Run a Free North Dakota Inmate Search: Incarcerated Lookup

Conduct a free North Dakota inmate search and learn about any inmate’s location, charges, sentencing, and more.

Generally, an inmate is a person who’s been incarcerated in a county jail, state prison, or federal facility. With the right information (i.e., agency, inmate name, etc.), finding a particular inmate in North Dakota is an efficient and seamless process.

The information provided in this resource gives citizens a clear and streamlined method of locating North Dakota inmates regardless of the type of facility where they’re being held.

Detained in Jail vs Prison

Before one can locate an inmate, they’ll need to know whether the incarcerated person is in a North Dakota county jail, state prison, or federal prison. County jails are overseen by sheriff’s offices throughout North Dakota.

They are responsible for holding and reporting people who’ve been arrested and incarcerated anywhere within the county’s jurisdiction.

For the most part, this includes individuals who are awaiting sentencing or serving time that’s less than one year. Further, arrestees who have been charged with more severe state crimes (i.e., murder, armed robbery, etc.) will likely be housed in a North Dakota county jail until a verdict is reached on their trial.

State prisons, on the other hand, hold inmates who’ve been officially convicted of state crimes. Once they’ve been convicted, the individual is then transferred to one of the four adult facilities located in North Dakota, which are run by the North Dakota Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (ND DOCR).¹

Federal prisons are reserved for those convicted of federal crimes and are run by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP).² However, in many cases, the federal government also houses inmates awaiting trial in county or state facilities. For the most part, county jails typically hold the highest number of inmates, followed by state prisons, and then federal prisons.

Below, you’ll find various methods of performing an inmate search in North Dakota and how to do so efficiently and effectively.

How To Conduct a North Dakota Jail Inmate Lookup

North Dakota has 53 counties. When someone’s either been arrested or is in custody within a county facility, there are two ways you can locate them.

First, searchers can directly contact a North Dakota county jail or sheriff’s office and inquire about an inmate’s whereabouts. Secondly, each county in North Dakota uploads, maintains, and regularly updates its online inmate search tool.

For example, here’s how a person can learn more information about an inmate in Fargo, North Dakota (located in Cass County):

1. Call 701-241-5799 to find out if someone is currently located within the Cass County jail system – It’s available 24 hours a day, OR
2. View the official inmate roster that’s regularly updated by county officials.³

Once on the current inmate roster page, interested parties can look for all inmates or North Dakota court inmates – which includes individuals with new charges.

Further, record seekers can sort and search the database by inmate name, date of birth, booking date, jurisdiction they were arrested, charges, status (i.e., appeared, released by court, sent to prison, etc.), and release date, if applicable.

It’s important to note that arrestees who stay in the custody of the Cass County Sheriff’s Department after arraignment will still be housed within a Cass County jail after they go to court.^{4, 5}

How To Perform a Free North Dakota Inmate Search for State Prisoners

If seeking information about an inmate that’s currently housed in one of the four state facilities, record retrievers can use the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (ND DOCR) website’s Resident Lookup tool.⁶

Finding a particular inmate requires the full last name or at least the starting letters of the last name of the incarcerated person.

When the list of inmates that match the criteria appears, the person locating the prisoner can use other identifiable information (First Name, Middle Name, Date of Birth, ID Number, etc) to find the exact records needed. If only the starting initial of an inmate’s last name is known, searchers can also type that and sift through the data to find the individual they’re looking for.

After clicking on a specific record, the page will reveal the inmate’s mugshot (if available), estimated release date, facility where they’re located, and phone number of the corrections center. Further, if necessary, record seekers can Register for Victim Notification via VINElink to learn when an offender’s custody status changes.

Below are a few additional resources for those conducting a North Dakota inmate lookup throughout the state prison system:

• Resources for family members of incarcerated individuals in North Dakota
• Victim notification for individuals victimized by juvenile offenders
• Up-to-date list of adult correctional facilities
• Bismarck Transition Center contact information
• Centre, Inc. Residential Transitional facility information
• List of parole & probation offices in North Dakota⁷
• Parole Board results (updated monthly)

Lastly, it’s important to note that an inmate who’s housed in a North Dakota Correctional Facility, but was sentenced outside of the state won’t show up in the search results. Similarly, individuals who were sentenced to the ND DOCR but are currently incarcerated in another state don’t show up on these searches either.

For example, suppose an individual was convicted of a North Dakota felony offense, but are currently serving a sentence in another state. In that case, searchers will have to use that particular state’s resources to locate the individual.

How To Find Inmates in Federal Prison

If locating a person that’s incarcerated in any federal facilities, the best tool is the ‘Find an Inmate’ search resource offered by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).⁸ There are two ways to locate a federal inmate using this tool. Searchers can find an inmate by name or by number.

If searching by number, the inmates BOP, DCDC, FBI, or INS number is required.

When looking for an inmate by name, their first and last name (at minimum) are necessary. However, an inmate’s middle name, race, sex, and age can be incorporated in the search to make the record easier to find. It’s essential to note that the BOP website only shares information about federal prisoners from 1982 to the present date.

Once the searcher has located the inmate, additional information can be viewed about the incarcerated person, including their register number, age, sex, release date, and location.

Federal prisoners who were incarcerated before that date can be found through the National Archives & Records Administration (NARA) and Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) – which may also contain older federal court cases and information.⁹ This system isn’t free, and there are usually fees associated with PACER searches.

While it’s not incredibly expensive, the costs can add up, especially if there are many searches conducted. However, searchers can cut a lot of those costs by searching for case numbers (instead of party name), using the docket report filters, and locating specific court records.

These free North Dakota inmate search tools are excellent resources that can be used for various purposes; they can be especially helpful for family members, former inmates, victims of inmates, reporters, and the like.¹¹