Federal Sentenced-Inmate Releases
The BOP locator at bop.gov/inmate_locator covers federal inmates incarcerated from 1982 to the present. The BOP records explanation says locator results include fields such as name, register number, age, race, sex, release date, and location. For a release-focused search, the release-date field is the central public field.
BOP explains that a future release date is a projected date based on BOP calculations. If the date is in the past and no facility location is shown, the person was released on that date and is no longer in BOP custody. That does not mean all legal obligations are over. BOP warns that a person may still be on supervised release, parole, or in another custody system. For Montezuma County readers, the practical question is whether the person left local custody for a federal sentence or whether the county release was unrelated to BOP.
How to Search BOP
Search by register number when possible, because it is more precise than a name search. If the number is unknown, use the name search and compare age, race, sex, release date, and location carefully. A person who was federally arrested but is still pretrial may not yet appear as a sentenced BOP inmate; that situation may belong to U.S. Marshals custody or federal court records instead.
- Open the BOP Inmate Locator.
- Search by BOP register number if known, or by first and last name.
- Compare identifying fields before relying on a result.
- Read the release-date field as projected if future or as a past BOP custody release if no location appears.
- If the Montezuma County jail record says transfer rather than release, request the county release/transfer entry from the Sheriff's Records Division.
Do not use BOP as a substitute for the Colorado Department of Corrections offender search. CDOC covers state prison, parole, discharge, and Colorado time-computation fields. BOP covers federal sentenced custody. The two systems answer different release questions even when the same person has had both state and federal contact.
When Montezuma County Records Still Matter
A federal release may still begin with a local record if the person was physically held at the Montezuma County Detention Center before federal transfer. The county jail record can show whether the person left local custody by bond, court order, sentence served, transfer to another county, transfer to CDOC, transfer to USMS, or another hold. BOP can then show the later federal sentenced-custody date if the person entered BOP.
| Record question | Route |
|---|---|
| Federal sentenced release date | BOP Inmate Locator |
| Federal pretrial custody or transport | U.S. Marshals Service prisoner operations context and federal court records |
| Local jail release or transfer note | Montezuma County Sheriff's Office Records Division |
| State prison or parole status | Colorado Department of Corrections Offender Search |
BOP, USMS, and Local Holds
BOP is the federal sentenced-prison locator. USMS is different. The U.S. Marshals Service assumes custody of people arrested by federal agencies and handles detention placement and transportation from the time they enter federal custody until acquittal or incarceration. The research notes that USMS places many prisoners in federal, state, local, and private facilities and contracts with about 1,200 state and local governments to rent jail space.
This distinction matters in Montezuma County because a person can leave the county jail under a federal transfer without yet appearing in BOP. If the person is awaiting trial, sentencing, or transport, the county release record may show a USMS transfer or federal hold. Later, if a federal sentence is imposed and the person enters BOP custody, the BOP locator becomes the release-date tool.
Older and Non-BOP Records
The BOP locator is described as covering federal inmates from 1982 to the present. Older federal prison records may require another federal records route rather than the public locator. BOP also points users toward FOIA for additional detail beyond the public locator fields. If the person was released from the Montezuma County Detention Center on a local case, however, the public federal records path will not replace the local inmate incarceration history or booking report.
For a clean release trail, separate the systems by custody type. Use Montezuma County for local jail release or transfer, CDOC for state prison and parole, BOP for federal sentenced custody, ICE for immigration detention, and the courts for the reason behind bond, detention, plea, sentence, dismissal, or supervised release.
Reading BOP Release Dates
BOP's public explanation makes the release-date field do two jobs. If the date is in the future, it is a projected release date based on BOP calculation. If the date is in the past and no facility location appears, BOP describes the person as no longer in BOP custody. For Montezuma County users, that is useful for federal sentenced custody only. It does not prove a local jail release, state parole, or immigration outcome.
Names alone can be risky in federal searches. A register number is stronger when known. If only a name is available, compare every returned field, including age, race, sex, release date, and location. When a Montezuma County record is the starting point, use the county release or transfer entry to confirm whether the federal path was BOP, USMS, federal court, or another agency.
Federal Record Sequence
The sequence often starts locally. A person may be booked into the Montezuma County Detention Center, then transferred on a federal hold, then appear in federal court, then later enter BOP after sentencing. The public BOP locator may not answer the middle steps. USMS and federal court context are more useful before BOP custody begins.
Keep a copy trail by system. Request the county booking and release or transfer entry. Check federal court for detention or sentence context. Use BOP for sentenced-custody location and release date. If immigration custody is named, use ICE separately. This keeps a federal release search from being confused with a Colorado state DOC or county jail release search.
After BOP Release
A past BOP release date only answers BOP custody. It does not describe every court condition or supervision term that may follow. If the Montezuma County question started with a local booking, keep the county release record and the federal result together so the timeline shows local custody, federal custody, and any later post-release status as separate stages.