Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator
Operator: Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Department of Justice, United States
Searches people in US federal custody since 1982 by name or identifier and checks custody location and release information.
Compliance & Public Records
Product
Availability and source date
As of: 16 October 2026.
No functionality test has been performed.
Use in OSINT research
Primary source for Federal Bureau of Prisons information on federal custody. Helps assess a possible period of detention and the responsible facility.
Queries
| Input | Result | Result type |
|---|---|---|
| Person name | For matching records: name, register number, age, sex, custody location and release date or status. | Retrieved |
| Keyword / free text | The corresponding person's record when a BOP, DCDC, FBI or INS identifier is entered. | Retrieved |
Features
- Searches people by first and last name.
- Matches people using an official identifier.
- Shows BOP custody location and status.
- Shows the scheduled or actual release date.
Categories
- Compliance & Public Records
- Public registers
Coverage
Geographical coverage
Dataset
Access
Requirements
Export
Provider
Country of establishment
Interfaces
No API, MCP or AI integration is documented.
Legal note
Custody and criminal proceedings data is particularly sensitive. Check identity and the legal basis before using it.
Limitations
- Not a complete directory of all state and local prisons.
- An entry does not necessarily indicate a conviction; pre-trial detention and other grounds for custody are also possible.
- Release dates may change; 'not in BOP custody' does not rule out custody by another authority.
Guides and practical reports
Official · BOP help on records and search results
Federal Bureau of Prisons · EN
Explains data coverage, identifier searches, custody status and the meaning of release information.