Ohio Inmate Search: How to Perform an Ohio Department of Correction Inmate Search

Ohio has thirty correctional facilities; these facilities are divided into three regions: the North Region, the Specialty Region, and the South Region. 

They house inmates with varying levels of security, and some only house women. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction oversees and manages the entire enterprise.

In Ohio, around 51,000 individuals are imprisoned in state prisons. Another 19,000 are housed in county jails, with another 5,500 in federal prisons.

The state contains a large number of local county jails that house pretrial inmates as well as those serving brief terms. The county and local law enforcement are in charge of these institutions.

Ohio Inmate Search: General Information

Inmate records are deemed public information under Ohio Revised Code 149.43 (A) (Ohio's Public Records Law). 

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, as well as local correctional organizations in charge of Ohio inmate data, are required by law to make records of jailed people available to interested parties upon request. 

To request or conduct an Ohio inmate search, requesters are not required to reveal their identities.

The Ohio public records legislation allows interested parties to learn about previous and present incarcerated individuals, such as an inmate's custody status. 

However, not all inmate data in Ohio are available to the public. For example, juvenile inmate records are not made public (Ohio Revised Code 149.43 (A)(1l). Exemptions also apply to detainee records deemed hazardous to public safety.

Here we will examine how to perform an inmate search in Ohio, and how you can find information about persons who are incarcerated in the state's penal system:

Ohio Inmate Search: Offline Search

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction

Performing an offline Ohio inmate search can be done by contacting the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's (ODRC) Bureau of Records Management. Here are the steps you can follow:

1. Obtain the necessary information about the inmate you wish to search. This may include their full name, birth date, and/or their offender number (if you have it).

2. Contact the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's Bureau of Records Management by phone or mail. The phone number for the Bureau of Records Management is (614) 752-1074. Their mailing address is:

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction,
Bureau of Records Management,
770 West Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43222

Give the Bureau of Records Management the information it needs about the inmate you want to look up. They will be able to tell you things like the inmate's present location, sentence length, and release date.

Please keep in mind that if you are conducting a prisoner search for the purpose of employment or housing, you may need to obtain a signed release form from the offender in order to access their information.

Ohio Online Inmate Search

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's

You can search for inmate records online in Ohio through the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's (ODRC) Offender Search website. Here are the steps you can follow:

1. Go to the ODRC Offender Search website at http://www.drc.ohio.gov/OffenderSearch.

2. Enter the required search criteria such as the inmate's first and last name, offender number (if known), or state identification number (SID).

3. You can also search by specifying other criteria such as race, gender, age range, and location.

4. Once you have entered your search criteria, click on the "Search" button.

5. The search results will display a list of inmates that match your search criteria, along with their photo, name, offender number, and location.

6. Click on an inmate's name to view their details such as their sentence length, offense, sentence start date, and release date.

County Sherriff's Offices

On their websites, certain county sheriff's offices in Ohio also feature online inmate search capabilities. Here are some broad measures you can take:

1. Go to the sheriff's office website for the county where you suspect the inmate is housed. You may usually locate this by searching for the county name and "sheriff's office."

2. On the sheriff's office website, look for a link or tab labeled "Inmate Search" or "Jail Roster."

3. To access the online inmate search tool, click on the link.

4 . Enter the necessary information, such as the inmate's first and last name, booking date, and booking number (if available). 
Other search criteria, such as race, gender, age range, and geography, are also available.

5. After entering your search criteria, click the "Search" button.

6. The search results will show a list of convicts that meet your criteria, as well as their photo, name, booking number, and location.

7. Click on the name of an inmate to see their charges, bond amount, court date, and next court appearance.

Please keep in mind that not all Ohio county sheriff's offices have an online inmate search tool, and the information supplied may be incomplete or out of date. 

If you need official and comprehensive information, contact the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction's Bureau of Records Management by phone or mail, as suggested in my previous responses.