Guide
New Jersey Inmate Search at a Glance
New Jersey holds state prisoners under the New Jersey Department of Corrections at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, East Jersey State Prison in Rahway, Northern State Prison in Newark, South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, Bayside, Southern State, Mid-State, Garden State, the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Avenel and the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women. County jails run by county governments hold pretrial detainees and sentences of up to a year, though since the 2017 bail reform most people charged with a crime are released before trial and never enter a jail roster.
The NJDOC Offender Search is the state lookup. It runs on the State Bureau of Identification number or the name and covers people in custody.
Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.
Guide
New Jersey state prison inmate search
| State prison inmates | Yes, NJDOC Offender Search |
|---|---|
| County jail inmates | No, county jail searches |
| Parole and probation | No, State Parole Board supervises parolees |
| Released inmates | No |
| Photographs | Yes |
| Release dates | Yes, projected maximum release and parole eligibility |
| Best search key | SBI number |
The New Jersey Offender Search returns the SBI number, name, photograph, date of birth, race and sex, height, weight, hair and eye color, aliases, the current facility, the admission date, the projected maximum release date, the parole eligibility date and each offense with the county, the sentence and the sentence date. A search by name across the state works, and the SBI number, which the State Police assign at the first arrest, links the prison record to the criminal history.
- NJDOC Offender SearchSearch New Jersey state prison inmates by SBI number or name
- New Jersey Department of CorrectionsFacilities, visiting, mail, phone and money deposits
- New Jersey State Parole BoardParole hearings, decisions and victim notification
- VINELink New JerseyCustody alerts for New Jersey county jails and state prisons
Guide
County jails and local custody in New Jersey
The Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, the Hudson County Correctional Center in Kearny, the Bergen County jail in Hackensack, the Camden County Correctional Facility, the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick, the Passaic County jail in Paterson, the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold and the Ocean County jail in Toms River post inmate searches with charges and the next court date. Newark Police, Jersey City Police and the New Jersey State Police book into the county jail, but under bail reform a judge decides within 48 hours whether the person stays.
Guide
What New Jersey inmate records show, and what stays private
The New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 and following, makes the custody record public, and the NJDOC posts photographs, physical descriptions, offenses and release dates. County jails post booking information, and New Jersey generally treats booking photos as public. Medical and mental health records, the pre-sentence report, classification and disciplinary files and Parole Board case files are exempt. Criminal history from the State Police is limited to the subject, employers with consent and authorized agencies; the New Jersey Courts public access portal shows criminal cases statewide.
Guide
Parole, probation and release in New Jersey
The New Jersey State Parole Board hears eligible prisoners at the parole eligibility date and supervises parolees through its own Division of Parole, separate from the prison system. Under the No Early Release Act, people convicted of certain violent crimes serve 85 percent of the sentence before parole. Probation is run by the Judiciary's Probation Division in each vicinage, so probationers appear in court records rather than in the offender search. The judgment of conviction sits with the criminal division of the superior court in the convicting county.
Guide
When the search shows nothing
If the NJDOC search returns nothing, check the county jail search for the county of arrest, starting with Essex, Hudson, Bergen, Camden or Middlesex, and if the person is not there either, the New Jersey Courts public access portal, since most defendants are released before trial under bail reform. Check the federal Bureau of Prisons locator for a federal case, including the federal prison in Fort Dix, and the State Parole Board for a recent release.
Straight answers
New Jersey Inmate Search, questions
What is an SBI number?
The State Bureau of Identification number is assigned by the New Jersey State Police at a person's first arrest and used on every criminal justice record after that, including the NJDOC offender search.
Why is someone charged with a crime in New Jersey not in any jail?
Since 2017 New Jersey has no cash bail and releases most defendants before trial. Only people a judge orders detained stay in the county jail, so check the New Jersey Courts case portal for the pending case.
Does the New Jersey offender search show parolees?
No. It covers people in NJDOC custody. Parolees are supervised by the State Parole Board's Division of Parole, which answers questions about them.
Where is someone arrested in Newark held?
At the Essex County Correctional Facility if a judge orders detention. Newark Police book into the county jail, and the county posts an inmate search.