AllJailSearch.us was built by people who understand incarceration from the inside. We created the platform we wished had existed when we needed it most — a single, free, trustworthy place to find prison information, locate inmates, and support loved ones.
AllJailSearch.us was founded in 2016 by William Scott and a small group of technology professionals, several of whom had been directly affected by incarceration — either personally or through close family members.
William spent three years after his release from a federal facility watching family members spend hours on the phone trying to track down basic information — which prison? What visiting hours? How do you send money? How do you set up a phone call? The answers were scattered across dozens of government websites, each with different interfaces, outdated information, and little compassion for the people searching.
In 2016, William partnered with Sarah Mitchell and James Harrington to build a single platform that aggregated all of this information in one place — free of charge. What started as a simple directory of prison contact details grew into the largest free public records and inmate search platform in the United States.
Today, AllJailSearch.us serves millions of families, legal professionals, journalists, and researchers every year. We have never charged for access to information that is already public. We never will.
William Scott launches the first version of the platform with 3,000 prison facilities listed.
We add the first version of our nationwide inmate search tool, covering federal BOP records.
Our inmate database surpasses 1 million records as we expand to all 50 states.
We launch our public records background check tool, covering 58M+ records from 1,250+ sources.
Our team of 50+ writers completes hand-researched profiles for every major US prison facility.
AllJailSearch.us reaches its largest database milestone, now updated daily from trusted sources.
Our mission is to make public records genuinely accessible to everyone — regardless of income, technical ability, or geographic location. We believe that families, legal professionals, and the public deserve fast, accurate, and free access to correctional information.
Every search on AllJailSearch.us is free. Public records are public — no subscription, no paywall.
We understand the pain families feel. Every feature we build is designed with empathy for the people who need it most.
We only show data from verified public sources. We update records daily and remove inaccuracies as fast as we find them.
We process removal requests promptly and without bureaucratic barriers. No one should be defined forever by a public record.
The criminal justice system is complex and often difficult to navigate. We help level the information playing field.
Our platform evolves every week. We listen to our users and constantly add features, data, and guides to serve you better.
Our team brings together expertise in technology, criminal justice, public records, legal compliance, and community advocacy.
William founded AllJailSearch.us in 2016 after experiencing firsthand the obstacles families face when a loved one is incarcerated. With a background in software engineering and public advocacy, he leads the company's vision, strategy, and product direction. William is a vocal advocate for criminal justice transparency and has spoken at reentry conferences across the country.
Sarah leads all technical development at AllJailSearch.us, overseeing the data infrastructure that powers 2.65 million+ inmate records and 58 million+ public records. With 10+ years of experience in large-scale data systems, she architected the platform from the ground up. Sarah is passionate about making government data accessible through clean, intuitive technology.
James oversees the accuracy, sourcing, and daily updates of our prison and inmate databases. A former investigative journalist with a decade of experience in public records reporting, he built our network of data partnerships with state DOCs, county sheriffs, and federal agencies. James leads our team of 50+ research writers who maintain detailed profiles for all 17,500+ US facilities.
Emily ensures that AllJailSearch.us operates within all applicable federal and state public records laws, including FOIA, state open-records statutes, and privacy regulations. A licensed attorney with a specialization in data privacy and criminal justice law, she oversees all data removal requests, legal inquiries, and policy development. Emily advocates for responsible use of public records in the digital age.
David manages user support, community engagement, and the AllJailSearch.us resource blog. Having worked for seven years as a reentry case manager at a nonprofit in Atlanta, he brings deep knowledge of the challenges facing incarcerated individuals and their families. David ensures that every guide, article, and support response on our platform is empathetic, accurate, and actionable.
Monica leads growth strategy, content marketing, and outreach partnerships for AllJailSearch.us. With a background in public health communications and nonprofit advocacy, she has helped AllJailSearch.us reach millions of families who need our services. Monica spearheads partnerships with legal aid organizations, reentry nonprofits, and community advocacy groups across the US.
Our team is here to help. Whether you need to find an inmate, remove data, or just have a question — reach out and we'll respond as quickly as we can.