How to Find Someone in TDCJ

Michelle Wilson - April 16, 2023

When someone is incarcerated, they will often be placed on a record that contains important details about them. These documents will cover standard information like their name and age, as well as vital specifics that focus on the reason they are in prison and the duration of their sentence. Put simply, much like when someone joins a club or program, their information is recorded. If another person wants to find them, they can do so with what has been documented.

This orderly structure is important in the context of prison systems. Not only is it valuable for organizational purposes, but it is also helpful for anyone searching for a specific inmate. Running a background check is made easier thanks to provided details. A notable example of an institution that utilizes this process is the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). The state of Texas operates the second-largest prison system in America, with California claiming the top spot. The TDCJ has thousands of employees, manages over a hundred prisons, and the number of offenders they hold exceeds 140,000. With those numbers in mind, it’s no wonder that the TDCJ requires a comprehensive system for inmate tracking.

What is TDCJ?

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a subdivision of the government of Texas. The department’s head office is located in the Brad Livingston Administrative Headquarters in the city of Huntsville. Additionally, the offices reside in the Price Daniel Sr. Building in the downtown area of Austin. It oversees the inmates placed in state prisons, jails, and private correctional facilities that work with the TDCJ. The agency provides funding for community supervision (formerly “adult probation”) along with oversight, supervising the inmates released from prison. This includes those who are either on parole or need mandatory observation.

Find someone on the TDCJ website

When a person is incarcerated in the state of Texas, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice will typically give them a TDCJ number. With this number, people can track inmates being held in prisons and jails that are operated by the state agency. Every inmate will be assigned this number, and relatives and state officials alike can monitor them with the use of the TDCJ website. This website is a reliable tool for tracking those incarcerated because it undergoes frequent updates.

The TDCJ website keeps an up-to-date list of inmates that currently reside in state or county jails. To easily find someone in the TDCJ, certain pieces of information are required. The person searching for the offender must provide the offender’s surname and the first initial of their first name, their TDCJ number, or their state identification (SID) number. Presenting one of these three details will be enough to ensure a trouble-free search. It should be noted that only the inmates who are currently confined in a TDCJ facility will have their names included in the catalog. If someone were to search for an inmate by their name, the system will seek out an exact match to the name provided. Therefore, the name must be spelled correctly when typed into the search tool.

Tracking an inmate via phone

Even though almost everyone has access to the Internet in some way, shape, or form, some people do not. Those in such a position need not worry because they can still locate an inmate by calling the TDCJ. They can call either 936-295-6371 or 800-535-0283 and can do so Monday through Friday from 8 in the morning to 5 in the evening. If the caller does not know the inmate’s TDCJ or SID number, they can still make a phone request by providing the inmate’s birth date.

The rules of communicating with an inmate

As is the case with most prisons, the TDCJ authorizes contact with inmates. However, with a process like this, especially when one takes into account that it is part of the state’s penal system, there are obviously several rules to follow. For starters, unless there is a change in conditions, phones are available between 5 in the morning and midnight. Keep in mind that tablet phone hours may differ from this. Moreover, the calls are limited to 30 minutes. Before the call is disconnected – one minute prior, to be exact – a warning message will be issued.

Inmates have unlimited minutes each month, and all calls are recorded or monitored. The only exception to this rule is any calls made to the attorney of record. Communication through the phone can only be made to certain numbers and phones. The main ones are home landline numbers and cell phones that are either pre-paid or post-paid. Calls to businesses, international or 1-800 numbers, Internet services, or pay phones are not permitted. To receive a call, the registrant’s driver’s license or SID card must match what is on their telephone listing or bill.

Registration eligibility

For someone to register to inmate contact, there are certain details that they will have to substantiate. First and foremost, they need to verify that they are the registered owner of the telephone number and grant the inmate permission to call said number. They must be at least 18 years of age, and they need to promise that they will not forward calls, conduct a three-way call, or use a speakerphone while communicating with the inmate. Finally, they need to understand that inmates who are eligible for this type of contact are not permitted to speak to any adult that is not included on their “approved calling” list.

What happens if the search is unsuccessful?

As effective as the TDCJ’s system is for tracking inmates, it cannot always guarantee a successful outcome. If an inmate fails to appear in the system, that might be because a recent update has not been performed yet. If that is the case, then the user should wait 24 hours before trying again. When a person is released from jail, they will no longer be in the system. It’s also possible that the inmate is being held in another facility. In this situation, the individual who is searching for the inmate will have to directly contact the prison or jail.

If the inmate is residing in a federal facility, someone trying to find them should consult with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This agency has its own accessible inmate locator. Alternatively, they can call 202-307‑3198. To get links for other states’ inmate locator tools, go to the TDCJ website and look under “Related Links.” Additional information about city jails and other law enforcement entities is also provided on the website. Moreover, those who want to find an inmate in a county jail can contact the county through the Texas Association of Counties.

Conclusion

Whether someone is using the Internet or a phone, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice offers an effective system for finding an incarcerated individual. With the right information, finding someone in the TDCJ is a task that is quite simple to finish, thus resulting in fewer headaches.