Execute a Free Massachusetts Inmate Search (Look Up Anyone)

Perform a free Massachusetts inmate search at the state or local level today.

An inmate is someone incarcerated for a crime, and whether they are in a prison or jail, this resource can show you how to find them.

You can use inmate details to satisfy your curiosity about someone you know or to check on the status of a loved one, an acquaintance, or even a stranger. Find valuable information on anyone locked up — such as where a person is incarcerated, the charges brought against them, and other related information.

Thanks to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, citizens can access this information for free. Record seekers have various options to search for inmate records, including online databases, in-person resources, and other means. However, knowing the best ways to search for inmate records is key to seamlessly and efficiently obtaining these details.

This resource provides guidance to help you understand how people are incarcerated in Massachusetts. From there, you’ll be offered the best ways to search for inmates in Massachusetts and provided with the necessary tools and steps to do so.

This resource was written by Attorney Robert Bailey Jr, who holds a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law.

What Is the Distinction Between Prison & Jail Inmates?

Before you perform a search for inmates in Massachusetts, it is important to understand the various types of facilities an offender may be incarcerated in.

Knowing the difference between jails and prisons and who is incarcerated in each can assist you in determining where you should start your Massachusetts inmate lookup. 

In Massachusetts, there are both prisons and jails. A jail in Massachusetts is operated at the county level and is also referred to as a House of Correction (e.g., Franklin County Jail and House of Correction). In Massachusetts, there are fifteen separate jails.

These jails can hold convicted criminals that have sentences that do not exceed two and one half years per offense and have had their case tried at the Massachusetts District Court level.¹ They can also be used as a form of temporary incarceration while an inmate awaits to post bail or have their trial. Massachusetts county jails are also sometimes used to house inmates as they transition from one facility to the next.

City jails are often operated by local law enforcement agencies and are typically temporary holding cells after a person’s initial arrest. Massachusetts does not have any city jails to search for inmate information.

State prisons hold incarcerated individuals with sentences longer than two and one-half years per offense up to life sentences. People incarcerated in state prisons are convicted of serious offenses based on criminal cases decided by the Massachusetts Superior Court.²

Federal prisons are for the incarceration of those who have violated federal criminal statutes. These types of crimes are handled by various government agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).³

Examples of violations for people incarcerated in federal prison include drug trafficking, securities law violations, treason and various types of organized crime.

How To Execute a Massachusetts Jail Inmate Search

One way to perform an inmate search in Massachusetts is to look for people incarcerated in county jails.

In Massachusetts, the county jails fall under the jurisdiction of the Sheriff’s Office. Having the contact information for every county jail and any inmate search tools, is a great resource for beginning your research.

Each county jail may provide access to inmate information in a different way. Some provide online search tools, while other jails require you to submit a formal written request. Still, other jails may have a more informal process where you can request inmate information over the phone or in person.

To better understand how a citizen can perform a Massachusetts jail inmate search, below is information on how to access this information in Worcester County.

The quickest way to access inmate information for free is to use the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Search Tool.⁴ To use this tool, a citizen can search by either the offender’s inmate number or their name.

The search results will provide you with matching inmates and their number, name, date of birth and where they are incarcerated by block and cell.

To get additional information on a particular inmate, click the details button. Here, you can find information on the inmate’s visitation schedule.

For additional inmate information, you can contact the Worcester County Jail & House of Correction by calling them at 508-854-1800.⁵ You can also talk to someone in person at the address below:

Worcester County Jail & House of Correction
5 Paul X. Tivnan Dr.
West Boylston, Massachusetts 01583

Alternatively, you can also contact the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, as they are responsible for maintaining and supervising the jail. You can contact them by phone at 508-854-1800. You can also talk to someone at the Sheriff’s Office, which is located at the same address as the county jail.

In many states, there are city jails, and, like county jails, each city may have its own unique process for accessing inmate information. Massachusetts does not have any city jails to search for inmate information.

How To Obtain State Prisoner Details (Massachusetts Inmate Search)

Depending on the subject you are looking for, you may need to perform a search for an inmate incarcerated in one of the state’s several prisons. The Massachusetts Department of Correction (DOC) is responsible for supervising inmates at fourteen separate institutions.

The Massachusetts DOC does not have its own online search tool. If you want to access inmate information online for the Massachusetts DOC, you will have to do so through an approved third-party site, VINELink.

To use this tool, you must first select Massachusetts under your state of interest. You can then choose to search by either an offender’s name (partial name searches allowed) or their ID number.

Once you enter your search, you will receive a list of all matching inmates currently incarcerated with the Massachusetts DOC. You can view their name, partial ID number, custody status and the correctional facility where they are incarcerated.

If you click on the “Record Details,” you can access the complete contact information for the correctional facility where the inmate is located. You can then contact them if you would like to request additional information. Alternatively, you can also call VINELink at 866-277-7477 to make an inquiry about a Massachusetts DOC inmate by phone.

Also, you can contact the Massachusetts Department of Correction directly to inquire as to any available information.⁶ The office is available Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You can call them at 508-422-3300 or go to the address below:

Massachusetts Department of Corrections
50 Maple St. Ste. 3
Milford, Massachusetts 01757

You can also submit a public records request with the Massachusetts DOC.⁷ This may be helpful to get information on an inmate’s sentence length, the type of charge they were convicted of and other information.

Here are some additional helpful resources:

• Contact an Inmate in Massachusetts
• Deposit money to an inmate⁸
• Visiting an inmate
• Victim Services⁹
• DOC Directory

How To Track Down Details on Someone Held in Federal Prison

There is one last option for searching for inmates in Massachusetts, and that is those who are incarcerated in federal prison.

In Massachusetts, there is one federal prison, Federal Medical Center (FMC) Devens. If you want to search for inmates in this federal prison or any others throughout the United States, you can use the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Search Tool.¹⁰

The BOP search tool can help a citizen look up any inmates incarcerated in federal prisons from 1982 to the present. Using this tool to perform a search, you can locate inmates currently incarcerated and those who have since been released.

If you have the information available, you can search by a person’s identifying number (e.g., BOP register number, FBI number, etc.). This tool can be used to perform a name-based search. In addition, you can narrow down your search results by including the subject’s age, sex or race.

Once you perform a search, your results will provide you with the following information:

• Name
• Age
• Race
• Sex
• Register Number
• The release date or when an inmate was released
• Federal facility (for those still incarcerated)

For additional information, you can contact the Federal Bureau of Prisons by calling them at 202-307-3198 or by sending a written inquiry to the address below:¹¹

Federal Bureau of Prisons
320 1st Street, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20534

A free tool for searching older federal incarceration records is the National Archives Prison Records.¹² Here, you can view various files and indexes online of federal inmates.

A last option is to perform a search using the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) online search tool.

While this is a paid service, it does allow you to search federal criminal cases, which can help locate those who are incarcerated.¹⁴

You should now have a better understanding of how people are incarcerated throughout Massachusetts. In addition, you now have the resources and tools to conduct a thorough Massachusetts inmate search in various jails and prisons.