Ohio Inmate Search

Inmate records contain official information pertaining to the detention or incarceration of an arrestee or convicted offender. Such records consist of official and personal information regarding the inmate. Ohio inmate records are stored both physically and electronically. Information found on an inmate record may include:

• Full name (including aliases)
• Inmate’s biodata such as gender, date of birth, mugshot, fingerprints, and serial number
• Conviction details such as criminal charges, arrests, prior records, county, and date of commitment into a correctional facility
• Sentence details such as length of incarceration, terms of discharge, probable release date, age, or date of admission, and court details
• Physical description and unique identifiers, including hair and eye color, race, height, physical markings (scars, tattoos, etc.)
• Details of the detaining facility, such as location, security level, transfer or release date
• Bail/bond and parole hearing details
• Medical and mental health profile (restricted)
• Residence of relatives (restricted)

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) maintains and provides inmate records for persons incarcerated at state prisons. However, the records of inmates at a county or city jail are provided by the jail's administrator. Where inmates die in custody, the date and cause of death are typically included in the record.

Ohio State Prisons

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections oversees the 26 state-operated prisons in the state, including the Ohio Reformatory for Women, Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution, and North Central Correctional Complex. The Allen Oakwood Correctional Facility is one of the largest facilities, housing up to 1,480 inmates of multiple custody levels. It has been in operation since 1988, and it is situated at:

Allen Oakwood Correctional Facility
2338 Northwest Street
Lima, OH 45801

Mail:
P.O. Box 4501
2338 North West St.
Lima, Ohio 45802

The Ohio Reformatory for Women is one of the largest and oldest female correctional facilities in the state. It has been open since 1916, offering reformative programs and education to female offenders at level 1 and 2 security level.

Ohio Reformatory for Women
1479 Collins Ave
Marysville, OH 43040

Mail:
1479 Collins Avenue
Marysville, OH 43040
Email: drc.orw@drc.ohio.gov
Phone: (937) 642-1065
Fax: (937) 642-7678

How To Find An Inmate In Ohio?

• Citizens may find an inmate incarcerated in an Ohio correctional facility in one of three ways: Visiting the facility in person
• Calling the prison or jail authority
• By searching available online databases.

Ohio state prisons and most local detention centers (county or city jails) provide an inmate search tool on their websites. Requestors may use the offender search tool on the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (DRC) website to locate an inmate in any state prison. For inmates held in county jails, requestors must visit the local authority website to determine if online inmate search tools exist. Generally, Sheriff’s Offices are in charge of local jails in Ohio. Find the web address of any Ohio Sheriff’s Office here to use the inmate locator tool.

To complete a search on the DRC offender search engine, requestors may filter the database by any of the following identifiers:

• Offender’s last name or full name
• Six-digit offender or DOC number with necessary prefix (female inmates are ‘W’ while male inmates are denoted with ‘A’ and ‘R’)
• County of commitment
• Residential county
• Zipcode
• Prison statute for the offenders
• Next parole board hearing date

The search criteria determine the type of results provided by the database. Searching with multiple criteria may yield a more streamlined result. The search result offers inmate information, including names, mugshot, criminal history, sentence information, and details of the holding correctional facility. Where the search result comes back empty, this may be due to restriction by court order or law.

Under the Ohio Open Records Act and the DRC records code, inmate records are classified as private or confidential in Ohio. This means inmate records are not subject to inspection and copying by members of the public. However, the public may access basic inmate information via the websites or online databases managed by the DRC or the local correctional institutions.

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 agencies. Because of this, record availability cannot be guaranteed.

How To Find A Federal Inmate In Ohio?

There are two federal correctional facilities located in Ohio:

• Elkton FCI (Federal Correctional Institution)
• Cincinnati RRM (Residential Reentry Management)

Interested persons may find inmates incarcerated in these facilities via the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) website. The BOP maintains records of federal inmates who are in custody or released after 1982. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) grants the public the authority to request copies of federal inmate records. Requestors may find a current inmate or an inmate incarcerated after 1982 using the Inmate Locator app on the BOP webpage. The inmate search may be completed by name or by registration number.

For a name-based inmate search, users will have to filter the database by the inmate’s first, middle, or last name. A more accurate result may be provided when combined with race, age, and gender filters. For a number-based inmate search, there are four filters to apply:

• Bureau of Prisons (BOP) register number
• D.C. Department of Corrections (DCDC) number
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) number
• Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) number

How Do I Find Inmate Records In Ohio?

Apart from the basic inmate information provided on its portal, the official inmate records maintained by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (DRC) may only be accessible by the following parties:

• Employees of the department
• Persons, personnel, and agents authorized by the department
• Those authorized by a state judge or court order
• The designated attorneys or physician with the inmate’s signed consent (inmate’s medical records only)
• A deceased inmate’s estate executor or designated administrator (medical records only)

To obtain inmate records, eligible parties must submit a written request to the Ohio DRC. Requests may be submitted in person or sent through the mail, email, or fax. Requests may also be addressed to the correctional facility where the inmate is being detained.

On the other hand, requests for federal records of inmates detained or released in Ohio after 1982 are addressed to the facility where the offender is/was detained.

Elkton FCI:
8730 Scroggs Road
Lisbon, OH 44432
elk/execassistant@bop.gov
Phone: (330) 420–6200
Fax: (330) 420–6436

Cincinnati RRM:
36 East 7th Street
Suite 2107-A
Cincinnati, OH 45202
ccn/ccm@bop.gov
Phone: (513) 684–2603
Fax: (513) 684–2590

Requests for inmate records before 1982 should be addressed to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) either online through their website or via mail to:

8801 Kingsridge Drive
Dayton, OH 45458

All requests should contain the requester’s information like name and contact information as well as inmate information like name, serial number, gender, and other information that could help streamline the search.

Note, requests for records of inmates held at county or city jails should be addressed to the relevant sheriff’s office or police department. For example, to obtain inmate records for persons incarcerated in Franklin County, requestors may contact the jail administration unit of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office at:

370 South Front Street
2nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 525–5785
Fax: (614) 525–5080

All record requests attract duplicating fees and may include research, certification, and exemplification fees.

How to Put Money on Inmates' Books In Ohio?

Federal and state inmates are allowed to keep a funded account. Under sections 5120.133 and 5120–5 of the Ohio Revised Codes, inmates are permitted to maintain a checking account where money can be transferred into by approved sources. Such approved sources are persons listed on the inmate’s visitation list. Mail deposits are also possible through several trusted agents or partners like MoneyGram. Note that if details on the identification card do not match the information used to register as a visitor, the deposit will not be approved.

Deposits into an inmate’s account by phone are made by calling the toll free line 1–888–988–4PMT (4768). Ensure to provide the reference site ID 86 when prompted. Phone-in deposits are logged using a credit or debit card, and a service fee is charged per transaction.

Alternatively, visitors may fund an inmate’s trust fund or commissary account online via the ConnectNetwork website. The depositor will need to create an account on the platform and add the appropriate facility and inmate to the account. Consequently, deposits are generally made into the inmate’s trust fund account using debit or credit cards; transaction fees apply. Note, to make deposits using any of these means; the depositors will have to provide the relevant inmate information.

For inmates at federal correctional facilities in Ohio, funds may be sent by MoneyGram, Western Union, or the United States Post Service. Visit the BOP website to determine the details of funding a federal inmate’s account in Ohio.

Similarly, for inmates incarcerated at jails in counties across Ohio, relatives must contact the custodial Sheriff’s Office to determine the appropriate means of funding an inmate’s account.

Does Ohio Use JPay for Inmates?

Yes, Ohio uses JPay for inmates. Although the state’s Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections introduced ViaPath for funds deposit, emails, and video calls, most correctional facilities still maintain JPay as a service provider.

Deposits are typically made into the inmates’ accounts by mail, telephone, or online. However, deposits may not exceed $200 except approved in advance by the warden.

Approved or tentatively approved visitors are allowed to deposit funds by mail into an inmate’s account at any of Ohio's state prisons. Mail deposits are made via the U.S. Mail through JPay. Depositors are required to mail the money order deposit form obtained from the JPay website along with a copy of a valid identification card (driver’s license, state ID, or passport). The ID is used to verify the sender's eligibility.

Friends and family can also send emails and schedule video visitations with inmates via the JPay mobile app, website, or money order. Nevertheless, it is advisable to confirm that JPay is accepted in your facility of interest. It is also noteworthy that JPay service charges vary by the desired service (money transfers, emails, video calls, etc), the method of fund transfer, and the amount transferred.