North Carolina Inmate Search

Inmate records are details of persons incarcerated in a correctional facility within the Tar Heel State. These records show the identity of the inmate in question, as well as other information about the inmate’s charges, sentence, and current incarceration status. Other information that may be found on a North Carolina inmate’s record may include:

• Name
• Age
• Gender
• Race
• Current location
• Incarceration date
• Expected date of release.

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) operates more than 50 state prisons and several other detention facilities. Although the DPS makes information about the state’s inmates available to the public, protected records, such as information on juvenile inmates, are exempted by law and therefore restricted to public access. Instead, access to juvenile records is typically only granted to the juvenile named on the record, a parent/guardian or custodian, an attorney, and the county social services department.

Inmate records for persons incarcerated in North Carolina county or city jails are generally issued and maintained by the local sheriff’s office or other law enforcement agencies, such as police departments. Interested persons may gain access to these records from the respective custodian.

North Carolina State Prisons

The Division of Institutions, under the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, is responsible for maintaining the 55 correctional facilities in the state. These include the Central Prison, Scotland Correctional Institution, and the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women. Central Prison is the state’s largest male correctional facility, with an operational capacity of 1,104. The Raleigh-situated facility opened in 2011 and accommodates offenders of various security levels, including death row offenders.

Central Prison,
1300 Western Boulevard,
Raleigh, NC 27606,
Phone: (919) 733-0800

The North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women is the largest correctional facility in the state, with a capacity of 1,776 offenders. It is the primary female prison in the state, housing offenders of all custody levels and control statuses, including death row, youth, and safekeepers. It also supports other female prisons in the state. It is situated in Raleigh at:

North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women

1034 Bragg Street,
Raleigh, NC 27610,
Mail: 4287 Mail Service Center,
Raleigh, NC 27699-4287,
Phone: (919) 873-5452

How To Find An Inmate In North Carolina?

Searchers seeking information on where an inmate is being held, or information regarding the inmate’s committal in any state prisons or correctional facilities, may use the offender search provided by the NCDPS. Interested persons may find an inmate on the NCDPS’ platform using the following details:

• Inmate's status - whether the person is an active inmate, released, on probation, or on parole
• First and last name of the inmate, along with the middle initial
• Offender number
• Gender
• Race
• Ethnicity
• Birthdate
• Age range

Upon entering this information, the portal typically displays some of the following results:

• Booking photo
• Inmate’s full name and aliases
• Number of sentences
• Type of committal
• Conviction date
• Sentence details
• Type of sentence
• Nature of the offense

How To Find An Inmate In North Carolina?

Many counties in North Carolina have their holding facilities, and their databases are open to the general public. To use this search function, a requestor would need to know the specific county where the inmate is held.

Searches may be done via each county’s sheriff’s office website or online portals provided by the county. For example, in Wake County, a requester may access all persons in custody records via the inmate inquiry page supplied by the sheriff’s office. The page lists all persons in custody, including a primary charge and an arrest date. Interested persons may also filter the list by last name, first name, middle name, race, age, sex, and booking agency.

How To Find A Federal Inmate In North Carolina?

Persons interested in locating an inmate incarcerated in a North Carolina federal facility may use the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) online inmate locator. The inmate locator contains records of all inmates in all of the state’s federal facilities from 1982 to date. Persons may search the BOP’s database by name or by number.

To search by name, use the inmate’s first, last, or middle names. Other options available with the name search include the inmate’s race, age, and sex.

To search via registration number, the user would need one of the following numbers:

• Bureau of Prisons registration number
• D.C. Department of Corrections number
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) number
• Immigration and Naturalization Services number

The Bureau of Prisons does not have the records of all inmates incarcerated before 1982. Persons seeking such information may contact the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for such records, providing the following information:

• Inmate name (including middle name/initial);
• Date of birth or approximate age at the time of incarceration;
• Race, and
• Approximate dates in prison.

To locate a NARA record, send a written request by mail. The request should include information about the inmate’s name, type of sentence, details on the charge, or release date for inmates no longer in the BOP’s custody. Send the detailed request to:

The National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740–6001

Note that the NARA database may not have a record of every inmate held in prison since 1982.

How To Find Inmate Records In North Carolina?

Interested persons may make requests online via the Freedom of Information Request form for physical records of federal inmates. Fill the form with accurate information, including the requester’s name, email address, phone number, and other contact details. The requester should also describe the records sought, providing as many details as possible. Note that the BOP may charge a fee and allow interested persons to expedite a request. Expedited requests may cost an additional fee.

Alternatively, send a written request to the BOP. The request should contain all relevant information for the requestor and the inmate. Send the request by mail to:

FOIA/PA Section
Office of General Counsel, Room 924
Federal Bureau of Prisons
320 First Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20534

Requestors may also send a request via email to OGC_EFOIA@BOP.GOV.

For state prison inmate records, a person may contact the NCDPS using the information below:

N. C. Department of Public Safety
4201 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699–4201

Phone requests are available by dialing (919) 716–3200. Record seekers can also contact the local county sheriff’s office with a formal request for county inmate records. Persons may also visit the sheriff’s office to make a request in person.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. Operating independently of any federal, state, or local agency, such websites may simplify the search process as they are not limited by geographic location. In addition, third-party sites typically have search engines that can be used to filter specific or multiple records. To use third-party or government websites, interested parties may need to provide:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the record or person involved. This includes information such as the city, county, or state that the person resides in or was accused in

However, third-party sites are independent of government sources and are not sponsored by these government agencies. Because of this, record availability cannot be guaranteed.

How To Put Money in Inmates' Books in North Carolina?

North Carolina inmates receive funds in commissary accounts. Friends and family may deposit funds into these accounts via electronic transfers, in person, by phone, and by mail—the NCDPS partners with third-party services to receive deposits on behalf of inmates.

To deposit funds for county inmates, senders typically have to contact the respective county correctional facilities. However, several counties may have different or preferred methods for receiving these deposits. For example, in Wake County, people may visit the Wake County Detention Center to make physical payments in an inmate’s books or request information on how to make such payments. Visit the detention center on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Persons may also contact the County Sheriff’s Office.

Does North Carolina Use JPay for Inmates?

Yes, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety partners with JPay to facilitate easy money transfers to inmates in state prisons. Friends and family can send funds to incarcerated loved ones via the JPay mobile app, website, or money order. JPay also facilitates communication with inmates via email and video calls.

Friends and family may call JPay at (800) 574-5729 to deposit funds via telephone. However, phone deposits require a debit or credit card, and additional transaction charges may apply.

Inmates may also receive funds by mail. Send a money order payable to JPay, including the inmate’s full name and ID. Sent the documents to:

JPay,
P.O. Box 173070
Hialeah, FL 33017

Deposits using the JPay platform are restricted. North Carolina permits JPay payments for persons identified as approved visitors for the inmate. Additionally, JPay service charges vary by the desired service (money transfers, emails, video calls, etc.), the fund transfer method, and the amount transferred.