Virginia Inmate Population Search
The Virginia inmate population is tracked across state prisons, regional jails, and local lockups. The Virginia Department of Corrections runs the state offender locator, and the Virginia VINE system covers every local and regional jail in the Commonwealth. You can look up inmates in Virginia by name, get a current facility, and check release dates. This page walks you through how to search Virginia inmate population records, where to file a request, and what each agency holds. Use the tools below to find an offender, sign up for custody alerts, or learn how state and county records fit together.
Virginia Inmate Population Overview
Where to Find Virginia Inmate Population Records
Records on the Virginia inmate population live with three main groups. The Virginia Department of Corrections holds files on people serving state time. Local sheriffs and regional jails hold files on people awaiting trial or doing under twelve months. The Virginia courts hold the case files that put each person there. You can pull from any of these sources, and most of them now offer some form of online search.
VADOC keeps records on roughly 24,000 state inmates and another 64,000 people on probation or parole. Around 11,000 staff support the system. The agency runs three regions: Eastern, Central, and Western. Each region holds a mix of prisons, work centers, and field offices. To find a person under VADOC custody, use the VADOC Offender Locator. You need the full last name and at least the first letter of the first name. The result shows inmate ID, age, race, sex, current facility, and projected release date.
Local jails handle anyone held before sentencing or anyone serving twelve months or less. Under Virginia Code Title 53.1, the sheriff is the legal custodian of jail records. § 53.1-31 names the sheriff as the keeper of all records on people held in the county jail. § 53.1-116 makes sheriffs document every person in custody. If a sentence runs longer than twelve months, the file moves to VADOC.
The official VADOC homepage is the starting point for most state-level questions about the Virginia inmate population.
The VADOC homepage links out to the offender locator, victim services, facility lists, and the central records office. It is the main hub for state inmate information.
Note: VADOC only lists people in state custody. For local inmates, search VINE or call the county sheriff.
Virginia VINE and the Inmate Population
Virginia VINE is the statewide victim notification service. Every local and regional jail in Virginia takes part. The system is free, anonymous, and runs 24 hours a day. You can search by name, look up a current custody status, and sign up for alerts on any change. VINE covers release, transfer, escape, recapture, and death.
Since 2006, more than one million Virginians have used VA VINE for real-time alerts on the inmate population in local jails. In 2016 alone, about 62,615 people signed up and the system sent over 151,900 notifications by phone, email, text, and TTY. To run a search visit vavine.org or the national portal at vinelink.com. You can also call 1-800-467-4943.
The state VINE portal is the easiest way to track the local inmate population across Virginia.
From the VA VINE landing page you can pick the offender's jail, run the search, and register for alerts in under two minutes.
For the national VINELink front page that ties Virginia jails to the broader VINE network, see this view:
VINELink lets you switch states, drill into a Virginia facility, and confirm whether someone is still in custody.
How to Search the Virginia Inmate Population
Pick your tool based on where the person is held. State prison? Use the VADOC offender locator. County jail? Use VINE or call the sheriff. Federal facility? Use the BOP locator. Court info? Use the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System.
To search the Virginia inmate population, you usually need:
- Full last name of the offender
- At least the first letter of the first name
- Approximate age or date of birth (helpful, not required)
- The county or facility where the person was booked
For state prisons, the VADOC offender locator returns the inmate ID number, current facility, and release date. The actual prison assignment depends on security level, time left, gang ties, and the offender's home county. For local jails, VINE returns the booking date, current charges, bond, and scheduled release. For federal cases, the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator covers anyone in BOP custody from 1982 to today. Federal inmates held in Virginia are not in the VADOC system and must be searched there.
The BOP locator covers federal facilities that house Virginia inmate population from federal cases.
You can search by name or by BOP register number, FBI number, INS number, or DCDC number.
VADOC Facilities and Inmate Population by Region
VADOC runs facilities in three regions. Each region holds a mix of state prisons, work centers, and field probation offices. Knowing the region helps narrow your search of the Virginia inmate population when the offender locator returns more than one match.
The Eastern Region has Caroline Correctional Unit (804-994-2161), Deerfield Correctional Center (434-658-4368), Greensville Correctional Center (434-535-7000), Haynesville Correctional Center (804-333-3577), Indian Creek Correctional Center (757-421-0095), Lawrenceville Correctional Center (434-848-9349), St. Brides Correctional Center (757-421-6600), Sussex I State Prison (804-834-9967), and Sussex II State Prison (804-834-2678).
The Central Region holds Baskerville Correctional Center, Beaumont Correctional Center, Buckingham Correctional Center, Coffeewood Correctional Center, Dillwyn Correctional Center, Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, Lunenburg Correctional Center, Nottoway Correctional Center, and the Virginia Correctional Center for Women. The Western Region adds Augusta, Bland, Cold Springs, Green Rock, Keen Mountain, Marion Correctional Treatment Center, Red Onion State Prison, River North, and Wallens Ridge State Prison.
For the full directory and a map view of each facility:
The facilities page lists every state prison, work center, and probation office across all three VADOC regions.
Virginia FOIA and Inmate Population Records
The legal basis for public access to the Virginia inmate population sits in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, § 2.2-3700 et seq. of the Code of Virginia. Under § 2.2-3704.A, all public records are open to citizens of the Commonwealth and to media outlets that circulate in the state. Virginia is one of seven states that limit FOIA requests to state residents. Public bodies have five business days to respond, with up to seven extra days if needed.
Some inmate population records are exempt. Under § 2.2-3703(C), requests made by people incarcerated in state, local, or federal facilities can be denied. Personnel records, attorney-client material, and active criminal investigation files are also exempt. Sex offender registry records are governed by §§ 9.1-900 et seq. and live with the Virginia State Police.
The full FOIA code chapter is the source most clerks point to when answering inmate records questions.
This is the chapter that sets your right to ask for jail and prison records and lays out the timelines.
For help with a denied or delayed request, the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council takes questions by email at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov or by phone at (804) 698-1810 (toll-free 1-866-448-4100). They publish guidance on common exemptions and help resolve disputes.
Note: VADOC Central Records sits at 6900 Atmore Drive, Richmond, VA 23225. Phone (804) 674-3000 for FOIA help with state inmate files.
Court Records and the Virginia Inmate Population
Court files give you the why behind the inmate population number. The Virginia Judicial System runs the case search portal that covers Circuit and District Courts. You can look up case status, charges, hearing dates, and the sentencing order. Most online searches are free. There is a fee only when you order copies of documents.
The Virginia courts site is the gateway to case data on every person in the state inmate population.
From here you can drill into Circuit Court Case Information or General District Court Online Case Information.
Court records and correctional records are kept apart. The Clerk of Court holds the case file. The Sheriff or VADOC holds the inmate file. If you need the full picture, pull both. For a criminal history check on yourself, the Virginia State Police runs the Central Criminal Records Exchange under § 19.2-389.
The State Police criminal records page has the forms and mailing address. Mail requests go to Department of State Police, P.O. Box 85076, Richmond, VA 23261-5076. The FOIA Officer phone line is 804-674-2642. You can find the request forms at vsp.virginia.gov.
Inmate Deaths and Vital Records in Virginia
Deaths inside a Virginia correctional facility are tracked by the facility itself and by the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. Under Title 32, Chapter 8 of the Virginia Code, copies of medical examiner reports may be released once an investigation is complete and the requester is legally entitled.
For the official death certificate of an incarcerated person, contact the registrar in the city or county where the death occurred or the state Division of Vital Records. VADOC's Administrative Compliance Manager handles special requests for additional inmate death information.
The Division of Vital Records page lists fees, forms, and the in-person office for requests.
Victim Services for the Virginia Inmate Population
VADOC's Victim Services Unit runs the Notification and Assistance for Victim Inclusion (NAAVI) system. NAAVI alerts crime victims when an inmate's status changes. VADOC also gives 30-day advance release notice and updates for parole events, name changes, work release, escape, recapture, and death. To register, call 1-804-674-3243 or visit the VADOC Victim Services page.
VADOC VINE only covers state custody. For people held in local or regional jails, use the standard VA VINE service at vavine.org. The two systems work side by side and feed the same notifications to the same registered victims.
Are Virginia Inmate Population Records Public
Yes. Most basic information about the Virginia inmate population is open under FOIA. Anyone who lives in the state can ask for jail logs, booking sheets, mug shots, charges, and current custody status. You do not have to give a reason. Some files are exempt for security or privacy reasons, and inmates themselves cannot use FOIA to request records.
For the legal language, see Virginia Code § 2.2-3700 et seq. Active investigation files have longer response times, up to 65 working days. Routine inmate population requests should come back within 5 to 12 business days. The Virginia Inmate Search guide walks through the steps for a basic public lookup.
Inmates sentenced to state prison usually appear in the VADOC database within 60 days after the final sentencing order.
Browse Virginia Inmate Population by County
Each Virginia county runs its own jail or shares a regional jail. Pick a county to find the sheriff, the local lookup tool, and links to nearby state facilities.
Virginia Inmate Population in Major Cities
Independent cities in Virginia run their own sheriff's office and jail. Pick a city below to find local lookup tools.