Pennsylvania Inmate Search

Pennsylvania currently has around 40,000 inmates in its state-run correctional facilities. According to the state's Department of Corrections (DOC), over 37,000 males and females are held in one of Pennsylvania's correctional facilities across the state. As reported in an annual statistical report by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Cameron, Fulton, Jefferson, and Venango Counties rank as some of the counties with the highest incarceration rate. The incarceration rates in these counties are about 707.8, 663.5, 660.4, and 645.5, respectively, per 100,000 residents.

Inmates incarcerated within the Pennsylvania prison system may be located by conducting inmate searches using reliable inmate search tools or resources. These tools are especially handy in helping friends and families keep in touch with their loved ones in prisons or jails. In addition, they reveal the incarceration status of inmates, which allows their families to have up-to-date details about them and offer support where possible.

What is Pennsylvania Inmate Lookup?

Pennsylvania inmate lookup provides important information about inmates incarcerated in prisons and jails throughout the state. It is often conducted using reliable tools like the state Department of Corrections Inmate and Parolee Locator, which allows Pennsylvania inmates to search by name and inmate number. The Pennsylvania Inmate and Parolee Locator helps interested individuals access certain information, including offenses, location, and status, about each inmate currently under the DOC's jurisdiction.

In Pennsylvania, inmate lookup is vital for finding incarcerated individuals, especially as inmates may be moved between correctional facilities. It improves transparency in the DOC's operations, as it provides access to inmate records and sometimes allows members of the public to track inmates' court cases. Furthermore, inmate search tools may assist legal professionals find essential details that can help them in representing their clients who are incarcerated in correctional facilities.

What Information Can You Find in a Pennsylvania Inmate Search?

Members of the public who conduct inmate searches in Pennsylvania will generally find the following details in the search results:

• Inmate's full name
• Inmate number
• Height
• Age
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Complexion
• Committing county
• Current incarceration location
• Permanent incarceration location
• Citizenship
• Inmate's image (mugshot)

How Are Inmate Records in Pennsylvania Created and Stored?

The creation of inmate records is initiated when someone is arrested. The arresting officer first fills out a RAP sheet which contains the suspect's name, address, phone number, physical description, mug shot, and details of their crime. Then as the person moves through the justice system, their file is updated daily. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) is the government agency in charge of all facilities and inmate records for the state. They keep all inmate records online and searchable so that anyone can perform an inmate lookup anytime.

What Does Pennsylvania's Prison System Look Like?

The Pennsylvania prison system, which includes community correction centers and state correctional institutions, is overseen by the state's Department of Corrections (DOC), which is the largest agency in the state. Currently, Pennsylvania has 23 state inmate correctional institutions and one state motivational boot camp. The DOC also has limited oversight over county jails.

Currently, the Pennsylvania prison system has over 16,00 employees. The Department of Corrections (DOC) personnel is the state's prison system's largest overall cost driver, as it represents around 80% of Pennsylvania's spending for state correctional facilities. Generally, each correctional facility in the state keeps its prison records, which are typically made available upon request.

Types of Correctional Facilities in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has some different types of confinement in the state for felons. First, they have 24 state prisons that hold inmates who have been sentenced to more than a year in prison. The federal government has 10 federal prison facilities holding federal inmates who broke federal laws on Pennsylvania soil. The state has about 14 juvenile detention centers that house youth offenders under the age of 18. Each of the 67 counties has a local county jail run by Sheriff's Offices.

Pennsylvania State Prisons

The state of Pennsylvania has twenty-four state prisons (23 state correctional institutions and one state motivational boot camp). Each one houses different demographics and has units for varying levels of custody. Some are specifically designed for males, some for females, and some for mentally ill inmates. The list of state prisons in Pennsylvania includes the following:

• SCI Frackville
• SCI Chester
• SCI Muncy
• SCI Camp Hill
• SCI Rockview
• SCI Mahanoy
• SCI Pine Grove
• Quehanna Boot Camp
• SCI Greene
• SCI Somerset

Pennsylvania County Jails

Pennsylvania has 67 counties and in each one a county jail run by the local Sheriff's Office. These short-term facilities hold suspects arrested for crimes and pretrial detainees. They also sometimes hold inmates who were sentenced to very short terms in jail. Some of the local Sheriff's Offices have websites of their own with information about how the jails work and who is kept there.

Pennsylvania Juvenile Detention Centers

The state of Pennsylvania has four juvenile detention centers. Two of them operate as forestry camps. These facilities are overseen and managed by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Juvenile Justice Services (BJJS). Their website issues their directive as: "These facilities are designed to provide state-of-the-art treatment, care, and custody services to Pennsylvania's most at-risk youth". The four juvenile detention centers in Pennsylvania are:

• Bucks County Youth Center
• Abraxas Academy
• Montgomery County Youth Center
• Chester Youth Center
• Aspire Youth Center
• Westmoreland County Regional Youth Center

Pennsylvania Community Correctional Facilities

The Bureau of Community Corrections (BCC), a division of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) operates community corrections centers/facilities for actively serving inmates in the Commonwealth to assist them transition back into society. They do so by positively influencing inmates' behavior through professional interactions.

There are two types of community correctional facilities in Pennsylvania:

• Community Corrections Centers (CCC) - These are residential facilities operated by the CCC to provide treatment and residential services to certain reentrants.
• Community Contract Facilities (CCF) - These are operated by public or private entities contracted to provide reentrants with residential housing and services.

The BCC operates 10 community correctional facilities in three different regions, namely Regions 1 (East), Region 2 (Central), and Region 3 (West).

Why are People Incarcerated in Pennsylvania?

Several types of offenses may lead individuals to be incarcerated in Pennsylvania prisons and jails. These are broadly categorized as felonies, misdemeanors, and summary offenses. While summary offenses do not usually carry the weight of the other two, they may still lead a person to jail time in certain cases. Common examples of summary offenses in Pennsylvania include disorderly conduct, shoplifting, public drunkenness, traffic violations, and harassment.

Misdemeanor offenses that lead people to being incarcerated in Pennsylvania are generally categorized as first-, second-, and third-degree misdemeanors. They include stalking, indecent exposure, simple assault that causes bodily injury, criminal mischief, involuntary manslaughter, criminal trespassing, terroristic threats, and possession of a firearm by a minor.

Furthermore, felonies such as sexual assault, unlawful restraint, murder, institutional sexual assault, unauthorized use of an intoxicant, child concealment, and voluntary manslaughter can lead a person to prison in the Commonwealth. Others include burglary, kidnapping, aggravated assault with severe bodily injury, and discharge of a firearm into a structure full of people.

Pennsylvania has a pretrial program known as the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD). This program is generally available to non-violent first-time offenders and is designed to rehabilitate them and give them a chance to avoid potential jail time and a criminal record. Under the program, non-violent first-time offenders are made to complete a period of probation and other requirements. While Pennsylvania makes provisions for this kind of rehabilitative program, the Commonwealth does not hesitate to incarcerate individuals who pose serious risks to public safety.

Pennsylvania's Incarceration Rate and Statistics

Pennsylvania's incarceration rate for year-end 2022 under state prison or local jail jurisdiction was 292per 100,000 total population. The number of Pennsylvania prisoners at the year-end of 2022 was 85,344, from which 37,910 were incarcerated in state prisons, while23,717 were housed in county jails.

Pennsylvania's year-end incarceration rate over a 7-year period

Life After Incarceration in Pennsylvania

One of the state-run prison facilities in Pennsylvania is a work camp that is low-security. Some inmates will go there to transition out of prison back into society, but the rest will simply return home to family and friends. Pennsylvania has a community corrections program that includes the supervisory components of parole and probation but not any halfway houses or other assistance beyond incarceration.

Generally, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections' Bureau of Reentry Coordination has several offices that help facilities prepare inmates for their return home upon release from the correctional centers after incarceration. These include the Divisions of Reentry, Education, and Treatment Services. The Bureau offers inmates multiple treatment programs to help them change their criminal behaviors. In addition, it provides inmates with different job skills to help them avoid committing criminal offenses in the future and prevent going back to prison or jail.

Despite the DOC's effort and dedication in reducing the recidivism rate, Pennsylvania has one of the highest rates of recidivism in the United States at 46%. Ranking 9th in the U.S. in recidivism rate, about 46% of inmates released from the state's correctional facilities typically return to jails or prisons after three years.

How Does Parole Work in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania has an extensive process for parole. To reduce the likelihood of recidivism, they have reentry services and case managers who act as parole officers. When someone is released early from prison, they are supervised by a case manager and required to complete specific tasks. If they violate any of the rules of their parole, they will return to prison until the end of their sentences.

Pennsylvania's Parole Population in 2022

Source - U.S Department of Justice (Probation and Parole in the United States, 2022)

How Does Someone Get Probation in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania judges always have the option of assigning probation rather than prison in a criminal case. When they feel an offender is low-risk, they may allow them to remain free but with some court-ordered rules. Again, they will be supervised by a probation officer, and if they violate any of the court's rules, they will go immediately to prison.

Pennsylvania's Probation Population in 2022

Source - U.S Department of Justice (Probation and Parole in the United States, 2022)