District of Columbia Department of Corrections Inmate Search Instructions

Search District of Columbia State Prison Inmates

Department of Corrections Jail Inmate Search

How do you find an Inmate in the Washington DC Department of Corrections?

To find an inmate in the Washington DC Department of Corrections, call the Department’s Records Office at 202-523-7060.

If you are a victim of a crime and want to know the status of an inmate, you can receive updates via email or text on inmate movements by registering with VINE (Victim Information & Notification Everyday) at 877-329-7894.

To register, you will need a DC Department of Corrections’ (DCDC) inmate ID Number, a Metropolitan Police Department identification number (PDID), an inmate’s full name, or the court case number.

District of Columbia State Prison Facilities

Central Detention Facility

Correctional Treatment Facility

New Beginnings Youth Development Center

Washington DC Department of Corrections

Youth Services Center

Jail Inmate Rosters for County Jails in District of Columbia

District of Columbia

Federal - Bureau of Prisons - Inmate Locator

How to Search for a Federal Inmate in the Bureau of Prisons

The Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator includes inmates that are not only in custody, but who have been in custody and have been released (or who died in custody) since 1982.

For inmates in custody prior to 1982, visit the National Archives Records Administration and provide the following information:

Inmate name (including middle name/initial),
Inmate's date of birth or approximate age at time of incarceration,
Inmate's race, and
Inmate's approximate dates in prison.

Federal Inmate Search

Searching by Name

You must enter the exact spelling of the inmate's FIRST and LAST name.
If the inmate's name is a common name, you may want to type in their age (as of today) and race to limit the number of results.
If you enter only an inmate's LAST name and an initial for the first name, you will NOT get a result.

Searching by Name Results

Searching by Number

If you know the inmate's BOP Register Number (ex: 12345-678), you can enter that to get an exact result.
You can also enter an inmate's DCDC Number, FBI Number or INS Number to get an exact result. The listing of the inmate will display their BOP Register Number.

Searching by Number Result

Things to Know About Federal Inmate Search Results

The data in the Federal Inmate Locator is updated daily.
Hispanic's race can either be Black or White.
Release dates are only considered absolute if they have already been released. For those still in custody the release date is either UNKNOWN, subject to change, or projected.
Unless an inmate shows as being RELEASED, their location is subject to change, as inmates are occasionally moved to another facility with no notice.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows certain information about Federal inmates to the general public if someone requests it. To obtain information beyond what is provided from the inmate locator and/or publicly available, submit a (Freedom of Information) FOIA request along with a properly completed Form DOJ-361. For further information, refer to the BOP's FOIA website.
If you are experiencing problems when using the inmate locator system, send a Technical Issue email (using the drop down menu) from the CONTACT US page.
You may also contact the BOP by writing to:
FEDERAL BUREAU OF PRISONS
Att: Inmate Locator
320 First St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20534

ICE Online Detainee Locator System

How to Find Someone in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detainee Locator

When someone that is not a US Citizen gets arrested in the United States, and they are here illegally, depending on what state or city they are arrested in, the person may be turned over to ICE.

Many states such as New York and California, as well as hundreds of US cities, have declared themselves 'sanctuary cities' and do not turn over foreigners here illegally, even if they are committing crimes in their jurisdiction.

However, when an alien here illegally is turned over to ICE, and sent to one of the over 100 Immigration Detention Centers in the United States, the only way to try and locate where they are being detained is using the Online Detainee Locator System.

There are two ways to search for an ICE Detainee:

You can look them up using their assigned A-Number.

An A-Number is a 9-digit number that either looks like this: A-123456789, or like this 123-456-789. This is required if you do not know their name.
It is also called a Registration Number when on a visa, or a USCIS# when on a Green Card.
If for whatever reason the A-Number you have does not have 9-digits, you need to add 0s (zeroes) to the front of the number until the number has 9-digits.
That number might then look like this: 001234567.

You can also try and look them up by using their name.

In order for this to be effective, you need to have the exact name that is either on their paperwork, or the the name with the exact spelling that they gave ICE. This is required.
You also need to know the country of their birth, or the country of their birth that they gave ICE. This is required.
Knowing their Date of Birth is helpful but not required to find them in the system.

Important things to know about using the ICE Detainee Locator

You do not need to set up an account to use the Detainee Locator System.
A-Number stands for 'Alien Registration Number'.
The System does not have information on all detainees in custody.
Juvenile names are NOT in the System.
The Detainee Locator System is updated every 8 hours, sometimes sooner.
If the detainee is being moved to a new facility, the new location will not be shown until they have arrived and are processed.
No warnings or prior notice are given in advance of a detainee being moved.
While being transferred to a different facility they may still be shown online as being in the original facility.
If you are planning a visit, always call before you come to confirm the detainee is still at the facility and has not been moved.
To visit a detainee you must have some type of government issued photo ID, or other identification when photo identification is unavailable for religious reasons.
If you are unable to find the detainee using the System, contact the ICE Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in the area where you believe the person's immigration case was initiated or the Detainee Reporting and Information Line (DRIL) at 888-351-4024.