Free Florida Inmate Search (Access Convict Records)

Perform a free Florida inmate search at all levels of incarceration with the databases covered in this resource. Streamlined access to public information empowers citizens to remain informed.

It’s important to note that inmates may be in jail or prison, depending on their sentencing or status in the legal system. This article provides several tools that expedite the inmate search process across the state of Florida.

Being Incarcerated in a Jail vs Prison

Inmates may be incarcerated for several reasons. Some may have been arrested pending charges or a trial, while others may be sentenced after a conviction.

Typically, jail is reserved for those who have initially been charged or for serving a short sentence. They’ve often committed misdemeanors. Those serving time in prison have already been convicted of a more serious offense — typically a state or federal violation or other felony — or will be incarcerated for a longer term.

Jails can be thought of in two categories: city or municipal and county. Local police departments typically operate city or municipal jails, whereas sheriff’s offices usually oversee county-level jails. County jails may also be used by municipalities in the county that do not have a city jail.

The state or federal government oversees prisons, which are designed to hold inmates for longer periods of time. A state prison holds individuals who have committed state crimes, and in Florida, these are overseen by the state’s Department of Corrections (DOC).¹ Federal prisons, on the other hand, fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

Generally, during an inmate search, jail inmates will comprise most of the results. State prisoners are the second most common, while federal inmates — those charged with a federal offense — make up the smallest percentage of prisoners.

How To Perform a Florida Inmate Search for Free

The Florida Department of State offers a list of county-level jails, providing contact information and how to locate inmates housed within them.² Many of these jails allow for online inmate searches, making this process incredibly streamlined.

However, not all jails — such as the Calhoun County Jail or the Dixie County Jail — offer this information. They may need to be contacted directly to get information about an inmate. Generally, however, it’s convenient to perform a free inmate search on the county level.

Miami-Dade County, for example, has an Inmate In-Custody Search tool, which lets users search for inmates by last name and first initial or name.^{3, 4} It allows for partial name searches, just requiring three characters for both the first and last name fields.

The results provided include in-depth information about the inmate, including details on the crime they committed. Expect to find:

• Jail Number
• Full Legal Name
• Booking Date & Time
• Race
• Sex
• Date of Birth
• Hair Color
• Eye Color
• Weight
• Height
• IDS
• Current Facility

Scrolling down reveals case information, including a case number, charges and bond if it has been set.

Searching for inmates in Jacksonville redirects to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, where it hosts the Inmate Information Search tool.⁵ This versatile tool allows searches with only partial names as well. Of course, more information entered into the search will provide more specific results.

After performing the query, a list of matching inmates appears with some basic identifying information, including:

• Full Name
• Gender
• Age
• Jail Number
• Race
• Custody Status

To learn more about an inmate, click on their hyperlinked name. The database provides even more information, including the arrest date, bond agency if applicable, the length of sentence and the arresting agency.

Further down the page also is the inmate’s next court date, case number(s) and the status of their current case. It also reveals any convicted or pending charges.

How To Access Details of Any State Prisoner in Florida at No Cost

Accessing prison inmates at the state level requires the use of a single database. The Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) offers its Corrections Offender Network tool, which offers results from all state prisoners.^{1, 7}

It has several fields where users can insert “search hints” to help locate the correct inmate, including last and first name or DC number, which is the six-digit identification number each inmate is assigned. It also includes options to search for aliases and whether to show photos on the pages.

While it’s acceptable to enter partial names in the fields, the database will pull all matches beginning with those letters. For example, typing “John” in the last name spot will also turn up people named “Johnson.”

Upon searching, it prompts users to select a link to see offender records matching criteria, including:

• Inmate population search results
• Inmate release search results
• Supervised population search results
• Absconder/fugitive search results

This lets users sift through inmates or individuals on community supervision, as well as whether individuals have absconded or fled from parole.

When selecting the inmate population list, any matching individuals appear. Along with their names, the following information is provided:

• DC Number
• Race
• Sex
• Release Date
• Current Facility
• Birth Date

Find more details by clicking on the number to the left of the name. Doing so brings up the inmate’s information, including a mugshot if it’s available.

This page will also list any known aliases, the inmate’s visitation status and forms to complete a visitation request. It also lists the current prison sentence history, incarceration history and prior prison history, including the case number, sentence dates and prison sentence length.

The DOC cautions that it updates information within the Corrections Offender Network tool regularly, but because it can change frequently, it may not be 100% accurate.

Those seeking immediate notification when a Florida prisoner is released from custody can use the VINELink tool. By locating the inmate on VINELink using a partial or complete name, it’s possible to subscribe to notifications for the inmate’s custody status.

During an inmate search, other information may also come in handy, including:

• Florida DOC Facility Directory: This directory details contact information for Florida DOC-operated correctional facilities.
• Contact an Inmate: This link describes how to write, email, call or send funds to someone in custody.
• Victims’ Rights/Services: Review rights victims of a crime may have, as well as resources to assist them.
• Florida Commission on Offender Review Public Information Request: Find information detailing how to request public records via email, mail or phone.
• Florida Parole Frequently Asked Questions: Learn more about who qualifies for parole and what the process looks like.
• Florida Supervised Population Information Search: Find people under community supervision, using name or DC number.
• Florida DOC Absconder/Fugitive List: Review a list of wanted fugitives throughout the state in alphabetical order.

How To Conduct a Federal Prisoner Lookup

If searching for a federal prisoner, users must use the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) for information. The BOP operates an online tool to locate inmates across its 122 BOP prisons, but it requires much more specific information than was required in the examples given above.

The online form has spaces for the inmate’s name, race, sex and age. Only the name is required, but it requires an exact match to retrieve results. Partial or incorrectly spelled names won’t generate anything, even if they’re off by a single letter.

The search provides relatively limited information, detailing:

• Name (first and middle initial only)
• Register Number
• Race
• Sex
• Release Date (if applicable)
• Current Facility Location (if applicable)

This database also can only access information about federal inmates who were incarcerated after 1982.⁹

Not all files from prior years have been transferred to the online database yet, so the BOP recommends users direct older record requests to the National Archives Records Administration (NARA), where this information is held if it exists.¹⁰ To complete the search, it recommends providing the inmate’s full name, date of birth, race and a ballpark range for when they were incarcerated.

Those wishing to access case and docket information about an inmate from prior to this time can do so through PACER — the Public Access to Court Electronic Records. This online database can locate older federal court cases for a fee and provide access to public records.

The ability to complete a Florida inmate search at all levels assists citizens in remaining informed and can be completed using these tools.