Alaska Inmate Records

Alaska's imprisonment rate is about 42.3% lower than the United States' average rate. While the state has 205 inmates per 100,000 residents in correctional facilities, the national incarceration rate average stands at 355 per 1000,000 people. An estimated 4,778 individuals are incarcerated within the Alaska prison system, the majority of whom are males. Female inmates only account for about 9.5% of the entire state's inmate population.

The inmate population in Alaska consists of offenders incarcerated for short and long terms. The state operates an integrated state-level prison-jail correctional system. In other words, the prisons and jails in the state operate a single system as the jail system is integrated into the prison system, and the records of each inmate are maintained by the government agency in charge of the state correctional facilities. While there are no federal prisons in Alaska, individuals awaiting trial are kept in state facilities. However, they are incarcerated in out-of-state federal prisons upon conviction, where their records are also maintained.

An Alaska inmate record should have some or all of the following details:

• Personal Information - This includes the offender's name, date of birth, gender, ethnicity, weight, hair color, height, and identifying marks like tattoos, birthmarks, and scars.
• Court Records - These include trial details, sentence length, case numbers, judgment, court orders, and fines.
• Arrest Details - These include the arrest charges, the location and date of the arrest, information regarding the arresting agency, booking information, and the arrest warrant.
• Parole and Release Information - This includes an inmate's parole status and the expected release or discharge date.
• Custody Information - This includes the name of the correctional facility holding the inmate and the location of the facility.

Are Inmate Records Public in Alaska?

Alaska inmate records are public information in line with the state's Public Records Act. According to the Public Records Act, public records of all public agencies in the state, including inmate records, are open to public inspection by members of the public. However, there are exceptions. For example, records about juvenile inmates are exempt from public disclosure. Similarly, sealed or expunged adult inmate records are not open for public disclosure. Furthermore, certain confidential pieces of information in Alaska inmate records are exempt from public disclosure. They include medical records, investigative files, financial information, and mental health records.

What Agencies Are Responsible for Inmate Records in Alaska?

Agencies responsible for inmate records in Alaska include the following:

• The Alaska Department of Corrections (DOC) - The Alaska Department of Corrections(DOC) incarcerates convicted offenders in 13 state-owned correctional facilities and maintains records of all the inmates under its jurisdiction. These facilities typically hold persons convicted of felonies and sentenced to at least one year of incarceration, as well as individuals convicted of misdemeanor offenses and sentenced to shorter jail terms, usually less than one year. Furthermore, persons awaiting trial for varying offenses are held in facilities managed by the DOC, and their records are kept by the DOC.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) - The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) maintains records of federal inmates convicted in the state but serving their sentences in out-of-state federal prisons. However, no federal prison operates in the state.
• Police Departments - While most police departments do not confine convicted offenders in Alaska, each local police department in the state keeps records of arrests executed in their locality. Some of those arrests lead to convictions and become a part of such inmates' records once incarcerated in correctional facilities. In addition, the Alaska Department of Corrections contracts with 15 community jails to provide custody for persons held under state law. These facilities are run by select local police departments in the state, which also keep the records of such offenders.

How To Search an Inmate's Information in Alaska

To search for an inmate's information in Alaska, it is important to identify where the inmate is held. This is the first step to any smooth inmate record lookup in the state.

Find an inmate in the Alaska State Prisons

Information regarding inmates housed in Alaska state prisons may be accessed by anyone through VINELink. Interested persons may look up records using the name or ID number of the inmates whose records are sought as the search criterion. It is advised to enter the full ID number or the full last and first name for better results. However, if the exact ID number is not known, users can check the Partial ID Number box and enter at least the first four characters of the ID number.

Similarly, where the exact name is unknown, select the Partial Name box and then enter at least the first two characters of the inmate's last name before querying the search tool. The search results will include a list of matching records containing inmate information like personal details, custody status, and the location of incarceration.

Generally, information revealed by VINELink regarding inmates housed in Alaska state prisons is often limited. If someone needs more detailed records of an inmate in any of these prisons, they can visit the correctional facility where they are held physically and provide the custodian with basic information to facilitate the inmate search. Upon locating the file of the inmate whose record is sought, the custodian will furnish the requester with the required information. However, this service may come at a fee.

Find an Inmate in Local Jail

There are no local jails in Alaska. The state-level prison-jail correctional system unifies both the state-run prisons and jails, which are managed by the Department of Corrections. Anyone looking to find information regarding inmates serving short sentences of one year or less in the state may do so through VINELink. Otherwise, they can go to the facility where such an inmate is confined to request detailed information regarding the inmate whose record they seek.

Find an Inmate in Federal Prison

Currently, no federal prison operates in Alaska. However, that does not imply people are not being convicted of federal offenses. Anyone convicted of a federal crime in Alaska is typically sentenced to serve their term in a federal prison outside the state. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) provides an Inmate Locator that facilitates the search for information regarding inmates confined in federal correctional facilities from 1982 to the present. The Inmate Locator allows inmate searches by name or BOP register number.

How Can I Access Old Inmate Records?

Usually, the first place to search when looking to find old inmate records in Alaska is the State Archives, as it may hold historic records of previously incarcerated inmates in the state. Interested persons can contact the Archives at (907) 465-2270 to inquire if it has any old inmate records of interest on file. If the old inmate whose record is sought was incarcerated in and discharged from a federal prison, such inmate's records may be available through the National Archives.

Furthermore, some third-party websites like Alaskapublicrecords.us provide inmate record search services and have records of previously incarcerated inmates in the state in their database. However, access to these records on third-party sites is not free. Users will have to pay a nominal fee to access their old inmate records of interest.

Where detailed records of an old inmate are needed in Alaska, consider visiting the correctional facility where the inmate was confined while serving their prison or jail term in the state. In most cases, the record custodian will require information such as the former inmate's name, ID number, date of birth, gender, and discharge date to enable them to narrow their search and locate the inmate's records quickly. This service may, however, come at a fee.

Alternatively, when looking to find comprehensive information regarding a former inmate discharged from the Alaska prison system, an individual may submit a public record request containing details of the old inmate whose record is sought to the state's Department of Corrections (DOC). The requester will have to pay for the copies of such records and mailing costs. Similarly, detailed information regarding former inmates who were discharged from federal prisons may be accessed by submitting FOIA requests to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

Can I Find an Alaska Inmate Record for Free?

Yes. VINELink offers free access to records of inmates housed in correctional facilities overseen by the Alaska Department of Corrections. Similarly, information regarding offenders convicted of federal crimes in the state but confined in out-of-state federal prisons may be found free of charge through the BOP Inmate Locator. However, these inmate search tools primarily have records of inmates under the jurisdiction of each prison authority. In other words, the BOP Inmate Locator has no information about any inmate incarcerated in any of Alaska's state correctional facilities.

While not free, third-party websites like Alaskapublicrecords.us provide inmate search services to the general public. These sites serve as centralized repositories for all inmate records in the state, including those held in state correctional facilities and others serving time in out-of-state federal prisons. They are excellent alternatives to inmate search tools that are only facility-specific. Similarly, these sites provided convenience compared to visiting the correctional facilities where the inmates whose records are sought are confined.

Jails and Prisons in Alaska

The prison system in Alaska is an integrated system that combines both prisons and jails, which are jointly operated at the state level by the state's Department of Corrections (DOC). The DOC manages 13 correctional facilities, each accommodating inmates with varying offense levels. Also, the DOC contracts with 15 community jails, which are run by some local police departments across the state. Currently, Alaska has one private prison run by Ahtna, Incorporated.

State Prisons in Alaska

The state-operated correctional institutions in Alaska include the following:

Private Prisons in Alaska

The only private prison in Alaska is Ahtna, Inc.

Alaska Inmate Statistics

• Alaska Incarceration Rate - 205 per 100,000 residents
• Male Incarceration Rate - 370 per 100,000 males
• Female Incarceration Rate - 22 per 100,000 females
• Youth Custody Rate - 195 per 100,000 youths
• Number of Prisoners in Private Prisons - 300
• Black/White Imprisonment Disparity - 4.7:1
• Latino/White Imprisonment Disparity - 0.6:1
• Number of offenders under community supervision - 694 per 100,000 people
• Number on probation - 464 per 100,000 people
• Number on parole - 134 per 100,000 people
• Felony Disenfranchisement Rate - 1%

* Source: United States Bureau of Justice Statistics