What Are Arizona Inmate Records?

In Arizona, inmate records are official documents containing information about imprisoned individuals in an Arizona state correctional facility and county or city jails. An Arizona inmate record usually includes personal details such as:

• The inmate’s full name and aliases
• The details of the inmate’s offense
• Profile classification including gender, race, fingerprints, and mugshot
• The date the inmate was incarcerated as well as the prospective release date
• The facility where the inmate is held, including the security level
• The inmate’s past convictions and information about all sentences
• Parole orders and placements
• Detainer/Warrant information.

Arizona law states that inmate records are public records, and citizens are allowed to request these records. Records of inmates in state facilities are maintained by the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry (ADC). For inmates in county or city jails, the state’s sheriff’s offices and police departments serve as record custodians.

How To Find An Inmate In Arizona?

Requestors may find an inmate in Arizona using the inmate data search on the Arizona Department of Corrections website. In conducting the search, requesters must provide the following information: 

• Inmate’s ADC number
• Last name and initials. 

Note: This search tool does not provide inmates’ dates of birth as the ADC aims to avoid inmates becoming victims of identity fraud and theft.

The information provided on the ADC database is only for inmates in state facilities. To find inmates in county or city jails, the requester may visit or send a letter to the sheriff’s office for a county jail, or the police department for a city jail.  

Requestors may also find an inmate on the websites of the counties or city jails where the arrest was made. For instance, Maricopa County has a website that allows users to search for an inmate at the county jail by last and first name, date of birth, and booking number. 

Requestors may also place a call to the county. For instance, the Maricopa County Jail provides an automated information hotline for requesting inmate records. Interested persons may call the hotline at (602) 876–0322. Note that information from the jail’s automated system may only be obtained if the requestor has the following:

•  Inmate’s last name.
•  Inmate’s first name.
•  Inmate’s date of birth

How To Find A Federal Inmate In Arizona?

Interested persons may locate an inmate in any of the five federal prisons in Arizona, via the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) website. All federal inmates currently serving sentences, or detained in an Arizona federal facility may be found using the inmate locator. Requesters may use the following information to locate an inmate on the BOP website: 

Name: The full name of the inmate is required. Requestors may also filter the search result using the inmate’s ethnicity, gender, and birth date.

Identification number: Alternatively, requestors may search using the inmate’s identification number. Acceptable identification numbers are:

• The Arizona Department of Corrections number (ADC)
• Federal Bureau of Investigation number (FBI)
• Immigration and Naturalization Services number (INS)
• The Bureau of Prisons number (BOP)

Note that information about inmates in custody before 1982 may not be available on the database. Records of such inmates are available with the National Archives Records Administration (NARA). Hence, requestors should contact NARA directly for additional information.

How Do I Find Inmate Records In Arizona?

The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry (ADC) is the repository for inmate records in the state’s prisons. To request an inmate’s record online, individuals should open an online account on the ADC website and then log in to submit a request. The site accepts Visa and MasterCard credit/debit card payments on the ADCPayportal for each transaction. 

The ADC sends electronic copies of records to requestors by email or paper copies by mail. The Arizona Department of Corrections charges 50 cents per page for paper records and 10 cents per page for each digital download. 

While inmate records may be obtained online, a certified copy of an inmate’s record can only be obtained by making a formal request in writing. The written request should contain the following information:

• The inmate’s last and first names
• Known aliases
• The nature of the crime(s)
• Date of birth 
• Booking or release dates
• ADC identification number

Requests may be sent to the ADC in person or by mail to:

Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry

Media Relations

1601 West Jefferson Street

Phoenix AZ 85007

(602) 542–3133

Note: Family members or friends seeking information on a specific inmate may contact the Arizona Department of Corrections Family and Friends Liaison by email at IFFLiaison@azcorrections.gov, or by telephone at (602) 364–3945. Alternatively, call the in-state toll-free line at (866) 333–2039.

To obtain certified inmate records for persons in county or city jails, requestors may walk into or call the county jail where the inmate is located. Some county or city jails also have websites where requestors may search for inmates using their respective inmate search tools. To obtain a certified record on a federal inmate held in a Michigan facility, send a request to the Federal Bureau of Prisons at:

320 First Street, NW

Washington, DC 20534

(202) 307–3198

Note: Inmates admitted and released between 1972 and 1985 may not be represented on the ADC’s record. For information relating to these inmates, requestors may contact the ADC or the Arizona Archives using the request form or by email. 

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often make searching simpler, as they are not limited by geographic location, and search engines on these sites may help when starting a search for a specific or multiple record(s). To begin using such a search engine on a third-party or government website, interested parties usually must provide:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the record or person involved. This includes information such as the city, county, or state that the person resides in or was accused in

Third-party sites are independent of government sources and are not sponsored by these government agencies. Because of this, record availability on third-party sites may vary.

How To Put Money On Jail Inmates Book In Arizona?

Friends and family may put money on an inmate’s account or book by using either of the ADC-approved third-party vendors, including Keefe, JPAY, and GTL 

All three contracted payment processors allow friends and family to deposit money in inmate accounts by:

• Walking into designated retail locations or other walk-in destinations to make cash deposits
• Online credit/debit card deposits online on their websites
• Credit/debit card deposits by phone calls placed to designated toll-free numbers
• Funds transfer through mobile apps.  

GTL

Funds may be paid online with a debit/credit card to the inmate through the  GTL Deposit funds tool. This method requires the depositor to create an account before starting the transaction. Creating an account involves providing the requestor’s first name, last name, address line, city, zip code, email, phone number, and a password. Requestors may also send a money order through the United States Postal Service by filling out and printing a deposit coupon and mailing it to the GTL lockbox. Make the money order payable to “GTL Financial Services.” Send the documents to:

5700 SW 34th Street

Suite 1315

Gamesville, FL 32609–2835⁰

Note that the inmate’s name and ID number should be included in the memo field. Also, the money order should carry the depositor’s information.

KEEFE

Keefe accepts online debit/credit card payments to inmate accounts through its inmate deposit payment tool. Requesters will be required to create an account before starting the transaction, then select the designated state (Arizona) and the agency where the inmate is located. A money order may also be sent using the Keefe securemail website. Requesters will be required to create an account to download the money order form.

JPAY

JPay accepts online deposits through its website. Payers must provide the inmate’s number to create an account and complete the transaction. JPAY also accepts money order payments with service charges accruing only to the payer. Payers must fill out a deposit slip and submit along with the money order. Deposit slips are available in English and Spanish. Ensure to fill out the deposit slip with the following information accurately:

• Inmate ID
• Name 
• Sender’s name and contact information

Payers must indicate the amount to be sent on the form, subject to a maximum of $999.99 per transaction. Ensure to make the fund payable to “JPay,” and mail the completed form to:

JPay

P. O. Box 9400

Florence, AZ, 85132

Note: The Arizona Department of Corrections website provides inmate deposit rates for each transaction made via any of these payment processors for fund transfers.