What are Kentucky Inmate Records?

Kentucky inmate records illustrate the path an offender took through the justice system. They may include arrest warrants, police reports, jail records, court paperwork, sentencing, charges, correctional records, and more. 

Typically, they include the person's name, birth date, gender, race, physical description, and other personal details. They may also include fingerprints, mugshots, evidence, DNA, offenses, facility locations, justice system programs, court-ordered participation, and much more.

The state offers ways to obtain some inmate records through public records searches, an offender lookup, and by request. However, some inmate records may be more difficult to locate, and you might have to visit local law enforcement or other justice agencies to get them.

Kentucky Prison and Jail System

The Kentucky Department of Corrections (DOC) is the agency in charge of all state prison facilities and inmates. Kentucky has 16 adult prison facilities. One is for women, another is for training, and a few have to do with rehabilitation and death row inmates. The state also has 19 re-entry centers to help facilitate inmates' re-entry back into society.

Kentucky also has dozens of local county jails that house temporary inmates awaiting trial or a hearing. Sometimes these facilities hold inmates being moved to another location or those serving very short sentences (less than a year).

How to Search for Inmates in Kentucky

The state of Kentucky has an offender lookup tool on its website. You have the option of searching for offenders with pictures or not and aliases. The search criteria include last, first, and middle name. There are also a dozen other search filters like type, location, age, race, gender, etc. The search results will show a grid with the person's name, current location, DOC number, and offenses.

If you click on the offender's name, you can see additional details like a mugshot, the start date of their sentence, parole eligibility, and complete offense details, including the court location, county, and case number. There is also a VineLink icon you can click to sign up for notifications when this offender will be released. It's for victims of crimes committed against them.

Types of Jails in Kentucky

How to Contact, Send Money to or Visit an Inmate in Kentucky

The state of Kentucky Department of Corrections has a full set of policies on their website, and they clearly spell out how to visit inmates, who is eligible to visit, and the rules regarding visitation and inmate and visitor conduct. They may also allow video visitation for out-of-town or relatives who cannot visit in person.

The DOC also has very specific rules regarding sending inmates correspondence. It is allowed. However, you just follow the rules outlined in the link above when sending mail to an inmate.

Only emergency phone calls can be made to an inmate. Otherwise, you can pay for a prepaid phone card for your loved one to use when calling you.

Each inmate is allowed some funds to make purchases from the canteen. Loved ones must follow these guidelines when supplying funds to an inmate.

Police Departments in Kentucky

Kentucky Counties