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South Carolina · How-To Guide

How do I find an inmate or search a jail roster?

South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) (state prisons) / County Sheriff's Office / County Detention Center (county level - 46 counties) / SC Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services (SCDPPPS - community supervision)
Details

What you need to know

Fee
Online searches free; certified records requests may involve fees ONLINE OPTION: Yes - SCDC Inmate Search at doc.sc.gov; county Sheriff/Detention Center websites; publicindex.sccourts.org for criminal case information WHERE TO GO: SCDC (state prisons); County Sheriff's Office or Detention Center (county inmates)
Online Option
Yes - SCDC Inmate Search at doc.sc.gov; county Sheriff/Detention Center websites; publicindex.sccourts.org for criminal case information
Where to Go
SCDC (state prisons); County Sheriff's Office or Detention Center (county inmates)
County-specific variations apply

SC's 46 counties each operate county detention facilities. Richland County, Greenville County, Charleston County, Horry County, and York County have the best online inmate lookup tools. Very small and rural SC counties (Allendale, Bamberg, Calhoun, Lee, McCormick, Williamsburg) may have very limited online access and require direct phone contact with the Sheriff's Office.

South Carolina Notes

Important state-specific details

  • SCDC manages 28+ state correctional institutions including Broad River Correctional Institution, Perry Correctional Institution, Ridgeland Correctional Institution, and others; Inmate Search at doc.sc.gov.
  • County detention centers operated by County Sheriffs - separate from SCDC; recent arrests and pre-trial individuals will NOT appear in SCDC database.
  • COMMUNITY SUPERVISION: SCDPPPS oversees probation and parole; search at dppps.sc.gov for offenders on supervision in the community.
  • SC Sex Offender Registry: SLED manages the SC Sex Offender Registry; search at scsorsite.sled.sc.gov.
  • For visitation, phone calls, sending money, commissary, or mailing to an SC inmate: inmateaid.com has SCDC and county detention facility details.
Official Source

State office contact

State Office
SC Department of Corrections - doc.sc.gov | (803) 896-8500; Inmate Search: doc.sc.gov; SCDPPPS (probation/parole) - dppps.sc.gov | (803) 734-9766