Otis Bantum Correctional Center Inmate Search

Otis Bantum Correctional Center Overview for Bronx Cases

Otis Bantum Correctional Center, or OBCC, is an NYC DOC facility at 16-00 Hazen Street, East Elmhurst, NY 11370. DOC says the facility opened in June 1985, was completed in less than 15 months using modern design and construction methods, has dormitory and cell housing, and was named for its second Warden. It houses male adults in the Rikers Island jail system.

For Bronx County readers, the key point is that OBCC is not a Bronx County sheriff jail and does not have a separate public roster. Bronx arrests that result in DOC custody are handled through the New York City jail system. A person with a Bronx case can be housed at OBCC, another Rikers command, Bellevue Hospital Outposted Therapeutic Housing Units, or moved later based on classification, medical need, security, or court-related logistics.

OBCC records should be split into three parts. Custody location and basic case information come from the DOC lookup. Formal charges, next court dates, and case events come from the court record. Conditions, capacity, and reform information come from DOC, Board of Correction, Comptroller, or DCJS/SCOC reports. Mixing those sources can lead to wrong assumptions, especially when older facility capacity figures circulate online.

Otis Bantum Correctional Center Capacity and Overcrowding

Current rated capacity for Otis Bantum Correctional Center was not published in the official DOC facility overview reviewed for this build. Older capacity references list OBCC at about 1,675 to 1,697, but those figures come from older contexts and should not be presented as current official capacity. The correct current-page wording is that no current DOC-published OBCC capacity figure was located.

The Board of Correction January 2026 borough-based jail report gives useful conditions context. It says DOC's 2025 overcrowding variance requests affected EMTC, OBCC, and West Facility. Those requests were approved at March and May 2025 public meetings, while July 8, 2025 requests were not granted. The report also discusses broader Rikers transition work and the gap between the borough-based jail plan capacity cap and actual citywide population levels.

Citywide population data gives the best available current frame. DCJS/SCOC reported a May 2026 average daily census of 6,569 across all NYC facilities and an in-house count of 6,564. DOC FY25 Q3 demographics reported Bronx borough-of-case ADP at 1,011 and Bronx new admissions at 781. Those numbers do not state how many people were inside OBCC on a given day, but they explain the jail system in which OBCC operates.

How to Look Up an Inmate at Otis Bantum Correctional Center

There is no separate OBCC inmate search. Start with the NYC DOC Person in Custody Lookup. The DOC lookup can be searched by NYSID or Book & Case Number, or by first and last name. DOC says the public lookup covers people currently in DOC custody and provides current location and basic case information.

1. Open the DOC Person in Custody Lookup.
2. Enter the NYSID or Book & Case Number if available.
3. If searching by name, enter first name and last name, then compare any same-name results.
4. Open the person record and check whether the current location is Otis Bantum Correctional Center.
5. Use WebCriminal or court resources for formal charges and court dates.

The lookup does not cover every custody status. Someone still in NYPD processing before court commitment is outside DOC search. A person transferred to state prison should be searched through New York State DOCCS. A federal inmate should be checked through BOP, and immigration detention should be checked through ICE ODLS. NYC VINE at 888-846-3469 is the DOC custody and release notification hotline, but it does not monitor police lockups, federal detention, state prison, or juvenile detention.

Otis Bantum Correctional Center Address and Contact

OBCC has a facility contact number, but current location should be confirmed through DOC before any visit, package, or records decision. People can move between DOC commands, and the public visit process is centralized through Rikers visitor procedures. For general jail information, use the general DOC number or NYC 311.

Visiting Someone at Otis Bantum Correctional Center

OBCC visits follow DOC's Rikers visit schedule and processing rules. Visitors coordinate through the Benjamin Ward Visit Center, bring government photo identification, and check the monthly schedule because eligibility is based on the first letter of the person's last name. DOC lists Wednesday and Thursday afternoon registration, Saturday and Sunday morning registration, Friday televisits, and no regular Monday or Tuesday visits. Visits are one hour.

Televisit requests must be for the upcoming week. DOC does not process web forms on Monday or Tuesday, and a televisit is not confirmed until a confirmation email arrives. Attorney and legal visits are available seven days a week, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with the last visit starting at 7:00 p.m. DOC warns against starting attorney visits during the afternoon count around 3:00 p.m.

Mail, Phone, and Money at Otis Bantum Correctional Center

OBCC uses the same DOC package and deposit rules as other Rikers commands. DOC provides basic clothing, footwear, bedding, hygiene, and essential items. Items already provided generally cannot be sent except for limited exceptions. Packages can be mailed or delivered during in-person visiting hours at the Bail and Package Reception area next to Central Visits. Packages must be no more than 15 pounds and under 24 inches wide, 12 inches high, and 24 inches deep.

DOC cashier-window deposits have no DOC fee, while JPay, Western Union, and other transfer-agent channels may charge fees. To send money, use the person's first and last name and Book & Case Number. Western Union's City Code is NYCITYDOC and State Code is NY. Food and toiletries are not accepted through packages and must be purchased through commissary.

Bronx Booking and Intake Before OBCC Housing

A Bronx arrest usually passes through NYPD processing and Criminal Court arraignment before DOC custody begins. The DOC lookup is not for police custody, so a person may not appear during the early arrest stage. If a court orders remand or bail is not posted, DOC intake follows. Intake can include identity checks, medical and mental-health screening, property handling, classification, and housing placement.

OBCC is one possible result of that placement, but it is not permanent by default. DOC may transfer a person to a different command based on housing, safety, medical needs, classification, court movement, or operational decisions. For that reason, the current location field in the DOC lookup is the best public starting point, but families should recheck before travel, mail, or package delivery.

About Otis Bantum Correctional Center Records

OBCC's facility history is distinctive because DOC describes its June 1985 opening, fast construction timeline, dormitory and cell housing, and naming for its second Warden. Its current records role is more practical: it is one part of the DOC system used for city jail custody. Bronx County defendants housed there remain in a citywide jail population, and their case records may sit in court systems, DOC systems, NYPD records, and public reports at the same time.

The Board of Correction overcrowding variance note makes OBCC relevant to broader Rikers reform coverage, but it does not create a current capacity figure. The January 2026 report also discusses Rikers closure planning, Local Law transition work, and the planned Bronx borough-based jail in Mott Haven. For OBCC, cite official reports when discussing overcrowding or conditions, and cite the DOC lookup for custody location only.