Texas Inmate Search

Inmate Search Texas

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is the agency that oversees all correctional facilities in Texas. This includes state prisons, jails, and other detention centers. It also provides information on inmates who are currently incarcerated. Moreover, it has an online site search for inmate searches. The online database will provide you with their name, date of birth, inmate number, arrest date, and release date. 

The search process involves visiting the TDCJ’s website. Once there, you can use the offender’s name, TDCJ number, or SID number to generate results. Only convicts who are presently jailed in a TDCJ institution are included in the online search. The minimum information input requirement for a successful search is either: 

  • The last name AND at least the first initial of the first name.
  • The TDCJ number.
  • The SID (state identification) number.

How to Find Out if Someone Is In Prison in Texas besides the Online Search  

The TDCJ also has other means of locating an inmate besides the online search tool. It permits interested parties to carry out prisoner searches via phone. Interested parties must contact the general information line at (936) 295-6371 or (800) 535-0283. Alternatively, contact (844) 512-0461 to ask about an inmate’s status where there is no vote cast yet by the Board of Pardons and Paroles on the offender’s status. Persons contacting for prisoners’ information must supply the inmates’ TDCJ or SID number or birth dates. 

Access to Offender Status Details by Email  

Texas law also permits the TDCJ to send emails informing registrants of inmates’ whereabouts and criminal status. The emails contain the following offender details: 

  • TDCJ Number.
  • The crime of conviction. 
  • The history of imprisonment. 
  • Details on the current imprisonment status, including the court of conviction and the county. 
  • The anticipated release date.

How to Find Out if Someone Is In Jail through Inmate Search Texas Process  

Locating a person in any Texas county or city requires you to begin by visiting the county or city’s website. Municipal prisons are often managed by city police agencies, while sheriff’s offices typically handle county jails. Normally, these institutions house only those awaiting trial or serving brief terms, which are frequent consequences of misdemeanor charges. 

In most cases, online sites offer prisoner locating tools that allow people to find detainees in local jails. Alternatively, go to the city/county website and look for the contact information for the local jail or the law enforcement organization in charge of the detention center’s administration. This information will contain the actual location of the county/city jail as well as the phone number to call in case of an emergency. Finally, contact or visit the jail to get details about the particular inmate.  

Texas Department of Corrections Inmate Records 

Texas prisoner records provide information necessary for identifying individuals under the custody of the Texas Department of Corrections. Private prisons and jails, as well as those managed by the state, counties, cities, and private corporations, fall under this category. 

Among the information available in these records is personal information such as names, genders , and birth dates. Additionally, the records also include administrative information such as custody status, location, and identification number. These specifics are available to the general public via the different record custodians per the Texas Public Information Act. 

The records are also accessible by both conventional governmental institutions and non-governmental websites and groups. Moreover, third-party websites may provide a more leisurely search experience since these services are not restricted to a certain geographical area. However, the information gained via third-party sites may differ from that obtained through official channels since the government does not endorse third-party websites, hence including misleading information. Inquiring parties must submit the following information for access to inmate records through these sites: 

  • The actual area where the sought-after record is. This includes the state, county, and city of the convict’s residence.
  • Individuals name, excluding where it involves a minor. 

Correctional Facilities under the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation  

The Correctional Institutions Division (CID) of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice was established in September 2003. There was a combination of the Institutional Division, the Operations Division, the Private Facility Division, and the State Jail Division in the creation process. 

The CID ensures the supervision of prisoners in any of the state’s incarceration institutions, including adult criminal and state jail felony convicts. Pre-release centers, psychiatric institutions, the Developmentally Disabled Offender Program (DDO), medical centers, and facilities for the elderly are all under the supervision of the CID.  

The CID also oversees the supervision of Substance Abuse Felony Punishment Facilities (SAFPF). Several of the above facilities include expansion cellblock facilities, extra medical facilities, and a labor camp within their premises.  

Individuals with interest can click here to find out the location and contact information of Texas prisons and county jails. 

Sending Money to Inmates in Texas Prisons  

Each prisoner in the correctional institutions under the supervision of the TDCJ gets a trust fund account. Friends and family members are welcome to make contributions to this account. You must first have the following details before you may transfer money: 

  • The Full Name of the Prisoner.
  • The TDCJ number of the inmate.
  • The inmate’s present location.

Additionally, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) provides the following alternatives for financing prisoner accounts:  

Money Gram and Western Union  

You can go to any MoneyGram or Western Union for deposit purposes. Sending money with MoneyGram requires you to provide the received code 3570. 

On the other hand, ensure you fill out the Quick Collect form and provide the following information when using Western Union: 

  • Inmate Trust Funds of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).
  • Use TDCJ/TX as city code and state.
  • TDCJ inmate number and last name without a pace will act as the account number.
  • Use the last name, first name of the inmate as the attention.

Internet Deposit  

Funds may be sent to an inmate’s account using various firms, including JPAY, TouchPay , and eCommDirect. Each of these firms charges a fee to send the cash, and they all accept payments through debit or credit card. 

Over the Phone Deposit  

You may make a phone deposit into a Texas inmate’s trust fund account by dialing 1-800-574-5729 for JPAY services. Alternatively, there is an option to call 1-877-868-5358 to make a payment via Touchpay. You may also call Western Union at 1-800-325-6000 to make an inmate fund deposit.  

Other methods include the use of ACE (America’s Cash Express), Monthly checking account debit (ACH), and Money order or cashier’s check.  

Nonetheless, the regulations and procedures for transferring money to detainees in the county and local jails in Texas vary significantly. Commissary account financing information is often available on the jail sections of the county and municipal websites. You can also call the county or local jail directly if this information is not accessible online. 

Texas Prisoner Phone Calls 

During the initial intake process, each convict will compile a list of phone numbers they may contact. There may be a regular update of the list throughout the inmate’s sentence. Moreover, the jails and prisons officers record and track the calls. Only legal calls are exempted from the call monitoring process. It is advisable to make a list of things you want to discuss with your detainee before they call. The reason is that phone conversations are time-limited. 

Moreover, the Texas Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation does not allow you to make a direct call to any facility. However, you should call the inmate’s counselor or the facility’s Chaplain if there is a family emergency such as the death of a close family member to the inmate. 

Texas Prisons Inmate Visitation  

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has established guidelines for visiting detainees in state and county facilities around the state. The TDCJ guidelines only allow visits at these institutions between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Visits are also permitted on some holidays that fall on Mondays and Fridays and on some select days. Furthermore, each convict has a Visitors’ List that has been authorized and contains a maximum of ten names. 

These visitors on the approval list must plan their visits with prison/jail wardens at least one day and no more than seven days before their visit. Additionally, the facilities give each convict a single visit every weekend with a limitation of two persons per visit. However, wardens may also use their judgment in granting visitation permission for more than two adults. 

Visitation by juveniles under 18 years is determined by the amount of available space in the visiting area.  

Acceptable Identifications During Visitations  

Below is a list of the forms of identification that are usable during inmate visitation: 

  • A valid driver’s license from the state where you live.
  • DPS (Department of Public Safety) identification card.
  • A valid military identification card.
  • ID cards issued by the United States Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Such a card is the Visa Border Crossing ID.

Correctional facility authorities may request extra identification from visitors. These include birth certificates, credit cards with photographs, or other official identification documents. 

Visits that need special accommodation requires prospective visitors to first get permission from jail wardens. The following are examples of such visits: 

  • Where there are more than two adult visitors.
  • Visits that involve the elderly and others with special needs who need extra supervision.
  • Where the visit will last longer than two hours.

The visiting hours and restrictions for Texas County and city prisons differ from one municipality to the next. As such, ensure you check with the jail, sheriff’s office, or police department of the county/city website for information on visiting hours before making a visit to one of these institutions. 

Visitor and Vehicle Searches  

It is mandatory for visitors and vehicles to undergo searches before entering Texas prison facilities. All adults will be subject to a metal detector screening per the agency’s policies before entering the facility. Additionally, will undertake pat searchers on the visitors. However, these officers must conduct these searches on visitors of the same gender.  

Moreover, the TDCJ facilities ensure that visitors undergo screening at a covered spot during severe weather. It is important to note that the TDCJ personnel does not conduct pat searches on children under the age of 18. Instead, they use a portable metal detector or a walkthrough metal detector. Furthermore, parents, guardians, or accompanying adults are responsible for verifying that visiting minors do not have contraband before visiting any facility. Moreover, any visitor who refuses to participate in a search process will be denied access to the premises.  

These search procedures will be available at every check-in point into the facility. These procedures are in both English and Spanish languages.  

Sending Correspondence to Texas Inmates 

Friends and family members of Texas convicts are urged to connect with them via letter-writing campaigns regularly. All communication, except legal mail, is subject to examination and searches for the presence of contraband. 

Additionally, inmates have no authorization to send letters to other inmates unless for family members. They must also have the consent of the prison warden before doing so. The inmates also cannot communicate in any way with the victim of their crimes and the victim’s family. 

Convicts may also receive photos that are 4″x6″ in size. However, there is a prohibition for Polaroid photographs due to their security threat. Similarly, the guidelines of TDCJ prohibit pictures that portray nudity, sexually explicit content, or any connection to gang activity (including tattoos and hand gestures).  

It is also permissible for offenders to receive certain stationary goods directly from a reputable merchant or stationery provider. However, different facilities may have different guidelines on receiving these items. As such, it is best to check with the facility directly before sending. 

Address Layout  

TDCJ recommends that individuals should use the following format when sending correspondence:  

  • Inmate’s Name and TDCJ Number.
  • Incarceration Facility or Unit Name.
  • Street or PO Box Addresses.
  • Zip Code, State, City.

Recently, jail officials have granted inmates confined in a Texas jail access to electronic messaging services. However, inmates do not have access to the internet. Jpay is responsible for offering these services. The company ensures that they print the e-messages as mailroom messages and that correctional officers give them to the prisoner by ordinary mail. Jpay charges a small fee for these services, deductible from the inmate’s fund account.