Washington County Illinois Inmate Jail Records

Jail Records – How to Search For Jail Records

The Freedom of Information Act guarantees that the public has access to criminal records. However, access is usually controlled by the government. For instance, state laws often bar the release of jail records unless permission is granted in writing by the person being investigated. In other words, there are many hoops that must be jumped through in order to gain access to public records about an individual.

Fortunately, that’s no longer a problem because today you have two options. You can either go online and do a state-wide free search or you can search for criminal records of jail in one county in one state and nationwide in another. The latter option is more convenient because it only takes a few seconds to locate the information you want. However, the searches themselves can be time consuming and expensive.

First, you should choose the method of searching that offers the most reliable, up-to-date and accurate information. One option is to visit each of the individual state and county websites. Each website offers a search form that can be filled out with some basic information. Some sites allow you to specify what specific information you want and they may even offer more refined searches. While these online search options can work well, you should still take a couple of minutes to research their backgrounds.

Another option is to visit one of the national databases. These are large and can offer more comprehensive information than the ones mentioned above. They contain millions of public jail records. Some are more recent and relevant than others. This method might be the best if you have a legitimate reason for wanting to obtain the information in question.

The most affordable and convenient method to obtain jail records is to visit your local court house in the county where the suspect was convicted. Court houses typically maintain electronic databases of these files. Usually you will be able to access these databases for free, but you will have to pay to get the information in detail.

Jail records can be obtained from the jail itself. This information is kept in a central database. You can find this database at your local courthouse. If access is free you will need to fill out an application to gain access.

Finally, jail records can be searched through the state and national jail registries. These registry databases are often updated daily. In some cases you can gain access to inmate information from previous years. The national database gives more detailed information than the local courthouse and state registries combined.

Searching for jail records can be daunting. Fortunately, technology has made it possible for us to more efficiently search for the information we are seeking. Take advantage of some of these new options. Know what is available to you and use it to your advantage. That’s all there is to it.