We receive many requests for information on Federal inmates released before 1982. Often these requests are from people looking for family members. Because not all inmates had been keyed into the Inmate Locator database at that time, we have to research records by hand. Many older records are held by the National Archives, not the Bureau. To find inmates released before 1982, please write to:

Federal Bureau of Prisons
Office of Communications and Archives
Attn: Historic Inmate Locator Request
320 First St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20534

The following information is required for us to initiate any research:

• inmate name (including middle name/initial),
• date of birth or approximate age at time of incarceration,
• race, and
• approximate dates in prison.

Requests can be processed more quickly if you can provide the following additional information: register number, aliases, crime, and name of prison where confined.

This office does not have any information on non-Federal inmates, nor does it answer requests related to post-1982 releases. Requests related to post-1982 releases must be sent to:

Federal Bureau of Prisons
Attn: Inmate Locator
320 First St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20534