CT · Find someone in custody

How do I find someone in jail or prison in Connecticut?

Take a breath. You can find where your person is being held in Connecticut using official sources — here is exactly where to look and what to have ready.

State locator: Connecticut DOC Inmate Information Search
VINELink: Covers Connecticut
Last verified: 2026-07-23
Jurisdiction: Connecticut

Which system is holding them in Connecticut?

There is no single search that covers everyone. Match the situation to the right official locator — most families start with the first one.

If the arrest was recent

Start with the county jail

Connecticut has no county jails.

After an arrest, a person who is not released is held in a Connecticut DOC correctional center as a pretrial detainee, so the SAME DOC Inmate Information Search locates them once they are booked into DOC.

Someone arrested very recently may still be at a municipal police or State Police lockup before transfer; if the DOC search shows nothing yet, contact the arresting police department.

Not applicable in Connecticut. There are no county sheriff jails or county jail rosters; all detention, pretrial and sentenced, is run by the state DOC and searchable through the one DOC tool or VINELink.

Search VINELink (choose Connecticut)

If they were sentenced to prison

Use the state prison locator

The Connecticut Department of Correction runs an official Inmate Information Search (title: 'Department of Correction Inmate Information Search').

Because Connecticut is one of a handful of states with a UNIFIED correctional system and has no county jails, this single DOC tool covers BOTH sentenced state-prison inmates AND people held pretrial on bond in a DOC facility.

Search by last name or DOC number; a record shows the facility, bond amount, and custody status.

The DOC also answers offender-information questions at (860) 692-7780, weekdays 8:00am-4:30pm.

Open the Connecticut inmate locator

If the charge is federal

Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons

A federal charge means the person is in the federal system, not a Connecticut state or county facility. Search the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator by name or register number — it is separate from every state and county tool.

Search the Federal BOP locator

Find your county in Connecticut

A recent arrest is handled at the county jail. Open the county where the arrest happened for its facilities, phone numbers, and the exact locators to search — all 8 Connecticut jurisdictions are here.

8 counties

Finding your person in Connecticut, step by step

Work through these in order. Each step points to an official source — you do the searching there, on the government site.

Step 1

Figure out where they are likely held

In Connecticut, someone arrested and not bailed is held by the state DOC as a pretrial detainee (there are no county jails); someone sentenced is also in DOC custody; someone arrested on a FEDERAL charge is in federal custody (use the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator).
Official source
Step 2

Search the Connecticut DOC Inmate Information Search

Enter the person's last name or DOC number. This one official tool covers both pretrial and sentenced people held anywhere in the Connecticut DOC system. The record shows facility and bond amount.
Official source
Step 3

Check VINELink for custody status and to get notified of changes

VINELink (VINE) is the national custody-status system and covers Connecticut. Search by name and optionally register for free phone/email/text alerts when custody status changes.
Official source
Step 4

If they were just arrested and are not yet in the DOC system, call the arresting police department

Very recent arrestees may briefly be at a municipal police department or a Connecticut State Police troop lockup before transfer to DOC. Call that department's booking or records line to confirm.
Official source
Step 5

For a federal arrest, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator

If the charge is federal, search the BOP inmate locator instead of the state DOC.
Official source

What you’ll need to search

You can start with just a name, but these make a match faster and surer.

The person's full legal name (plus any aliases or maiden name).
Date of birth, which helps confirm the right person when names match.
A DOC number if you already have one (helpful but not required to search).

Use official, free sources — and a few things to watch for

Use only official sources: the Connecticut DOC Inmate Information Search or VINELink. Confirm a match by full name and date of birth, since name-only matches are common.
Be wary of paid data-broker 'inmate search' and mugshot sites. They are not official, often charge fees, and may show stale, incomplete, or expunged records.
Custody data can lag. Someone booked within the last few hours may not appear online yet; if an official source shows nothing, call the arresting police department or the DOC at (860) 692-7780.
This tool only links to official sources. It does not store, search, or republish any inmate records itself.

If you need to bail them out in Connecticut

Finding the person comes first. Once you know where they are, this is how getting them out works in Connecticut.

Commercial bail available

In Connecticut, commercial bail exists. If a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash directly with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee. A judge may also release the person on their own recognizance or on set conditions, so ask the court or the jail what applies before paying anyone.

Connecticut has a legal commercial bail-bond industry.

Surety bail bond agents and professional bondsmen are licensed and regulated by the Connecticut Insurance Department (Conn.

Gen. Stat. Sec. 38a-660 et seq.), and a person can be released by posting a surety bond through a licensed bail bond agent, by posting cash bail with the court, or on a non-surety (signature) bond or a written promise to appear.

Connecticut law also directs courts toward the least-restrictive conditions of release, and a 2017 reform limits money bail for many misdemeanors, so a large share of people are released without a commercial bond.

When someone is arrested, the police or a judge sets an initial bond; that bond is reviewed by a judge at arraignment (the first court appearance).

Where a surety bail bond is used, the premium is a non-refundable fee charged at a rate approved by the Connecticut Insurance Commissioner (in practice commonly around 10% of the bond amount). By statute a licensed agent may not charge more or less than the approved rate (Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 38a-660b).

The person’s rights. The person in custody has the right to talk to a lawyer about their case, and if they cannot afford one, the court can appoint a public defender.

Other official Connecticut contacts

County jails are run by the sheriff where the arrest happened — call that jail’s booking or records line for a very recent booking or the bail amount. These statewide sources can also help.

If there is also a warrant to deal with

Two companion guides pick up where this one leaves off — checking for a warrant, and resolving it on your own terms.

Check for a warrant in Connecticut Worried the person has an open warrant too? Check first, state by state. Resolve a warrant in Connecticut If they need to resolve a warrant, this walks through turning yourself in calmly.

Common questions about finding someone in Connecticut

How do I find someone who was just arrested in Connecticut?

Connecticut has no county jails. After an arrest, a person who is not released is held in a Connecticut DOC correctional center as a pretrial detainee, so the SAME DOC Inmate Information Search locates them once they are booked into DOC. Someone arrested very recently may still be at a municipal police or State Police lockup before transfer; if the DOC search shows nothing yet, contact the arresting police department.

How do I find someone in state prison in Connecticut?

The Connecticut Department of Correction runs an official Inmate Information Search (title: 'Department of Correction Inmate Information Search'). Because Connecticut is one of a handful of states with a UNIFIED correctional system and has no county jails, this single DOC tool covers BOTH sentenced state-prison inmates AND people held pretrial on bond in a DOC facility. Search by last name or DOC number; a record shows the facility, bond amount, and custody status. The DOC also answers offender-information questions at (860) 692-7780, weekdays 8:00am-4:30pm.

Is there a free way to check if someone is in custody in Connecticut?

Yes. VINELink (the free national custody service) covers Connecticut. Search by name for custody status and register for free alerts. County jail rosters and the state locator are also free and official.

What do I need to look someone up in Connecticut?

The person's full legal name (plus any aliases or maiden name). Date of birth, which helps confirm the right person when names match. A DOC number if you already have one (helpful but not required to search).

Does Connecticut have commercial bail bondsmen?

Yes. Commercial bail exists in Connecticut: if a judge sets money bail, it can be posted in cash with the court or through a licensed bail bond agent for a fee, and a judge may also grant own-recognizance or conditional release.

Sources & last verified

Everything here links out to official government or public-safety sources. We don’t store, search, or republish records.

Last verified 2026-07-23 · 10 sources