How to find the location of an inmate? Searching for an inmate can be done, but you need to know the different ways to do so. There are many databases that give you free access, if you know where to look for them. Usually, you’ll need:
- Internet access
- A letter to BOP (Federal Bureau of prisons)
- Local government authority contacts information
Generally, the database will show only the people who are in custody, but some other states will give you access to both current and past records. This way, allowing you to see persons that were in custody, but they’ve been released in the meantime. However, beware that some websites are free of charge, while some might not be. You shouldn’t pay for obtaining this type of information. It’s usually provided for free, if you just take your time to research before.
You need information
To ensure your inmate search is successful, you’ll need some minimal information. For beginners, you’ll need to know first where the inmate is incarcerated, or at least, the state where they’re at the moment. If searching through the database and can’t find any info, there’s a possibility that the inmate is in the Federal facility, or they’re incarcerated in another jail that isn’t included in the database. Some databases will let you search using partial names, but for most, the name and last name is required. Also, it’s important to know the inmate’s date of birth, and you might even receive images with the inmate. You could also perform a quick lookup to a national inmate search directory for more info about how to find, contact the inmate, send packages, money, or simply visit him at the facility.
To visit, you must be approved
After locating the inmate, you might want to visit him or send a package. But you can only do this if they’ve placed you on the visit list and you’ve received approval from the BOP. When arriving to the prison, the inmates should follow this process:
- Fill out a visitor information form
- Mails copy for each visitor
- Visitors fill all the remaining fields
- Visitors sends the form back to the inmate’s address
- The inmate is told when a visitor is approved or not to come
- The inmate is responsible to notify the visitor whether they can come or not
Who is allowed to come visit an inmate in prison?
If the inmate has been recently transferred to another prison, they might not receive visitors yet. When the list of visitors is done, family members are allowed first to visit. Therefore, you should call the prison before to make sure you can visit an inmate. Here’s a list of people who can come visit inmates in prison:
Family members:
- Mother
- Father
- Brothers
- Sisters
- Spouse
- Children
Other relative:
- Uncles
- Aunts
- Grandparents
- Cousins
Other types of visitors:
- Employers
- Attorneys
- Sponsors
- Foreign officials
- Friends (maximum of ten people)
If you want to visit an inmate in prison, you should get familiar with the visiting rules. You need to wear appropriate clothes (avoid provocative outfits, or else your visit might be denied). By law, you have a visiting duration of four hours per month. It’s important to remain calm, quiet, and dignified while visiting. Generally, physical contact is reduced during the visit, although you may hug or shake hands with the inmate at the beginning and at the end of the visit.