Pennsylvania Inmate Search

Pennsylvania's average incarceration rate is about 292 per 100,000 residents. Currently, the Commonwealth has 24 state prison facilities spread across the state, four of which are dedicated female inmates' detention facilities. Also, there are at least 62 county jails in 67 counties within the state. In addition, 10 federal prisons operate in different locations in Pennsylvania. Each of these correctional facilities maintains inmates' records and makes them accessible to the public. The Commonwealth's correctional institutions are overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC).

Pennsylvania Inmate SearchPrison in Pennsylvania
Info

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, the state's correctional system includes 24 state prisons (including 4 women-only facilities), 62 county jails, and 10 federal prisons. The system has an incarceration rate of 292 per 100,000 residents.

Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Inmate Search

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) provides information about each inmate incarcerated in any of its facilities across the Commonwealth. It maintains a repository of parolees and inmates, known as the Inmate/Parolee Locator, which allows members of the public to access information about inmates and parolees. Generally, an inmate search can be done by name, date of birth, inmate number, gender, current location, and committing county.

Searching the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Inmate Locator will provide information about inmates under the department's supervision, including race, where they are housed, and other important details. Similarly, the Parolee Locator has details of parolees under the Commonwealth's Board of Probation and Parole supervision. Search results from the Parolee Locator typically contain information such as parolees' date of birth, race, and county of residence.

User

Find Inmate by Name

To find an inmate by name in Pennsylvania, enter the inmate's first, middle, and last name in the appropriate fields on the DOC's Inmate Locator and then search. If the correct spelling of the inmate's name is unknown, part of the name should be provided in the search fields. To narrow down the search, other information, such as the inmate's gender, citizenship, and current jail location, can be supplied. Generally, the search result will include items matching the inmate's names and other search criteria used. However, the results can be sorted by name.

User

Find Inmate by Number

Inmate numbers assigned by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) are six characters long; the first two characters are letters, while the last four are numbers. If known, this number can be used to find an inmate incarcerated in any of the Commonwealth's correctional facilities. To do this using the DOC's Inmate Locator, enter the inmate number in the appropriate field and click the search button. The search will return the inmate's full name, current location, date of birth, mugshot, and other important information.

What Information is Contained in a Pennsylvania Inmate Record?

A search for an inmate's record on the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Inmate Locator will return a result containing important information about the inmate. Regardless of the search criteria, a typical Pennsylvania inmate record/details contains the inmate's name (including the true name, alias, and commit name), inmate number, age, gender, complexion, parole number, date of birth, and height. It also includes information such as the inmate's height, citizenship, mugshot, current location, committing county, and permanent location.

Committing county is the county where an inmate committed the offense that led to their incarceration. While "Current Location" on a Pennsylvania inmate record means the current facility housing an inmate, "Permanent Location" refers to the correctional facility housing them permanently. In other words, the current location where an inmate is housed may be a temporary facility in certain circumstances. Search results obtained from the Pennsylvania DOC inmate search do not disclose inmates' release dates.

Pennsylvania Inmate Records by Counties

Most county jails in Pennsylvania maintain inmate listings as a public data service. Depending on the county, a person should generally be able to find an inmate in a county jail by their name, assigned number, and other search criteria as provided. Some county jails also maintain alphabetical listings of all inmates currently housed in their facilities.

County-level inmate records in Pennsylvania are usually maintained separately from the records maintained by the Commonwealth's Department of Corrections. To find information about an inmate incarcerated in any of the 24 State Prisons in Pennsylvania, contact the state correctional facility in which the inmate is housed by phone. This works especially if the exact prison location of the inmate is known. Alternatively, a person may pay an in-person visit to the physical location of the facility for inquiries on any inmate within the facility

Are Incarceration Records Public Information in Pennsylvania?

Yes. Records of individuals incarcerated in Pennsylvania prisons and jail facilities are public information under the Commonwealth's Right-to-Know Law. According to this law, it is prohibited for any government agency to deny members of the public access to public records, including incarceration records, unless otherwise provided by law.

While most inmate records and information are public, the Pennsylvania Right-to-know Law makes some exemptions. For instance, Section 708 of the law exempts the disclosure of the psychiatric, medical, or physiological disability status of an inmate. It also prohibits the disclosure of any record containing all or part of their Social Security number (SSN), personal financial information, driver's license number, and their spouse's name (if married).

Federal Prisons in Pennsylvania

The federal prisons in Pennsylvania run independently of state prisons. While the government of the Commonwealth maintains and oversees the state prisons, the federal prisons in the Commonwealth are operated by the federal government and some federal agencies. Even though federal and state prisons may serve the same purpose, in most cases, only individuals facing federal charges in Pennsylvania end up in state prisons. Funding for federal prisons in the Commonwealth typically comes from federal taxes.

Generally, federal prisons operate at six different levels, as discussed below. An offender may be sent to any of these prisons depending on the severity of the charges for which they are convicted.

  • Minimum Security Prisons - These are called Federal Prison Camps (FPCs) and usually have limited or no perimeter fencing.
  • Low- Security Prisons - Also known as Federal Correctional Institutions (FCIs), these prisons usually have double-fenced perimeters.
  • Medium Security Prisons - They often have double fences with electronic detection systems. These prisons house medium security inmates.
  • High-Security Prisons - These federal prisons are also called United States Penitentiaries (USPs). The perimeters are highly secured with walls and reinforced fences.
  • Complex Security Prisons - Also known as Federal Correctional Complexes (FCCs), complex security prisons have multiple security facilities with different security levels and missions in close proximity to one another.
  • Administrative Level Prisons - These federal prison facilities operate with special missions. They house extremely violent, dangerous, or escape-prone inmates, pretrial offenders, and inmates with severe or chronic medical issues.

The table below lists the federal prisons in Pennsylvania by security level and capacity:

Prison NameLocationCapacity
USP CannanWaymart, PA1,120 inmates
USP AllenwoodAllenwood, PA613 inmates
USP LewisburgLewisburg, PA1,079 inmates
FCI SchuylkillMinersville, PA857 inmates
FCI McKeanLewis Run, PA588 inmates
FCI Allenwood MediumAllenwood, PA1,091 inmates
FCI LorettoLoretto, PA830 inmates
FCI Allenwood LowWhite Deer, PA1,074 inmates
FCI McKean CampLewis Run, PA171 inmates
USP Canaan CampWaymart, PA86 inmates
FCI Schuylkill CampMinersville, PA169 inmates
USP Lewisburg CampLewisburg, PA269 inmates
FCI Loretto CampLoretto, PA45 inmates
FDC PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PA1,005 inmates

Frequently Asked Questions about Inmate Records

To request a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) public record, complete a Right-to-Know Request Form and submit it to the department's Agency Open Records Officer (AORO) at:

Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
Right-to-Know Law Office
Office of Chief Counsel
1920 Technology Parkway
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
Phone: (717) 728-7763
Email: docrighttoknow@pa.gov

You can look up any inmate incarcerated in a Pennsylvania state prison online using the DOC-run Inmate/Parolee Locator. For inmates housed in county jails, search the inmate listings or rosters maintained by the county sheriff's offices.

In Pennsylvania, you may find an old inmate record that is unavailable on the DOC's Inmate/Parolee Locator by using PA Power Library or Ancestry . These online resources archive the Commonwealth's inmate records for Western State Penitentiary, Allegheny County Workhouse, Eastern State Penitentiary, and Pennsylvania Industrial Reformatory. Alternatively, to request an old prison record in the Commonwealth, you may also complete the Mail Reference Order Form and submit it to the Pennsylvania State Archives at:

Pennsylvania State Archives
1681 NorthSixth Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102-1106
Phone: (717) 783-3281

Furthermore, you may find an old inmate record in Pennsylvania by contacting the county jail where the record subject was incarcerated. Certain details like the inmate's full name and assigned number may be required to facilitate the search.

The Death in Custody Reporting Act (DCRA) mandates reporting deaths of inmates in custody of local jails and state prisons. To obtain an inmate's death record in Pennsylvania, submit a written letter or a Right-to-Know Request Form specifying necessary details about the deceased inmate to the DOC's Right to Know Law Office at Mechanicsburg.

Typically, it only takes a few hours after booking for an inmate's information to appear on the Pennsylvania DOC's Inmate/Parolee Locator. In addition, inmate's information on the locator is updated daily.

You can send money to an inmate housed in a Pennsylvania state prison through JPay , a service that allows electronic funds to be deposited into inmates' accounts. It is impossible to fund an inmate's account anonymously. If the inmate is incarcerated in a county jail, you can send them money by depositing the funds using the kiosks in the jail lobby or sending money orders through the mail. Some county jails may have other options, so it is best that you contact them to know their process.