776-9629
The St. Joseph County Police Department Records Division holds criminal records that may reveal information about probation. To request a background check, requestors must provide a copy of their photo ID, a Social Security number, a cashiers check or money order for $8 and a self-addressed envelope for the records to be sent in. They may also be requested via email or mailed request.
St. Joseph County Police Department
ATTN: Records Division
401 West Sample Street
South Bend, IN 46601
Phone: (574) 245-6535
Email: records@SJCPD.org
How To Access Information on Probation Violations & Supervising Officer Contact Details (Indiana)
When someone violates the terms of their probation, it can pose a risk to them, those around them or the general public. When this happens, it may become necessary to identify and inform the supervising probation officer with concerns and details of the violation.
Probation offices rarely provide records to the public, so tracking down an individual officer often requires contacting the probation office directly. An Indiana supervision record search can reveal the county in which an individual is supervised, providing a starting point to locate the correct department and officer.
The state maintains a probation department directory. Some, such as the Lake County Superior Court have online forms to contact probation departments directly.6 The five most populous counties are listed below with their contact information:
Marion Superior Court Probation Department
3115 Southeastern Avenue, Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46203
Phone: (317) 327-4252
Lake County Superior Court Probation Department
Administration Building
2293 North Main Street
Crown Point, IN 46307
Phone: (219) 755-3589
Fax: (219) 755-3584
Allen County Adult Probation
Edwin J. Rousseau Centre
1 East Main Street, 8th Floor
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Phone: (260) 449-7113
Hamilton County Probation
1 Hamilton County Square, Suite 29
Noblesville, IN 46060
Phone: (317) 776-9672
St. Joseph County Adult Probation
227 West Jefferson Boulevard
South Bend, IN 46601
Phone: (574) 235-9565
How To View Details of Individuals on Parole in Indiana
People serving on parole are supervised by the Indiana Parole Board.7 They have the authority over all offenders and authorize discretionary parole releases. The Board is also available to help the victims with their safety concerns with regards to the parole release of an offender.
For any inquiries, interested individuals may contact the Indiana Parole Board at 317.232.5784.
To view the details of parolees throughout Indiana, researchers may use the Statewide Automated Victim Information & Notification (SAVIN) Offender Search tool provided by the Indiana Department of Correction, Division of Parole Services.8
This allows individuals to enter a first name and last name (or an approximation or partial name), a case/cause number or an offender ID and view matching individuals at no cost. However, individuals may have to review several potential offenders to identify the correct one.
When an individual on parole is selected to review, their name, physical profile (including race, gender, eye color, hair color, height and weight) and date of birth are available to confirm identity. Offender details will also include the date they were released on parole, an expected release date from prison and the location they report to.
For more information, the searcher may contact:
IDOC – Division of Parole Services
Indiana Government Center South
302 West Washington St., Rm. E 334
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2738
Numerous tools exist to navigate legal records, from requesting records from courts directly to locating information online. These can help those attempting an Indiana probation search find relevant information.
References
1United States Department of Justice. (n.d.). How do I make a FOIA Request? Retrieved March 29, 2024, from <https://www.foia.gov/how-to.html>
2Indiana Supreme Court. (2024). Case Search. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from <https://public.courts.in.gov/mycase/#/vw/Search>
3Indiana State Police. (2014, April). Criminal History Information. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from <https://www.in.gov/isp/files/ISP-Criminal-History-Information-LCH-8053_575-2.pdf>
4City of Indianapolis. (n.d.). Request Copies of Court Records. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from <https://www.indy.gov/activity/request-copies-of-court-records>
5Hamilton County Government. (n.d.). Clerk Records Request. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from <https://www.cognitoforms.com/HamiltonCountyGovernment/ClerkRecordsRequest>
6Lake County, Indiana. (n.d.). Ask a Question or Provide Feedback. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from <https://lakecounty.in.gov/contact-us?id=9b508a7f-6c4a-4311-8d25-7ba237b659ad>
7Indiana Department of Correction. (n.d.). Indiana Parole Board. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from <https://www.in.gov/idoc/operations/parole/parole-board/>
8Indiana Department of Correction. (2024). Offender Search. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from <https://indianasavin.in.gov/Offender/OffenderSearch.aspx>