Ocean County Inmate Search
An Ocean County inmate search entails querying relevant government agencies or utilizing online tools to obtain information about individuals who were or are currently incarcerated within the County's prison system.
Individuals who get detained are typically booked into a detention facility. Consequently, information about the arrestee, their case, and their offense are usually added to the Ocean County Public Records after they are booked into a detention or penitentiary facility. This information is accessible to the general public when they look up Ocean County inmates.
Inmate searches allow record seekers to access pertinent details about detainees in Ocean County, New Jersey. These details are essential to persons who may want to visit, send mail or money, post bond, view details of the offender's charge, or confirm their release date.
Ocean County Crime and Incarceration Statistics
According to the New Jersey 2020 Uniform Crime Report, 986 arrests were made in Ocean County in 2020. Of this number, 520 arrests were for larceny, 250 for assault, 145 for Burglary, 40 for robbery, 12 for murder, 10 for auto theft, and 9 for rape. Hence, in 2020, larceny was the most prevalent crime committed in Ocean County. By comparison, according to the New Jersey 2019 Uniform Crime Report, 1,274 arrests were made in Ocean County in 2019. Larceny was also the most common crime in that year, with a total of 773 arrests made. From the aforementioned figures, it can be substantiated that between 2019 and 2020, Ocean County experienced a 25.5% decrease in the number of arrests.
Ocean County Prison System
The Ocean County prison system comprises the Ocean County jail and local municipal jails. The County's Department of Corrections oversees Ocean County Jail, which serves the entire County. Meanwhile, municipal jails serve county municipalities and are run by the respective police departments of local cities.
Information regarding Ocean County Jail and Corrections system is sparse. However, according to the Proposal For Food Services submitted to the County's Department of Corrections, the county facility had an inmate capacity of 692 and an average daily population of 461 within a range of 407 to 529 inmates in 2017.
How to Find an Inmate in Ocean County
Inquirers can find an inmate in Ocean County by calling the County jail at (732) 929-2043. Callers are connected to a staff member of the County Sheriff's office who provides assistance in retrieving information about a specific county inmate, such as the inmate's bail and charges. Callers may need to provide detailed information about the inmate, such as their first name, last name, or date of birth, to assist the facility's staff in indicating the inmate.
Alternatively, inquirers can use the inmate lookup tool the Ocean County Department of Correction provides. Inquirers can access a searchable database of recently incarcerated inmates in Ocean County using the search tool.
How Does an Ocean County Inmate Search Work?
Per the New Jersey Open Record Act, the general public can access certain information about inmates that are not otherwise exempted from public disclosure. Hence, when an individual conducts an Ocean County Inmate Search, they can retrieve various inmate data. These include and are not limited to:
- The inmate's full name
- Mugshot
- Physical description:
- Sex
- Height
- Weight
- Hair Color
- Hair length
- Eye color
- Complexion
- Inmate information:
- Booking number
- Permanent ID
- Marital status
- Police/county ID
- County of birth
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Citizen
- Incarceration information:
- County
- Commitment date
- Projected release date
- Alias information
- Detainer information
- bond information
- Charge information:
- Case number
- Offense date
- Code
- Description
- Grade
- Degree
- Hearing information
Where to Find an Ocean County Inmate Locator
An Ocean County inmate locator, or an inmate lookup tool, is accessible through the County Department of Correction's inmate information page. This tool only provides information about inmates within the county jail system. With the county inmate locator, inquirers can search for inmates by name or by an inmate's unique identifier.
To search for an inmate by name, the inquirer must provide the inmate's last name, first name, or date of birth. Meanwhile, searching for an inmate by identifier requires the offender's county ID, permanent number, or booking number.
The New Jersey Department of Correction (NJDOC) also maintains an inmate locator. However, the NJDOC's inmate locator can only be used to obtain information on inmates detained within the state prisons system, which includes nine (9) NJDOC Main Facilities and 13 RCRP Facilities.
Similarly, the federal Bureau of Prison (BOP) provides an inmate locator. The BOP is the government agency overseeing the federal system and its facilities. The BOP's inmate locator is strictly used to find information about federal inmates incarcerated from 1982 to date. On the BOP inmate locator, interested persons can search for federal inmates by name (first, middle, or last name) or by number (BOP register, DCDC, FBI, or INS number)
Other than inmate locators maintained by government agencies, certain third-party providers also host third-inmate locators on their websites. These inmate locators are typically provided to users for a fee. One of the distinguishing characteristics of third-party inmate locators is their lack of geographical limitations. This means users can simultaneously search for inmates within the county, state, and federal prison system.
How to Send Money to an Ocean County Inmate
Inmates are issued an inmate account they can access once booked into the Ocean County Jail. Individuals who want to send money to an inmate can deposit in the inmate's account in person, online, or by phone.
In-person deposits can be made at any of the kiosks located in the main lobby of the Ocean County Jail or those in the Public Information Office behind the facility. These Kiosks accept deposits made using cash and debit/credit cards. On the other hand, online deposits can be made using a verified Visa or Mastercard through third-party websites the facility works with. Alternatively, interested persons can deposit money over the phone by calling Access Corrections 24/7 domestic call centers at (866) 345-1884. Note that each in-person, online, or by-phone deposit may be subject to a service fee. Furthermore, the facility rejects mailed cash, money orders, or checks.
How to Visit an Ocean County Inmate
Individuals who want to visit inmates of the Ocean County jail must be preregistered. Prospective visitors can preregister online through an OCDOC portal or in the jail lobby. After a successful preregistration, prospective visitors can schedule a video or contact visitation with the inmate they want to visit.
How to Send Jail Mail in Ocean County
Ocean County jail inmates can send and receive unlimited amounts of correspondence. Generally, individuals who wish to send correspondence by mail to an Ocean County inmate must address the correspondence as follows:
Inmate Name and ID number
Ocean County Jail
P.O. Box 2191
Toms River, NJ 08754
In compliance with applicable laws and regulations of the Ocean County jail, all incoming mail is subject to searches. Per facility regulations, some items are prohibited and, as such, should not be mailed to the facility. Once prohibited items are found during incoming mail searches, these items may be destroyed, confiscated, or returned to the sender. Additionally, the sender may face criminal prosecution depending on the prohibited item. Some examples of prohibited items:
- All types of stickers
- Greeting cards
- Drawings made with crayons, colored pencils, or other similar materials
- Mails containing controlled substances, unidentified substances, weapons, or information about criminal activities
For a complete list of prohibited items, inquirers can visit the Ocean County Department of Corrections Inmate Information page or call the facility at (732) 929-2043.
Ocean County Jails and Prisons
The address and contact information for the jail and prison facilities in Ocean County, New Jersey, are provided below:
Ocean County Jail
114 Hooper Ave,
Toms River, NJ 08753
Phone: (732) 929-2043
