Thanks to the Internet, searching for state or federal inmate records requires basic information about the individual. First and last name with birthdate input into the national database yields full information in seconds. The vast database of the Federal Bureau of Prisons lists details of all federal prisoners since 1982. The records show custody status and the name and location of the Federal prison for the individual. Also, historical information lists previous prison incarceration with dates, locations, and custody information. Individual states also maintain a separate database with records of incarcerations with much of the same information available from the federal database. An easy Internet search for the state’s inmate locator database yields listings of links for each department, including an inmate locator search page. Once again, basic information required includes first and last name, age, prison ID number, if available.