As a prisoner, you may be used to a lack of privacy. Just how much information about you and your prison stay can people find out? The answer is actually quite a lot. Anyone can find out where you are housed in prison. And that’s not all. They can find out other information as well.
Can anyone look up where you are housed in prison?
As long as someone has your first and last name, they can find out where you are housed in prison. In fact, either your first or last name may even be enough. All they need to do is perform a simple internet search.
To find out where you are housed, a user needs to visit the BOP website at www.bop.gov. Then, they highlight the “Inmates” tab. After that, they select “Inmate Locator” from the dropdown menu. At the next screen, a person can choose to look you up by your registration number. They also can look you up by your name. For the BOP, users must enter your first and last name to bring up any results. But, for state facilities, just one of those two names might be enough.
If there is more than one person with your name in the BOP system, the user will have to choose from the options and click on your name. This takes them to a new page showing them your information. In most cases, it is easy to determine which prisoner is the one you are looking for.
What can people find out about you on the BOP website?
Once users click on your name, they go to a new page. This page provides users with information about you. They can learn basic biographical information about you, such as your age, race and sex. Users can also find the prison where you are housed on this page.
The site displays its name and also provides a link to your facility’s BOP information page. People can also learn your prison identification number on this page. Finally, they can learn your release date as well.
How can people use the information on the BOP website?
People can use the information about you on the BOP website in many different ways. For example, you may have friends and family that want to contact you. The BOP website gives them the information they need to locate you. They also provide links that explain BOP policies for calling your or sending you a letter.
Another way people can use this information is to send you money. Anyone sending you money will need your prisoner identification number and the name of your facility. The BOP website also provides instructions on wiring funds to your commissary account.
The Takeaway:
People may have many reasons to want to find out where you are housed in prison. As a prisoner, you have no power to keep those records private. The name of your facility, when you’ll get released, and your basic information are all public record. All anyone needs to know is your first and last name.
