Pennsylvania Inmate Search

With over 30,000 inmates in The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections facilities, searching for an inmate manually may be highly tasking. However, with the development of the department's inmate lookup tools, you could use several techniques to access your loved ones in any correctional facility in Pennsylvania.  

Locating a Pennsylvania Inmate 

Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole and The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections have developed an inmate/parolee locator tool to inform the public about inmates and parolees in their custody.  

Below is how to use the locator tool for a Pennsylvania offender lookup 

1. Visit the Department of Corrections website and click on the Inmate/Parolee Locator. 
2. Fill the provided spaces with the inmate's last name to start a search.  
3. A list will be provided of inmates whose details match the information you submitted.  
4. You may identify the inmate you are interested in by recognizing their picture or name.  
5. Click on the inmate's number, and more details about the inmate will be provided  

The search results of an inmate search include name, residence, release date, etc. The inmate information displayed on the Department of Corrections website only belongs to inmates currently incarcerated in the Pennsylvania department of corrections. 

To find out if your missing relatives may be in jail, you could also use the support desk of the sheriff's office or send a request to the local city police department. Make use of the contact information at Pennsylvania county prisons and administrative contacts.  

For inmates that are being held in Pennsylvania prisons, one could also monitor their status through the Pennsylvania Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (PA SAVIN) or VineLink. 

Locating a Pennsylvania Inmate Using the VINELink 

Anybody within the U.S can conduct an inmate search via VINELink. VINELink provides accurate information on criminal cases and offenders in the United States. To use the network, you need to register via a text message, phone call, or email to be able to keep track of an inmate. Below is how you perform an inmate search using the VINELink network.  

1. Visit the VINELink website to conduct the search.  
2. Select the state where the inmate is being held; in this case, Pennsylvania is your state.  
3. Select the search tab on the navigation menu. 
4. Provide the inmate's name, ID number, and current location, and click the search button.  
5. Several inmates with similar information will appear for your review in a list.  

Pennsylvania Inmate Roster  

Pennsylvania inmate rosters are documents of individuals currently incarcerated in correctional facilities or penal institutions run by the State of Pennsylvania. The documents contain data such as the inmate's name, date of birth, race, sex, booking number, the inmate's current location, the inmate's status.  

The Pennsylvania Right to Know Law has declared such inmate information public records and should be shared publicly. Interested third-party websites, organizations, and the traditional Pennsylvania government have all been tasked with publicizing such inmate information. However, information obtained from third-party websites and organizations may vary from the official channels since they are not government-sponsored.  

At the same time, third-party websites and organizations are considered the best option, especially if you have been geographically restricted from obtaining information on an inmate incarcerated in a state you do not live in. Third-party websites and organizations are not geographically restricted. Their database only requires the state, county, city where the inmate resides, and the inmate's name. 

About Pennsylvania Department of Corrections 

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections is a state organization tasked with restoring, caring for, and controlling all law offenders. It was first formed in 1953 and was initially known as the Bureau of Corrections.  

Today the department oversees the management of: 

• 23 state correctional institutions 
• 14 community corrections centers 
• 40 contact facilities 
• 1 training academy 
• 1 motivational boot camp 

However, the Pennsylvania DOC has no jurisdiction over county jails and parole decisions. 

Before the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections determines the housing facility suitable for each inmate, they must allow the diagnostic and classification center (DCC) to evaluate inmates' health care, psychological, and programming needs.  

The evaluation of the male inmates occurs at the institution in Cumberland County and that of the female inmates at the state correctional institution in Lycoming County.