Five quick steps:

1. Open the county's inmate information page.
2. Dial the 24/7 automated inmate status line at 609-299-1694 and follow the recorded prompts.
3. Give the name exactly as it appears on an ID, with the birth date. If nothing turns up, try a second spelling, a middle name or a maiden name.
4. To talk with staff, call Admissions at 856-225-7637. That office books people in and processes releases.
5. Jot down any inmate or booking number staff mention. You'll want it for visits, deposits and letters.

A person can be hard to find for a few hours after an arrest. Common reasons:

• Booking isn't done. Intake paperwork takes time. Check again later, or ask Admissions at 856-225-7637.
• A summons, not a warrant. People charged on a summons are released with a court date instead of being held at the jail.
• Released by a judge. Most people charged on a warrant get a release ruling within two days.
• Still at a police station. Phone the department that made the arrest to ask if they are still being held at the station.
• Moved. They could be in another county's jail, in federal hands or with ICE.
• Under 18. Minors go to the Juvenile Detention Center, 8 S Woodbury-Turnersville Rd, Blackwood, NJ 08012, 856-374-6100.

Adults arrested here nearly always stay at the county's own jail, 330 Federal Street, Camden, NJ 08101. When the arrest happened near the edge of the county, or the person has a case in another county, try these:

• Burlington County Detention Center. The county lists its main address as 49 Rancocas Rd, Mount Holly, NJ 08060, with a general line of 609-265-5000 that can route your call.
• Gloucester County holds its adults in other counties' jails. Its Corrections Division, 70 Hunter Street, Woodbury, NJ 08096, 856-384-4607, sends people mainly to the Salem County Correctional Facility, 125 Cemetery Road, Woodstown, NJ 08098, 856-769-4300.
• Some Gloucester arrests go to the Essex County Correctional Facility, 354 Doremus Avenue, Newark, NJ 07105, 973-274-7500, or to Atlantic County's jail.
• That Atlantic jail is the Gerard L. Gormley Justice Facility, 5060 Atlantic Ave, Mays Landing, NJ 08330, 609-645-5855.

An arrest across the river in Philadelphia falls under Pennsylvania, so ask the police agency there.

The jail's status line reads out custody facts by phone. A photo has to come through another office. New Jersey treats booking photos as criminal investigation records. In a 2013 case about a city police department, the state Government Records Council said those records may be kept out of open-records requests (N.J.S.A. 47:1A-9(a)).

• The Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Identification keeps photos, fingerprints and records of people arrested on indictable charges. Reporters and families can ask the Sheriff's Office, Room 100, 520 Market Street, Camden, NJ 08102, 856-225-5470.
• ICE pictures are requested through the agency's own records request page.
• The federal government seldom gives out booking pictures. The U.S. Marshals Service is the exception, mostly when someone is a fugitive.

VINE is New Jersey's free notice service. It shows whether a person is in a county jail, a state prison or another correctional facility, and it can alert you by call, text, email or app when that changes.

• Search or register on VINELink.
• Phone VINE around the clock at 877-846-3465. TTY callers use 866-847-1298.
• Each kind of notice, such as a phone call or a text, has to be set up on its own.
• For people in state prison, VINE also reports parole actions and trips out to court.

To check on a release from the county jail today, the quickest tool is the automated status line, 609-299-1694. A crime victim who wants help with notices can reach the Prosecutor's Victim-Witness Advocacy Unit, 200 Federal Street, Camden, NJ 08103, at 856-225-8410.

Since 2017, New Jersey has relied on risk, not cash, to decide who goes home. After a warrant arrest, Pretrial Services runs a Public Safety Assessment, and a judge makes a release decision within 48 hours of booking.

• Most people leave on their own recognizance or with monitoring, such as check-ins or an electronic monitor.
• A prosecutor can ask for a detention hearing to keep someone in until trial.
• Money bail is now unusual. When it is set, or a town warrant carries an amount, Admissions processes bail from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. on weekdays and around the clock on weekends and holidays. Call 856-225-7637 before you head over.

Our bail page goes through each step, from payment to detention hearings.

Ask Admissions at 856-225-7637 what the person was booked on. Each charge on a complaint cites a law number, usually from Title 2C of the state code.

• An indictable crime (first, second, third or fourth degree) lines up with a felony elsewhere.
• A disorderly persons offense lines up with a misdemeanor.

Superior Court cases can be found from the Judiciary's Find a Case page. Town court complaints show up in the Municipal Court Case Search. Charges can still change, because the County Prosecutor's Office decides what to present to a grand jury. It is at 200 Federal Street, Camden, NJ 08103, 856-225-8400.

The judge can assign the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) at the person's first court appearance. The person fills out the 5A form, which asks about home, work, money and past record. The court, not the OPD, rules on who qualifies. Every person facing an indictable charge is entitled to a lawyer, money or not.

The OPD's county office is at 520 Market Street, 5th Floor, Camden, NJ 08103, 856-614-3500. Steps are posted on the OPD's how to apply page.

For town court charges, the municipal court assigns its own public defender to people who qualify. Families can always hire a private lawyer instead. Keep talk about the case off jail phones and save it for the lawyer.

No one may drop in; each visit is booked in advance:

• Book by phone with the Visiting Desk on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, for a visit the following week. Booking calls are taken 8:30 to 11:00 a.m., 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
• Fridays, you may also schedule in person.
• To be connected with the Visiting Desk, call the jail's main office at 856-225-7632.
• Show up 15 minutes early. Anyone arriving late will not be allowed to visit.

The visiting day depends on where the person is housed:

• 3rd and 4th Floors: Monday and Wednesday
• 2 North: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
• 2 South: Wednesday and Thursday
• 5th and 6th Floors: Tuesday and Thursday
• Modular Units, other than South 5 and South 7: Saturday
• Modular Units South 5 and South 7: Sunday

When you book, ask about ID, bringing children and clothing rules. Our visiting guide has general tips, including how video visits tend to work.

Deposits are made at the jail's Mailroom, 330 Federal Street, Camden, NJ 08101. It accepts cash or a postal money order. The window is open every day from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m., 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

• Bring the person's full name and any inmate number.
• Ask staff at Admissions, 856-225-7637, whether other deposit methods are in use and what limits apply.
• Never mail cash.

Our money guide explains common deposit options, and our commissary guide covers what the account can buy.

For the current phone, tablet and message options, and their prices, call the Warden's office at 856-225-7632.

• Assume a jail call can be recorded, and save every detail about the charges for the defense attorney.
• Ask whether a phone account must be set up first, and in whose name.

For how these systems tend to work, read our messaging guide and our guide to jail phones.

Before you mail anything, call Admissions at 856-225-7637. Ask for the exact mailing address, the number to write under the name, and what items are allowed, such as photos or books.

• Use the person's full legal name.
• Put your own name and return address on the envelope.
• Never tuck cash into a letter.

Our mail guide has more on letters, photos and books.

Whatever the person carried at arrest is stored by the jail. A person in custody can sign property out to family through the Mailroom at the jail, 330 Federal Street, Camden, NJ 08101. The Mailroom keeps the same daily hours as for deposits: 8:30 to 11:00 a.m., 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

1. Have the person ask staff to release the items to you by name.
2. Bring a photo ID that matches that name.
3. For money still on the account after release, ask Admissions at 856-225-7637.

The jail must care for the people it holds. As soon as you learn of an illness, an injury or a missing medicine, phone the Warden's office at 856-225-7632. Share the drug's name and dose, plus the prescriber's phone.

• For drug or alcohol problems, the jail runs the Second Chance program, with AA and NA meetings, group counseling and a unit for women. Its office line is 856-580-5733.
• If someone's life is at risk, dial 911. Tell jail staff directly if you worry about suicide or a mental health crisis.

The Sheriff's Special Investigations Bureau executes bench and domestic relations warrants and holds more than 7,000 active criminal warrants. Call the Sheriff's Chief Warrant Officer at 856-225-5121, or the Sheriff's Office, Room 100, 520 Market Street, Camden, NJ 08102, 856-225-5470. Online lists include the State Police wanted page, the Sheriff's bureau page and the Prosecutor's wanted posters. Town warrants are checked with that town's court. To clear one, speak with a lawyer, then surrender at the jail, 330 Federal Street, Camden, NJ 08101, or have the court reset the date. The Criminal Division is at 101 South 5th Street, Camden, NJ 08103, 856-650-9100, ext. 43580.

• Superior Court. Phone the Hall of Justice switchboard and ask for the Criminal Division. The building is at 101 South 5th Street, Camden, NJ 08103, 856-650-9100, ext. 43580, or start from the Judiciary's Find a Case page.
• Town courts. Use the Municipal Court Case Search or call the town court. Every court's address and phone is in our court guide.
• The lawyer. The defense lawyer is told of each date and is often the fastest source.

Our court guide lays out every stage, from first hearing to sentence.

Federal arrests in South Jersey land in the Cohen federal building, formally the Mitchell H. Cohen U.S. Courthouse. The building stands where 4th Street meets Cooper Street, Camden, NJ 08101. The clerk, in Room 1050, answers at 856-757-5021.

1. A magistrate judge sees the person within about a day. The detention hearing is usually held then, which settles jail or release before trial (18 U.S.C. 3142).
2. Until trial, the U.S. Marshals hold the person, often in a county jail. To learn which one, call the Marshals' office at 400 Cooper Street, Room 1017, Camden, NJ 08102, 856-757-5024.
3. Jails used for federal detainees in this state include Essex (354 Doremus Avenue, Newark, NJ 07105, 973-274-7500), Hudson (30-35 South Hackensack Ave, Kearny, NJ 07032, 201-395-5600) and Salem (125 Cemetery Road, Woodstown, NJ 08098, 856-769-4300). Some are kept at FDC Philadelphia, 700 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 215-521-4000.
4. After sentencing, search the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator by name or register number.

When immigration officers want someone held in the county jail, the steps usually go like this:

1. The detainer arrives at the jail on Form I-247A.
2. Federal rules allow a hold of up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. ICE takes custody and may bring the person to the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility, 625 Evans Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201, 908-282-5700.
4. Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator. Or phone ICE's Newark Field Office, 970 Broad St., 11th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102, 973-776-3274.

Under New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive, a county jail may honor that hold for three groups only. The first is people facing, or found guilty of, an offense the Directive ranks as violent or serious. The second is people with any indictable conviction during the last five years. The third is people whose removal order is final and bears a federal judge's signature. For them, release can slip only to 11:59 p.m. that day. The jail must give the person written notice of ICE's request in a language they understand.

After a state prison sentence, the person may stay at the county jail for some time before the Department of Corrections picks them up. At a reception center they are screened and given a custody level, then sent to a prison that fits.

• Search through the Department's offender information page.
• VINELink also follows people held in state prisons.
• Visiting and mail rules for each prison appear in our NJ state prisons guide.
• The Department's central office answers at 609-292-4036 (PO Box 863, Whittlesey Road, Trenton, NJ 08625).

Minors are not booked into the adult jail. Youths held for the Family Court, both boys and girls, stay at the Camden County Juvenile Detention Center, 8 S Woodbury-Turnersville Rd, Blackwood, NJ 08012. Call the front desk at 856-374-6100 and ask for social services.

Youth cases are heard by the Family Part at the Hall of Justice, 101 South 5th Street, Floor 2, Camden, NJ 08103, 856-650-9100, ext. 43490. Teens aged 15 and up facing some of the gravest charges may be sent to adult court after a hearing.

The jail runs a long list of programs for people inside:

• G.E.D. classes, one by day and two in the evening
• the Second Chance drug and alcohol program
• Work Release for minimum-security inmates, who apply on a "Blue Slip"
• a work program in the kitchen, laundry and other jobs, with wages paid to the account
• the CARS auto repair program and a computer lab
• a law library and religious services
• job fairs each spring and fall

Families and people leaving the jail can sign up for help on the county's reentry services sign-up page.

For emergencies, dial 911. Below are main office lines from the state's law enforcement directory, plus county-wide agencies.

County and regional agencies

• County Sheriff's Office, Room 100, 520 Market Street, Camden, NJ 08102, 856-225-5470. Ask here which agency covers Audubon Park or Tavistock.
• Camden County Police Department, 800 Federal Street, Camden, NJ 08103, 856-757-7400. It polices the city and Woodlynne, and has a district house at 200 Cooper Ave., Woodlynne, NJ 08107.
• New Jersey State Police, Bellmawr station, Wellwood Avenue, Bellmawr, NJ 08031, 856-933-0662
• Rutgers University Police, Camden campus, 409 North 4th Street, Camden, NJ 08102, 856-225-6009
• Delaware River Port Authority Police, Ben Franklin Bridge Administration Building, P.O. Box 1949, Camden, NJ 08101-1949, 856-968-3384

Towns in the Runnemede joint court area

• Haddonfield, 242 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield, NJ 08033, 856-429-4700
• Laurel Springs, 723 West Atlantic Avenue, Laurel Springs, NJ 08021, 856-783-2887
• Magnolia, 438 West Evesham Avenue, Magnolia, NJ 08049, 856-784-1884
• Pine Hill, 48 West 6th Avenue, Pine Hill, NJ 08021, 856-783-1549
• Runnemede, 24 North Black Horse Pike, Runnemede, NJ 08078, 856-939-0330
• Somerdale, 105 Kennedy Boulevard, Somerdale, NJ 08083, 856-428-6324

Towns in the Oaklyn and Audubon court areas

• Audubon, 606 West Nicholson Road, Audubon, NJ 08106, 856-547-1171
• Barrington, 227 Trenton Avenue, Barrington, NJ 08007, 856-547-3350
• Brooklawn, 301 Christiana Street, Brooklawn, NJ 08030, 856-456-0433
• Gibbsboro, 5 Foster Ave, Gibbsboro, NJ 08026, non-emergency 856-783-0151
• Haddon Heights, 625 Station Avenue, Haddon Heights, NJ 08035, 856-547-0614
• Oaklyn, 500 White Horse Pike, Oaklyn, NJ 08107, 856-854-0049
• Stratford, 315 Union Avenue, Stratford, NJ 08084, 856-783-4900

Other towns, A to G

• Bellmawr, 21 East Browning Road, Bellmawr, NJ 08031, 856-931-2121
• Berlin Borough, 59 South White Horse Pike, Berlin, NJ 08009, 856-767-4700
• Berlin Township, 135 South Route 73, West Berlin, NJ 08091, 856-767-5878
• Cherry Hill, 820 Mercer Street, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002, 856-488-7818
• Chesilhurst, 201 Grant Avenue, Chesilhurst, NJ 08089, 856-767-2768
• Clementon, 101 Gibbsboro Road, Clementon, NJ 08021, 856-783-2271
• Collingswood, 735 North Atlantic Avenue, Collingswood, NJ 08108, 856-854-1900
• Gloucester City, 313 Monmouth Street, Gloucester City, NJ 08030, 856-456-0408
• Gloucester Township, 1261 Chews Landing Road, Laurel Springs, NJ 08021, 856-374-3539

Other towns, H to W

• Haddon Township, 135 Haddon Avenue, Westmont, NJ 08108, 856-854-1176
• Hi-Nella Borough Police, 100 Wykagyl Rd., Hi-Nella, NJ 08083, 856-784-6238
• Lawnside, 4 Douglas Avenue, Lawnside, NJ 08045, 856-573-6205
• Lindenwold, 2001 Egg Harbor Road, Lindenwold, NJ 08021, 856-784-7566
• Merchantville, 1 West Maple Avenue, Merchantville, NJ 08109, 856-662-0507
• Mount Ephraim, 121 South Black Horse Pike, Mount Ephraim, NJ 08059, 856-931-2225
• Pennsauken, 2400 Bethel Avenue, Pennsauken, NJ 08109, 856-488-0080
• Voorhees, 1180 White Horse Road, Voorhees, NJ 08043, 856-428-5400
• Waterford, 2131 Auburn Avenue, Atco, NJ 08004, 856-767-2134
• Winslow, 125 South Route 73, Braddock, NJ 08037, 609-561-3300