Why JailGuide Exists
JailGuide was not built in a boardroom. It was built by someone who spent time in the federal prison system and came out the other side knowing exactly what information people needed -- and could not find anywhere.
When you or someone you love gets caught up in the criminal justice system, the information gap is immediate and disorienting. You do not know where the person is being held. You do not know how to get on the visiting list. You do not know what you can bring. You do not know how long the sentence will actually be after good time. You do not know whether RDAP is an option. You do not know how to send money. You do not know what to expect on day one inside. Nobody tells you any of this, and finding it across dozens of disconnected government websites takes time and expertise most people do not have.
JailGuide was built to close that gap. One place. Free. For everyone who needs it -- the inmate, the family, the attorney, the victim, and anyone else trying to understand how this system works.
What JailGuide Is
JailGuide is a free inmate search and prison information resource. The site has grown over the years into one of the most comprehensive criminal justice reference tools on the internet, covering everything from finding a federal inmate by name to understanding exactly how a federal sentencing hearing works.
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Inmate Search and Locator
The core of JailGuide is the inmate search system -- a database of federal, state and county facilities across the United States and internationally, each linked directly to the official inmate locator for that jurisdiction. If someone is in custody, JailGuide connects you to the right source to find them. The system covers the BOP federal inmate database, all 50 state DOC systems, major county jails, and facilities in dozens of other countries.
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Visitor Guides and Facility Information
Every major facility listing includes visiting hours, visitor approval procedures, what you can and cannot bring, dress code requirements, and contact information. We built the visitor guides because we watched families drive hours to a prison, get turned away at the gate for wearing the wrong color, and have nobody to call for help. That should not happen to anyone.
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Sentencing Tools and Calculators
The good time calculator was one of the first tools built on JailGuide and remains one of the most used. It gives defendants and families a realistic estimate of how long a sentence will actually be after good time is applied -- something judges rarely explain clearly in sentencing hearings. The federal sentencing tools include a full guidelines calculation walkthrough, the complete USSG sentencing table, and an RDAP facility guide with eligibility information.
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Prison Survival Guide
The How to Survive in Prison manual is a 140-plus page guide written from direct experience covering everything from the first day of incarceration to reentry. It covers how to handle yourself, how to stay safe, how to maintain family connections, programming that reduces your sentence, and how to come out better than you went in. It is the book the author wished existed before he went away.
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How to Stay Connected
Maintaining family bonds during incarceration reduces recidivism -- the research on that is consistent and clear. JailGuide's guides on sending mail, putting money on an inmate's books, visitation procedures, and phone calls are built around helping families stay connected despite a system that does not always make it easy.
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Legal Information and Attorney Referrals
JailGuide is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. What the site does is explain how the system works in plain English -- the difference between federal and state charges, how federal sentencing guidelines are calculated, what RDAP is and who qualifies, and what good time credit means in practice. For anyone who needs actual legal representation, the attorney referral page connects people with criminal defense attorneys in their area.
Who JailGuide Serves
The site was built with several very different people in mind, and the content reflects that. Here is who uses JailGuide and what they typically need:
Families of Inmates
The largest group. They need to find where someone is being held, get on the visiting list, understand how to send money and mail, and know when to expect a loved one home. The "not knowing" is often the hardest part -- JailGuide is built to replace that uncertainty with information.
Defendants and Soon-to-be Inmates
People who have been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing and need to understand what is coming. What does a federal sentence actually mean in terms of time served? Is RDAP an option? What should they know before surrendering? What happens on day one? These are questions attorneys often cannot or do not answer in detail.
Criminal Defense Attorneys
Attorneys use the sentencing tools, RDAP guides and good time calculators to advise clients and prepare sentencing arguments. The embed calculator is used on hundreds of attorney websites. The federal sentencing content is researched against primary USSG sources and updated to reflect current amendments.
Victims of Crime
Crime victims have a legitimate interest in knowing where an offender is held, when they will be released, and how to monitor custody status. JailGuide's inmate locator serves this need directly. Understanding that a sentence of ten years means roughly eight and a half after good time helps victims set realistic expectations.
Law Enforcement and Legal Professionals
Parole and probation officers, bail bond agents, legal researchers and investigators use the facility database and inmate locator tools as reference points. The site covers facilities that are not always easy to locate through official channels.
Bail Bond Agents
Bail bond professionals use JailGuide to locate clients in custody, access facility contact information, and use the bail bond calculator. The good time calculator helps explain to clients and their families what a sentence means in realistic terms.
What JailGuide Is Not
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Not a government agency. JailGuide is a private website with no affiliation to the Bureau of Prisons, any state Department of Corrections, or any law enforcement body. Official inmate records are maintained by those agencies -- JailGuide connects you to them.
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Not a law firm. Nothing on JailGuide constitutes legal advice. The site explains how the criminal justice system works, but specific questions about a specific case need a licensed attorney. The
attorney referral page is there for exactly that.
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Not a bail bond company. JailGuide provides a bail bond calculator and general information about how bail works but does not itself write bonds or operate as a bail agent.
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Not a youth or juvenile resource. JailGuide does not list any Youth Offender Facility, juvenile detention center or juvenile correctional facility and does not serve users under 18.
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Privacy and Your Information
The inmate search tools, calculators and guides on JailGuide do not require registration and do not ask for your personal information. The good time calculator does not log what you enter. No names, sentence lengths or search queries entered into the tools are stored or associated with your visit.
The site uses standard web analytics and advertising systems. See the full privacy policy for complete details on what data is collected, how it is used, and your rights.
Everything JailGuide Offers
Free tools and guides for every stage of the process
Inmate Search
Find anyone in federal, state or county custody. Linked to official DOC and BOP locators for every U.S. jurisdiction.
Good Time Calculator
Estimate federal or state release date after good time. Includes RDAP reduction for eligible federal inmates.
Federal Sentencing Guidelines
The complete seven-step process for calculating a federal sentence under the USSG.
Sentencing Table
Full 2025 USSG sentencing grid for all 43 offense levels and 6 criminal history categories.
RDAP Facilities
All 53 federal facilities offering RDAP with eligibility guide. Up to 12 months off for qualifying inmates.
18 U.S.C. § 3621(e)
The statute behind the RDAP reduction explained in plain English.
Visitor Guides
Visiting hours, dress codes, approved items and visitor registration procedures for hundreds of facilities.
Sending Mail to an Inmate
How to address letters, what can and cannot be sent, and facility-specific mail rules.
Sending Money to an Inmate
Money orders, JPay, Access Corrections and lobby kiosk deposits. How to put money on an inmate's books.
Prison Survival Guide
The 140-plus page manual written from personal experience. Everything you need to know before you go.
Find a Criminal Defense Attorney
Post a free legal question or find an attorney in your area specializing in federal and state criminal defense.
Prison Questions Answered
Hundreds of common questions about prison life, visitation, mail, phone calls and surviving incarceration.
About JailGuide FAQ
Is JailGuide affiliated with any government agency? +
No. JailGuide.com is a private website and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by any government agency, the Bureau of Prisons, any state Department of Corrections, or any law enforcement body. We are an independent information resource. When you use JailGuide to find an inmate, we connect you to the official government database for that jurisdiction -- we do not maintain a separate database of inmate records.
Is JailGuide free to use? +
Yes. The inmate search system, prison database, sentence calculators, visitor guides, federal sentencing tools and all educational content on JailGuide are free to use with no registration required. The site is supported by advertising. The prison survival guide book is available for purchase separately.
How does JailGuide find inmate information? +
JailGuide connects users to the official inmate locator maintained by each jurisdiction -- the BOP federal inmate locator, each state's DOC inmate search system, and county jail rosters where publicly available. Inmate custody records are public information under state and federal law. JailGuide does not maintain its own database of inmate records; it routes your search to the authoritative source for each facility.
Can JailGuide help me find someone in a county jail? +
Yes. JailGuide covers county jails, city jails, state prisons, federal Bureau of Prisons facilities, ICE detention centers, and international institutions. Each facility listing includes contact information and, where available, a direct link to the jail's inmate roster or lookup tool. County jail information changes more frequently than state or federal -- if you cannot find someone through the locator, contact the jail directly using the facility phone number listed.
Does JailGuide provide legal advice? +
No. JailGuide is an information resource, not a law firm. The site explains how the criminal justice system works in plain English -- federal sentencing guidelines, good time credit, RDAP eligibility, and so on -- but nothing on the site constitutes legal advice about any specific case. For legal representation or case-specific advice, use the attorney referral page to connect with a licensed criminal defense attorney in your area.
Who writes the content on JailGuide? +
JailGuide content is written and maintained by the site's founder, who spent time in the federal prison system and built the site from that direct experience. The practical guides -- visiting, mail, money, surviving incarceration -- come from firsthand knowledge. The federal sentencing, RDAP and good time content is researched against primary sources including the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the Bureau of Prisons, Cornell Law's Legal Information Institute, and the First Step Act statute.
How do I report incorrect information? +
Use the
contact page to report outdated or incorrect facility information, phone numbers, addresses or visiting policies. Include the facility name, what is wrong, and a source link for the correct information if you have one. We update listings as corrections are submitted. Keeping the database accurate depends on people who actually use these facilities telling us when things change.
Does JailGuide list juvenile facilities? +
No. JailGuide does not list any Youth Offender Facility, juvenile detention center or juvenile correctional facility. The site covers adult correctional institutions only and is intended for users 18 and older.