What to Know Before Using Union County's Inmate Look-Up Tool

Union County publishes its inmate Look Up to support public safety and provide community access to selected offender information, in line with the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA). The Union County Sheriff's Office Division of Corrections updates the information daily. That's useful for confirming a recent booking or checking basic status. But daily updates aren't the same as immediate updates. A person's situation can shift quickly, and the website may not reflect their true current location, status, date, or other key details at the moment you search.

One common point of confusion is release type. People on Work Release, Furlough, or in a Residential Community Program can still appear in the system, but those release types aren't always reflected in their profile. You might see someone listed without any indication they're out for a work program, temporarily away on furlough, or placed in a community program. This matters if you're planning something time-sensitive, like dropping off property or figuring out whether someone can receive mail where you think they are. Verify rather than assume the profile tells the whole story.

Even if you type the name correctly, you still might not get a result. The Sheriff's Office Division of Corrections can exclude certain offenders from the public website at its discretion (and other law enforcement agencies can be part of that decision). "Not found" does not automatically mean "not in custody" or "not connected to the county." If you believe someone should appear but doesn't, treat the online search as incomplete and move to verification.

The online Look Up works best as a daily-updated snapshot, not a final answer. If the listing matches what you already know (a recent booking that shows up as expected, for example), the daily update schedule makes it a reasonable reference point. If anything feels off, like a status that seems outdated or a location that doesn't match what you were told, assume the tool may be behind. The county explicitly warns that information can change quickly, and the website may not reflect someone's true current location or status.

1. Write down what you’re seeing online: Note the name as listed and the specific detail you’re trying to confirm (status, location, release type).
2. Gather the identifiers you have: Any additional details you can include in your note (for example date of birth or an ID/booking reference if you have one) can help staff match the correct person.
3. Submit your question in writing to the Classification Unit: Questions or comments about offender information posted on the site must be addressed in writing to the Union County Sheriff’s Office Division of Corrections, ATTN: Classification Unit, 15 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth, NJ 07207.

• ✓ The status or location shown online does not match what you were told, and you need confirmation.
• ✓ You think the person may be on Work Release, Furlough, or in a Residential Community Program, and the profile does not reflect that.
• ✓ The listing suggests someone is “paroled” or “released,” and you are trying to understand what that means now (the record is not updated after they leave custody).
• ✓ You cannot find someone in the results and suspect they may be excluded from the public website.

For most families, Union County's inmate Look Up works best as a starting point. It's updated daily, but information can still change quickly, and the page may not reflect someone's current location or status. Pay extra attention to categories that commonly cause confusion. Work Release, Furlough, and Residential Community Program placements can appear in the system without being clearly reflected in the profile. Parole or release records aren't updated after someone leaves custody. When the details matter, or the search results don't make sense, move from online searching to written verification through the Division of Corrections.