One search covers every adult RIDOC holds, whatever town made the arrest:

1. Open the RIDOC inmate search.
2. Read the disclaimer and agree to it. The search form opens next.
3. Enter his last name and first name. If too many names appear, add more detail.
4. Copy down his RIDOC inmate ID. Mail, deposits and visits all need it.
5. Note the facility named, so you know which building to call.

Staff on the phone will not confirm what the search shows. To talk to a person about his file, call Records and ID at 401-462-3900. RIDOC's general line is 401-462-1000.

An empty search often has a simple cause:

• He is still at the police station. Each of the state's 39 cities and towns books its own arrests. He may be waiting there for a judge or bail commissioner.
• He was already let go. Bail set at the station or at arraignment can send a man home within hours.
• The spelling is off. Try a second last name, a nickname or an alias.
• A federal agency has him. Marshals and ICE detainees stay at the Wyatt Detention Facility, 950 High Street, Central Falls, RI 02863. It answers detainee questions at 401-729-1190 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• The person is under 18. Youth are held at the Rhode Island Training School, 57 Power Road, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-462-7390.

Then call Records and ID at 401-462-3900, and after that the department that made the arrest.

A police station keeps a person only for hours. After that, adults go to one of six RIDOC buildings, all on the state grounds in Cranston, or to a federal jail:

• Intake Service Center, 18 Slate Hill Road, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-462-2285. The men's jail for every county. It holds men before trial, men waiting to be classified after sentencing, and sentenced men in protective custody, with about 706 new arrivals a month.
• Gloria McDonald Women's Facility, 20 Fleming Road, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-462-0787. The only place RIDOC houses women, for pretrial, minimum, medium and work release.
• Maximum Security Facility, 1375 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-462-2053. Men with long sentences, and men moved for serious rule breaking.
• High Security Center, 54 Power Road, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-462-2028. Supermax custody, with a treatment unit as a step down.
• John J. Moran Medium Security Facility, 51 West Road, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-462-3771. Sentenced men at medium custody.
• Minimum Security Facility, 16 Howard Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-462-2162. Sentenced men at minimum custody, who work inside, on public service jobs or on work release.
• Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility, 950 High Street, Central Falls, RI 02863, 401-729-1190. A federal detention center run outside RIDOC and used by ICE, the Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Marshals.

Youth go to the Rhode Island Training School, 57 Power Road, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-462-7390, a state child welfare program. Our Rhode Island state prisons page lists the sentenced buildings too.

Do not count on a photo. RIDOC describes its search as giving basic incarceration information. The RIDOC inmate search is still the place to confirm custody.

Under state law, the report of an adult's first arrest and the charges are public records (R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-2(4)(D)). That law does not name booking photos. Ask the arresting police department, which can also handle requests from news media. For ICE records, including photos, use the ICE FOIA request page.

Yes. RI-VINE is a free, anonymous phone and web service. It reports a person's place of custody and phones you if that person is released, moved, escapes or has a parole hearing. It works in English and Spanish.

• Register online at www.vinelink.com.
• RIDOC's intake family guide gives the VINE phone line as 877-744-8463.
• RIDOC's Office of Victim Services can sign you up at 401-462-0381.

VINE helps families as much as victims, since it shows custody status at any hour.

Bail starts where he was arrested. After hours, a bail commissioner can set bail at the police station for a fee of $50, or up to $200 between 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. (R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-10-2). On weekdays a District Court judge sets it at arraignment.

If no one pays, he is taken to Slate Hill Road. There, Records and ID staff take bail. If he was booked today or is due in court today, staff take the money only after 6:00 p.m. RIDOC adds a $25 fee (R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-13-4(b)). Call RIDOC Bail Information at 401-462-2261 before you go. Our bail guide covers payment types, holds and refunds.

Try these, in this order:

1. Call RIDOC's automated 24-hour line, 401-414-2871. Criminal charges are one of its menu choices.
2. Search his name on the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal. The docket lists the case events and filings.
3. Call the police department that arrested him. Under state law, an adult's initial arrest report and the charges are public (R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-2(4)(D)).
4. Ask him. Any jail phone reaches a recorded menu at 444 with his charges and release date, if one is set.

The court decides the final charges. Our court guide explains misdemeanors, felonies and penalties.

The judge usually refers him to the Office of the Public Defender at arraignment. For men held at the ACI, defender staff come to see them within several days of the first court date. He can call the defender's main office for free from a jail phone by dialing *9001.

• Main office: 160 Pine Street, Providence, RI 02903, 401-222-3492, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• The defender also keeps an office in every state courthouse. The main office can tell you which one has his case.

There is no fixed income limit. He signs a sworn form about money and bills. A private lawyer setting up a visit or call can reach RIDOC's legal office at 401-462-5168.

Visits, in person or by video, are a privilege. To visit regularly, you must be on his visitor list, and you must pass state and national background checks. He asks for names to be added. A visitor not yet on the list may get one courtesy visit after the state check clears.

• Call the intake office at 401-462-2285 to ask when you can visit, or simply come to Slate Hill Road and ask.
• Each man not on restricted status gets at least three visiting periods a week. Wardens set days and hours, and RIDOC posts schedules on its Facebook page and facility pages.
• Bring a driver's license, military ID or state ID card. A Social Security card does not count.
• A child under 18 needs a parent or guardian, or the parent's signed permission, plus a copy of the birth certificate.
• The dress code bars see-through, low-cut or sleeveless tops, short skirts or shorts, sweat pants, hats, hoods, khaki or beige colors and flip-flops.
• Bring at most $10 in change, in a clear plastic bag, for vending machines.
• Visitors with pending charges may come only once a month.

More tips are on our visiting page.

His account pays for commissary, magazine subscriptions and money he sends home. Choose any of these:

• Lobby kiosk inside the intake building on Slate Hill Road.
• Accounts window: Inmate Accounts Office, Building 138 on West Road at the ACI, weekdays 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m., closed state holidays.
• Online or by app: the deposit company linked on RIDOC's accounts page, from $2.95 a deposit.
• By phone: 866-345-1884, any hour, with Spanish-speaking staff, from $3.95.
• Cash at a store: sign up at 844-340-2274, then pay at a walk-in retail location.
• By mail: a check, bank draft or money order made out to RI Department of Corrections, with his name and ID number on the memo line, sent to Inmate Accounts Office, 51 West Road, Cranston, RI 02920 (Bldg. 138).

For the first 30 days anyone can deposit. After that, you must be on his visitor list, and walk-in deposits need photo ID. Only he can see the balance. The Inmate Accounts Unit is at 401-462-2670. Our money page explains deposits, and the commissary page covers what he can buy.

He can call out, but nobody can call in. Here is what RIDOC's intake family guide says:

• He pays for calls with a prepaid account, or calls collect.
• Most calls stop at 20 minutes. Lawyer calls are not cut short.
• He can call only numbers on his approved list.
• Calls are monitored and recorded, so he should never talk about his case.

To set up and fund a phone account, use the menu on RIDOC's automated 24-hour line, 401-414-2871. For messages, tablets or anything electronic, ask the intake office at 401-462-2285 what is offered now. More on calls is on our phone page, and messaging is on our email page.

Address every letter like this:

• His full name and RIDOC inmate ID number
• P.O. Box 8249, Cranston, RI 02920

RIDOC's intake family guide also asks for his cell number and building when you know them. The mail rules:

• Send only through the U.S. Postal Service. Packages from UPS, FedEx or other carriers are refused.
• A letter envelope may hold up to five pages. One 10" x 13" manila envelope may hold up to 25 pages.
• Pay full postage. Mail with postage due goes back.
• Never mail cash, and leave out loose stamps.
• Staff open and check every piece of mail.

A woman's mail goes to P.O. Box 8312, Cranston, RI 02920 instead. See our mail page.

His clothes and personal items are logged at booking. To ask how a family member can pick them up, or what happens to them at release, call the intake office at 401-462-2285. RIDOC's automated 24-hour line, 401-414-2871, has a menu item on property policies.

Money he had when booked goes onto his account, and only he can see the balance. For a refund of what is left when he leaves, call the Inmate Accounts Unit at 401-462-2670.

RIDOC's health care unit covers medical, mental health, dental, X-ray, diet, lab and addiction treatment. According to RIDOC's intake family guide:

• Every new arrival sees a nurse. He should name his medicines and his pharmacy.
• Emergency medical care is on hand at the intake building 24 hours a day.
• Men awaiting trial pay nothing for medicine or doctor visits.

To raise a health worry, contact the Medical Program Director's office at 401-462-2678 or medical@doc.ri.gov. Give his full name and RIDOC ID number.

Warrants are served by town police and the Rhode Island State Police, whose Violent Fugitive Task Force is at 401-921-8130. Look at the Marshals' 15 most wanted, State Police Most Wanted and the FBI's wanted list. For one name, call the police in his town or the District Court clerk for that town. The District Court criminal line is at the Garrahy Judicial Complex, 1 Dorrance Plaza, Providence, RI 02903, 401-458-5403. Records and ID, 401-462-3900, can say if a warrant is lodged against a man already held. He clears a bench warrant in person at the issuing court, with a lawyer if possible.

Search the Rhode Island Judiciary Public Portal for his name. Hearings show on the docket. Online District Court calendars are only a guide, so confirm with the clerk for his county:

• Bristol: Sixth Division, Garrahy Judicial Complex, 1 Dorrance Plaza, Providence, RI 02903, 401-458-5400
• Kent: Third Division, Noel Judicial Complex, 222 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 02886, 401-822-6750
• Newport: Second Division, Murray Judicial Complex, 45 Washington Square, Newport, RI 02840, 401-841-8350
• Providence: Garrahy for the capital city, Pawtucket, Central Falls, East Providence, Woonsocket, Cumberland and Burrillville; Noel for the other nine towns
• Washington: Fourth Division, McGrath Judicial Complex, 4800 Tower Hill Road, Wakefield, RI 02879, 401-782-4131; North Kingstown uses Noel

Felony dates in Superior Court for Providence and Bristol come from the Licht clerk, 401-222-3250. Our court guide names each courthouse and walks through a case.

Federal arrests in Rhode Island go before the U.S. District Court, 1 Exchange Terrace, Providence, RI 02903, 401-752-7200. His first big step there is a detention hearing (18 U.S.C. 3142). That hearing settles whether he goes home or waits in a cell until trial.

• Before sentencing, the U.S. Marshals have him. Call their office at 2 Exchange Terrace, Room 323, Providence, RI 02903, 401-824-7610.
• Federal detainees usually stay at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility, 950 High Street, Central Falls, RI 02863, 401-729-1190.
• After sentencing, search the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator by name or register number. "Not in BOP Custody" can mean another agency holds him.

Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator. Here is how a man moves from state custody into ICE hands:

1. The process starts when ICE sends RIDOC its detainer form, Form I-247A.
2. That federal hold can run up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Rhode Island's stance: the Governor's office stated in February 2024 that the state will not hold a person just because ICE lodged a detainer. It cited Morales v. Chadbourne (1st Cir. 2015).
4. ICE may still arrest him itself. Its Boston Field Office, 1000 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803, 781-359-7500, covers Rhode Island.
5. In this state, ICE detainees stay at the Wyatt Detention Facility, 950 High Street, Central Falls, RI 02863. Its information line, 401-729-1190, runs 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Family visits there are behind glass, Sundays 1:00 to 2:15 p.m. and Fridays 2:30 to 3:45 p.m.

In Rhode Island the jail and the prisons are run by the same department. After sentencing, a man is classified on Slate Hill Road and moved to a sentenced building that fits his risk. A woman stays at the women's facility. The RIDOC inmate search shows his current building.

• Every RIDOC prison is listed on our Rhode Island state prisons page.
• Questions about probation go to Adult Probation and Parole, 401-462-1619.
• Parole hearings: Parole Board, Mathias Building, 40 Howard Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-462-0900.

A minor is never held at the ACI. Family Court handles anyone under 18, and its records are not public. A youth ordered held goes to the Rhode Island Training School, 57 Power Road, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-462-7390, run by the state's child welfare agency. Visits there are weekly with approved family, and staff place two calls a week.

For a case question, call the Family Court Juvenile Clerk at the Garrahy Judicial Complex, 1 Dorrance Plaza, Providence, RI 02903, 401-458-3290, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on court days.

Call the non-emergency line for the town where the arrest happened. Phones are grouped by county.

Bristol County, with 50,001 residents in the July 1, 2025 Census estimate

• Barrington Police, 100 Federal Road, Barrington, RI 02806, 401-437-3935
• Bristol Police, 395 Metacom Avenue, Bristol, RI 02809. For phone help, call the State Police Portsmouth Barracks, listed under state agencies.
• Warren Police, 1 Joyce Street, Warren, RI 02885, 401-245-1311
• Roger Williams University Public Safety, 1 Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809, 401-254-3611 (non-emergency)

Kent County, with 173,495 residents in the July 1, 2025 Census estimate

• Coventry Police, on Main Street in Coventry, 401-826-1100
• East Greenwich Police, 176 First Avenue, East Greenwich, RI 02818, 401-884-2244
• Warwick Police, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, Warwick, RI 02886, 401-468-4200
• West Greenwich Police, 280 Victory Highway, West Greenwich, RI 02817, 401-397-7191
• West Warwick Police, 1162 Main Street, West Warwick, RI 02893, 401-821-4323
• Airport police (RIAC) at T.F. Green, 2000 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02886, 401-691-2247
• CCRI Campus Police, all campuses, 400 East Avenue, Warwick, RI 02886, 401-825-2109

Newport County, with 83,051 residents in the July 1, 2025 Census estimate

• Jamestown Police, 250 Conanicus Avenue, Jamestown, RI 02835, 401-423-1212
• Little Compton Police, 60 Simmons Road, Little Compton, RI 02837, 401-635-2311
• Middletown Police, Public Safety Complex, 123 Valley Road, Middletown, RI 02842, 401-846-1144
• Newport Police, 120 Broadway, Newport, RI 02840, 401-847-1306
• Portsmouth Police, 2270 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI 02871, 401-683-0300
• Tiverton Police, 20 Industrial Way, Tiverton, RI 02878, 401-625-6717
• Salve Regina University Public Safety, 100 Ochre Point Avenue, Newport, RI 02840, 401-341-2325

Providence County, with 678,179 residents in the July 1, 2025 Census estimate

• Providence Police, 325 Washington Street, Providence, RI 02903, 401-272-3121
• Burrillville Police, 1477 Victory Highway, Oakland, RI 02858, 401-568-6255
• Central Falls Police, 160 Illinois Street, Central Falls, RI 02863, 401-727-7411
• Cranston Police, 5 Garfield Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920, 401-942-2211
• Cumberland Police, 1380 Diamond Hill Road, Cumberland, RI 02864, 401-333-2500
• East Providence Police, 175 Waterman Avenue, East Providence, RI 02914, 401-435-7500
• Foster Police, 182 Howard Hill Road, Foster, RI 02825, 401-397-3317
• Glocester Police, 162 Chopmist Hill Road, Chepachet, RI 02814, 401-568-2533
• Johnston Police, 1651 Atwood Avenue, Johnston, RI 02919, 401-231-4210
• Lincoln Police, 100 River Road, Lincoln, RI 02865, 401-333-8281
• North Providence Police, 1835 Mineral Spring Avenue, North Providence, RI 02904, 401-231-4533
• North Smithfield Police, on Smithfield Road in North Smithfield, 401-762-1212
• Pawtucket Police, 121 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, RI 02860, 401-727-9100
• Scituate Police, 1301 Chopmist Hill Road, Scituate, RI 02857, 401-821-5900
• Smithfield Police, 215 Pleasant View Avenue, Smithfield, RI 02917, 401-231-2500
• Woonsocket Police, 242 Clinton Street, Woonsocket, RI 02895, 401-766-1212
• Brown University Public Safety, 75 Waterman Street, Providence, RI 02912, 401-863-3322
• Providence College Public Safety, 1 Cunningham Square, Providence, RI 02918, 401-865-2391
• Bryant University Public Safety, 1150 Douglas Pike, Smithfield, RI 02917, 401-232-6001
• Rhode Island College Campus Police: phone the college and ask to be put through

Washington County, with 129,795 residents in the July 1, 2025 Census estimate

• Charlestown Police, 4901 Old Post Road, Charlestown, RI 02813, 401-364-1212
• Exeter has no town police. State troopers patrol it, so call State Police headquarters, listed under state agencies.
• Hopkinton Police, 406 Woodville Road, Hopkinton, RI 02833, 401-377-7750
• Narragansett Police, 40 Caswell Street, Narragansett, RI 02882, 401-789-1091
• New Shoreham Police (Block Island), 10 Beach Avenue, New Shoreham, RI 02807, 401-466-3220
• North Kingstown Police, 8166 Post Road, North Kingstown, RI 02852, 401-294-3316
• Richmond Police, 1168 Main Street, Wyoming, RI 02898, 401-539-8289
• South Kingstown Police, 1790 Kingstown Road, Wakefield, RI 02879, 401-783-3321
• Westerly Police, on Airport Road in Westerly, 401-596-2022
• University of Rhode Island Police, 85 Briar Lane, Kingston, RI 02881, 401-874-4910
• Narragansett Indian Tribal Police, 4375-B South County Trail, Charlestown, RI 02813, 401-364-1100

State agencies that arrest anywhere in Rhode Island

• State Police headquarters and Scituate Barracks, 311 Danielson Pike, North Scituate, RI 02857, 401-444-1000
• State Police Lincoln Woods Barracks, 1575 Louisquisset Pike, Lincoln, RI 02865, 401-444-1100
• State Police Portsmouth Barracks, 838 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI 02871, 401-444-1066
• State Police Wickford Barracks, 7875 Post Road, North Kingstown, RI 02852, 401-444-1064
• State Police Hope Valley Barracks, 54 Nooseneck Hill Road, Richmond, RI 02898, 401-444-1068
• Capitol Police, 1 Capitol Hill, Suite 200, Providence, RI 02908, 401-222-1840
• Environmental officers of the DEM Division of Law Enforcement, dispatch around the clock at 401-222-3070