Delaware Inmate Search

Are Delaware Inmate Records Public Information?

Per 29.100 of the State Code, Delaware inmate records are public information. Hence, members of the public can inspect or obtain certified copies of inmate records from the record custodian. Delaware Inmate records are made open to improve public safety. The State Department of Corrections is the central repository where record seekers can obtain inmate records in Delaware.

The DOC has a Delaware inmate locator that individuals can use to retrieve inmate information at no cost. Record seekers would be able to access information like the inmate’s full name, gender, race, custody status, full name, age, date of birth, gender, race, ID number, and location. Requesters seeking to find out why someone is in jail using the Delaware inmate lookup tool should contact the DOC.

Alternatively, record seekers can obtain inmate records by conducting a federal inmate search via the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. Interested persons would be able to retrieve information regarding Delaware inmates housed in federal prisons. Contact the BOP for more information on how to find out why someone is in jail, or conduct a Delaware inmate search using local resources.

Delaware inmate records contain official information, documents, and data about offenders housed in correctional institutions maintained by the state, counties, or any other municipalities. Inmate records may contain information on who’s in custody, such as Delaware inmate mugshots, date of birth, physical descriptions, charges, sentence, custody status within the correctional system, length of sentence, time served, and the institution in which the inmate is being housed. This information is publicly available upon request per the Delaware Freedom of Information Act. Record seekers interested in knowing how to find someone in jail must contact the appropriate institution where the inmate is housed. Alternatively, they can use the federal prison inmate search tool on the Federal Bureau of Prisons website to retrieve information on inmates housed in federal prisons.

Inmate records are considered public in the United States and, therefore, are made available by both traditional governmental agencies as well as third-party websites and organizations. Third-party websites may offer an easier means to search, as these services do not face geographical limitations. However, because third-party sites are not government-sponsored, the information obtained through them may vary from official channels. To find inmate records using third-party aggregate sites, requesting parties must provide

The location of the sought-after record, including the state, county, and city where the inmate resides.
The name of the person listed in the record, unless it is a juvenile.

How to Find Someone in Jail in Delaware

Individuals can find someone in jail by contacting the County Sheriff's offices in Delaware. They can conduct an inmate lookup to:

Find out who’s in custody
Find out why someone is in jail
Know how long someone will be in jail
Check the personal and sentencing information of incarcerated persons

To conduct a Delaware inmate search or obtain information about how to find out if someone is in jail should contact the Sheriff’s office in the county the inmate is housed. The three County Sheriff’s offices available in Delaware are located at:

Sussex County Sheriff's Office
22215 Dupont Blvd.
P.O. Box 948
Georgetown, DE 19947
Phone: (302) 855-7830
Fax: (302) 855-7832

Kent County Sheriff's Office
555 Bay Rd
Dover, DE 19901
Phone: (302) 736-2161
Fax: (302) 736-2164
Email: Sheriff@KentCountyDE.gov

New Castle County Sheriff's Office
City/County Building
800 N. French St., 5th Floor
Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: (302) 395-8450
Fax: (302) 395-8460

Alternatively, record seekers who want to know how to find someone in jail or conduct a Delaware inmate search can peruse the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. The BOP has a federal prison inmate search tool that can be used to find inmates housed in federal prisons. Note that this tool cannot be used to find out why someone is in jail. Individuals interested in finding out why someone is in jail should contact the BOP directly.

Correctional Facilities Operated by the Delaware Department of Corrections

The Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) operates a unified correctional system that provides oversight on all correctional facilities and institutions managed by the state. The DOC has over 6500 inmates in custody in different correctional facilities and about 17,000 persons on probation. Generally, incarcerated individuals in Delaware spend time in any of these four correctional facilities, including:

Delaware has 5 levels of supervision for offenders in the state

Level I - Administrative Supervision
Level II - Standard Probation
Level III - Intensive Probation Supervision
Level IV - Persons under electronic monitoring/home confinement, work release centers, residential drug treatment, or under supervision in a Violation of Probation Center.
Level V - Persons under 24-hour supervision and incarcerated in a jail or prison

The following are the addresses of state prisons in Delaware:

Central Violation of Probation Center
875 Smyrna Landing Road,
Smyrna, DE 19977

DE DOC - Baylor Women's Correctional Facility (BWCI)
660 Baylor Boulevard,
New Castle, DE 19720

DE DOC - Howard R. Young Correctional Institution (HRYCI) / Gander Hill
1301 East 12th Street
P.O. Box 9279,
Wilmington, DE 19801

DE DOC - James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (JTVCC)
1181 Paddock Road,
Smyrna, DE 19977

DE DOC - Sussex Correctional Institution (SCI)
23203 Dupont Blvd,
Georgetown, DE 19947

Delaware Young Criminal Offenders Program
1301 East 12th Street
P.O. Box 9279,
Wilmington, DE 19809

Hazel D. Plant Women's Treatment Facility
620 Baylor Boulevard,
New Castle, DE 19720-1140

John L. Webb Correctional Facility
200 Greenback Road,
Wilmington, DE 19808

Morris DE Community Corrections Center
300 Water Street,
Dover, DE 19904

Plummer Community Corrections Center
38 Todds Lane,
Wilmington, DE 19802

Sussex DE Boot Camp
Route 113
P.O. Box 500,
Georgetown, DE 19947

Sussex DE Community Corrections Center - Work Release
23207 Dupont Blvd,
Georgetown, DE 19947

Webb DE Community Corrections Center
200 Greenbank Road,
Wilmington, DE 19808

Women's Work Release Treatment Center
38 Todds Lane,
Wilmington, DE 19802

How to Send Money to an Inmate in Delaware Prison and Jail

The DOC in Delaware sets the guidelines for sending money to incarcerated individuals. The DOC discourages the use of cash or personal checks when sending funds to an inmate. Instead, persons looking to send money to an inmate can do so using a money order. Money orders can be sent by mail or directly to the inmate during scheduled visits. Money orders made on behalf of an inmate must include the inmate's full name, the inmate's SBI number, the sender's name, and the institution the inmate resides in. To get the address where an inmate resides, visit the DOC webpage on sending mail to an inmate. The facility will credit the inmate's account within 24 hours of receipt during work hours.

Note that Howard R. Young Correctional Institution disapproves of sending cash or personal checks to inmates. Other facilities in the state allow funding an inmate's account using a money order sent by mail or given directly to the inmate during visitation.

How to Get Approved to Visit an Inmate in Delaware Prisons and Jails

The DOC stipulates the general visitation rules and procedures for incarcerated individuals. Be sure to read the DOC inmate visitation procedures before scheduling a visit to the prison. It is essential to know the exact prison the inmate resides in for visitation purposes. The DOC encourages parties looking to locate an inmate in the state to use the VINELink online tool to perform a free Delaware inmate search by name. Interested parties should register with VineLink to get regular updates on inmates. It is essential to have the inmate's name, location, and identification number when searching.

The state of Delaware and Pennsylvania has an agreement to provide accommodation for some of Delaware's inmates. So, interested persons may check the Pennsylvania DOC inmate locator to search for inmates transferred from Delaware to Pennsylvania. However, note that the SBI number given to an inmate in Delaware does not transfer when an inmate is transferred to Pennsylvania. Instead, perform an inmate lookup using the inmate's full name and date of birth.

In all prisons in Delaware, visitation must be scheduled one week in advance by calling the facility's help desk. Individuals can find the phone number for the various facilities on the DOC visit inmate webpage. Visitors are expected to confirm the date and time of their visit before ending the call. Each prison specifies its visitation rules; therefore, interested parties should visit the jail or prison website after successfully scheduling a visit to comply with the facilities' rules, procedures, and any other peculiar regulations.

Can Anyone Visit an Inmate in Delaware?

Anyone may visit an inmate except minors and persons with criminal records. Former staff members of the DOC are also prevented from visiting inmates unless they are immediate family. Persons younger than 18 may visit a corrections facility provided they are accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or a responsible adult 21 years and older.

Each facility may limit the number of persons permitted to visit an inmate at a time, usually between 3 to 4 persons, including minors. Visitors are usually not able to cancel or change scheduled visits. In addition, visitors must arrive 15 to 30 minutes before the visiting time. Below are the general schedules for facilities in the state.

Baylor Women's Correctional Institution

A prospective visitor must call (302) 577-5837 to schedule a visit in advance. Scheduling calls are received from Monday to Wednesday for visitors intending to visit the following week. Visiting days are Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The facility is located at:

660 Baylor Boulevard
New Castle, DE 19720
Phone: (302) 577-3004

Howard R. Young Correctional Institution (HRYCI)

A prospective visitor must schedule their visit a week before. The visitation desk accepts scheduling calls on (302) 575-0330 between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Mondays to Fridays.

Prospective visitors are required to provide the SBI number and/or date of birth of the inmate they intend to visit during the scheduling call. The date of birth, telephone numbers, and addresses of all visitors being scheduled for a visit must also be provided.

Howard R. Young Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 9561
Wilmington, DE 19809

James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (JTVCC)

All prospective visitors must schedule their visit a week before their intended visit by contacting the scheduling desk between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at:

(800) 282-8602 for inmates with last names beginning with A-J
(800) 722-0252 for inmates with last names beginning from K to Z.

Visits are from Monday through Sunday. Out-of-state callers can dial (302) 653-4828 to schedule a visit. The institution's physical address is at:

James T. Vaughn Correctional Center
1181 Paddock Road
Smyrna, DE 19977

Sussex Correctional Institution (SCI)

Visitors can call (302) 856-5545 Mondays through Fridays between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to schedule a visit. The institution is located at

Sussex Correctional Institution
Building & Tier, where an inmate is housed
P.O. Box 500
Georgetown, DE 19947

How to Find a County Inmate Roster in Delaware

Record seekers can find inmate rosters on the Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) website. These rosters are released to the public to enhance public safety and can be used for identification purposes. Record seekers can access inmate rosters online or in person. Inmate rosters contain information like the offender's full name, age, date of birth, gender, race, ID number, custody status or details, and location. Note that the DOC does not provide jail roster mugshots online. Record seekers who want to understand how to find someone in jail can contact the DOC.

Alternatively, record seekers can obtain an inmate roster in person at the Sheriff’s office of the county where the inmate is housed. They would be able to retrieve information like jail roster mugshots, full name, sex, age, charges, and release date/life sentence. The County Sheriff's office also maintains Delaware inmate lookup tools that record seekers can use to conduct a Delaware inmate search or find inmate rosters. Like other Delaware inmate search tools, the inquirer will need to provide information to facilitate the required search.

How to Perform a Delaware Prison Inmate Search

The Delaware DOC recommends using VineLink, the online version of Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE), to conduct a Delaware prison inmate search. Interested parties looking for an inmate in the state can make use of this prison lookup tool. To use VINELink, select the state of Delaware on the homepage as the inmate location and enter the inmate's full name, identification number, or case number. If the inmate's full name or full ID number is unknown, searchers can check the box 'partial name' or 'partial number' and enter the first two characters of the name or ID number.

In Delaware, juveniles are not considered criminals; therefore, their inmate records cannot be made public. Likewise, it is not uncommon to have trouble finding an inmate's record, especially if the inmate was transferred to Pennsylvania from Delaware per the intergovernmental agreement. In such cases, requesters can query the Pennsylvania inmate locator.

Alternatively, searchers can use the Freedom of Information Act to request inmate records in Delaware from the DOC. Interested parties can fill out the FOIA Online Request Form and submit it online. Be sure to click on corrections on the drop-down menu when filling out the online form. Similarly, parties can print out the Request for Public Record form and send it by email to DOC_FOIA_Request@delaware.gov. The completed form can also be sent by mail or dropped in person at:

Tim Martin, Legal Services Administrator
Department of Corrections
245 McKee Road
Dover, DE 19904

How to Perform a Delaware County Jail Inmate Search

The state of Delaware operates a unified correctional system. So, facilities in Delaware correctional are considered multi-purpose; they house both jail and prison inmates together, although some are operated more prison-like, and others operated more jail-like. Delaware DOC differentiates a jail from a prison based on the duration of stay. An inmate serving a sentence of one year or less is a jail sentence, while an individual incarcerated for over a year is a prison sentence. Persons looking to conduct a Delaware inmate search to find a person in jail may also use VINELink with the inmate's full name, identification number, or case number. Contact the DOC for more information on how to find out if someone is in jail.

Delaware State Prisons and County Jails: Understanding the Difference

Delaware's prison system comprises four facilities: Delores J. Baylor Women's Correctional Institution, the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna, the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington, and the Sussex Community Corrections Center in Georgetown. The state also has several county jails that house inmates awaiting trial or serving short sentences. Oversight of Delaware's state prisons and county jails is managed by the state's Department of Corrections.

Delaware's prison admissions registered a decline in 2021. As of 2021, there were around 9,899 inmates admitted to the state’s prison, which was a decrease from the 9,937 inmates admitted in 2020. In addition, as of 2021, the average length of stay for jail inmates was 3.16 months and 1.18 months for those in detention. Delaware State Prison has an average daily population of over 3,000 inmates.

Most prisoners in Delaware are incarcerated for non-violent offenses such as drug crimes and property crimes. However, the state does have several prisons that house inmates who have been convicted of violent crimes.

Delaware county jails are operated by the counties themselves, with the state providing some funding and oversight. The jails are used to house inmates who are awaiting trial or sentence and those who have been sentenced to serve short stints of time (usually one year or less).

How Do I Find Out an Inmate Release Date?

Inmate release dates are among the publicly available information retrieved during a Delaware inmate search. However, when an inmate's release date is not available online for privacy or safety reasons, only immediate family members, crime victims, attorneys, and authorized criminal justice officials will have access to the exact release date. A record seeker would not be able to find a release date for an offender on a life sentence.