New Hampshire Inmate Search
An inmate search is a useful tool available to all interested parties, allowing individuals to get information about those incarcerated at county and state prisons. Inmate records are produced by local law enforcement agencies like the police department or county sheriff’s offices. These are integrated into the New Hampshire inmate lookup platform. It refers to a portal that allows individuals to access information on inmates in the state jurisdiction. The information available displays sentencing information according to the statute on which New Hampshire convicted the inmate.
Though any interested party has access to the information, they all have to consider distribution or usage for ethical means. Some typical applications for inmate searches include locating inmates that are close acquaintances or selling the information to third-party platforms. The state laws mandate that any misuse of the information accessible to all requesters shall attract legal action. Though the inmate searches are generated by law enforcement agencies across the state, information is recorded by the Department of Corrections in Concord.
Some facilities that the New Hampshire Department of Corrections operates include the state prison for men and correctional facilities for women. Both of these facilities are located in Concord. It also maintains the New Hampshire Correctional Facility and Corrections Transitional Work Center.
What Are New Hampshire Inmate Records?
New Hampshire inmate records are all paperwork, forms, and media incorporated in a person’s file when processed in the state’s jails or prisons. They are compiled from local and state law enforcement agencies such as the sheriff’s office, courts, or crime bureaus. Aside from the person’s name, they may include the following:
- DNA, mugshots, video, or digital files.
- Criminal backgrounds with charges, convictions, and sentences issued
- Facilities that held the inmate along with their locations
- Parole information of the inmate, supervision, disciplinary history, such as violations while in prison and punitive measures. It should also include good behavior commendations.
- Visitation records and correspondence records, including mail sent and received by the inmate
- Medical and mental health records
- Any educational and vocational training received while in prison
The information is coordinated and stored at the New Hampshire Department of Corrections, which, apart from managing state prisons, also handles inmate welfare. The state’s NH RSA 91-A, the Right to Know Law, provides access to inmate records via the New Hampshire Department of Corrections inmate locator.
What Are New Hampshire Prison and Jail Records?
New Hampshire’s corrections department oversees county facilities for collecting and storing state inmate data. At present, the state of New Hampshire has six state prisons. The New Hampshire Department of Corrections manages one prison for women only, and one prison is for only men, while the others are transitional housing units that are utilized for low-risk inmates that do not have lengthy sentences. The state also has 38 jail facilities operating within the ten counties. Each county has an inmate search portal allowing interested parties to access their records. The county sheriff’s office maintains these platforms, and they display similar information detailing the inmate’s profile.
New Hampshire stands out compared to other states in the number of incarcerated individuals per state. Between the early 1970s and 2015, the incarceration rate jumped 448%. Pretrial detainees also constitute above 60% of the population in jail in the state. When grouped according to race, African Americans were found to be 1 percent of the residents in New Hampshire. However, 8% though of them are in county jails, while 5% are in state prisons. In comparison, it was found that the white population is significantly underrepresented in jail or prison facilities. The same trend felt within the African American population in New Hampshire is also illustrated in the Latino and Native American populations.
The state’s criminal justice system does not only consist of jails and prisons, as illustrated. It also consists of parole, probation, and federal prisons. From this pool, most individuals within the system are serving probation, while state prisons and parole take the rest of the groupings. Federal prisons and youth make the smallest New Hampshire criminal legal system populations. Interestingly, the state's jails and prisons are shifting incarceration costs to those imprisoned. Jails in the state currently charge upwards of $3.15 for a 15-minute phone call. The prisons, though, charge 20 cents for a 15-minute call. The prisons, though, have a privacy policy when it comes to funding, as they do not report data on fees for transferring funds to a loved one. In New Hampshire prisons, the inmates also have to pay for their basics and hygiene items regardless of whether they can afford them.
Fortunately, the state suspended its medical copays following the Coronavirus pandemic flu medical checks. This reduced the risk of the spread of disease within the county and state facilities. New Hampshire also pays state prisoners 25 cents an hour for work. However, there is a 40-cent charge for an e-message to or from prison which is in the higher percentiles in the country. The state granted few commutations to those incarcerated in recent years, and zero were given during the Covid pandemic. New Hampshire does release an estimated 1,339 people every year following sentence completion or parole.
How to Perform Inmate Search in the New Hampshire
New Hampshire does feature several county and state prisons, but the records are consolidated on a database that its Department of Corrections hosts. The website has a lookup service which is ready to the public for use at any time. All who would like to access the records should avail the inmate’s names and other relevant information like booking numbers and dates of birth. The steps to access the state-wide inmate search portal are as follows:
- Go to the New Hampshire Department of Corrections website
- Click on the ‘Locate an inmate’ tab, which is on the home page of the New Hampshire corrections department website.
- Provide the inmate’s first and last name within the search field provided. Alternatively, the requester may give part of the first and last name.
- Navigate to the ‘search’ button and click.
- Scroll the results provided and go to the desired inmate’s profile to access the right information. It should illustrate their sentence details, facility location, and the expected release date.
New Hampshire has ten counties, and each has an inmate search database that the county sheriff’s office maintains. The database is open to all requesters, as with the state platform. Interested parties, though, are required to provide the individual's name and booking number. The database should yield their physical information, criminal charges, bail status, court appearances, or detaining facility. Requesters may also get the welfare information of the inmates by contacting the specific facilities via phone call, email, or an in-person visit.
If a person is not able to locate the inmate information by using the online state or county portals, they may opt to call the NHDOC during their business hours. They would have to provide the inmate’s name, date of birth, and other relevant data to help with the search. For federal inmates, interested individuals can use the issued Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
How to Contact an Inmate in the New Hampshire
Interested parties can send emails or packages to inmates at New Hampshire prisons and jails. Telephone calls are privileges allowed to inmates so they can stay in touch with friends and family. These can either be made collect or prepaid by the inmate. Residents may not receive incoming calls. Calls cannot be three-way, so they have to be party-to-party. The charges per minute are $0.21. Alternatively, inmates may correspond with loved ones and well-wishers over email. They can send and receive emails at a fee via a shared tablet available in the housing units.
On the other hand, inmates may purchase their tablets and use them for correspondence. However, these tablets do not have access to the internet. They get and send messages via a direct connection via the private intranet. The resident is responsible for the charges related to both incoming and outgoing email messages. These are priced at 40 cents per e-message to or from the facility.
Mail is also an option for correspondence between inmates and the outside world due to security reasons though these are restricted concerning what is allowed. When sending mail to an inmate, senders are advised to use their full names and identification number. All of the incoming correspondence may also utilize stock stationary or plain postcards. Printed designs or pictures cannot be utilized in greeting cards or postcards when corresponding with residents.
Packages cannot also be sent to the residents directly. Rather they have to be relayed via a third-party vendor. Union Supply Direct is the preferred vendor for the New Hampshire Department of Corrections for items such as clothing, electronics, or other approved things. They are the appropriate vendor for pre-approved food items for certain inmates once a year.
How to Visit an Inmate in the New Hampshire
Inmates at the state and county prisons are allowed visitors every week. For the state prisons and most county facilities, the visitors have to be approved by the corrections department staff. For state facilities, the inmates are authorized an unlimited number of families on the visiting lists, though they will go through a criminal background check before being approved to visit. Inmates are also allowed more than two visits a week from legal representatives, clergy, or official visitors that are not counted against the regular quota.
All visitors must also fill in the application and send it directly to the inmate, hence the approval. The visitors also have to certify that no court or parole board has ordered the individuals to refrain from contact with the prospective visitor, which may take about four weeks. Those who are under the age of 18 have to be accompanied by their legal guardian or an approved adult family member. Visitors also have to adhere to facility regulations by dressing appropriately. That is covering their neck to knee. They are not to carry any contraband or photographic equipment or wear clothing with inappropriate messages.
How to Send Money to an Inmate in the New Hampshire
Individuals within the custody of state or county prisons may receive money in the form of personal checks or money or money order. Electronic transfers may also be facilitated via the approved network. One may also visit any one of the New Hampshire Department of Correctional facilities or the county jails where the kiosks are situated. These are publicly accessible and may accept deposits as necessary. It is also not possible to send money in the mail, though. The money order has to be done in such a way that it is in the person’s name and identification. Their name and address must be written legibly on the envelope or the money order. The money has to be deposited into their account.
Well-wishers are allowed to send a maximum of $1,000 to their account. If one sends an amount that causes the inmate's account to exceed the given balance, one will have to send the difference back to the family or the sender. The Department of Corrections does have a 30-day hold on personal checks. That is to ensure the checks are cleared before they are credited back to the residents’ accounts for spending. Money orders, though, are not subject to a hold, so they can be deposited to the inmate’s account within days of receipt. All of the money orders are to be removed from the inmate’s mail then and deposited in the person’s commissary account. However, money orders must be filled and signed by the purchaser. If that is not the case, they will be considered as a form of contraband, so they are not accepted for deposits. Cash, traveler's, and personal checks are deemed contraband, so they cannot be considered for deposit.