How to Find and Contact a Loved One in Connecticut DOC: Inmate Locator, Calls, and Mail

Connecticut's Department of Correction operates 18 correctional facilities across the state. Whether your loved one is newly sentenced, recently transferred, or has been in the system for years, knowing how to locate them, reach them by phone, send money, and mail letters is fundamental to maintaining your relationship and supporting their well-being.

Finding Your Loved One: The CT DOC Inmate Locator

Connecticut provides a free public inmate search tool at ctinmateinfo.state.ct.us. You can search by name or by CT DOC inmate number. The search returns the person's current facility, housing unit, sentence information, and projected release date. The tool is updated regularly and is the most reliable way to confirm where someone is currently housed.

It is normal for recently sentenced individuals to be processed first at a reception and classification center before being transferred to their long-term facility. The inmate locator will reflect the reception center as the current location during that period, which typically lasts several weeks.

If you cannot find someone who you believe is in CT DOC custody — for example, if they were very recently booked and not yet processed into the state system — contact the DOC's central records office at the Wethersfield headquarters: (860) 692-7480.

Phone Calls: Securus Technologies

Connecticut DOC uses Securus Technologies for inmate telephone services. This differs from other states that use GTL/ConnectNetwork, so make sure you set up an account with the correct provider.

Setting Up Your Securus Account

1. Go to securustech.net and create a free account
2. Register the phone number where you want to receive calls
3. Load funds into your AdvanceConnect account using a credit or debit card
4. Confirm with your loved one that your number is on their approved call list — they add numbers through the facility's phone system or through their case manager

Inmates call out — they cannot receive incoming calls. All calls except attorney-client calls are monitored and recorded. Per-minute rates are set by the DOC's contract with Securus and vary by call type.

Sending Money: JPay

Connecticut DOC uses JPay for inmate trust account deposits. To send money:

1. Go to JPay.com and create an account
2. Search for the inmate by name and CT DOC number under "Connecticut DOC"
3. Deposit using a credit or debit card — fees apply and vary by amount

You can also send money orders by mail. Money orders should be made payable to the inmate, include their full legal name and CT DOC number, and be mailed to the facility where they are housed (not to the Wethersfield headquarters). Processing time for mailed money orders is longer than electronic transfers — allow five to ten business days.

Sending Mail and Letters

Letters are mailed directly to the inmate's facility. Use this format:

[Inmate Full Legal Name] [CT DOC Number]
[Facility Name and Address]

All incoming mail except privileged legal mail is opened and inspected. Do not include items that can be removed from the envelope — no glitter, stickers on pages, or photographs processed anywhere other than approved vendors. Photographs from home can typically be mailed as standard photo prints in standard envelopes, but CT DOC's current photo policy should be confirmed with the specific facility before sending.

CT DOC's 18 Facilities

Connecticut operates the following active correctional facilities:

• York Correctional Institution (women's facility, Niantic)
• Garner Correctional Institution (maximum security, Newtown)
• Northern Correctional Institution (supermax, Somers)
• MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution (Suffield)
• Cheshire Correctional Institution (Cheshire)
• Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center (Uncasville)
• Osborn Correctional Institution (Somers)
• Hartford Correctional Center (Hartford)
• Brooklyn Correctional Institution (Brooklyn)
• New Haven Correctional Center (New Haven)
• Bridgeport Correctional Center (Bridgeport)
• And several additional community correctional and pre-trial detention facilities

Use the inmate locator to confirm your loved one's current facility before mailing anything or planning a visit.

Visitation

Visiting rules and schedules vary by facility. In general, you must be on the approved visitor list, which the inmate establishes through their case manager. First-time visitors may need to submit a visitor application. Check the specific facility's page on the CT DOC website (portal.ct.gov/DOC) for visiting hours and current restrictions, as the 2025 OCO report documented significant lockdown-driven disruptions to visitation schedules at multiple facilities.

The CT DOC Inmate Locator for Tracking Transfers

Transfers between facilities happen periodically and sometimes without advance family notification. Checking the inmate locator regularly is the most reliable way to confirm your loved one's current location. If a phone call is unexpectedly not going through, a transfer may have occurred — check the locator before assuming a problem with your account or their phone access.

Further reading for families

For practical guidance on supporting your loved one, see our step-by-step guides on how to bail someone out of jail, how to write a letter to an inmate, and why inmate phone calls are so expensive — and what families can do to reduce those costs.

Many of these services are run by private companies. See how the main providers work, including fees and how to sign up: Securus, ViaPath (GTL), JPay, Access Corrections, CorrLinks, GettingOut. For every phone, video, money, mail, and care-package company, browse our full inmate service provider directory.