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

Delaware Department of Correction - DOC (state prisons AND county-equivalent facilities) / County-level detention centers for pre-trial holds

Details

What you need to know

Fee

Online searches free; certified records requests may involve fees ONLINE OPTION: Yes - Delaware DOC offender search at doc.delaware.gov; Delaware courts at courts.delaware.gov WHERE TO GO: Delaware DOC (most inmates); county detention centers (recently arrested, pre-trial)

Online Option

Yes - Delaware DOC offender search at doc.delaware.gov; Delaware courts at courts.delaware.gov

Where to Go

Delaware DOC (most inmates); county detention centers (recently arrested, pre-trial)

County-specific variations apply

Delaware is a small state with a partially unified correctional system - most inmates are quickly transferred to DOC-managed facilities, but the three counties maintain short-term detention facilities for recent arrests and pre-trial holds. Contact the county detention center directly for very recent arrests that may not yet appear in the DOC database. Delaware has relatively few correctional facilities compared to larger states - the DOC offender search covers the majority of incarcerated individuals in the state.

Delaware Notes

Important state-specific details

Delaware DOC operates multiple correctional facilities including James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (Smyrna), Baylor Women's Correctional Institution (New Castle), and others.
Delaware has no elected county sheriffs with law enforcement authority in the same way as most states - county law enforcement and detention is handled by county police departments and county Department of Justice offices.
Sex offender registry: Delaware Sex Offender Central Registry - doc.delaware.gov/sexoffender
Delaware Family Court handles juvenile matters - juvenile records are sealed.
For visitation, phone calls, sending money, commissary, or mailing to a Delaware inmate: inmateaid.com has Delaware DOC facility details including visiting hours, phone carriers, and mailing addresses.

Official Source

State office contact

State Office

Delaware Department of Correction - doc.delaware.gov | (302) 739-5601