North Dakota Inmate Records

According to a study, North Dakota's prison population has grown at an alarming rate over the last few years. The state's incarceration rate stands at 230 inmates per 100,000 residents, which is about 35.2% lower than the national average of 355 per 100,000 United States residents. North Dakota's prison population includes approximately 1,817 inmates in state-owned prisons, about 1,289 in local jails, and an estimated 292 in private prisons. Essentially, state-run correctional facilities hold the highest percentage of the North Dakota inmate population.

Although no federal prisons operate in North Dakota, individuals caught committing federal crimes are not spared from the justice system. Once convicted, they are sentenced to serve their prison terms in out-of-state federal correctional facilities. Each correctional facility authorized to house inmates in the state is responsible for maintaining the records of all inmates under its supervision. Such records are kept in varying formats and made available to the public upon request.

In North Dakota, a typical inmate record will have the following information:

• Personal Details - These include the name, age, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, weight, mugshot, and hair color of the inmate.
• Court Record - This includes the case number, trial details, docket information, fines, and judgment.
• Arrest Information - This primarily includes the place and the date of the arrest, charges, booking details, the arrest warrant, and details of the arresting agency.
• Parole and Release Details - These show an inmate's parole conditions, parole status, and the estimated release date.
• Sentencing Information - This includes the length of imprisonment, facility of incarceration, and probation status.

Are Inmate Records Public in North Dakota?

Yes, inmate records are public in North Dakota. According to Section 44-04-18 of the state's Century Code, all records of a public entity, which include inmate records, are considered public records, and they are open and accessible for public inspection. In addition, copies of such records can be issued upon request. However, certain inmate records are exempt from public disclosure in North Dakota. These include juvenile inmate records and expunged or sealed inmate records. Also, any identifying information that, if revealed, could be used to identify or locate a victim or alleged victim of domestic violence in any record maintained by a correctional facility is exempt from public disclosure.

What Agencies Are Responsible for Inmate Records in North Dakota?

The following are some of the agencies responsible for inmate record maintenance in North Dakota:

• The North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR) - Inmates incarcerated for committing state crimes are held in the state's 5 correctional facilities, which are managed by the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR). In addition to being responsible for the administration of these facilities, the DOCR maintains records of all inmates confined in its prison facilities. Such inmates generally include those convicted of violent crimes like assault, rape, murder, and several other felony offenses.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) - The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) manages all federal correctional facilities and keeps the records of all inmates in those facilities countrywide. While North Dakota has none of those prisons within its borders, offenders convicted of federal crimes in the state are sent to out-of-state federal prisons to serve their prison sentences. The BOP maintains records of such inmates.
• County Sheriff's Offices - The 23 local jails in North Dakota are under the direct management of county sheriff's offices. Each county sheriff's office keeps records of all the offenders in the custody of local jail facilities under their supervision. Many of these offenders are those convicted of misdemeanors or other mild felony offenses and facing shorter sentences, usually one year or less. The local jails also house individuals awaiting trials.
• Police Departments - Although the police departments do not keep convicted offenders in custody, they maintain records of arrests that lead to such convictions and consequent incarceration of the offenders. Inmate records typically contain these arrest records.

How To Search an Inmate's Information in North Dakota

Before searching for an inmate's information in North Dakota, make sure to identify the correctional facility housing the inmate and which prison or jail authority manages the facility holding them. This way, a person knows the exact place to look to find their record of interest.

Find an inmate in North Dakota State Prisons

The North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR) provides an Inmate Resident Lookup tool that allows people to find information regarding inmates currently incarcerated in state prisons by name. Users can enter the last name or the starting letters of the last name of the inmate whose records they seek and then click the 'Submit' button. Search result typically displays a list of records matching the search criterion from which the individual searching can select the exact record they intend to look up.

Alternatively, state correctional facilities in North Dakota allow members of the public to retrieve inmate information in person. Hence, anyone looking to obtain detailed records of an offender in the custody of any state-run prison may visit the correctional facility where the inmate is held to obtain the required information. Typically, the record custodian will ask them to provide sufficient details to enable them to locate the file of the offender whose records are sought.

Find an Inmate in Local Jail

Records of inmates housed in North Dakota local jails are kept by the county sheriff's offices overseeing such offenders. Most of the sheriff's county sheriff's offices in the state offer public access to these records through online inmate search resources, which are usually accessible through their websites. The inmate search tools come in varying nomenclatures, such as inmate locators, inmate rosters, and inmate listings.

Where a local jail does not have an online inmate search tool or where an individual wishes to obtain detailed information about an offender in a local jail, the best option is to visit the local correctional facility where the inmate is held. With information such as the inmate's name, date of birth, gender, and inmate ID, the record custodian should be able to locate the offender's file and provide the requester with the required information or records.

Find an Inmate in Federal Prison

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) offers the public an Inmate Locator through which interested persons may retrieve information regarding offenders incarcerated in federal correctional facilities. The Inmate Locator allows federal inmate searches by name or BOP register number, and the search results typically include an inmate's full name, sex, age, race, location, and release date. While there are no federal prisons in North Dakota, out-of-state federal prisons provide housing for inmates convicted of federal crimes in the state, whose records may be accessed through the BOP Inmate Locator.

How Can I Access Old Inmate Records?

Old inmate records in North Dakota may be accessed in different ways, but the inmate search resources provided by the state's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR) and the county sheriff's offices are not an option. These tools only have information regarding inmates currently incarcerated in correctional facilities.

The first place to consider when looking to access an old inmate record in the state is the North Dakota State Archives, as it may have records of inmates who were previously incarcerated within the state's prison system. At the same time, records of old federal inmates who were convicted in North Dakota but served their prison sentences in other states may be accessed through the National Archives. Some third-party sites, like NorthDakotapublicrecords.us, are also reliable platforms for looking up records of former inmates in the state, although these sites charge a small fee for access to their databases.

If a person needs more detailed records of an old inmate who served their prison term in a state-run correctional facility in North Dakota, they may contact the DOCR at (701) 328-6362 to inquire about how to submit their request. If the former inmate whose record is sought was incarcerated in a federal prison, anyone may obtain the record by submitting a FOIA request to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Alternatively, members of the public may access old inmate records in North Dakota if they visit the correctional facilities where such inmates were held during the period of incarceration. Typically, they will be asked to provide certain information to help facilitate the search, and the service may come at a fee.

Can I Find a North Dakota Inmate Record for Free?

North Dakota inmate records may be found free of charge through various inmate search tools maintained by prison/jail authorities in the state unless they are sealed, expunged, or exempt from public disclosure by law. However, the inmate database managed by each prison/jail authority only has records of inmates under the jurisdiction of such agencies. As a result, the DOCR inmate database will not contain records of inmates housed in any local jail, and vice versa.

It is possible to find the records of any inmate in North Dakota through credible third-party websites like NorthDakotapublicrecords.us. Records maintained in their databases are generally collated from official sources, and the databases serve as one-stop shops for inmate records. These sites provide centralized access to records of all inmates in the state, including those incarcerated in local and state correctional facilities, as well as those held in out-of-state federal prisons.

Jails and Prisons in North Dakota

In North Dakota, correctional facilities are categorized based on how they are managed. They include the following:

• State Prisons - North Dakota has a couple of state-owned correctional facilities, including 5 adult facilities and 2 transitional facilities, all managed by the state's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR).
• Local Jails - There are 23 local jails in North Dakota, and each is run by a county sheriff's office.

Offenders convicted of federal crimes in North Dakota are sentenced to federal prisons outside the state, as no federal prisons operate there. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) manages all federal prisons.

State Prisons in North Dakota

The following are the state-run correctional facilities in North Dakota:

Private Prisons in North Dakota

There are no private prisons in North Dakota.

North Dakota Inmate Statistics

• North Dakota Incarceration Rate - 230 per 100,000 residents
• Male Incarceration Rate - 391 per 100,000 males
• Female Incarceration Rate - 60 per 100,000 females
• Youth Custody Rate - 48 per 100,000 youths
• Number of Prisoners in Private Prisons - 0
• Black/White Imprisonment Disparity - 5.2:1
• Latino/White Imprisonment Disparity - 2.3:1
• Number of offenders under community supervision - 1,136 per 100,000 people
• Number on probation - 1,029 per 100,000 people
• Number on parole - 120 per 100,000 people
• Felony Disenfranchisement Rate - 0.4%

* Source: United States Bureau of Justice Statistics