Perform a Free Maryland Inmate Search (Online Lookup)

Conveniently access public records and run a Maryland inmate search today, bringing to light relevant information about offenders at local and state levels.

Public records should always be readily available to anyone, and the Maryland Public Information Act establishes the criteria by which those documents can be accessed.

Interested citizens don’t ever need to explain why they’re seeking information and have the right to search for facts and relevant data at any time. This brief article helps anyone looking for information about offenders currently held in Maryland by providing links to search tools and contact information for relevant record custodians.

What’s the Difference Between Prison & Jail Inmates?

In general, when someone is arrested and charged with a crime, they’re sent to a county or city correctional facility to wait for the judge to set their bail or for their trial (when bail is denied).

Whenever a concerned individual is seeking information about a recent arrest or trying to find someone they care about who might have been taken to jail, this is where their search should begin. Jails are usually operated at the county level and under the jurisdiction of county or local law enforcement agencies – sheriff’s office or police departments.

After trial, when that individual is sentenced, they are transferred to a state or federal facility (depending on the crime they’ve committed). Those facilities are usually better equipped to keep those offenders for a longer period of time as they serve their time.

If the search at hand is related to a case that happened a long time ago or someone who’s serving a sentence already, that should be the approach to take. Prisoners usually have longer sentences compared to jail inmates and they are overseen by the Department of Corrections (DOC) or the Federal Bureau of Investigations (BOP).

This article will address how to search for those individuals and effectively find them in any of those situations. It’ll also address how victims can obtain support and how to uncover relevant facts about any inmate correctly imprisoned in Maryland.

Run a Maryland Inmate Search (View Information on Someone Held in Jail)

In any given state, counties have some autonomy in terms of how they handle their local correctional facilities and the inmates jailed in them. The Maryland Public Information Act, gives the public the right to access inmates information.¹

When running an inmate search in Maryland, it is important to realize that each place may offer a different tool to help concerned citizens find information about offenders they’re interested in.

Montgomery County, for example, doesn’t have an automated list that can be checked online for information. However, the local detention center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, whenever someone needs information about a recent arrest or a current inmate. This is their contact information:

Montgomery County Detention Center
1307 Seven Locks Road
Rockville, MD 20854

Phone: 240.777.9730

Likewise, the Baltimore County Department of Corrections is always ready to provide information about inmates currently held at their correctional facility, but interested people must contact them in order to uncover facts about the offender they’re searching for.²

Baltimore County Department of Corrections
720 Bosley Ave
Towson, MD 21204

Phone: 410.512.3200
Email: [email protected]

When a deeper search becomes necessary, and details about someone’s arrest records must be uncovered, people can always rely on the Maryland Arrest Records to find free and accessible resources to assist them in their pursuit.

Also, it’s always a good reminder to mention that victims have access to different resources and usually don’t need to go through the same ropes as any regular searcher. Victims should always feel encouraged to contact the local law enforcement for their support as well as VINELink.

Check Whether Someone Is Incarcerated in a Maryland State Prison

The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services helps concerned individuals find information about offenders under their care through the Inmate Search Tool.³

This convenient system allows anyone who’s running an inmate search in Maryland to place inquiries by name – and even if a last name is the only piece of data available, it’ll still yield results. All matches to the user’s query will appear as a table that contains the offender’s full name and date of birth.

By clicking on the name of the person of interest, searchers are able to access a few more details and learn a bit more about that individual’s situation.

The details page will reveal the offender’s ID number and their location, with detailed information about the correctional facility they’re imprisoned at, with its address and a phone number if the user wishes to make contact.

Users can also possibly click on the name of the correctional facility to be taken to its official page, where more information about how to support or visit the inmate that’s being searched.

To help citizens locate all the correctional facilities in Maryland, there’s a tool available online that will provide information about all the locations in the state.⁴

There are also two different addresses that people can use to contact the Maryland Department of Correctional Services. Whoever needs support or guidance shouldn’t hesitate to contact them using the following information:

Maryland Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services
6776 Reisterstown Rd
Baltimore, MD 21215

Phone: 877.379.8636

Maryland Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services
6852 4th St
Sykesville, MD 21784

Phone: 410.585.3300

The Inmate Search Tool will show information about any offender currently serving time in Maryland. However, it won’t show individuals who have already been released from the system, either because their sentence has ended or because they’re on parole or probation.

If the search at hand revolves around someone who’s currently under supervision, information about probationers and parolees can be obtained with the Parole & Probation Office directly using the information below:

Operations Office – Parole & Probation
6776 Reisterstown Rd
Baltimore, MD 21215

Phone: 410.585.3500
Email: [email protected]

There are many tools that victims can access to find help and support as they recover from the crimes committed against them. It’s pivotal that victims understand whose resources are accessible and should certainly be taken advantage of. In Maryland, a good starting point for victims is the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth & Victims Services, which can be contacted as follows:

Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth & Victims Services
Main Office
100 Community Place
Crownsville, MD 21032

Phone: 410.697.9338

How To See Who Is in Federal Prison

When someone commits a federal crime, it’s possible that they’d have to serve their sentences at a federal correctional facility.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has an online search tool that helps people find inmates that are serving their sentences at any of their facilities.⁵ Whenever doing an inmate search in Maryland, it’s important to consider that possibility and pursue that option, too.

The BOP system can be searched by name and will show information about individuals arrested and kept at federal facilities since 1982. Users should have a first and last name to get started, and results will include information such as the offender’s full name, location, release date (if available), and age, among other things. It’ll also mention if that individual can be contacted or if there are any restrictions in place.

If clarification or more information is needed, searchers can contact the BOP using the information below:

Federal Bureau of Prisons
320 First St NW
Washington, DC 20534

Phone: 202.307.3198

Whenever the search at hand is for inmates sentenced before 1982, concerned citizens should try using the resources provided by the National Archives & Records Administration (NARA). If looking online doesn’t lead to the desired outcome, searchers can contact NARA as follows:⁶

National Archives & Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Rd
College Park, MD 20740

Phone: 866.272.6272

Last but not least, searchers can always use the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) to access information about inmates on the federal level.⁷ However, some things must be taken into consideration.

First, PACER isn’t a free service. Also, in order to use it, Interested people must register by adding their personal information to the system, as well as a form of payment (for services to be charged).

PACER charges $0.10 per accessed page and offers other services, depending on which search needs to be performed. Full information about their pricing is available online.

There are many different tools and resources that people can use whenever information about an offender is needed. Interested citizens can perform a Maryland inmate search whenever they need to be informed in order to feel safe and protected in their communities.