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JAIL411

United States / six systems

One country.
Different custody systems.

If they were just arrested, search the county jail. If they are already sentenced to a state term, use that state’s DOC locator. Federal and ICE are different lists again. An empty search usually means the wrong list.

Open an official search Find the facility

Official searches we can link today

These locators are live. Use the one that matches the paperwork.

County jail rosters are run by each sheriff. Open that county in the directory. The rows below are the statewide and federal searches Jail411 has verified.

County jail? Search the directory for that county

The six systems

Pick the system that actually holds the record.

Each card goes to Jail411’s directory for that system, then to the official locator when only the government can finish the search.

01 / Local

County and city jails

Operator. Sheriff, city police, or a regional jail authority

Who is held here. People held after arrest, waiting for court, or serving a short local sentence.

Where to search. The county or city inmate search — often the sheriff’s “who’s in jail” page. A state prison locator will not list them.

Browse jails by state How to pick the right locator
02 / State

State prisons

Operator. The state department of corrections

Who is held here. People serving a state sentence. Not the same building as the county jail that booked them.

Where to search. The state DOC offender search. Mail, money, and visiting follow that DOC’s vendor contracts — not the county sheriff’s.

Browse state prisons Jail vs. prison
03 / Federal

Federal prisons and detention

Operator. Federal Bureau of Prisons, or a contractor holding federal detainees

Who is held here. People in BOP custody or held for a federal court. A county roster is the wrong list.

Where to search. The official BOP inmate locator. Contract facilities may still use BOP identity numbers.

Browse federal facilities Official BOP locator ↗
04 / Immigration

ICE detention

Operator. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, often in a contract jail or dedicated center

Who is held here. People held on immigration charges. They may sit in a county jail without appearing on the sheriff’s public roster the same way.

Where to search. The ICE Online Detainee Locator. Do not stop at the county inmate search.

Open the ICE detention guide Official ICE locator ↗
05 / Youth

Juvenile justice

Operator. County probation or a state youth corrections agency

Who is held here. Youths in juvenile hall, camp, or a youth correctional facility. Adult jail visiting and commissary rules do not apply.

Where to search. The probation department or youth authority named on the paperwork — not the adult sheriff roster.

Browse juvenile facilities Family guides
06 / Reentry

Community corrections and residential reentry

Operator. A state, federal, or contracted reentry operator

Who is held here. People in a halfway house, work-release center, or residential reentry program. This is still custody, with different doors and phone rules.

Where to search. The assigning agency (BOP, state DOC, or county). The building’s street name is not enough.

Browse reentry facilities Parole offices

Not a facility type

Supervision is not custody.

Parole and probation offices belong on Jail411 because families look for them after release. They are reporting locations, not jails.

After a prison sentence

Parole offices

State post-release supervision. The assigned office is on the release paperwork. Do not report to the prison.

Parole directory
Court-ordered supervision

Probation offices

Usually a county or state court system. Separate from the sheriff jail and from parole.

Probation directory
Closed buildings

Historical facilities

Old names still appear in paperwork. A closed record is kept so the current operator can be found.

Closed facilities

Exceptions

A few jurisdictions run one combined system.

Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia are often described as unified — the state (or district) runs what other states split between county jails and state prisons. Even there, federal and ICE custody stay separate. Confirm on that jurisdiction’s official page before you mail or visit.

Read jail vs. prison Open the facility directory Family guides How bail works About Jail411 How we count

Short answers

If you only remember one thing.

The jail and the prison in the same county are the same, right?
Usually no. The county jail is the sheriff (or a regional authority). The state prison is the DOC. Visiting, mail, and money vendors are different. See jail vs. prison.
Someone was arrested last night. Which search?
Start with the county jail locator for the arresting county. Give booking time to post. If they do not appear, try spelling, then the sheriff’s booking desk. Guide: find someone in custody.
They said “federal.” Is that BOP or ICE?
Federal criminal custody is usually BOP. Immigration detention is ICE. The paperwork, A-number, or federal register number tells you which locator to use.

Next step

Know the system?
Open that directory.

Facility directory