New York Inmate Records

The number of people incarcerated in New York State prisons and local jails has declined over the years. At 159 per 100,000 residents, the state's incarceration rate is lower when compared to the national average of 355 per 100,000 U.S. residents. Generally, each supervising agency at the local, state, or federal levels in New York keeps records of inmates incarcerated in correctional facilities under their purview. These records typically contain important information about inmates serving time within the state's prison system.

The New York prison system incarcerates about 30,000 inmates in state prisons, 18,000 in local jails, and at least 8,400 in federal prisons operating within the state. Records maintained on each of these inmates typically contain the following details:

• Arrest Information - This includes the date of arrest, arrest charges, warrant of arrest, the location of arrest, and details of the arresting agency.
• Inmate's Personal Details - These include the inmate's full name, inmate's number, age, date of birth, and race.
• Crimes of Conviction - The nature of any class of the crime
• Sentence Terms and Release Dates - These show information about aggregate minimum sentence, aggregate maximum sentence, earliest release dates, earliest release type, conditional release date, parole interview date, and parole interview type. Others are maximum expiration date, maximum expiration date for parole supervision, post-release supervision maximum expiration date, and parole eligibility date.
• Custody Details - These include housing/releasing facility, custody status, date received (original and current), county of commitment, admission type, and latest release date/type.
• Court Information - Trial details, court dates, case number, fines, and judgments.

Are Inmate Records Public in New York?

Under the state's Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), most inmate records and information about incarcerated individuals in New York are public records. They are typically made available to interested persons upon request to the relevant custodian. There are, however, some exceptions. For instance, sealed or expunged arrest records are not publicly available in the state and may only be accessed by authorized individuals. Also, records of youthful offenders and other inmate records (or certain information contained in them) declared as confidential by court order or law are generally restricted from public disclosure.

What Agencies Are Responsible for Inmate Records in New York?

In New York, the agencies overseeing the inmates incarcerated in the local, state, and federal correctional facilities, including prisons and jails, are responsible for keeping inmate records. These agencies include the following:

• The New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) - The DOCCS is responsible for the records of all inmates housed in its 42 correctional facilities across the state. These records include those of inmates incarcerated in maximum, minimum, and medium security correctional facilities as well as drug treatment campuses.
• County Sheriff's Offices - The offices of the county sheriffs across New York State run the 60 county jails statewide and keep records of each inmate incarcerated or detained in their correctional facilities. Some of the county jails, like the Albany County Jail, provide custody for local, federal, and state prisoners.
• Police Departments - The police departments in New York State generally maintain records of arrests and a few other information about offenders who have been convicted by the courts and serving time in correctional facilities.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) - Individuals convicted of federal crimes in New York State are usually sentenced to imprisonment in any of the 5 federal prisons in the state. These prisons are under the supervision of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), which is responsible for maintaining records of all inmates housed in their correctional facilities.

How To Search an Inmate's Information in New York?

When looking to search an inmate's information in New York, the first thing to do is determine the correctional facility where the inmate whose information is being sought is housed. Generally, they will either be housed in a local, state, or federal correctional facility.

Find an inmate in New York State Prisons

Interested parties can use the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's Incarcerated Person Locator to find information about inmates incarcerated in state prisons. Searches may be conducted in any of the two ways:

• Using an inmate's last name alone or in combination with birth year
• Using the inmate's New York State ID Number (NYSID) or Department ID Number (DIN)

Searches conducted using the DOCCS Incarcerated Person Locator return information containing inmates' personal details, facility location, custody status, sentence terms, release dates, and other important information.

Information about some inmates in New York State prisons is also available on VINE Inmate Lookup. Users can search with the inmate's name (full or partial) or their ID number. While online inmate lookup services provided by the DOCCS make it convenient for anyone to find inmates, it is possible to look up inmate information by visiting the state prisons where such inmates are being incarcerated.

Find an Inmate in Local Jail

All the local jails in New York State are either under the county sheriff's offices' jurisdiction or controlled by local police departments. In addition to providing housing to inmates under their supervision, these government agencies keep records of their inmates and make them accessible in multiple ways. For instance, many of them, including county sheriff's offices, offer online tools in the form of inmate locators or rosters that enable members of the public to find information about individuals in their custody.

Another way to find inmates incarcerated in local jails is to visit their holding correctional facilities. However, it is important to find out whether a facility requires requesters to schedule an appointment before checking in to make inquiries about any inmate in their custody. In many cases, requesters will need to provide vital information, such as the sought inmate's name and ID number, to help facilitate the search.

Find an Inmate in Federal Prison

Looking up persons who are incarcerated in any of the following 5 federal prisons located in New York State is made easy by the BOP Inmate Locator:

• New York RRM
• New York MCC
• Ray Brook FCI
• Brooklyn MDC
• Otisville FCI

Generally, information about federal inmates incarcerated from 1982 to date in the state can be retrieved through the BOP Inmate Locator using the inmates' names or BOP register numbers as the search criterion.

How Can I Access Old Inmate Records?

Records of old inmates who have been released from New York State's prison system may not be found on the DOCCS Incarcerated Person Locator. Usually, the first place anyone should look when searching for old inmate records in the state is the New York State Archives. The Archives hold old inmate cards, registers, and case files from many state-run correctional facilities. Similarly, the National Archives holds records of former inmates who served time in federal prisons located in New York State.

Interested parties may also find old inmate records in New York on credible third-party sites like Newyorkpublicrecords.us. Typically, once a public record or information is collated on third-party resources, they remain there permanently, making them a good place to check when looking to access old or historic records, including inmate records.

Although online resources, including those provided by third-party companies, offer convenience and speedy retrieval of New York's old inmate records, records obtained may not include enough details as desired. Whenever old inmate records with detailed information are needed, it is best to visit the correctional facilities where such inmates were incarcerated and make the request in person. Alternatively, interested persons may submit an online FOIL request to the Commission of Correction or submit their written requests in person or by mail to the Commission at:

Can I Find a New York Inmate Record for Free?

Yes. Online inmate lookup resources provided by the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the county sheriff's offices typically offer members of the public free inmate record searches. However, records maintained by each of these agencies are those of the inmates incarcerated in the correctional facilities under their purview. This means that anyone looking to find information about multiple inmates in correctional facilities managed by varying government agencies will have to check different databases or visit the inmates' holding facilities. This may turn out to be a stressful task and time-consuming.

Using reliable third-party websites like Newyorkpublicrecords.us to find information about inmates housed in correctional facilities in New York State is recommended. These sites serve as online databases for inmate records and provide members of the public centralized access to all inmates in the state, regardless of which government agency oversees them.

Jails and Prisons in New York

Based on the type of management, New York correctional facilities are classified as follows:

• State Prisons - The New York DOCCS manages about 60 state prisons across the state.
• Local Jails - These correctional facilities are primarily overseen by county sheriff's offices and local police departments. There are at least 60 county jails spread across the 62 counties in New York State.
• Federal Prisons - The 5 federal prisons in New York State are run by the BOP.

State Prisons in New York

Listed in the table are a few of the numerous state prisons in New York:

Private Prisons in New York

No private prison operates in New York State.

New York Inmate Statistics

• New York Incarceration Rate - 159 per 100,000 residents
• Male Incarceration Rate - 312 per 100,000 males
• Female Incarceration Rate - 12 per 100,000 females
• Youth Custody Rate - 40 per 100,000 youths
• Number of Prisoners in Private Prisons - 0
• Black/White Imprisonment Disparity - 7.8:1
• Latino/White Imprisonment Disparity - 3.0:1
• Number of offenders under community supervision - 584 per 100,000 people
• Number on probation - 453 per 100,000 people
• Number on parole - 164 per 100,000 people
• Felony Disenfranchisement Rate - 0.2%

* Source: United States Bureau of Justice Statistics