Run a free Utah inmate search now to find details of anyone incarcerated within the state. Both state and federal public records laws allow citizens to locate records of convicts here.
Many of these public records sources offer a search feature that interested parties can use at no cost and don’t need to register for. These databases help the public locate inmates held in either a jail or prison, providing information on each individual and — in some cases — indicating when they’re due for release.
This resource lists some useful public records sources, including online search tools and files that allow people to search for inmates, whichever type of facility they’re housed in. Follow the links and steps in this article to uncover details of any inmate in Utah.
Being Incarcerated in a Jail vs Prison
If someone is being held in custody, they could be in jail or prison. Jails operate on a county or municipal level, being overseen by police departments or county sheriff’s offices, while prisons are run by the Department of Corrections or other state or federal agencies.
Where an inmate resides depends on the crime they’ve committed and their sentence. County and municipal jails typically hold people arrested by police departments within the county boundaries. They may be individuals awaiting trial or those who’ve committed less serious crimes.
Prisons run by the Utah Department of Corrections (UDC) house felons who commit state crimes considered more serious felonies and who have usually received sentences longer than one year.1 The Bureau of Prisons oversees all federal prisons holding criminals convicted of federal offenses.2
Most people who are incarcerated in Utah will spend their time in a county or city jail. With prisons reserved for those who commit state or federal crimes, the number of prison inmates is less.
When performing a statewide inmate search, it’s useful to know what type of crime the offender committed and where they were tried for the crime.
How To Track Down Individuals Held in Utah Jails
Utah has 27 jails in 29 counties. According to the National Institute of Corrections, there were 7,600 people in Utah’s jails in 2020 and 5,446 in the state’s prisons.3
The county jails are usually run by the sheriff’s office, and it’s possible to find information on individuals by conducting an online inmate search. For example, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office provides an Arrested Persons Search Tool.4
Users can search this page by entering the inmate’s name in the form surname, first initial. If the date of the offender’s arrest is known, this can be used to refine the search.
The results page will show a list of matching names as well as the offender’s year of birth, date of incarceration, ID and status. Clicking on a result will show more information about the offender, including details about their appearance, booking and release dates and the charges they were held on.
Individuals will only be recorded 24 hours after they are held.
The Utah County Jail can also be contacted directly for information about inmates. Contact details for the jail are listed below:
County Security Center
3075 North Main
Spanish Fork, UT 84660
Phone: 801-851-4302
In some cases, inmates may be held in a city jail run by the local police department. Interested parties can contact the records division of the police department to ask for information about an inmate.
The West Valley City Police Department does not provide an online search tool for looking up inmates on its website. Contact details for the department are provided below:
West Valley City Police
3577 South Market Street
West Valley City, UT 84119
Telephone: 801-963-3388
To gain more information about an individual arrest and criminal records, searchers may find it beneficial to use third party sites. This resource provides a wealth of information, including contact information for county jails throughout the state and access to searchable databases of current and former inmates.
How To Perform a Free Utah Inmate Search for State Prisoners
The Utah Department of Corrections (UDC) offers an Offender Search Tool that covers the state’s two prisons.5 The tool is free to use and is updated regularly with information about offenders who are currently under the jurisdiction of the Utah Department of Corrections.
To use the search tool, simply enter the first name and last name of the offender. Both of these details are required.
If the offender’s middle name or their offender number is known, these can also be used to refine the search.
If there are any matches for the search details provided, these will be shown in a results tab below the search form. Clicking on a name in the results list will show their offender number, full name and current location, as well as any potential release date and the type of facility they’re in.
This search tool includes information about offenders who are currently on probation or parole. However, it does not cover historic offenders who are no longer under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections.
If the search tools do not provide the information you are seeking, it is good to consider reaching out to the Utah Department of Corrections for additional information.
Utah Department of Corrections
14717 S. Minuteman Dr.
Draper, Utah 84020
Phone: 801-545-5500
Some other useful tools for performing an inmate search in Utah include:
- List of Utah Community Correctional Centers
- Utah State Correctional Facility
- Central Utah Correctional Facility
- Utah Board of Parole & Pardons
- Visitation Information for Utah State Prisons6
- Victim Services Department
- Contact Details of the UDC
- Utah Board of Pardons & Parole
- Contacting an Inmate By Phone or Mail
How To Get Information on Someone in Federal Prison
Federal inmates are managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). It’s possible to perform a statewide inmate search for those held in a federal prison using the Bureau of Prisons’ Find an Inmate Tool.7
This tool allows people to search for inmates using several parameters:
- First Name
- Middle Name
- Last Name
- Race
- Sex
- Age
The BOP records include information about federal inmates who are (or were) incarcerated from 1982 to the present day.
It’s useful to provide as many details as possible as part of the search, especially if the offender has a common name. The tool can show a maximum of up to 100 results.
In addition to searching by name, it’s also possible to find offenders using their BOP Register Number or other similar identifiers, such as their FBI Number.
To find offenders who were incarcerated before 1982, consider searching the National Archives & Records Administration (NARA) or looking for court records on PACER – Public Access to Court Electronic Records.8
The NARA website provides links to some of the prison records available at the national archives, which include some federal penitentiaries, as well as records for former inmates of Alcatraz Island.
PACER provides access to information about federal court cases. Users must register to access records on PACER, and there is a nominal fee for each page of information requested.9
While users must register for PACER, no qualifications are required to access these legal records. They are provided for public interest and should be used ethically and responsibly.
The tools listed above are all useful for carrying out a free Utah inmate search and can help families or loved ones locate someone who has been jailed.
References
1Utah Department of Corrections. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from <https://corrections.utah.gov/about-us-2/>
2Federal Bureau of Prisons. (n.d.). About Our Agency. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from <https://www.bop.gov/about/agency/>
3National Institute of Corrections. (2020). Utah 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from <https://nicic.gov/resources/nic-library/state-statistics/2020/utah-2020>
4Utah County Sheriff’s Office. (2024). Inmate Search. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from <https://sheriff.utahcounty.gov/corrections/inmateSearch>
5Utah Department of Corrections. (2024). Offender Search. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from <https://corrections.utah.gov/offender-search/>
6Utah Department of Corrections. (n.d.). Visit an Inmate. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from <https://corrections.utah.gov/visit-an-inmate/>
7Federal Bureau of Prisons. (2024). Inmate Locator. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from <https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/>
8Public Access to Court Electronic Records. (2024). Find a Case. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from <https://pacer.uscourts.gov/find-case>
9Public Access to Court Electronic Records. (n.d.). PACER Pricing: How fees work. Retrieved March 19, 2024, from <https://pacer.uscourts.gov/pacer-pricing-how-fees-work>