There are a number of different free inmate locator services available for those who want to search for inmates on the web. A free search for prison inmates is actually sometimes available directly at the website of the prison or penal system in question. For example, there is a service for a free search for prison inmates available at the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. This free inmate locator service would allow a searcher to search without cost for any inmate within the federal prison system.
Often times, these websites which offer free inmate locator services simply compile the services already offered at the state websites, but this can still be useful, as they offer information on every individual state's Department of Corrections searches on one website. Furthermore, a website which offers a free search for inmates on the web might also offer county-level searches, which again are sometimes removed from the state-level searches available at the Department of Corrections websites.