To find out where a Federal prisoner is incarcerated -- or whether he or she has been released -- search the Federal Bureau of Prison's Federal Inmate Locator. The database is updated daily and covers all prisoners currently in prison or released since 1982.
To find any other Federal prisoner or prisoner information, you have to contact the Bureau of Prisons as explained in the Frequently Asked Questions of the BOP web site.
State and Local: For information on state and local prisons and jails, contact the relevant correction department or visit their Web site. Links to state correction department Web sites are posted on Corrections.com. Links to online inmate locators are posted at http://www.corrections.com/links/viewlinks.asp?Cat=20.