# How to find my friend in jail? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-my-friend-in-jail/425843 "2007-11-09T22:53:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-my-friend-in-jail/425843/1 "2007-11-09T22:53:42Z")
I had a buddy in Air Force boot camp who I haven’t talked to in a long-ass time. Last I heard from him, he was “going to jail, soon” because he had “done something real bad”. I didn’t get any details, and I assumed he meant “I have a trial coming soon, and I don’t have much of a case”, but ever since then his number is disabled so I think he was speaking literally. :smack: Well, I really want to find a way to get back in touch with this guy. I think he’d be somewhere in Iowa or near Corpus Christi, Texas. Anyone know how I can go about finding out which jail he’s in and how to contact him? ---
**Author:** ![xiix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d6d6ee/32.png) [@xiix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xiix)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-my-friend-in-jail/425843/2 "2007-11-09T22:56:30Z")
You could always try committing a crime in Iowa or near Corpus Christi and hoping you get slotted into the right facility? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-my-friend-in-jail/425843/3 "2007-11-09T23:01:42Z")
You could try [Prison Search](http://www.ancestorhunt.com/prison_search.htm)? > [@](#): > > Search for prison inmates, prisoners, prison records and offender records at state correctional institutions, county jails and prisons with these free prison inmate search engines & prison inmate locators. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-my-friend-in-jail/425843/4 "2007-11-09T23:22:47Z")
Texas: [http://168.51.178.33/webapp/TDCJ/index2.htm](http://168.51.178.33/webapp/TDCJ/index2.htm) Iowa: [http://www.doc.state.ia.us/OffenderInfo.asp](http://www.doc.state.ia.us/OffenderInfo.asp) These will find those in the prison system. If the guy’s really in jail, he’ll be a lot harder to find. This link [http://www.ancestorhunt.com/county-jail-inmates-search.htm](http://www.ancestorhunt.com/county-jail-inmates-search.htm) from the site **Kimstu** linked seems to be a pretty complete index of search engines. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-my-friend-in-jail/425843/5 "2007-11-09T23:25:02Z")
Do those sites show records of people who were in jail but have been released? ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-my-friend-in-jail/425843/6 "2007-11-09T23:43:51Z")
Generally not. The ones that I checked didn’t anyway. Here is a good guide to finding criminal records and inmate information: [http://www.virtualchase.com/topics/criminal\_records.shtml](http://www.virtualchase.com/topics/criminal_records.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-my-friend-in-jail/425843/7 "2007-11-09T23:44:11Z")
No luck with any of the tools provided so far. ETA: This was before **Gfactor** ’s post. I’ll let you all know how it works. Thanks for everything so far, guys! ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-my-friend-in-jail/425843/8 "2007-11-09T23:47:10Z")
You can search for Iowa criminal case filings here: [http://www.iowacourts.state.ia.us/ESAWebApp/TrialSimpFrame](http://www.iowacourts.state.ia.us/ESAWebApp/TrialSimpFrame) ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-my-friend-in-jail/425843/9 "2007-11-09T23:59:11Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] Do those sites show records of people who were in jail but have been released? [/QUOTE] A lot of the department of corrections websites (those for prison inmates, as opposed to jail inmates) do have information on discharged prisoners. \*E.g., \* [http://www.state.mi.us/mdoc/asp/otis2profile.asp?mdocNumber=145652](http://www.state.mi.us/mdoc/asp/otis2profile.asp?mdocNumber=145652)