How Do I Find Out if Someone Is in Jail?

Whether you are searching for a loved one or you need to find someone you used to be in business with, you may need to access jail records to track a person down. Undergoing this process can be very overwhelming if you do not know where to start and haven’t reached out to a Tacoma criminal lawyer. Luckily, there are ways for you to find prison records for inmates in various Washington prisons. If you are trying to find out if someone is in jail in Washington state, here is what you need to know.

The Department of Corrections Inmate Search

To begin your search, start at the Washington Department of Corrections website. This department has an inmate search engine to help you find an individual who is currently incarcerated in a Washington state prison. To use this tool, you will need the last name of the person you are looking for or his or her Department of Corrections (DOC) number.

Once you enter your search criteria, the inmate search will give you a list of inmates that match along with where he or she is currently serving time. You can register for Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (SAVIN) updates, so the DOC can notify you of any changes in the inmate’s custody. All Washington prisons participate in this service, with the exception of the King County Jail.

Specific Prison Searches

If you already know where the person you are searching for is serving his or her time or you want to look up information for a specific prison, you can also perform an inmate search on specific prison websites.

• King County Jail has an inmate lookup service on its website. If you want to look up information on an inmate who is serving time in this prison, you can perform an inmate search in one of two ways. First, you can browse the jail’s register for names of people who law enforcement officers booked or released within the last 24 hours or the master list of everyone currently serving time. You can also search for a specific inmate by his or her last name and other criteria, such as race and date of birth.

• The Snohomish County Jail also runs an inmate search engine. You can browse inmates alphabetically by last name using this tool. You can also view various daily jail registers, such as bookings, releases, and the list of inmates.

• The Pierce County Jail allows you to browse its jail roster on its website. You can look up each inmate by his or her name, his or her booking ID, which Pierce County facility he or she is serving time in, and, if the inmate is no longer in custody, the date and time the prison released him or her.

• The Kitsap County Jail also allows you to browse its roster, alphabetically by last name. A VINElink accompanies each inmate, which allows you to see all of the details of the inmate’s custody record. and his or her booking date. VINElink is another great tool that lets you look up inmates on a wide database of local jails and state prisons.

• You can also look at the inmate roster on the Kittias County Jail website. You can view data alphabetically by last name of the inmates who currently serve time in this prison and those who the facility released within the past 7 days.

• The Yakima County Jail provides access to its entire jail roster. You can browse inmates by last name and expand details to learn more about his or her custody.

• Thurston County Jail operates an inmate search engine where you can look someone up by his or her last name. You can also choose to display its current roster to browse.

If you or a loved one are facing criminal charges in Washington state, facing the criminal justice system can feel very overwhelming and terrifying. Jails are not pleasant places, and you want to limit your time in these institutions as much as possible. Hiring a lawyer to represent you in the courtroom can increase your chances of an earlier release. Contact a criminal defense attorney who specializes in your case area to discuss your legal options.