Search New York City Jail Roster

The New York City jail roster covers all inmates held across the city's vast detention system, which spans five boroughs and multiple jail facilities. New York City is unique in New York State because the NYC Department of Correction runs its own jail system separate from any single county sheriff. If you need to find someone booked into custody in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Staten Island, the NYC jail roster is where you start. The city's inmate lookup tool lets you search by name, booking number, or NYSID. This page walks you through how to search the jail roster and what resources are available for locating inmates in New York City.

NYC Department of Correction and Jail Roster

The New York City Department of Correction manages all city jails. This is different from most places in New York, where the county sheriff runs the jail. In NYC, the DOC is its own agency. It operates facilities on Rikers Island and in each borough. The main Rikers Island complex sits between Queens and the Bronx in the East River. It holds the bulk of the city's inmates. You can learn more about DOC operations at the NYC DOC About page.

Rikers Island has several facilities. The Anna M. Kross Center is the largest, holding general population inmates. The Eric M. Taylor Center and George R. Vierno Center serve different security levels. The Rose M. Singer Center houses women. The Robert N. Davoren Complex holds adolescent inmates under the Raise the Age law, which keeps youth under 18 in separate housing. The Otis Bantum Correctional Center and the Vernon C. Bain Center (a floating barge facility) round out the Rikers complex. The North Infirmary Command provides medical care for inmates who need it.

Beyond Rikers, the city runs borough detention facilities. The Manhattan Detention Complex, sometimes called "The Tombs," sits in lower Manhattan. The Brooklyn Detention Complex is on Atlantic Avenue. Queens and the Bronx also have their own detention centers. These borough jails mostly hold inmates for short periods before arraignment or transfer to Rikers. The city has plans to eventually close Rikers Island and replace it with smaller, borough-based jails closer to the courts.

How to Search the NYC Jail Roster

The fastest way to search the New York City jail roster is through the NYC DOC Inmate Lookup tool. This online system lets you search by the inmate's name, NYSID number, or booking number. It pulls up current inmates held at any NYC DOC facility. Results show the person's name, age, facility location, and next court date. The tool is free and available to anyone. It updates regularly as new bookings come in and inmates are released or transferred.

If you know the person was arrested in a specific borough, that can help narrow things down. But the DOC inmate lookup covers all five boroughs at once. You do not need to search each borough separately. Just enter the name and the system checks every facility. One thing to keep in mind is that the lookup only shows people currently in DOC custody. If someone has been released, transferred to state prison, or moved to federal custody, they will not show up.

For state-level searches, the DOCCS Inmate Lookup covers New York State prisons. The NY.gov incarcerated individual finder is another option. These tools are useful if someone was sentenced and moved out of the city jail system to a state correctional facility.

Visiting Inmates in New York City Jails

Visiting at Rikers Island goes through the Benjamin Ward Visit Center. All visits are by appointment only. You can register at the NYC DOC visit page or call 212-266-1500 to schedule. Plan for a long process. The trip to Rikers can take 4 to 6 hours total, including transportation, security screening, and wait times. The Q101 and Q100 buses run to Rikers Island from Queens.

NYC jails also offer phone and video communication. Phone calls go through Securus Technologies. Calls are monitored and last up to 21 minutes. You can set up a phone account at securustech.net or call 1-800-844-6591. Video visits are also available through Securus. These let family members connect with inmates remotely without making the trip to Rikers.

To send money to an inmate, you have several options. JPay handles electronic deposits online, by phone at 1-800-574-5729, or through their app. Fees range from $3.95 to $11.95 depending on the amount sent. Western Union and MoneyGram are also accepted. DOC kiosks at visiting areas allow in-person deposits too.

Bail and Property Information

Posting bail in New York City is handled at the Samuel L. Perry Center, located at 555 West 57th Street, 11th Floor. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 7 PM, and weekends from 10 AM to 4 PM. They accept cash, certified checks, money orders, and credit cards. The bail amount depends on the charges and what the judge sets at arraignment. Some inmates are held without bail. Others get released on their own recognizance.

Property pickup for released inmates also happens at the Samuel L. Perry Center. You will need a release form and valid ID. Personal belongings taken at booking are stored and returned after release. If an inmate is transferred to another facility, property may need to be picked up at a different location. Call the DOC Family Services line at 718-546-1500 for help with property or other inmate-related questions.

Borough Offices and NYPD Contact

Each borough has its own NYPD borough command and DOC connections. The Bronx office is at 500 Baychester Avenue, phone 718-608-8000. Brooklyn's office is at 275 Atlantic Avenue, phone 718-488-4200. Manhattan operates from 31 Whitehall Street, phone 212-788-4100. Queens is at 126-02 82nd Avenue, phone 718-268-4500. For general NYPD inquiries, call 911 for emergencies or 311 for non-emergencies.

New York City spans five counties, each matching a borough. Manhattan is New York County. Brooklyn is Kings County. Queens is Queens County. The Bronx is Bronx County. Staten Island is Richmond County. Each county has its own court system, but the DOC jail roster covers all five. For county-specific court information, check the individual county pages.

FOIL Requests and Jail Roster Records

If you need records beyond what the online inmate lookup provides, you can file a FOIL request. FOIL is New York's Freedom of Information Law. It gives you the right to request public records from government agencies. For NYC DOC jail roster records, send your FOIL request to the DOC FOIL Unit at 75-20 Astoria Boulevard, East Elmhurst, NY 11370. You can also email requests to docfoilunit@doc.nyc.gov. The agency must acknowledge your request within five business days. Response times vary based on the complexity of what you ask for.

New York Correction Law governs what jail records can be shared publicly. Basic booking information like names, charges, and bail amounts is generally public. More detailed records may have restrictions. Medical records and certain internal documents are typically exempt from FOIL. The DOC FOIL Unit can tell you what is available and what is not.

New York State Inmate Resources

Beyond the city jail roster, several state tools can help you find inmates. The DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup portal covers the state prison system. If an inmate has been sentenced and transferred from a city jail to state custody, this is where you will find them. The State Commission of Correction lists all county jails in New York and provides oversight reports.

VINE is a free notification service. You can register to get alerts when an inmate is released, transferred, or has a status change. The VINE hotline is 1-888-846-3469. It works for city jails and state prisons alike. The WebCrims portal lets you search criminal court cases across New York. The Sex Offender Registry is another state resource for background information. The PREA hotline at 1-800-628-4271 handles reports of prison sexual abuse.

Nearby Cities

Several cities near New York City also have their own jail roster pages. Yonkers sits just north of the Bronx in Westchester County. Mount Vernon and New Rochelle are also in Westchester. Each of these cities sends their arrestees to the Westchester County jail, not the NYC DOC system. If you think someone was arrested in one of these neighboring cities, check the pages below.