Free Arizona Inmate Search: Look Up Anybody Incarcerated

Conduct a free Arizona inmate search to find offenders currently incarcerated in correctional facilities throughout the state.

An inmate is an individual serving time in a state prison, municipal jail, or county jail as part of their sentence. This resource will help interested parties locate inmates in Arizona – no matter which kind of correctional facility they are serving their sentence in – free of cost through different official sources.

The Difference Between Being Incarcerated in Jail vs Prison

Before researchers start searching for inmates, it is important to understand the difference between a jail inmate and a prison inmate as this will help them reach out to the ideal source (department) for the desired information.

People who have committed less severe crimes or are temporarily held up for any reason (such as ongoing investigation or awaiting trial) are sent to jail and are termed as jail inmates. On the other hand, people who have committed serious crimes and have received proper sentences from court after full trial are sent to prison and are called prison inmates.

Jails and the records of jail inmates are usually managed by local law enforcement agencies such as sheriff’s offices whereas prisons and prison inmates’ records are looked after mostly by the state’s Department of Corrections (note that both jail and prison are termed as correctional facilities).

Prisons are usually more secure and regulated as compared to jails. It is also important to keep in mind that jails can be county or municipal (town or city) level and prisons can be state or federal level based on the type of inmates they are housing and their offenses.

Federal prisons hold individuals who have committed federal crimes and are regulated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (federal prisons are the least common as compared to jails and state prisons).¹

How To Track Down Individuals Held in Arizona Jails

Residents can conduct an Arizona inmate lookup to track down individuals held in the state’s jails.

To look up inmates held up in the county jails of Maricopa County (the most populous county in Arizona), residents can use the Sheriff’s Online Inmate Information Search Tool.² In Maricopa County, the sheriff’s department manages the county jails as well as the records of the people held up in these corrections facilities, and for the convenience of residents, they have a free, easily accessible online tool.

Interested individuals can look for inmates held up in Maricopa County jails through this tool using their booking numbers or full names and dates of birth. The data of this county-level search tool is updated regularly so that citizens can have access to the most up-to-date data. The information provided by the tool includes the inmate’s primary information and current custodial status, as well as location.

As another option, residents can also contact the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office directly for information about inmates using the following credentials:

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
550 W. Jackson
Phoenix, Arizona 85003

Phone Number: 602-876-1000

An inmate search can also help researchers find details of individuals held up in city jails. To search for inmates in Tucson City (the most populated city in Arizona), residents can use the Pima County Sheriff Office’s Online Inmate Search Tool.³

The tool can be used to search individuals using their last names and provides information such as their location, age, and booking number.

The Tucson City Police Department can also help searchers find city jail inmates.⁴

Tucson City Police Headquarters
270 South Stone Avenue 
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Phone: 520-791-4444

Interested individuals can also search Arizona criminal and arrest records to find details of jail inmates.

Note: The resource linked above also has a list consisting of all county jails’ contact information for convenience.

How To Determine Who Is Incarcerated in a State Prison (Free Arizona Inmate Search)

The Arizona Department of Corrections manages the state prisons of the state as well as the record of the prisoners housed in them. The department has an official, free online inmate locator that can be used to search offenders currently incarcerated in state prisons.⁵

Citizens can conduct an inmate search on this tool through the Arizona Department of Corrections’ assigned IDs or full names including gender and status.

The search results will provide an extensive range of information including inmate name, location, booking date, custody level, charges, and release date. The results will include both active and inactive (released) inmates as well as parolees, violators, and absconders.

Researchers can also choose to contact the contact the Arizona Department of Corrections directly for information about inmates using the following credentials:

Arizona Department of Corrections
701 East Jefferson Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85034

Phone: 602-542-5497

The DOC’s head office can be visited during regular business hours to initiate an inmate search in Arizona. The office hours are 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday but are closed during weekends and public holidays.

Furthermore, the office can be called as well at the above-mentioned number for inmate details. Interested individuals can give the subject’s basic information such as their ID number or full name, to the department for records.

Below are some other helpful pages from the Arizona DOC website.

• Victim Services Page: If a person is a victim of the offender, they can visit the Victim Services Page for useful details.
• Inmate Services Page: If an individual is in any way related to the inmate (family or friends), they can choose to check the Inmate Services Page of the DOC’s website for helpful information.⁶
• ADOC Prisons Contact Page: The ADOC Prisons Page has contact information, along with locations of all state correctional facilities in Arizona.
• Visitation Page: In case an individual wants to visit someone incarcerated in an Arizona state prison, they can visit the Visitation Page for complete details.
• Public Records Request Page: Interested parties can also get inmate details from the Arizona DOC through an official public records request. The details on how to file it are summed up in the Public Records Request Page.⁷

How To Search for Prisoners in Federal Facilities

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) manages all the federal correctional facilities (federal prisons) in the United States as well as the data of the individuals incarcerated in these facilities.⁸ The federal department has an official free online inmate locator that can be used to look up details of federal prisoners.⁹

Interested individuals can use this locator to find inmates at the federal level through their BOP Register Number, FBI Number, DCDC (DC Department of Corrections) Number or their full names. The results will give a wide range of information about the inmates, including their location, race, sex, age, projected release date and sentence length.

It is important to note here that the BOP online inmate locator only provides details of prisoners incarcerated after 1982 till present. To find inmate records dating before 1982 the National Archives Records Administration (NARA) and Public Access to Electronic Court Records (PACER) can help.¹⁰

This resource is provided to help interested parties conduct a conclusive Arizona inmate search free of cost through official sources and find details of jail and prison inmates serving their sentences in correctional facilities throughout the state.