Free Ohio Parole Search: Look Up Individuals on Supervision

Perform a free Ohio parole search quickly with the pointers offered throughout this resource and find more information about an offender’s supervision status in the state.

Community supervision in Ohio includes individuals under parole or probation. Offenders under parole have already served time in jail yet become eligible for an early release, while probation is an alternative sentence for individuals with lighter offenses.

Finding parole information can be done in Ohio at no cost, whether knowing who is under supervision, absconders, officers, reporting violations, or looking up the next hearing schedule. Insights about probation searches are also provided below.

How To See if Someone Is on Parole in Ohio: Free

The state of Ohio utilizes a unified tool for searching for offenders in the state. Records of individuals, whether currently incarcerated, judicially released, or under parole supervision, are held by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC).

To conduct an Ohio parole search, go to the ODRC Offender Search.¹ At the very least, searchers can provide the last name of the individual being searched to return results. However, other details such as the first name, county of commitment or residence, and zip code can also be provided for narrower results.

In addition, be sure to select ‘APA Supervision’ under the status for a more relevant list of individuals.

The results will display the individuals’ photo preview, full name, DRC number, date of birth, status, and offenses. The photo or DRC number can be selected to view more information about an offender.

It will display the offender’s personal information, offense information, and sentence information, which includes the date of parole eligibility. In addition, the transitional control information is also displayed, containing the parole hearing decision and its date.

If you would rather contact the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction, inquiries can be sent through the ODRC online contact form, providing the information of the requester, incarcerated person, department of rehabilitation staff, area of concern, and inquiry.

On the other hand, the family line can also be reached at (614)752-1161 if the form cannot be used.

Conduct a Parolee Fugitive or Violator Search in Ohio

Finding parole violators is almost the same as conducting an Ohio parole search, which was discussed in the previous section. The ODRC Offender Search can also be used to find parolees who have absconded.¹ However, searchers should pick ‘Violators at Large’ under the status instead.

This status only includes those who have escaped APA supervision. As with the previous search, more information will filter the results more efficiently.

On the other hand, you can also just select the “Parole Violators at Large” located above the offender search tool to view the current list of such offenders in general.³ This list is arranged alphabetically.

Either way, the results will give you the offender’s mugshot, full name, DRC number, date of birth, the date they were declared a violator at large, and offenses.

This information will not only help you determine if an offender was released for supervision, but also if they have absconded and for how long.

Any inquiries or information about the offenders can be shared via the ODRC contact form or by contacting the Adult Parole Authority (APA) Fugitive Section at 614-728-1938.⁴ Information concerning fugitives can also be relayed to Fugitive.Val@odrc.state.oh.us.

How To Look Up Inmates in an Ohio State Prison

As mentioned, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction (ODRC) has its own offender search where data about individuals serving time in state prisons is held.¹

At minimum, interested individuals can input only the last name of an inmate to start a search, but it is important to select ‘Incarcerated’ in the status to get relevant results.

Like in the previous sections, the list of results will give you the offender’s mugshot, name, DRC number, date of birth, status, and offenses. By clicking either the photo or DRC number, more information about the inmate will be displayed.

Aside from a larger view of the mugshot and personal information, both the offense and sentence information are also displayed. The sentence information contains the aggregate sentence and expected release date of the offender.

Contact: Reaching an incarcerated person at the ODRC can be done through phone, general mail, or email. Both phone services and email are provided by a third-party provider, while general mail can be done through U.S. mail and sent to:^{5, 6}

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction
Mail Processing Center
884 Coitsville-Hubbard Road
Youngstown, Ohio 44505

Visitations: Only approved visitors are allowed to visit an incarcerated individual. The inmate would have to request for your name to be put on their visiting list first. Then, the application packet must be completed and mailed back to the institution. Furthermore, visitors should adhere to the ODRC visitation guidelines.⁷

Sending Funds: Inmate funds are sent through a third-party service provider, which allows a direct money deposit to the inmate’s account under their trust fund service.

For more information, contact ODRC at 614.387.0588 or visit them at the following address:

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction
4545 Fisher Rd.,
Ste. D, Columbus, Ohio 43228

How To Determine When a Parole Hearing Is or Reach Out to an Ohio Parole Officer

Incarcerated individuals undergo a process before being granted parole. The Ohio Parole Board is the decision body that conducts reviews and hearings about the parole eligibility and grant of offenders.⁸

Conducting an Ohio parole search may also address the concerns of family members, supporters, and victims regarding the date of a parole hearing. The ODRC offender lookup tool also includes a ‘Next Parole Hearing’ search feature, which can be helpful in this case.¹

The results will list the individuals whose next parole hearing falls within the searched month and year. It will display their mugshot, name, DRC number, date of birth, current status, and offenses.

Once the photo or DRC number is clicked, searchers may also see the next hearing month and year, as well as the hearing type, aside from the summary, offense, and sentence information.

Furthermore, concerned individuals about an offender’s potential release may leave a comment using the Parole Board Hearing Input Form.⁹ These comments will be taken into consideration during the parole hearings.

In some instances, you might also want to reach out to a parole officer. The Adult Parole Authority (APA) Field Services is the department responsible for supervising individuals under community supervision, including parole and probation.⁴

Although there is no explicit information about how to reach the officers directly, the department can be contacted at 614-752-1136. Individuals may also contact the ODRC or reach regional offices directly for inquiries.

For victims, the Office of Victim Services (OVS) provides notifications to update them about the post-conviction events relating to their offender, offering support and safety.¹⁰ Get more information by contacting:

Office of Victim Services (OVS)
4545 Fisher Road, Ste. D
Columbus, Ohio 43228

Phone: (+1.888.842.8464)
Email: DRC.Victim.Services@odrc.state.oh.us

Furthermore, victims can also sign up for VINE to receive notification services.

How To Tell if an Individual Is on Probation or Under Community Supervision in Ohio

Some people may get confused about parole and probation.

While both are under community supervision, probation is an alternative to incarceration, where offenders are permitted to stay in the community instead of serving jail time. It is for lighter offenses as opposed to parole, where people with heavy offenses have already served their time in jail but are granted release earlier than their sentence.

In Ohio, probation is also called ‘Community Control,’ while ‘Post Release Control’ is used for parole.

Ohio does not have a statewide search tool dedicated to individuals under probation, nor is there explicit information on how to look them up. However, probationers are supervised by the APA Field Services Department, which can be contacted through the phone number provided in the previous section.⁴

On the county level, people can look through the local Court of Common Pleas in the county location of the offense since Ohio does not have a unified court system.

For example, the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division holds an Adult Probation Department, which provides post-conviction supervision in the county. The Adult Probation Department can be reached at (614)-525-3700.

The Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division also holds its probation department. While probation records are not considered public information, results from the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Record Search may reveal cases of individuals identified as being under probation or community control in their disposition.¹¹

Furthermore, interested individuals can also contact the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction online or in-person:

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction
4545 Fisher Rd.,
Ste. D, Columbus, Ohio 43228

Phone: 614.387.0588

Whether you want to help a family member or you are a victim who wants to be informed about the status of your offender, knowing how and where to start searching is important; by using the guidance provided by this resource, conducting an Ohio parole search becomes stress-free and seamless.

Using the applicable resources, searchers can also find arrest or criminal history details throughout Ohio or look up other types of OH public records for free.