Lancaster County Booking Records

Lancaster County released inmate records are held by Lancaster County Prison in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The prison serves as the county seat facility for one of Pennsylvania's most populous counties. Lancaster County provides strong public access to released inmate data through an online "Who's In Jail" tool, an inmate roster, and a secure public search portal. This page covers how to search Lancaster County released inmate records, access booking information, submit Right-to-Know requests, and use state tools for further research.

Lancaster County Prison

Lancaster County Prison is located at 625 East King Street in Lancaster, PA 17602. Warden Cheryl Steberger leads the facility. The prison can be reached at 717-299-7800 or by email at prisonmail@co.lancaster.pa.us. The official prison page is at co.lancaster.pa.us. Lancaster County Prison is among the more transparent county jails in Pennsylvania, offering multiple online tools for public access to released inmate information.

Lancaster County Prison changed its mail processing procedures effective February 28, 2022. Personal mail is now handled through the Securus Digital Mail Center. Mail should be sent to: Inmate's Full Name and Inmate ID#, C/O Securus Digital Mail Center-Lancaster, PA Jail, PO BOX 25958, Tampa, FL 33622. This change affects all personal correspondence for current inmates.

Released Inmate Search in Lancaster County

Lancaster County provides several online tools for released inmate searches. The "Who's In Jail" page at co.lancaster.pa.us/756/Whos-In-Jail shows current inmates and recent releases. This is a public-facing tool updated regularly by the county. The Lancaster County Inmate Roster at co.lancaster.pa.us/129/Inmate-Roster shows the full population currently housed at the prison. The Secure Prison Search portal at it.co.lancaster.pa.us/SPS/Public allows name-based searches of current and recently held inmates.

Lancaster County's approach to released inmate records is more open than most Pennsylvania counties. These tools give the public direct access to booking information, charges, and custody status without having to call the prison or file a formal records request. For older released inmate records not showing in the online tools, a Right-to-Know request is the next step.

Lancaster County booking records include: full name and aliases, date of birth, physical description, booking photograph, all charges filed, arresting agency, bond or bail amount, housing unit, and projected release date. The Lancaster County Prison good time policy allows up to 55 days of good time credit, accrued in 5-day increments per 30 days served, which can affect actual release dates.

Note: The online tools show current and recent inmates. For released inmate records from prior years, submit a Right-to-Know request to Lancaster County Prison records at 717-299-7800 or by mail.

Right-to-Know in Lancaster County

Lancaster County follows Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104 (Act 3 of 2008). Released inmate records are generally public. Anyone can request them. You do not need a legal reason to ask.

The Lancaster County Prison has its own fee schedule for records requests. There is a $3.00 administrative research fee for each request. Copies cost $0.25 per page for the first 25 pages and $0.35 per page for pages 26 and above. These fees apply in addition to the standard RTKL copy fees. Submit your request to Lancaster County Prison, 625 East King Street, Lancaster, PA 17602. You can also email prisonmail@co.lancaster.pa.us. The standard Pennsylvania RTK form is at openrecords.pa.gov.

Lancaster County must respond within five business days. Complex requests may take up to 30 additional days with written notice. If the county denies your request, appeal within 15 business days to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov, phone 717-346-9903. Records sealed under the Clean Slate Act 56 of 2018 or expunged under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 may not appear in a public records response.

PA SAVIN and Victim Notification in Lancaster County

PA SAVIN gives crime victims in Lancaster County automatic notifications when an inmate's custody status changes. The service monitors releases from Lancaster County Prison as well as transfers to state facilities. Registration is free and available around the clock.

Register at pavictimhelp.org or call 1-866-972-7284. You can set up alerts by phone, text, or email. You will need the offender's name or booking number to link your registration to a specific case. The service covers Lancaster County releases and any subsequent transfer to state custody. You can update or cancel your registration at any time through the same number. Notifications go out as soon as a custody change occurs in the system.

Note: PA SAVIN does not provide court dates or hearing notices. Use the UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us for Lancaster County court scheduling information.

State Inmate Resources for Lancaster County

Several state tools support released inmate searches for Lancaster County. These are most useful when someone served a long sentence at a state correctional institution after being processed through the Lancaster County system.

The Pennsylvania DOC Inmate Locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov searches state prison records daily. It is free. Lancaster County sends people with sentences over two years to state facilities, so the PADOC Locator is the right place to check for long-term sentenced inmates. The PA DOC at cor.pa.gov has information on each state correctional institution. The UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us shows Lancaster County court dockets including sentencing records.

The Pennsylvania State Police PATCH system provides statewide criminal history reports for $22 each. Call 1-888-783-7972 or visit epatch.state.pa.us. The Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole at pbpp.pa.gov tracks parolees living in Lancaster County under state supervision. CHRIA, 18 Pa.C.S. § 9121 et seq., governs the use of criminal history records in Pennsylvania.

Cities in Lancaster County

Lancaster County is one of Pennsylvania's largest counties by population and one of the most diverse. The county seat is the city of Lancaster. Other communities include Lititz, Ephrata, Manheim, Elizabethtown, and Columbia. The Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas in Lancaster city handles all criminal cases from across the county.

Lancaster city is the county seat and the location of Lancaster County Prison. The city accounts for a large share of all released inmate records generated in Lancaster County each year.

Nearby Counties

Lancaster County borders several other Pennsylvania counties in the southeast part of the state. Check which county processed an arrest before submitting a records request, as records are held by the booking county.

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