Transfers & Finding Someone in Indiana (IDOC)

Key info

Newly committed people go to a reception and diagnostic center first — men to the Reception-Diagnostic Center in Plainfield and women to the Rockville Correctional Facility — for medical and mental-health screening, a custody/security classification, and a program assessment before assignment and transfer to a permanent prison.

The listed prison can change after classification. Because the first prison is the reception center, the facility shown in the locator can change once the person is classified and transferred.

Find someone with the state’s offender locator (the Indiana Incarcerated Database Search) at offenderlocator.idoc.in.gov, searching by name or offender number. The locator covers people in IDOC custody, not county-jail detainees.

The two GEO Group-operated prisons — New Castle Correctional Facility and Heritage Trail Correctional Facility — hold IDOC-sentenced people and appear in the locator the same way as state-run prisons.

Reception and classification

After sentencing, a newly committed person goes to a reception and diagnostic center for medical and mental-health screening, a custody/security classification, and a program assessment, then is assigned and transferred to a permanent prison. Which center depends on sex:

Men: the Reception-Diagnostic Center (Plainfield).
Women: the Rockville Correctional Facility.

During reception, visiting is limited — the Reception-Diagnostic Center allows legal and clergy visits only — and the prison shown in the locator can change once the person is classified and transferred to a permanent facility.

State prison or county jail

The offender locator covers people in IDOC custody — those serving state-sentenced time — including in the two GEO Group-operated prisons: New Castle Correctional Facility and Heritage Trail Correctional Facility. These two hold IDOC-sentenced people and appear in the locator the same way as state-run prisons. IDOC also houses some sentenced people in county jails under contract.

A person sentenced to state time may still be physically held in a county jail awaiting transfer to an IDOC prison. County jails are a separate system and are not in the IDOC locator. To locate someone in a county jail, search that county’s roster.

Finding someone

To find where someone is held, use the state’s offender locator (the Indiana Incarcerated Database Search) at offenderlocator.idoc.in.gov, searching by name or offender number. The locator covers people in IDOC custody, not county-jail detainees. A person sentenced to state time who is not yet listed in the locator may still be physically held in a county jail awaiting transfer; in that case, search the county’s roster.

Transfers and current location

A person may be transferred again later in the sentence for custody, program, medical, or disciplinary reasons. Transfers are IDOC decisions, and families are not always notified in advance. Because the location can change with transfers, confirm the current facility on the locator before traveling, scheduling a visit, or sending mail.

Verify Before Acting

Confirm the current location and status on the offender locator at offenderlocator.idoc.in.gov before traveling, scheduling a visit, or sending mail, searching by name or offender number. A newly committed person passes through a reception and diagnostic center — the Reception-Diagnostic Center in Plainfield for men, the Rockville Correctional Facility for women, where visiting is limited to legal and clergy visits — before moving to a permanent prison, so the listed facility can change once the person is classified and transferred. IDOC may transfer a person again for custody, program, medical, or disciplinary reasons, and transfer timing and notification are set by IDOC. The locator covers IDOC-sentenced people, including in the two GEO Group-operated prisons (New Castle and Heritage Trail), but not county-jail detainees; a person sentenced to state time may be physically held in a county jail awaiting transfer, so if they are not listed in the locator, search that county’s roster.

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.