Find Someone at Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center

Step 1. Go to the Incarcerated Person Locator

Visit inmate-locator.phila.gov, Philadelphia’s official search tool covering everyone currently held across its prison system, including PICC.

Step 2. Search by Name and Date of Birth, or PID

Enter the person’s full name and date of birth. If you already have their police identification number (PID) from an arrest record or court paperwork, that can also be used to search.

Step 3. Confirm the Listed Facility

Results show which Philadelphia Department of Prisons facility currently holds the person. Confirm it says PICC before you schedule a visit, send money, or mail anything, since Philadelphia operates multiple facilities and people can be moved between them.

Why Someone Might Not Show Up

A few common reasons: the arrest happened too recently for the system to be updated, the person has been released, transferred to state or federal custody, or the name and date of birth entered don’t exactly match city records.

If You Can’t Find Them

Call the 24/7 help line at (215) 685-8394, (215) 685-8395, or (215) 685-8396 if the online tool doesn’t return a result. A Spanish-language line is available at (215) 685-8692.

Confirming Before You Act

Recheck the locator close to your visit date, deposit, or mailing, since transfers and releases can happen quickly and change which facility someone is held at.

What to Do If They Were Moved to State or Federal Custody

If the Philadelphia locator no longer shows a result and you suspect the person was sentenced and moved into state or federal custody, check PA DOC’s own statewide Inmate/Parolee Locator or the BOP’s federal locator at bop.gov/inmateloc/, depending on which system they were transferred into.

Checking Court Records as a Backup

If both the locator and the help line come up empty, Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System court record portal can sometimes confirm an active case in Philadelphia even when custody status itself is unclear.

Calling on Behalf of Someone Else

If you’re checking on behalf of a friend or extended family member, be ready to explain your relationship to the person in custody when you call the help line, since staff may ask for context before sharing details.

Using the Locator on a Mobile Device

The Incarcerated Person Locator at inmate-locator.phila.gov works on a phone browser as well as a desktop computer, so you don’t need a computer specifically to use it. If you’re having trouble with the site on your phone, try switching to a desktop view in your browser settings before assuming the tool itself is down.

Understanding Which of the 4 Facilities Applies

Philadelphia operates 4 separate prison facilities under one department, and people can be moved between them. Even after you confirm someone is in the system, double-check the specific facility listed says PICC rather than one of the others, since visiting, mailing, and money rules differ by facility.