Where to Find Ohio Inmate Records

Inmate records contain the information of incarcerated offenders at the correctional facilities in Ohio State. Persons that break the state's laws may be punished by imprisonment in accordance with the rule of law. The information of such persons is documented and maintained that contains the inmate's name, gender, race, age, fingerprints, residential address, and criminal history.

Inmate records of persons incarcerated in Ohio state prisons are kept and disseminated by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Records of inmates incarcerated in Ohio county and city jails are managed by the Sheriff's Office in the county.

Are Incarceration Records Public Information in Ohio?

Under Ohio state laws, not all inmate records are available to the public for copying and inspecting. Records on probation and parole proceedings of inmates are inaccessible to the general public. The medical records of inmates, including their medical history, diagnosis, and medical condition, that are generated during medical treatment, are also not considered public information. However, medical records of inmates may be obtained by their attorney or physician upon request. Although inmate records may be released to the Department of Youth Services or a court of record for their restricted use, such records are generally deemed confidential under section 5120.21 of the Ohio Revised Code.

What Information is Contained in an Ohio Inmate Record?

Information in inmate records may comprise the personal details and criminal history of inmates. Such information may include:

• Names
• Offender identification number upon incarceration.
• Pictures/mugshots
• Residence address
• Gender
• Date of birth and age
• Race of inmates
• Date of admission into a facility
• The facility an inmate is incarcerated
• Incarceration status
• Degree of a felony or misdemeanor offense
• Stated prison term
• Expiration of the stated prison term

Where do I Look Up an Inmate in Ohio?

Interested persons may lookup inmates in Ohio through the following options:

• DRC website: Inmate information and details are generated by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and may be found on their website. Information may be obtained on currently incarcerated offenders, offenders under DRC supervision, judicially released offenders, and deceased offenders who died of natural causes.
• Sheriff's Office: The various Sheriff's Offices in Ohio are tasked with collating and managing records of inmates incarcerated in the county jails. Interested persons may obtain details of inmates in-person from the records department of the Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's office may also provide an online search tool to retrieve inmate information.
• Third-party websites: Inmate information may also be found on some non-governmental websites that maintain such information.

How Do I Conduct an Inmate Search in Ohio?

Inmate information may be searched online with the DRC offender search tool. The Sheriff's Office of Ohio counties may provide an online search tool, hosted on the Sheriff's site, to obtain information of inmates incarcerated in the county's correctional center. Interested persons may also access inmate information on reliable third-party websites that offer such services. To access inmate information online, interested persons may input the personal details of inmates, in relevant search boxes, to produce results.

The personal details of inmates that may be used to search inmate information include:

• Name Search: Searches may be done with the last name of inmates. If the inmate's first name is known, searches may also be done with both the first and last names to narrow results.
• Offender Number: Searches may be completed with the offenders' identification number. A prefix (A, R, W) may be added to search for inmate information. A and R are added to the identification number to narrow results to show only male offenders, and W may be added to an identification number to produce results of female offenders.
• County of Commitment Search: Interested persons may search by counties to produce results of inmates incarcerated in a particular county correctional center.
• Residential County or Zip Code Search: The kind of search method only produces results on offenders who are under parole supervision and the offenders that have violated their parole or probation supervision.
• Next Parole Board Hearing Date Search: Interested persons may enter a particular year and month in this search box to retrieve information of offenders scheduled for a hearing on the selected day.

Interested individuals may also request copies of inmate records from the Sheriff's Office of the county the offender was incarcerated. Requests may be made in-person by visiting the Sheriff's Office and following the given procedures to retrieve inmate records or through sending a written request via mail to the Sheriff's Office. Charges may apply for the retrieval of records. The location and contact details of all Sheriff offices in Ohio counties may be accessed on the Ohio Sheriffs' directory maintained by the state's Attorney General's office.

How Can I Find an Inmate for Free in Ohio?

Interested persons may obtain inmate information at no cost by using an online offender search locators. DCR's Offender Search site may be used to look up inmates at no cost. Sheriff offices in Ohio counties also provide an online search tool that can be accessed for free. For example, the Lorain County Sheriff's Office provides online lists for the public to look up inmates incarcerated in the Lorain county jail.

How to Find Old Inmate Records in Ohio

Records of previously incarcerated offenders may be accessed on the Inmate Locator. Interested persons may obtain such records by inputting the required details of such offenders in the appropriate search boxes to retrieve results.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often make searching simpler, as they are not limited by geographic location, and search engines on these sites may help when starting a search for a specific or multiple records. To begin using such a search engine on a third-party or government website, interested parties usually must 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 person resides in or was accused in.

Third-party sites are independent from government sources, and are not sponsored by these government agencies. Because of this, record availability on third-party sites may vary.

How do I Conduct a Federal Prison Inmate Search?

FCI Elkton and RRM Cincinnati are federal prison facilities located in Ohio state. Inmate information of both prison facilities may be obtained from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Locator tool. Interested persons may search with the inmate's prison registration number, full name, race, age, and gender. Information that may be obtained includes the personal information of inmates, location, and release date from incarceration. Requestors that may have trouble finding inmates with the Inmate Locator may contact the BOP. Inquiries may also be made in writing and addressed to:

Federal Bureau of Prisons
Attn: Inmate Locator
320 First St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20534

How Long Does It Take for An Inmate's Information to Be Published in Ohio Inmate Locator?

Upon admission into a DCR facility in Ohio state, offenders' information is documented within the first two days of their arrival. Information that may be obtained from the inmate locator is documented by the Records Office within the first day of admission and uploaded in the facility's computer data system for the public to access. However, the security threat level group identification and registration of offenders are done on the second day of arrival at the facility.