Lackawanna County Inmate Population Records
Lackawanna County inmate population records are maintained by the county prison in Scranton and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Lackawanna County is one of the major counties in northeastern Pennsylvania, with Scranton serving as the county seat and a regional hub. The county prison holds people awaiting trial and those serving local sentences. The state DOC inmate locator tracks individuals sentenced to state prison. This guide covers how to find Lackawanna County jail records, search the PADOC database, and request records under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law. Online searches are free and open to the public.
Lackawanna County Quick Facts
Lackawanna County Prison and Jail Records
Lackawanna County Prison is located at 1371 N. Washington Avenue, Scranton, PA 18509. The main phone number is 570-963-6603 and the fax is 570-963-6618. A warden oversees daily operations. The facility holds pre-trial detainees who have not made bail and individuals serving sentences of less than two years. Inmates convicted of more serious offenses with longer sentences transfer to one of the 24 Pennsylvania state correctional institutions managed by the DOC. The prison handles visiting schedules, mail, commissary, medical care, security classification, release planning, and professional visit coordination.
Lackawanna County does not currently offer a live public online jail roster through the county website. To verify whether a person is in county custody, call 570-963-6603 during regular business hours. For written inmate population records and historical booking information, submit a Right-to-Know Law request to the Lackawanna County Open Records Officer. Under 65 P.S. sections 67.101 through 67.3104, the county must respond within five business days, with possible extensions up to 30 days for large or complex requests. Copies cost $0.25 per page.
The Lackawanna County Sheriff's Office is led by Sheriff Joseph R. McGowan and is located at 911 Court Street, Scranton, PA 18508. The phone is 570-963-6790 and the fax is 570-963-6707. The office handles warrant service, civil process, concealed carry permits, jail transport, fingerprinting, sheriff's sales, emergency response, deputy recruitment, and community programs. For a county as populous as Lackawanna, the sheriff's office plays a major role in daily public safety operations across Scranton and the surrounding municipalities.
Lackawanna County Inmate Search Through PADOC
For individuals from Lackawanna County who are now in a state correctional institution, use the Pennsylvania Official Inmate and Parolee Locator. This free tool is maintained by the Department of Corrections and updated every day. It covers more than 36,000 incarcerated individuals housed at 24 state facilities across Pennsylvania. Enter a last name or inmate number to begin. Adding a first name helps narrow results when the last name is common. The committing county filter lets you display only those individuals whose criminal cases originated in Lackawanna County.
Search results display full name, date of birth, inmate number, current facility, and committing county. Clicking the inmate number opens a detailed profile that includes a photo, physical description, and any aliases. Clicking the current location link goes directly to the DOC page for that state prison. No account or registration is needed. The tool is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If a search returns nothing, try a different spelling or search by inmate number. For support, email ra-contactdoc@pa.gov.
The following image shows the PADOC Inmate Locator portal, the primary state resource for finding Lackawanna County incarcerated individuals held in state correctional facilities.
The portal shows search fields and filter options that help narrow results for the Lackawanna County inmate population currently housed in state prisons across Pennsylvania.
Lackawanna County Court Records
Court records related to the Lackawanna County inmate population are available through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. The UJS Case Search portal covers all 67 counties and is free to use with no registration required. Search by participant name, docket number, or date of birth. Results show case status, charges, dispositions, sentencing details, and scheduled court dates. These records are public under Pennsylvania law and provide the legal context behind a person's incarceration.
The Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas is housed in Scranton. It handles all felony criminal cases originating in the county, civil matters, and family court proceedings. The court's website at lackawannacountycourts.com provides information on criminal and civil court records, the court calendar, and contact details for the various court offices. Magisterial District Judge courts across the county handle preliminary hearings and summary matters. The Prothonotary maintains civil records separate from the criminal division. In-person access to case files is available at the courthouse during weekday business hours.
Records sealed under the Clean Slate Act (Act 56 of 2018) do not appear in public searches after the required waiting period. The act automatically seals qualifying misdemeanor convictions after ten years without a new offense and summary convictions after five years. Expungement is a separate, court-ordered process that applies in additional circumstances. For a full criminal history that goes beyond what the UJS portal shows, use the PATCH system operated by the Pennsylvania State Police. Each PATCH check costs $22 and is governed by CHRIA, the Criminal History Record Information Act at 18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91.
Lackawanna County DOC Inmate Population Data
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections is the largest state agency in the commonwealth. It operates 24 State Correctional Institutions plus Community Corrections Centers. On any given day, more than 36,000 men and women are under DOC custody. Lackawanna County, as one of the more populous northeastern Pennsylvania counties, contributes a meaningful share of the statewide incarcerated population. People sentenced in Lackawanna County courts may be placed at any DOC facility in the state based on security classification, programming needs, and available space.
The DOC offers education, vocational training, mental health treatment, and substance use programs to help incarcerated individuals prepare for life after release. Population statistics and outcome data are tracked through the DOC Reports and Dashboards page. These dashboards, produced by the Bureau of Planning, Research and Statistics, include breakdowns by committing county and allow the public to track trends in the Lackawanna County prison population over time. The data is publicly accessible without login and can be exported for further analysis.
The following image shows the official Pennsylvania DOC website, which serves as the central source for Lackawanna County inmate population records held at state facilities.
Through this site you can reach the inmate locator, access information about specific state prisons, review visitation rules, and find population reports covering Lackawanna County and all 67 Pennsylvania counties.
Lackawanna County Open Records and RTKL
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, codified at 65 P.S. sections 67.101 through 67.3104, gives the public the right to access records held by any state or local government agency. Lackawanna County has a designated Open Records Officer who accepts requests online, by mail, or in person at the county offices. The standard copy fee is $0.25 per page. Agencies must respond within five business days and may extend by up to 30 additional days for large or complex requests. Inmate records held by the county prison are subject to this same process.
If Lackawanna County denies a request or misses its response deadline, you can appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, located at 400 North Street, 4th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120. Appeals must be filed within 15 business days of the denial or the missed deadline. The OOR provides free mediation and publishes its final determinations in a searchable online database. For records held by the state Department of Corrections, contact the DOC's Right-to-Know Law Office at 1920 Technology Parkway, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050, by phone at (717) 728-7763, or by email at RA-docrighttoknow@pa.gov.
Parole, Probation, and Federal Inmate Searches
People released from state prison on parole whose cases originated in Lackawanna County are supervised by the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole. The PBPP evaluates parole candidates using risk assessments, institutional conduct records, and program participation. Active parolees can be searched through the parolee locator at cor.pa.gov/parolee-locator. County probationers, who are supervised by the Lackawanna County probation office rather than the state board, do not appear in DOC records but may appear under their original case in the UJS portal.
Federal inmates connected to Lackawanna County do not appear in any state or county locator. Use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator to find individuals in federal custody. The BOP tool is free and covers records dating to 1982. You can search by name or by a BOP register number, FBI number, or INS number. Northeastern Pennsylvania federal facilities include USP Canaan in Wayne County and FCI Allenwood in White Deer, both of which may hold individuals with Lackawanna County case origins.
The Pennsylvania Justice Network connects Lackawanna County law enforcement, courts, and prosecutors to a secure statewide data-sharing system. JNET provides authorized officials with access to inmate records, warrant status, court data, and criminal history across all 67 Pennsylvania counties. The general public does not have direct access, but JNET supports many of the official state portals that are publicly available. The system links more than 1,187 municipal police departments and 44 federal agencies in addition to state and county agencies.
Lackawanna County Background Checks and PATCH
Criminal history background checks for Lackawanna County individuals are available through the Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History system, known as PATCH. The system is maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police at epatch.pa.gov. Each check costs $22 and is authorized under CHRIA, the Criminal History Record Information Act at 18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91. Results for people with no record come back quickly. Cases with records may require additional processing time. PATCH covers statewide criminal history and includes Lackawanna County records alongside every other Pennsylvania county.
The PATCH Helpline is available at 1-888-QUERY-PA (1-888-783-7972) for assistance with submissions. Printed results are the responsibility of the person making the request; the PATCH unit no longer mails out results. For notarized copies of a criminal record check, requests must be submitted by mail to the Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository at 1800 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9758. Court docket sheets available through the UJS portal do not replace a formal PATCH background check, which is the only official source of complete criminal history data.
Nearby Counties
Lackawanna County borders several northeastern Pennsylvania counties. If you are unsure which county holds the records you need, the links below connect you to nearby inmate population data and jail roster tools.