North Dakota Inmate Search

North Dakota currently operates five statewide prison facilities, with a combined operational capacity of 1,886 inmates. As of 2022, the facilities hold 1,817 inmates statewide, and this figure is estimated to continue an upward trend. Likewise, North Dakota county jails have a combined operational capacity of about 1,715 inmates, with a jail population of 1,283 inmates as of 2022. Accounting for about 315, 190, and 170 inmates, Cass, Grand Forks, and Ward counties, respectively, have the highest inmate population in North Dakota.

An inmate search tool is a platform interested persons may use to obtain information about persons currently held in a North Dakota prison or jail facility. It provides helpful information about the inmate, such as their charges, the facility they are being held up in, and their release date. This way, an inmate's friends and family can stay in touch with them and keep tabs on their incarceration status.

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR) maintains a Resident Lookup portal through which interested persons can conduct an inmate search in North Dakota.

What is North Dakota Inmate Lookup?

North Dakota inmate lookup involves checking the list of inmates currently held in any of the state's prison facilities. It also includes searching for information on a specific inmate. Interested persons may look up an inmate through the DOCR's Resident Lookup portal, the North Dakota VINELink, or contact the Department at (701) 328-6390 for further directions. Note that the portal does not contain information on individuals incarcerated in out-of-state facilities or who were sentenced out of state.

Inmate lookup services are crucial to the North Dakota justice and correctional system, as they improve transparency in the operation of correctional facilities and the incarceration of individuals. Notably, interested persons can obtain information on an offender's charges, their expected date of release, and court dates. An offender's victim can also register for victim notification, which enables them to receive key updates on the offender's status, such as their release, escape, or death.

Since inmate lookup tools provide information on the specific facility an offender is held up in, friends and family can contact the facility and inquire about visitation schedules and other allowances. This way, they can stay in touch with their loved one who is an inmate, and maintain a bond with them, reducing the inmate's risk of solitude and withdrawal from society. This can also improve the inmate's chances of getting well-adjusted into society after their release.

What Information Can You Find in a North Dakota Inmate Search?

Interested members of the public may conduct inmate searches in North Dakota, which typically provides the following information about the inmate:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Custody status
• Correctional facility of incarceration's location
• Inmate's ID number
• Gender
• Estimated release date

How Are Inmate Records in North Dakota Created and Stored?

In North Dakota, inmate records begin when someone is arrested. The arresting officer fills out a RAP sheet which contains the suspect's name, address, physical description, and crime details. After that, as the individual moves through the justice system from jail, a hearing, trial, and then to prison, his or her inmate records are updated daily with everything that takes place.

The North Dakota Corrections and Rehabilitation Department is the agency in charge of inmate records. They keep them online and searchable in a massive database so all forms of law enforcement and the public can conduct an inmate lookup for information on an inmate within the system. Interested persons can conduct the inmate lookup by utilizing the Resident Lookup portal or the North Dakota VINELink.

What Does North Dakota's Prison System Look Like?

North Dakota's state prison system comprises 5 state-run correctional institutions overseen by the state's DOCR. These facilities offer custody services, care, and programming for individuals under DOCR's supervision, preparing them for seamless re-entry into society upon release. North Dakota prison records indicate that the operational capacity of state-run prisons is mostly for male inmates, with slightly over 10% of the operational capacity designated for female inmates.

Nearly 1,000 employees work in the various state-run prison facilities across North Dakota. As of 2023, prison records show that the North Dakota prison system under the DOCR had an operational capacity of 1,886 inmates and admitted 1,431 inmates. State-run correctional facilities in North Dakota are categorized into varying security levels, namely maximum, medium-security, and minimum low and community custody prisons.

The minimum-security prisons in North Dakota generally hold inmates who pose no significant security risk, while inmates in community custody are usually held in facilities that facilitate preparations for their impending release. Although inmates incarcerated in medium-security prisons in North Dakota may have demonstrated a readiness to adhere to institutional rules, they may still pose a security risk. On the other hand, the maximum-security correctional facilities in the state hold inmates who need direct and constant supervision and pose a severe security risk.

Types of Correctional Facilities in North Dakota

The state of North Dakota has 5 state prisons. Each houses a different demographic and has specific levels of custody. The North Dakota DOCR oversees each of these facilities along with the reentry programs and services. The North Dakota Division of Juvenile Services (DJS) oversees the eight regional community-based services offices located statewide that house and educate youth offenders. North Dakota has no federal prisons holding inmates who have violated federal laws. Many counties in North Dakota also have county jails to hold suspects awaiting trial.

North Dakota State Prisons

North Dakota has 5 state prisons. Each serves a different demographic and has various custody levels. A couple of facilities also offer mental health and substance abuse treatment. Below is the list of all prison facilities in North Dakota:

• North Dakota State Penitentiary
• James River Correctional Center
• Missouri River Correctional Center
• Heart River Correctional Center
• Dakota Women's Correctional and Rehabilitation Center

North Dakota County Jails

North Dakota has 23 county jails, and these jails are operated and managed by local county Sheriff's Offices and the DOCR. Local jails hold pretrial detainees and inmates who have been sentenced to short-term stays for their punishment. Many of the local Sheriff's Offices and police stations have jail inmate search portals where members of the public may look up individuals incarcerated in county jail facilities and check jail records. North Dakota county jails are listed below:

• Adams County Court Holding
• Barnes County Correctional Center
• Bottineau County Correction Center
• Burleigh County Sheriff's Department Court holding
• Cass County Jail
• Cavalier County Jail
• Grand Forks County Correctional Center
• Lake Region Law Enforcement Center
• McKenzie County Correctional Facility
• McLean County Detention Center
• Mercer County Jail
• Morton County Sheriff's Department Court Holding
• Mountrail County Correctional Center
• Pembina County Correction Center
• Pierce County Jail
• Richland County Jail
• Rolette County Law Enforcement Center
• Stark County Court Holding
• Stutsman County Correctional Center
• Traill County Correctional Facility
• Walsh County Correctional Center
• Ward County Detention Center
• Williams County Correctional Center

North Dakota Juvenile Detention Centers

The North Dakota Division of Juvenile Services (DJS) is the agency in charge of juvenile justice and oversees all youth detention centers in the state. These facilities hold and oversee persons who have been adjudicated as youthful offenders, delinquents, or placed in the North Dakota Youth Correctional Center or other DJS detention programs while awaiting a future court date. They provide education, rehabilitation, victim services, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services. The juvenile detention facility in North Dakota is the North Dakota Youth Correctional Center.

The DJS also operates regional offices in 8 cities across the state, facilitating the delivery of correctional case management services, individualized plans for treatment and rehabilitation for each youth, and correctional assessment. The regional offices include:

• Lake Region DJS Office
• North Central DJS Office
• Northeast DJS Office
• Northwest DJS Office
• South Central DJS Office
• Southeast DJS Office
• Southwest DJS Office
• West Central DJS Office

Individuals interested in conducting juvenile inmate searches in North Dakota may contact each of the DJS offices.

North Dakota Community Correctional Facilities

The DOCR oversees the state's community correctional facilities and generally operates under two major initiatives. These are the statewide network of Community Justice Support Centers (CJSC) and the Trial Court Community Service Program.

The Trial Court Community Service Program maintains public safety by organizing closely monitored community work services as an intermediate sanction to the state criminal justice system.

While attendance at the Community Justice Support Centers (CJSC) may be a condition of pre-release supervision or parole, it is typically ordered by the court per N.D. Cent. Code § 12.1-32-07 of the North Dakota Century Code. There are several community support centers across the state, including the Bismarck Transition Center and the Centre, Inc., and the programs at the CJSCs are designed to improve participating offenders' lives and help them avoid further involvement in the state's criminal justice system.

Why are People Incarcerated in North Dakota?

In North Dakota, offenses for which individuals may be incarcerated are largely categorized into three: crimes against persons, crimes against property, and crimes against society. Crimes against persons are typically considered to be violent crimes. They include murder, negligent manslaughter, aggravated assault, human trafficking offenses, and certain sexual offenses, such as rape and sexual assault with an object. These offenses generally result in incarceration.

On the other hand, most crimes against society and some crimes against property are generally considered to be nonviolent. They include drug violations, gambling, pornography, prostitution, counterfeiting, fraud, and bribery. Despite their designation as non-violent, these are offenses for which an individual may be incarcerated.

In certain cases, the North Dakota criminal system prioritizes and directs offenders to rehabilitative programs, especially for non-violent offenses. This is partly due to space constraints in the state's correctional facilities, which have exceeded their maximum operational capacity. This rationale was outlined in the Prioritization Plan mandated by the Sixty-fifth North Dakota Legislative Assembly.

Essentially, the DOCR may refuse to admit sentenced inmates if such admission will burden the operational capacity of its facilities. Based on the Prioritization Plan, offenders convicted of violent Class AA, A, and B felonies, which are highly violent crimes, will be prioritized for prison admissions. Offenders convicted of non-violent crimes, such as alcohol-related offenses, are typically placed under rehabilitation or supervisory programs instead, such as the 24/7 Sobriety Program.

Anyone interested in conducting an inmate search to find out why a person is being incarcerated in a North Dakota correctional facility can look up the inmate on the DOCR's Resident Lookup portal or North Dakota's VINELink. The state's DOCR generally promotes public safety by incarcerating violent offenders and providing programming and care in preparation for inmates' successful reentry into society. In addition, its focus on rehabilitating non-violent offenders, besides space constraints, ensures that they are effectively reintegrated into society and receive helpful intervention where necessary.

North Dakota's Incarceration Rate and Statistics

North Dakota recorded the lowest incarceration rate in 2020 in recent years. As of December 2020, the rate of incarceration in the state was 180 persons per 100,000 total population, with about 1,401 inmates in the custody of the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. This was a 21.9% decline from year-end 2019 when the state had about 1,794 inmates in custody.

The table below shows North Dakota's year-end incarceration rate over a 7-year period.

Life After Incarceration in North Dakota

Inmates released from North Dakota prisons and jails generally go home to family or friends. Although the state has a healthy parole and probation program, they do not have any reentry facilities to hold inmates while they transition back into society. The state does, however, offer reentry programs and re-entry planning for inmates who have already been released to help with things like finding employment and housing, drug or alcohol issues, and mental health treatment.

Notably, the state also collaborates with non-profit organizations to expand the scope and opportunities of reentry programs. For example, while the DHHS focuses on providing support in the areas of behavioral health, the ND Job Service and the F5 Project focus on assisting formerly incarcerated individuals with job placements and entering into the workforce upon their release.

Despite these reentry efforts, the recidivism rate in North Dakota is 40%, which is fairly on the high side. This means that about 40% of inmates released from the state's correctional facilities commit a repeat offense, and some of them are returned to prison after their subsequent arrest.

How Does Parole Work in North Dakota?

The North Dakota parole board reviews each inmate's progress, and when they feel a prisoner is rehabilitated and not a danger to society, they may release them early before finishing their sentence. When this happens, the inmate is given a list of stipulations they must comply with. If the inmate does not check in regularly with their parole officer or violates any of the other rules, they will return to prison to finish their sentences. As of December 2022, the North Dakota parole population stood at 720.

North Dakota Parole Population in 2022

How Does Someone Get Probation in North Dakota?

Probation is a supervisory program where a North Dakota judge can order probation instead of prison. This privilege is most often given to first-time or low-risk offenders. Again, these individuals do have to comply with a list of court-ordered rules. If they fail to meet with the probation officer or complete any of the other terms of their probation, it will be revoked, and they will immediately go to prison. About 6,080 individuals were on probation in North Dakota as of year-end 2022.

North Dakota Probation Population in 2022