Legal practitioners, friends and relatives of those lodged in prisons are some of the people who need high-fidelity inmate information. Apart from these individuals, statisticians and researchers may also need access to inmates-related information from time to time.
Fortunately, searching for an inmate is not difficult. There are jail exchanges that give you a plethora of high-fidelity information, and that too, at no cost. If you have been looking for information on a jail inmate, try visiting the inmate search dallas county.
A Successful Inmate Search: Things To Keep In Mind
If you want to search for an inmate, you must have some basic information about him. Usually, the first or last name of an inmate is the minimal basic information that people have.
Most of the databases can show up the right result with the first and the last name of the prisoners. However, if you have more information, the search process becomes easier.
So here are some ways to refine your search and get more accurate information from a publicly available information exchange.
Collect As Much Data As Possible
You can get information about an arrested person with minimal information like their name. However, the more information you have, the easier the search. If you are a relative or a friend, you may already know details like age, place of usual residence etc. But if you are a stranger to the inmate, you must first contact the family.
Friends and relatives will be privy to a lot of information which is crucial for an easy search. Apart from personal information (age, full name), you can also get details about past arrests. If a person belongs to a certain race, uses an alias, or has a past criminal record, the search becomes easier.
When you have a lot of data, you can get the most relevant results in less time. So do not rush to access the database, search only once you have gathered as much information as possible.
Nonetheless, in some cases, you may have to go for a blind search. Such situations may arise if you work for an NGO or an organization that helps homeless people. Beggars and homeless individuals will usually have no family who can give personal details. In such cases, the search might take a long time, and the database may throw up many wrong matches before you find the correct individual.
Determine The Site Of Arrest
Usually, people are put up in the local prison where the crime has been committed. Hence if you want information about a loved one who has been arrested and is currently lodged in prison, ascertain the location of the arrest.
Many people do not know the site of arrest when the person is arrested in a different part of the city from where he ordinarily resides. So if you have no clue about the site of your arrest, visit the local police department.
In most cases, the arrest warrant is issued by the local police department that operates near the area of the prisoner’s residence. Even if the local authorities do not have access to the warrant, they can guide you and help you find the inmate sooner.
The local police department may direct you to another police department that might be able to help you. Alternatively, if you have absolutely no clue about the site of the arrest, try looking up countywide or statewide databases. These databases contain a lot of information, and navigating them takes time, but patience is the key when you have little information.
Try Searching In Multiple Databases
If you want to get the most accurate result, broaden your resources as much as possible. Do not restrict yourself to only one source of information. Go through official websites, government databases and also third-party tools.
Many people believe that third-party tools may provide inaccurate information. However, that is not the case as most of the data is collected and compiled from authentic sources, the official prison records.
Narrow Down On The Information
When searching large sets of data, the rule of thumb is to start with a lot of information and narrow it down progressively. Half of your job is done if your target has an unusual name or distinctive feature.
However, in most cases, you will be stuck with a common name that hundreds of inmates share. If that is the case, try using other information that uniquely identifies the inmate of your interest. For instance, you can look for an alias or a middle name. It is highly unlikely that many people will share the same first and middle name. When you have a list of around ten or twenty names, then try filtering using details like gender, age etc.
Figuring Out A Way For No Results
If your searches persistently give you no results, then you may get stuck. In such cases, either the record has not been updated, or you are searching the wrong database. If the result has not been updated, you may have to wait for a while.
In case you think that you have been searching the wrong database, look for national databases like that of the Federal Bureau of Prison. The national data sources offer extensive information and have filters that help you narrow down effectively.
Look In The Archives For Past Records
If you want to know more about a person arrested a few decades back, you have to go to the national archives. However, even national archives have a limitation. They do not give data beyond the 1960s or 70s. So if you are looking for someone who was in prison fifty years back, you may be disappointed.
Conclusion
National and state-level databases are intimidating to look at, given the amount of information they contain. However, with smart searching techniques, you can always effectively narrow down your person of interest in minimal time. If you have patience and have a lot of information on the inmate, you will most likely not be disappointed.
