How to find someone in prison

There is no database you can search. You ask the Prisoner Location Service. It writes to the person and asks if they consent to being found. It tells you where they are only if they say yes. It is free. It takes weeks, not days.

If you are scared for someone inside, call Prisoners’ Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003.

Checked against the published rates.

What you need to give them

Their full name
Including any other names they have used.
Their date of birth
Or a rough age if you do not know it.
Your relationship to them
And why you want to make contact.
Your own name and address
So they can write back to you.

The request goes to the Prisoner Location Service on GOV.UK. There is no charge. No service can do it faster. Anyone who charges to find someone is selling you a form you can send yourself.

Why an answer comes back empty

Where someone is held is their own personal data. So the service asks them before it tells you. They may not consent. The letter may never reach them. Either way, you are told the request could not be completed. You are not told whether they are in prison. You are not told where.

Know that before you wait three weeks. An empty answer is not usually a mistake. It is not usually something to appeal. The question was asked and not answered. People sometimes consent later, once they have settled. So a second request months on is not a waste.

Common questions

How do I find out which prison someone is in?

Use the Prisoner Location Service on GOV.UK. You give their name, date of birth and your relationship to them. The service writes to the prisoner. It asks if they consent to you being told where they are. It is free. It normally takes two to three weeks. There is no public database you can search.

Why do they need the prisoner's consent?

A person's location in custody is their personal data. So the service asks them first. If they do not agree, or do not reply, you are told the request could not be completed. You are not told whether they are in prison at all. Families are often not warned of this. So an empty answer is not always a mistake.

How long does it take?

GOV.UK says a few weeks, not days. The service has to write to the person and wait for a reply. If they were sentenced or moved a short time ago, allow longer. The letter may have to follow them.

What if I already know the prison?

Then you do not need this service. Contact the prison directly. Or look it up to check the address, visits and phone rules. There are 123 prisons in England and Wales. Their contact details are published.

Can I find someone held in Scotland or Northern Ireland?

Not through this service. It covers England and Wales only. Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own prison services. We have not read their procedures closely enough to describe them.

Can I find out when someone is being released?

Not through this service. Release dates are not published. Members of the public are not usually told. Victims of certain offences can register with the Victim Contact Scheme. That is a different route with its own rules.

Where this comes from

  • Find a prisoner — GOV.UK, current guidance. Read 2026-08-30. Read it yourselfThe Prisoner Location Service. Requires the prisoner's consent before the location is disclosed, which is the part families are most often not told and the reason a request can come back with nothing.
  • Staying in touch with someone in prison — GOV.UK, current guidance. Read 2026-08-23. Read it yourself

Once you know where they are, see all 123 prisons in England and Wales. Then read how to get your number on their phone list.