Finding someone in custody in New Jersey means knowing which system holds them: the New Jersey Department of Corrections for state sentences, the county jail for pretrial and short stays, or the federal Bureau of Prisons. All three have free official lookups — this page collects them.
- State custody: start with the New Jersey Department of Corrections locator (nj.gov) — name or ID number searches, current facility, and in most cases projected release dates.
- County jails: 9 New Jersey counties post their own jail rosters, linked below — that's where you'll find anyone arrested recently or serving under a year.
- Federal custody: the Bureau of Prisons locator (bop.gov) covers federal defendants and anyone sentenced in US District Court — a separate population people forget to check.
- Stay notified: VINELink sends automatic alerts when someone's custody status changes — transfer, release, or escape — in nearly every state.
New Jersey's offender search covers state prisons; county jails — which hold immigration detainees too in some counties — run separate lookups. Content reviewed July 29, 2026 by the SearchSystems editorial team.
Official New Jersey Custody Lookups
New Jersey Counties With Online Jail Rosters
These counties publish their own booking or in-custody lists — click through for each county records page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related New Jersey Records
Custody is one piece: the New Jersey criminal records page covers official background checks, wants & warrants lists who's being looked for, and New Jersey court records hold the cases behind every custody entry.