Nova House

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction maintains a searchable public database of all of the inmates they have in custody.

The prison that an inmate is assigned to depends on factors such as security classification, remaining time of their sentence, gang affiliation, and location of their residence.

Ohio's first prison with the Department of Rehabilitation & Correction was established in 1813 in Columbus.  The state currently has 28 state prisons. The number of inmates in custody fluctuates, however as of the end of 2023, they number just over 45,000. There are approximately 27,000 more on parole and supervised release.

The following will explain the instructions, tricks and hacks you can use to find any inmate in custody with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction.

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction Inmate Search Instructions

The Ohio DRC provides every bit of information you want to know about any inmate in their system. 

To look up an inmate, you don't even need to know the spelling of their name.

• You can list all inmates whose last name begin with any letter by entering that letter in the last name field.
• You can list all inmates whose first name begin with any letter by entering that letter in the first name field.
• You can list all inmates whose last name has any consecutive sequence of letters of any length in their last name (example: ab, ac, ade, se, etc.)

Further...

1. Look up any inmate by their Last name.

2. Look up an inmate by First name.

3. Look up any or all inmates by the county that they were committed in.

4. Look up any or all those on Supervised Release by the county they live in.

5. Look up any or all those on Supervised Release by the Zip Code they live in.

6. Look up any or all inmates by their current Status - Incarcerated, Supervised Release, or Absconded.

7. Look up any inmates by their next Parole Hearing Date.

8. Look up an inmate by their Inmate Number.

9. Sort the Results from your search by Name, Inmate Number, or Status.

10. Look up any or all Sex Offenders in Ohio.

11. Look up any or all Absconders, Escsapees, and 'Parole Violators at Large' in Ohio.

Results of your Ohio Inmate Search

The results of your inmate search will look something like the image below.

You will first be able to see the following:

Final Results of your Ohio Inmate Search

The results of your inmate search will look something like the image below.

You will first be able to see the following:

• Name
• GDC ID Number
• Mugshot
• Date of Birth
• Criminal Offense
• Admission date
• Release Date
• Facility
• Status
• Prior prison history
• Prior convictions, case numbers and date

Ohio Parole at Large Absconders:

Ohio Convicted Sex Offenders:

There are five choices for putting money on an inmate's books that can be used for any inmate services:

1. Commissary money in the form of a money order may be mailed to:
AdvancePay Service Department
P.O. Box 911722
Denver, CO 80291-1722

2. You may use cash or credit/debit cards at any time by using the kiosk located in the front lobby.  The fee for the use of the ATM is generally $1.50 per transaction for cash and 10% fee for credit/debit cards.

3. Commissary money can also be added to an inmates account at any time using any of these methods online.

4. Cash deposits to ConnectNetwork are now available at 26,000 retail locations nationwide including Walmart, ACE, Kmart, Kroger, and more. You’ll start the payment process online in your ConnectNetwork account, then complete your transaction with cash at a participating local retail store. Plus, many of these stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Find a retail store near you.

5. You can call customer service 24/7 at 877-650-4249 and get instructions for depositing money over the phone using a debit or credit card.

You can deposit up to $200 each time, but no more than $400 every month.

Who Can Send Funds for an Inmate? 

Only approved (or tentatively approved) visitors may send funds to an incarcerated person in the ODRC.

This covers all methods of depositing money including money orders, internet, and telephone.

Approved (or tentatively approved) visitors must comply with security verification procedures to ensure that they are on the visiting list.

To get approved, you can download and fill out an application to become an approved visitor on our Visitation Page.

Please note that adding a visitor requires the incarcerated persons approval and must be compliant with ODRC Incarcerated Persons Visitation policy. This process can take 30-60 days. 

Nova House Inmate Visitation Information and Schedule

In-person Visitation & Remote Video Visitation Information and Procedures

Step 1 - The Application

Inmates may request to place your name on his or her visiting list.

All visitors must then complete the application packet as part of the approval process. Leave the witness section blank on your application.

Once the application packet has been completed, please mail it to the institution to the attention of the individual’s case manager. If you do not know the case manager's name, please contact the Warden's office to have it provided. Once applications are submitted, the staff reviews the application and approves or denies per the visiting policy.

Probationers and parolees must obtain prior permission of the Warden and the written permission of their probation or parole officer in order to become an approved visitor. 

For reception center facilities (CRC and ORW), visiting applications shall be completed during the initial visit and are to be mailed in. 

Step 2 - The Initial Visit

Immediate family members shall be permitted to visit an inmate housed at a reception center.

The inmate shall also be permitted to identify one (1) significant support person other than a family member to be a visitor during the reception process.

Those individuals requesting to visit an inmate during reception shall complete a Visitor Application at the time of their first visit. In addition to the application form, visitors shall sign the Declaration of Understanding and the General Visiting Instructions.

An inmate may select one (1) person, to immediately be marked as “tentatively approved” on his/her visiting list at the reception center for the sole purpose of placing money on the inmate’s account.

In order to be approved for visitation, the visitor must submit an application and be approved.

While at reception (or a parent institution), inmates may request the mother/father of their children be added to the visiting list. They are required to follow the same application process as any other visitor and count towards the fifteen (15) person visiting list limitation.

Step 3 - The Visit

First check the Visitation Schedule for Nova House, located halfway down this page.

Arrive at least 30 minutes early to get processed and checked in.

Provide a government issued photo ID.

Dress appropriately. No seductive and professional clothes. Dress as if you were visiting someone's grandmother for the first time.

Nova House uses GettingOut for their Remote Video Visitation and/or Visit Scheduling. 



There are three ways to remotely visit your inmate:
1.  Using the GettingOut/GTL Kiosk at the jail.
2. Using your computer from home.
3. Using your phone on the GettingOut or GTL apps.

How it Works with GettingOut
1.  Register an account.
2. Select Nova House
3. Choose either an INMATE ACCOUNT or FRIENDS & FAMILY ACCOUNT.   

• **NOTE** Friends and Family must have funds in their "Friends & Family Account" to respond to inmate messages. 
• If you deposit money online in the INMATE ACCOUNT, than they have the freedom to spend the money on visits or phone calls to anyone, or any other communications services available at Nova House.
• With the FRIENDS & FAMILY ACCOUNT, you control all communication services such as phone calls, video visits and messaging. Your inmate can only call the phone number you want.

4. You will then receive prompts to validate both your identity and phone number .
5. Again, choose your inmate's facility, then type their name and select your inmate.

GettingOut will then guide you through the steps needed to arrange your remote visit.

Customer Service for GettingOut
If you have any questions, you can call them at 866-516-0115.
GettingOut online contact form
Frequently Asked Questions
The GettingOut App is available on Google Play and Apple Store.

Nova House uses GettingOut for their Remote Video Visitation and/or Visit Scheduling. 



There are three ways to remotely visit your inmate:
1.  Using the GettingOut/GTL Kiosk at the jail.
2. Using your computer from home.
3. Using your phone on the GettingOut or GTL apps.

How it Works with GettingOut
1.  Register an account.
2. Select Nova House
3. Choose either an INMATE ACCOUNT or FRIENDS & FAMILY ACCOUNT.   

• **NOTE** Friends and Family must have funds in their "Friends & Family Account" to respond to inmate messages. 
• If you deposit money online in the INMATE ACCOUNT, than they have the freedom to spend the money on visits or phone calls to anyone, or any other communications services available at Nova House.
• With the FRIENDS & FAMILY ACCOUNT, you control all communication services such as phone calls, video visits and messaging. Your inmate can only call the phone number you want.

4. You will then receive prompts to validate both your identity and phone number .
5. Again, choose your inmate's facility, then type their name and select your inmate.

GettingOut will then guide you through the steps needed to arrange your remote visit.

Customer Service for GettingOut
If you have any questions, you can call them at 866-516-0115.
GettingOut online contact form
Frequently Asked Questions
The GettingOut App is available on Google Play and Apple Store.

There are three Ways to Communicate with an Inmate in the Nova House by Phone

To get started you must first open an account with GTL Connect Network (aka Viapath Technologies)

• Advance Pay - This phone account allows you to prepay so that your inmate can call you (and only you) whenever he/she wants and the cost of each call is deducted from your balance. You can even be notified by text when your balance gets low. You still have the option of accepting or rejecting each call.
• Pin Debit  -  This option allows you to fund an inmate's commissary account and lets him pay for phone calls to you and others with the money. You will have no control over who your inmate calls.
• Voicemail  -  You can leave a secure voicemail without having to contact the facility. When you call the local phone number for a facility offering Inmate Voicemail (call Customer Service at 877-650-4249 to get the local voicemail number for Nova House, you will be informed of the cost for leaving a message. To leave your message, simply select the inmate by ID number. Then, record your voicemail.

How to deposit money for Inmate Communications:

• Online
• By phone by calling 877-650-4249
• Deposit by cash, visa or mc debit and credit cards in the Nova House lobby kiosk
• By mail... Check or Money Order made out to:
  AdvancePay Service Department
  P.O. Box 911722
  Denver, CO 80291-1722
• Cash deposits to ConnectNetwork are also available at 26,000 retail locations nationwide including Walmart, ACE, Kmart, Kroger, and more. You’ll start the payment process online in your ConnectNetwork account, then complete your transaction with cash at a participating local retail store. Plus, many of these stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Find a retail store near you.

Nova House Inmate Mail Guidelines

PERSONAL MAIL

NOTE: If you have any questions after reviewing these policies, contact:  Patrick.Turpack@odrc.state.oh.us or call 330-333-7372

All personal mail must now be sent to a single location, where the mail is scanned and then sent to the inmate in a digital format.  The address for personal mail is below.

Incarcerated persons may receive the following in a first-class letter:  

Five photographs no nude, no Polaroid (no larger than 5 x 7) 

Five newspaper clippings (no larger than 8 ½” x 11”)  

Five pages written/typed correspondence on plain white paper (no larger than 8 ½” x 11) 

Color greeting cards if they are commercially manufactured and have not been altered. Greeting cards must be single-fold only (multifold, musical and/or “pop out” cards are prohibited) 

A religious organization may send a religious medallion to an incarcerated person subject to the possession limit, value limit, and certificate of ownership requirements. 

Other items, including but not limited to, postage stamps, laminated stickers, glue, glitter, lipstick, or perfume, etc. are prohibited. 

Postcards
The Nova House allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature. It is best to only use blue or black ink. Always include your name and return address.

Envelopes
The Nova House also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates. It is best to only use blue or black ink.

Postcards and envelopes MUST HAVE the sender's full name and return address on the envelope. 

Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:

Inmate's Full Name, Inmate's ID#
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
Mail Processing Center
884 Coitsville-Hubbard Road
Youngstown, Ohio 44505

Legal Mail

Send all Legal Mail to this Address:
Mail to the facility - Address here.

Newspapers
Newspapers may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher.

Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.

Books
The Nova House allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address noted.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Nova House standards will be disposed of. 
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.

All newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Mail to the facility. Address here.

Nova House contracts with Access Securepak for families to send pre-determined packages of commissary items to your inmate.

You must be an approved visitor in order to send carepacks.

Access Securepak carries over 1,000 different items in the following categories:
- Food and Snacks
- Personal Hygiene Products
- Electronics
- Apparel

Registration Process:
1. Register here.
2. Select Ohio.
3. Select Nova House.
4. Find your Inmate.
5. Deposit Funds.
6. Order Commissary Items.
Once you are logged in, you will receive instructions on how much (and what products) you can send your inmate.
Contact Information:
* If you have any questions, you can call Access Securepak at 800-546-6283.
* You can email My Care Pack at customerservice@securepak.net.
* You can write them at:
    Access Securepak
    10880 Linpage Place
    St. Louis, MO 63132

* You can Live Chat with a Representative online: (bottom left corner of page)
   Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.–11 p.m. CST, 
   and Saturdays, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. CST.

*Note* Access Securepak will issue a refund for or replace broken, damaged, or missing products reported by Nova House staff. They will not honor reports of discrepancies from inmate's families or friends.
Access Securepak is the Nova House's outside vendor for Commissary Items. They have a very good mix of Chips, Snacks, Candy, Meat, Seafood, Hygiene products, Letter writing materials, Electronics and Apparel items for sale on their website.

Nova House Also allows approved viusitors to send care packs from:

UNION SUPPLY DIRECT

WALKENHORSTS

Here is a sample of what you can purchase for your inmate:

Food

Hygiene

Apparel

Electronics

*NOTE* -- Once you are fully registered and have selected the inmate you wish to send commissary to, you will receive instructions on how much you can deposit, how much (and what) you can purchase for your inmate, and how often you can send commissary.

Emailing and Texting Messages, Photos & Videograms

Nova House contracts with GTL GettingOut, the same service that handles Inmate Phone Systems and Video Visitation, for sending secure messages and photos between you and your inmate.


If you are not already registered, do so here, or Log in.

Then use the Facility Finder to:
1.  Select Nova House,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.

How Messaging Works
Watch this video on how to send a message.
1.  Messages can be up to 500 characters long, including punctuation. At the bottom of your message there is a 'character countdown' feature.  
2. After you click the “CONTINUE” button, you can review the cost to send your message to your inmate. You can also attach credits for your inmate to reply to your message.  Be sure to accept the Terms and Conditions and click the “SEND” button for your message to be successfully delivered to your inmate.

How Uploading Photos Works
Watch this video on how to upload a photo.
1.  Select the Photos Tab.
2. Select “Take New Photo” or “Upload New Photo”.
3. Take a new photo with your webcam, or select "Choose File" to upload a photo from your computer.
4. Give your photo a Title or add it to the "Gallery" of your choice.
5. Select the "Share" button.
6. Select your inmate(s) and then select "Share".
7. Once the photo is approved, it will be shared with your inmate(s).

Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call   866-516-0115

Nova House allows inmates access to tablets to use for the services provided by 'gettingout'.

The devices are similar to common handheld tablets, but are made exclusively by GettingOut, a GTL / Viapath company.
Tablets offer specialized content and services for inmates to use during their stay at Nova House, such as:

• Music
• Books
• Games
• Education
• News
• Radio
• Television
• Read mail and messages
• Video visits

-  Free services are already available for use on the device at Nova House.
-  Subscription services are funded separately by family and friends with deposits made into an inmate’s Debit Link account.
-  Nova House Inmates will then be able to purchase subscription services and premium content to enjoy.

What Does a Tablet Cost?

• Tablet devices include some services and the content is free.
• The subscription services require additional funding.
• There may be multiple options such as 7-day or 30-day subscriptions.
• Costs are dependent upon the available services and what the Nova House charges.

To estimate costs for phone calls, sign in to your account and click “Rate & Fees Calculator” in the footer (bottom of the page) or call 866-516-0115 for assistance.

Once an inmate is convicted and sentenced for a violation of that state’s felony laws (and their sentence is more than one year in length), they are moved from the City or County Jail and sent to a State Prison in Ohio. If the violation they are convicted of is a federal crime, they will be sent to a Federal Prison, but will not necessarily be doing their time in Ohio.

Ohio State Prisons are operated and maintained by the state government and are used to confine and rehabilitate criminals. State prisons are funded by state tax money. The fund is used to provide food and clothes to inmates and to hire employees to keep the prison running. Inmates in state prison enjoy certain privileges such as TV use and recreation, both indoor and outdoor. The number of privileges allowed depends on the security level of the prison, the inmate and the overall needs of the prison on a specific day.

Ohio has minimum, medium and maximum security prisons. The Corrections Department in Ohio also maintains low (or no) security residential settings and camps where inmates assist in state property maintenance and duties such as fighting fires. Almost all prisons provide ‘jobs’ where an inmate can earn a small hourly wage and even learn a trade. Some prisons even contract with call centers and handle phone calls on issues related to their state government. Criminals who have committed a violent crime or killed someone are likely housed in a maximum security prison. If the inmate in these prisons behave, they are also eligible to recreate and/or work as well.

In Ohio Prisons rehabilitation is the stated goal but the reality is that they exist to punish inmates for their crimes and keep them from hurting or harming innocent people on the outside who follow the laws and live and act responsibly. The fact is that most prison systems are underfunded, overcrowded and are not able to spend time and money rehabilitating offenders. This is not the fault of the people hired to work in prisons, they are just victims of the lack of resources due to budgeting constraints.

State Inmate

Most states have Department of Corrections websites that allow you to type in a felon's first and last name and pull up inmates in that state.

If you need to find a sentenced inmate serving time in a state other than Ohio, go here. To find an inmate in Ohio, just scroll to the top of the page and click on the Inmate Search button.

Once you locate them click next to the inmate's name or on the link provided and it will show you which prison the inmate is housed in. If the inmate is no longer incarcerated, but is on parole/probation or discharged, it will tell you that as well. In addition, many state prison inmate pages show recent mug shots.

Federal Inmate

The federal prison system has its own inmate locator called the Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator.

Type in the inmate's name and it will tell you where he or she is incarcerated and their projected release date. It also lists released federal prison inmates and the date they were released.

Federal inmates who are moved from one prison to another will show as "No longer in federal custody" on the system until they reach their next federal prison destination. This movement can take a few days to several months to complete, so keep checking back to find out where the inmate was taken.

ICE Inmates

The ICE Detainee Lookup allows friends, family members and interested parties to locate illegal and/or undocumented immigrants that are in the United States without permission.

Has the Inmate been recently arrested?... Try a County Jail

In many cases, the person you are looking for has either not been convicted or sentenced or has been sentenced and is awaiting transport to a State or Federal Prison and is still incarcerated in a City or County Jail.

To locate that person, go here to first find the State, and then the County where they were originally arrested or have been transported to. From there you can begin your search in our databases that contain the names and information of millions of inmates.

Jailexchange.com has all information on every jail and prison in the United States.