Delaware Inmate Records

Records of all inmates in the Delaware prison system are maintained by relevant government authorities, which are also responsible for managing the several correctional facilities under their purview. The state's inmate population is about 4,954, which translates to an incarceration rate of 272 per 100,000 residents. This is lower than the United States' average of 355 per 100,000 people. About 93.6% of the Delaware prison population is male, while females account for 6.3% of the entire prison population.

Delaware is one of the few states that operates an integrated prison system. All the prisons and jails in the state are combined under the management of a single correctional authority. As a result, no offender is housed in any local or county jail. Similarly, no federal correctional facility currently operates in Delaware. However, the state incarcerates offenders who are convicted of federal crimes in federal prisons outside the state. The records of such inmates are properly kept by the federal prison authority.

A standard Delaware inmate record will generally have the following information:

• Personal Information -This includes name, gender, date of birth, eye color, weight, hair color, height, and race.
• Court Details - These include case numbers, trial information, fines, court dates, case status, and court judgments.
• Arrest Information - This includes the date and place of the arrest, the arrest warrant, charges, booking information, and information about the arresting agency.
• Prole and Release Information - This includes information about an offender's eligibility for parole, parole status, and the possible date of release.
• Sentencing Details - These include an inmate's number, offender status, length of imprisonment, and the facility of incarceration.
• Disciplinary Actions - These show all the disciplinary actions taken against an inmate for all their misconduct in a correctional facility.

Are Inmate Records Public in Delaware?

The Delaware Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) considers all information and documents preserved by government bodies public records. Hence, inmate records are public information in the state. They are open to inspection, and members of the public can make copies where required. However, not all inmate records in Delaware are open records or publicly accessible. Juvenile inmate records are generally not open for public disclosure. In addition, any inmate record in the state that has been sealed or expunged is exempt from public disclosure by statute. Furthermore, any information in an inmate record whose disclosure would constitute an invasion of personal privacy is often redacted from a Delaware inmate record before release.

What Agencies Are Responsible for Inmate Records in Delaware?

Delaware inmate records are maintained by several government agencies, including the following:

• The Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) - This is the government agency that supervises convicted offenders in the state's 9 correctional facilities, including prisons and community corrections centers, in the state. The Delaware Department of Corrections(DOC) is the largest law enforcement agency in the state. It manages the correctional facilities under its jurisdiction and is solely responsible for maintaining up-to-date information and records for every inmate incarcerated in each facility.
• Police Departments - Generally, the police departments in Delaware do not keep convicted offenders in their custody. However, they maintain arrest records for all arrests executed in their locality. If an arrest in a particular jurisdiction leads to the arrestee's conviction and, consequently, incarceration, that arrest information becomes a part of the inmate records.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) - Although the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) does not run any correctional facility in Delaware, it houses federal offenders convicted in the state in some of the other prison facilities across the nation. In addition, it is responsible for keeping records of such inmates.

How To Search an Inmate's Information in Delaware

It may be challenging to find an inmate's information without identifying where such an inmate is incarcerated. Therefore, before embarking on an inmate's records search in Delaware, it is important to determine whether the inmate is held in a correctional facility run by the DOC or BOP.

Find an inmate in Delaware State Prisons

The Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) makes information regarding inmates held in state correctional facilities available to the public through VINELink. Everyone who intends to look up information about someone in any of the state's prisons is encouraged to use the tool. Users may conduct their searches using an inmate's name, ID number, or case number as the search parameter. Depending on the available information, a person can either enter a full name, ID number, or case number, or use partial characters. The search will display a list of matching records, from which a user can select their record of interest for an expanded view.

Generally, information retrieved from an inmate search conducted on VINELink is usually rudimentary. To get detailed information about an inmate in a Delaware prison, the individual seeking the record may visit the correctional facility where the inmate is held physically and ask the custodian to assist. Typically, the requester will have to give the record custodian basic details required for the search. In most cases, such information will include an inmate's name, sex, ID number, and gender.

Find an Inmate in Local Jail

Delaware does not incarcerate offenders in the local jail. Information about offenders incarcerated for short terms, which is typical with local jails, may also be accessed through VINELink using any available details as the search criterion. Alternatively, the records of such individuals may be obtained by going to the correctional facilities where they are held physically.

Find an Inmate in Federal Prison

The Inmate Locator offered by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) may be used to find information regarding anyone convicted of violating federal law in Delaware. While the state has no federal prisons, the Inmate Locator has records of federal offenders convicted within the state and sentenced to an out-of-state federal prison facility.

The BOP inmate Locator allows users to use an inmate's BOP register number or their name as the search parameter. To conduct a name-based search, a person may enter the full or partial names of the inmate's last and first names in the appropriate fields and click the "Search" button. On the other hand, an inmate's full BOP register number is needed for a number-based search. The BOP Inmate Locator generally has information regarding inmates incarcerated in federal prison facilities from 1982 to date.

How Can I Access Old Inmate Records?

Anyone intending to retrieve information regarding old inmates in the state should consider checking the Delaware Public Archives first. The Public Archives has a digitized collection of several records that may include historic inmate records. Also, the National Archives is usually a good source for information regarding Delaware inmates who were previously incarcerated in federal prison facilities.

Furthermore, each correctional facility in Delaware keeps records of all inmates under their jurisdiction and makes them available for anyone who requests them in person. Hence, to obtain records of a former inmate who has been discharged from the state prison system, an interested party can visit the facility where the inmate was incarcerated while serving their prison sentence. This applies to old inmates who were held in state-run prisons and federal correctional facilities. Any old inmate record obtained in person is usually more detailed than what the State or National Archives can offer.

Also, anyone looking to find comprehensive records of a former inmate in Delaware may submit a public record request containing details of the person whose record is sought to the appropriate prison authority. If the inmate was incarcerated in a federal prison, obtain their record by submitting a FOIA request to the BOP. On the other hand, an interested party may obtain detailed records of a former inmate who was incarcerated in a Delaware correctional facility by submitting a FOIA request to the state's Department of Correction (DOC) in any of the following ways:

• Complete the FOIA Request Form and send it to the DOC by email.

• Print and complete the FOIA Request Form and submit it by mail or in person to the DOC at:

  Mail to:

  Department of Correction

  Attn: Tim Martin, Legal Services Administrator

  245 McKee Road

  Dover, DE 19904

  In person at:

  Department of Correction Administration Building

  Attn: Tim Martin, Legal Services Administrator

  245 McKee Road

  Dover, DE 19904

• Complete the State of Delaware's Online FOIA Request Form.

Some reliable third-party sites like Delawarepublicrecords.us also provide members of the public with platforms on which they can look up records of former inmates in the state. These sites generally obtain public information, including inmate records, from official and other credible sources and collate them on their databases, where such records may be accessed for a small fee.

Can I Find a Delaware Inmate Record for Free?

Yes. With VINELink, members of the public can find records of inmates confined in Delaware prisons, while the BOP Inmate Locator provides information regarding those held in out-of-state federal prisons. While both tools offer free services, each can only provide information about inmates in their own correctional facilities.

However, with independent, third-party websites like Delawarepublicrecords.us, anyone can get centralized access to records of all inmates within the state's prison system, including federal offenders housed in out-of-state federal prisons. Note that record search services offered by third-party sites are not free, but they are usually affordable.

Jails and Prisons in Delaware

The prison system operated in Delaware is an integrated type that combines both prisons and jails, and there are no local jail facilities. All 9 correctional facilities in the state are run by the Department of Correction (DOC). They include 4 prisons and 5 community corrections centers. The federal prisons outside Delaware, under the supervision of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), hold offenders who are convicted of federal crimes in the state.

State Prisons in Delaware

Delaware has the following correctional facilities within the state's boundaries:

Private Prisons in Delaware

There are no private correctional facilities in Delaware.

Delaware Inmate Statistics

• Delaware Incarceration Rate - 272 per 100,000 residents
• Male Incarceration Rate - 543 per 100,000 males
• Female Incarceration Rate - 16 per 100,000 females
• Youth Custody Rate - 138 per 100,000 youths
• Number of Prisoners in Private Prisons - 0
• Black/White Imprisonment Disparity - 5.3:1
• Latino/White Imprisonment Disparity - 0.1:1
• Number of offenders under community supervision - 1,363 per 100,000 people
• Number on probation - 1,210 per 100,000 people
• Number on parole - 41 per 100,000 people
• Felony Disenfranchisement Rate - 0.8%

* Source: United States Bureau of Justice Statistics