The Nebraska State Prison System

In Nebraska, individuals who commit criminal offenses may be penalized with incarceration in a state prison. The state Judicial Branch oversees the criminal justice system and imposes imprisonment sentences on guilty defendants as punishment for any crime committed.

The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) heads the state prison system. The NDSC, through its employees, operates the prison facilities located in the state’s jurisdiction. In addition to confining convicted individuals, the prison system also provides rehabilitation options to incarcerated individuals.

What Is The Difference Between Jail and Prison in Nebraska?

The fundamental distinction between jails and prisons in Nebraska is the length of the imprisonment sentence. Typically, persons convicted of a crime by the court will be sentenced to a state prison facility if the incarceration period is long. Nebraska jail facilities hold offenders for a shorter incarceration sentence.

Nebraska jail facilities also house alleged offenders who law officers apprehended for crimes but are awaiting trial or sentencing. Inmates waiting to be transferred to a different correctional facility may also be housed in jails. The county/city local government oversees the general management of a jail facility in its jurisdiction. Generally, the Sheriff’s Department operates jail facilities. However, the state government oversees the operations of Nebraska prisons through its Department of Correctional Services. Since the incarceration period in state prisons is longer, prison facilities are generally more equipped than jails and may house many inmates.

The court sentences persons who commit a severe criminal offense to a state prison, while less grave crimes classified as misdemeanors may warrant a jail sentence.

How Many Prisons Are In Nebraska?

In Nebraska, the NDCS operates ten prisons. Depending on the security-threat level of the inmates, a state prison may be a medium, maximum, or community custody facility. The following are the prisons located in Nebraska:

• Community Corrections Center - Lincoln
• Community Corrections Center - Omaha
• Lincoln Correctional Center
• Nebraska Correctional Center for Women
• Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility
• Nebraska Diagnostic and Evaluation Center
• Nebraska State Penitentiary
• Omaha Correctional Center
• Tecumseh State Correctional Institution
• Work Ethic Camp

How Do I Search For An Inmate in Nebraska State Prison?

Individuals seeking to locate an inmate housed in a Nebraska state prison facility may utilize the NDSC Inmate Information Locator. Users of the inmate locator may find out the prison facility where an individual is confined. The inmate locator also provides the inmate’s details, offense history, sentence type, and release date.

To use the search tool, interested persons are generally required to provide the inmate’s full name and Department of Correctional Services identification number.

Alternatively, querying parties can submit a public records request if the desired inmate information is not available on the inmate locator tool. Requests should be in writing and convey details on the inmate and the needed information, to enable custodians to retrieve results. Querying parties may receive a reply to their request within four working days. Requestors can send requests to the email: DCS.PublicRecords@nebraska.gov, or mail it to the address:

Public Disclosure Unit
Nebraska Department of Correctional Services
P. O. Box 94661
Lincoln, NE 68509

Individuals who wish to search for an inmate may also visit third-party websites that maintain inmate information in their databases. 

Are Incarceration Records Public in Nebraska?

Incarceration records in Nebraska are non-confidential information available to the public. Following the Nebraska Public Records Law, custodians of incarceration records can provide records to inquirers who wish to copy or inspect them. Information available to obtain includes the criminal history of the subject of the record and the prison facility of incarceration. However, members of the general public do not have access to private incarceration information in Nebraska.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often simplify the search process by aggregating information from various jurisdictions and providing it to record seekers via a single database. Users are generally required to provide the following information to facilitate a search:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the record or person involved. This includes information such as the city, county, or state where the person resides or was accused.

Third-party sites operate independently from government sources and are not sponsored by these agencies. Therefore, the accuracy and validity of the information they provide may not be guaranteed.

How to Look Up Jail Records in Nebraska

The county Sheriff’s Department generates and maintains records of a Nebraska jail within its jurisdiction. Typically, persons can look up jail records by visiting the Sheriff’s Office and requesting desired information. Querying parties can find the Sheriff’s Office in a county area by viewing the Nebraska Sheriffs’ Association Directory. The department may also provide a search tool on its website that interested persons can obtain desired jail records and other criminal information.

Generally, the Nebraska State Patrol gives the public access to criminal information on its site. Interested individuals can request a Record of Arrest and Prosecution (RAP) for a person. There is a non-refundable charge of $15.50 for each record requested.

Can Jail Records be Expunged in Nebraska?

Nebraska state laws do not provide for individuals to expunge jail records. However, the court can set aside or pardon a criminal conviction. Under Nebraska R.S §29–2264, persons with criminal convictions may petition the court to nullify the conviction. The Board of Pardons issues a pardon, and there is no specified period of time for the board to review applications and grant a pardon.

If a court grants a petition to set aside a conviction, it becomes void. Judges decide to set aside convictions at their discretion. Upon completing a sentence, persons may request a set aside from the court that convicted them. Further information on how criminal convictions can be set aside or pardoned is available on the state judiciary site.