Philadelphia Jail Roster
The Philadelphia jail roster is maintained by the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, which operates multiple facilities across the city. Philadelphia is a consolidated city-county and the largest city in Pennsylvania, home to around 1.6 million residents. When someone is arrested and held in Philadelphia, their information is entered into the system and made available through the official Incarcerated Person Locator. You can search by name and date of birth or by a Police Identification Number to find out which facility a person is currently housed in.
Philadelphia Jail Quick Facts
Philadelphia Incarcerated Person Locator
The Philadelphia Incarcerated Person Locator is the official online tool for finding someone held within the Philadelphia prison system. It is available around the clock and does not require an account to use. Results show the person's current facility, housing status, and other basic details. The locator is maintained by the Philadelphia Department of Prisons and is updated as people move between facilities or are released.
To use the locator, you have two options. First, you can enter a six or seven-digit Police Identification Number, known as a PID. This is the fastest method if you have it. Second, you can enter the person's full first and last name along with their date of birth. Both methods search the same database. If the person is currently in one of the PDP facilities, their record will appear in the results. If nothing comes up, they may not be held in the Philadelphia system at that time.
For phone-based inquiries, the Classification, Movement, and Registration office is available 24 hours a day. Call (215) 685-8394, (215) 685-8395, or (215) 685-8396. Spanish language assistance is available by calling (215) 685-8392. The Office of Community Justice and Outreach can be reached at (215) 685-7288, (215) 685-7711, or (215) 685-8909, or by email at cjo@prisons.phila.gov.
The City of Philadelphia prison services page provides an overview of all ways to locate, contact, and communicate with people held in the Philadelphia jail system.| Online Locator | incarceratedperson-locator.phila.gov |
|---|---|
| Phone (24/7) | (215) 685-8394 / (215) 685-8395 / (215) 685-8396 |
| Spanish Line | (215) 685-8392 |
| Community Outreach | (215) 685-7288 |
| cjo@prisons.phila.gov |
Philadelphia Department of Prisons Facilities
The Philadelphia Department of Prisons runs several correctional facilities within the city. Each facility serves a different population. Pre-trial detainees, sentenced inmates, and people in specialty programs may be housed in different buildings. Knowing which facility holds a person is important before making contact or scheduling a visit.
The First Judicial District of Pennsylvania handles all Philadelphia criminal court proceedings, from arraignment through sentencing, and its public docket system lists case status information for individuals charged in Philadelphia courts.
The First Judicial District provides electronic docket sheets, case information, and court calendars that are accessible to the public. This is useful for looking up charges, court dates, and case outcomes for anyone processed through the Philadelphia criminal justice system.
| Curran-Fromhold Correctional Center (CFCF) | 7901 State Rd., Philadelphia, PA |
|---|---|
| Detention Center (DC) | 8201 State Rd., Philadelphia, PA |
| Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (PICC) | 8301 State Rd., Philadelphia, PA |
| Riverside Correctional Facility (RCF) | 8151 State Rd., Philadelphia, PA |
| RCF ASDMOD3 | 8101 State Rd., Philadelphia, PA |
Note: To visit someone held at the Detention Center, ASD, or ASD MOD III, you go to the Riverside Correctional Facility visiting lobby.
Using the Philadelphia Jail Roster Online
The official Incarcerated Person Locator is the direct way to search the Philadelphia jail roster from any device with internet access.
The locator shows current housing status for people in the Philadelphia prison system. If the person you are looking for was recently arrested, give the system a few hours to update. Processing and intake can take time, especially on nights and weekends. If the search returns no results, call the 24-hour line at (215) 685-8394 to ask staff directly.
The Pennsylvania state inmate locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov covers people sentenced to state prison. If someone received a longer sentence and was transferred to a state correctional institution, use the state locator. The Philadelphia locator only shows people in city-operated facilities. Both tools are free and require no login.
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Web Portal provides access to criminal case dockets across all counties. You can look up charges, court dates, and case history for anyone processed through the Pennsylvania court system, including Philadelphia Municipal Court and Court of Common Pleas cases.
Visiting an Incarcerated Person in Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Department of Prisons allows friends and family to visit people held in its facilities. Visits take place Monday through Friday during scheduled time slots at each location. Appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis and must be made between 48 hours and seven days in advance. No more than one adult and one child may visit at the same time. Children six months and older may visit with a parent or guardian who can provide proof of custody or a birth certificate.
Each facility has its own visiting hours. CFCF, the Detention Center, PICC, and RCF all offer weekday visits with slots at 9-10 a.m., 1-2 p.m., and 3-4 p.m. Saturday visits are available at RCF ASDMOD3 and for youthful offenders. Holiday visits occur only on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Visitors must arrive at least ten minutes before their scheduled slot.
The city's visit an incarcerated person page lists current visiting hours, appointment procedures, and all facility-specific details for planning your visit.
Dress code rules apply to all visitors. Visitors must wear shirts with sleeves. Prohibited items include plain white t-shirts, clothing resembling inmate uniforms, hoodies with hoods, open-toed shoes, and jewelry including smart watches. Persons on probation, parole, or conditional release may not visit. People who were themselves incarcerated in a Philadelphia facility within the last six months are also prohibited from visiting. All visitors must follow the dress and conduct standards or they will be turned away.
Philadelphia Prison Services and Contact
The Philadelphia Department of Prisons contact page lists all current phone numbers, email addresses, and office locations for reaching staff within the prison system.
Families can also send mail, funds, and approved clothing to incarcerated people in Philadelphia. Funds can be deposited for phone calls or commissary purchases. Mail must follow specific address formats for each facility. Contact the Department of Prisons directly for current mailing instructions, since formats and policies can change. If an incarcerated person mentions self-harm during a visit or call, contact the Department of Prisons immediately at (215) 685-8443 or (215) 685-8442.
For broader criminal justice searches, VINELink provides statewide victim notification and inmate status information. You can register to receive alerts if an inmate's status changes. The Pennsylvania ePATCH system at epatch.pa.gov allows criminal history record checks through the state police.
Philadelphia Criminal Justice and Jail Records
Philadelphia has its own court system within the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. The Municipal Court handles preliminary arraignments, preliminary hearings, and summary criminal cases. The Court of Common Pleas handles all major criminal cases, trials, and sentencing. When someone is booked into a Philadelphia facility, their case moves through this court system from arraignment to disposition.
Criminal records from Philadelphia courts are available through the UJS Web Portal. You can look up case status, charges, and sentencing information by name or docket number. The portal covers both Municipal Court and Common Pleas cases. Public records requests for more detailed files can be submitted under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law through the state's open records portal at openrecords.pa.gov.
Philadelphia has a long history with its prison system. Eastern State Penitentiary, authorized by the state legislature in 1821, received its first inmates in 1829. Historical records from that era, including Admission and Discharge Books from 1844 to 1888 and Descriptive Registers from 1829 to 1903, are available as digital images through the Pennsylvania State Archives. These records document Philadelphia's place in the early history of American incarceration.
Note: The Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole at pbpp.pa.gov handles supervision of people released from state facilities, including those with Philadelphia connections who were held in state prison.
Philadelphia County Jail Roster Records
Philadelphia is a consolidated city-county, meaning the city and county share the same government and boundaries. All jail and incarceration records for the city go through the same system. For broader county-level information about the jail roster, court records, and related criminal justice resources, visit the Philadelphia County page.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Residents of nearby cities are held at their own county jail facilities. Select a city below to find jail roster information in that area.