How to Send Money to an Inmate in a Prison or Jail
Table of Contents
What is North Carolina Inmate Search?
The North Carolina inmate search generally returns offender information in North Carolina after the search. The state's Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) provides the public with various online tools for accessing inmate information. These include the Offender Public Information Search, Automated System Query (ASQ), and NC SAVAN SEARCH. Interested individuals may also obtain offender information from the NCDAC by email and phone.
Are Inmate Search Records Open to the Public in North Carolina?
Yes. According to the North Carolina Public Records Law, North Carolina jail records are open to the public for viewing or copying. Chapter 148 of the North Carolina General Statutes compels the NCDAC to collect, classify, and maintain the records of inmates incarcerated in the state correctional facilities. While some information on the records is available online, specific sensitive details may only be accessible to law enforcement officers and excluded from the public. Such information includes personal identifying numbers, medical records, and criminal investigations.
How To Perform North Carolina Inmate Lookup
Members of the public may perform inmate lookups in state prisons through the NCDAC Offender Search portal. They will need the offender status, inmate names, offender number, gender, race, ethnic group, birth date, or age range. The search will return results of only offenders who match all the search criteria. Interested individuals may also generate reports about prisons or offenders on parole or probation from the NCDAC Administrative Analysis.
How To Search for an Inmate in North Carolina
The simplest way to locate an inmate on the NCDAC Offender Search portal is to enter their offender number (if known) or partial or complete name. Next, click the search button to proceed. Since the search portal will select only those offenders who match all the search criteria, users may filter with additional information, such as offender status, gender, race, ethnic group, birth date, and age range, to improve the search process.
Clicking on the "offender number" reveals more information about the inmate. The information shown includes the offender's number, inmate status, most recent incarceration summary, sentence history, mug shots, and most recent period of incarceration record. The offender search portal also includes information on released inmates, absconders, and captured inmates.
You may also query the NCDAC database and create custom offender reports (ASQ) based on different criteria. The ASQ tool returns count and demographic information on offenders but not specific offender identities.
Furthermore, you may look for inmate information in North Carolina by contacting the NCDAC by phone or email. Individuals wishing to obtain inmate records may also complete the online Public Records Request Form. Completed forms should be submitted by mail or in person to the NCDAC at:
NC Department of Adult Correction
5201 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699
Phone: (919) 733-2126
Once you submit a request, a staff member will contact the requester within three business days to acknowledge the request. If you want a prompt response to your request, you must give more details, like the inmate's full name, date of birth, and offender number, as much as possible to assist the DAC staff.
How To Conduct a Free Inmate Search in North Carolina
North Carolina inmate records are generally accessible online for free on the NCDAC's offender search portal. Reliable third-party services, like RecordsFinder, also allow the public to conduct North Carolina Inmate searches for free. Although these services are free, users may incur a specific fee for access to more comprehensive inmate records.
How To Find a Federal Inmate in North Carolina
The Federal Bureau of Prison (BOP) provides an inmate locator that enables users to find information about federal prisoners incarcerated in North Carolina through their name or BOP register number. North Carolina has two federal correctional facilities designed to house federal inmates.
What Can You Find with State of North Carolina Inmate Search
When an individual performs an inmate search for North Carolina inmates, they may find the following information:
- Offender Number
- Inmate's full name (first, last, and middle name)
- Gender
- Race
- Birth Date
- Age
- Photo
- Inmate Status
- Ethnic Group
- Incarcerated Status
- Admission Date
- Probation Sentences
- Supervision Conditions
- Offender Sentence History
Jail and Inmate Search in North Carolina
The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction oversees a prison population of approximately 30,000 inmates distributed across 53 facilities throughout the state. As of December 31, 2022, at least 18,151 inmates were held in the state's county jails, and by January 2025, there were about 31,311 inmates in state prisons.
The average daily population at youth detention centers statewide in 2023 was 363 youth offenders. The federal prison facilities in North Carolina, specifically Butner FCC and Raleigh RRM, currently accommodate 16,744 inmates. North Carolina has an incarceration rate of 559 per 100,000 population, which is lower than the national average of 614 per 100,000 in the United States.
Approximately 50% of inmates in state-run prisons are Black, while 41% are White. At least 6% of the population consists of Hispanics, while other races make up 3%. In addition to those incarcerated in North Carolina jails and prisons, the NCDAC oversees 63,227 probationers and 12,154 inmates on parole or post-release.
Criminal Justice Quick Facts
North Carolina Imprisonment Rate * (per 100,000 population)
559
Probation Population
63,227
Parole/post-release Population
12,154
Racial Disparity in Incarceration Rate
Black: White Ratio: 3.9:1
Hispanic: White Ratio: 0.9:1
Juvenile Custody Rate (per 100,000 juveniles)
38
Disenfranchised Population
69,888 (0.90%)
Disenfranchised African Americans
31,480 (1.89%)
Disenfranchised Hispanic/Latino Americans
4,293 (1.11%)
* North Carolina's incarceration rate includes statistics for prisons, jails, immigration detentions, and juvenile justice facilities.
North Carolina Parole Population
Paroles per 100,000 Population (2022)
Nationwide
267
North Carolina
115
Parole Total Population in North Carolina (2022)
Nationwide
698,820
North Carolina
9,710
Parole Entries and Exits (2022)
Entries
9,490
Exits
10,100
Change in 2022, in Percentage and Number
Percent
-0.20%
Number
-20
Number on Parole per 100,000 U.S. Adult Residents
Decreased by
267
North Carolina Prisons
The Divisions of Institutions under the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction oversees 53 prisons classified into four regions in the state. There are also 93 jails in 100 counties in North Carolina. The department has an annual budget of over $2 billion and a staff of almost 20,000 employees. The current inmate population includes 12,132 in jail and 31,405 in prison.
The NCDAC is also responsible for 63,172 probationers and 1,356 inmates released on parole. Based on 100,000 residents, North Carolina's incarceration rate is 559 per 100,000 people, the violent crime rate is 412.8, and the property crime rate is 2,176.8. It costs NCDAC $148.67 daily to cater to each inmate.
| Prison Name | Prison Type |
|---|---|
| Albemarle Correctional Institution | State Prison |
| Alexander Correctional Institution | State Prison |
| Anson Correctional Institution - Female | State Prison |
| Avery Mitchell Correctional Institution | State Prison |
| Bertie Correctional Institution | State Prison |
| Butner FMC | Federal Prison |
| Butner Low FCI | Federal Prison |
| Butner Medium I FCI | Federal Prison |
| Butner Medium II FCI | Federal Prison |
| Caldwell Correctional Center | State Prison |
| Carteret Correctional Center | State Prison |
| Caswell Correctional Center | State Prison |
| Catawba Correctional Center | State Prison |
| Central Prison | State Prison |
| Columbus Correctional Institution | State Prison |
Frequently Asked Questions
The following are some frequently asked questions about inmate search in North Carolina with their answers:
Why Is an Inmate Not Showing Up in Search?
An inmate's information may not appear in a North Carolina inmate search if the inmate is incarcerated in a correctional facility other than an NCDAC-run prison facility. In this case, such inmate information may be found by contacting the holding facility directly, such as city jails, county jails, or federal prisons.
Also, entering inaccurate search criteria on the NCDAC's Offender Search portal may not return information about the inmate whose information is sought even if they are incarcerated in a state prison.
If you cannot find an inmate in a North California inmate search, double-check the search criterion to ensure there are no spelling errors. Contact the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction if the issue persists despite entering the correct search parameter.
How Can I Check If Someone Is in Jail in North Carolina?
You can check if someone is in jail in North Carolina by doing any of the following:
- Conduct an inmate search on the NCDAC's Offender Search portal or NC SAVAN Search portal.
- Contact the NCDAC by email or telephone to enquire if someone is incarcerated in a state-run prison.
- Reach out to the relevant city or county jails for inquiries.
- Contact the local law enforcement office or sheriff's office.
How Can I Conduct a North Carolina Prison Inmate Search?
You may search for North Carolina prison inmates online using NCDAC's Offender Search portal and the NC SAVAN Search portal. You may also contact the department by email or phone for inmate search. Reputable third-party inmate record search platforms like RecordsFinder are also helpful for inmate search in North Carolina.
