Find an Inmate at Angola

Where to Search

Start with the search box at the top of this page. Enter a first and last name and it checks federal, state, and county records at once. Angola shows up there as LA DOC - Louisiana State Penitentiary. What you want off the result is the DOC number. Angola requires the inmate’s full legal name and DOC ID on every piece of mail, so that is the number to have in hand before you send anything.

Louisiana DOC’s own locator is VINELink, at vinelink.vineapps.com/search/LA/Person. It is the state’s system of record for everyone sentenced into Louisiana DOC custody, Angola included, and it is also where release alerts get set up.

There is no separate inmate roster for Angola. One of those two is where every search starts.

Who Is at Angola?

Angola holds Louisiana state DOC maximum-security inmates. Adults convicted in Louisiana courts, sentenced under the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections, and classified at the maximum-security level. They are not:

• Federal inmates (search bop.gov for federal prisoners)
• Pre-trial detainees (those are held at parish jails, not Angola)
• Low- or medium-security state inmates (those go to other Louisiana DOC facilities)

Angola is Louisiana’s only maximum-security state prison. If someone was sentenced in Louisiana and classified as maximum security, Angola is where they will typically be housed. Maximum-security inmates at Angola often serve long sentences with few transfers. Once placed at Angola, they tend to stay.

Why Someone Might Not Appear

• Recent transfer. New arrivals and transfers can take 24 to 48 hours to post after processing. Give it two full days before calling.
• Name variation. These systems search the legal name on file with DOC, not a nickname. Try alternate spellings, or the last name on its own.
• Not yet sentenced. Pre-trial detainees held locally on parish charges are at parish jails, not Angola.
• Different facility. If they were recently reclassified, they may have been moved. A statewide name search covers every Louisiana DOC facility, so the result tells you where they actually are.
• Released. If they’ve completed their sentence, they won’t appear as currently incarcerated.

When to Call the Facility

If someone still doesn’t show up after 48 hours and you have reason to believe they’re at Angola, call (225) 655-4411. Have their full legal name and any DOC ID number you have ready.

Getting Alerts Through VINELink

VINELink lets you register for free custody status notifications. You’ll receive a call, text, or email whenever the inmate’s DOC status changes, including:

• Transfers to another facility
• Release or completion of sentence
• Escape

Sign up at vinelink.vineapps.com using the inmate’s name and facility. Registration is free.