Roanoke City Inmate Population

Roanoke is an independent city in western Virginia, separate from Roanoke County, and it runs its own jail and sheriff's office with no county oversight. The Roanoke inmate population is held at the Roanoke City Jail operated by the Roanoke City Sheriff's Office. You can search for current inmates online, register for VINE custody alerts, and access criminal case records through the Roanoke Circuit Court. This page explains how to use each system to find a current inmate, check charges, or file a records request.

Roanoke City Sheriff and Jail Inmate Population

The Roanoke City Sheriff's Office is the legal custodian of the Roanoke inmate population. The facility protects the community, carries out judgments imposed by the courts, provides a safe and humane environment for those in custody, and works to help inmates return to the community as law-abiding citizens. As an independent city, Roanoke does not share a jail with Roanoke County or any surrounding county. The Sheriff's Office handles all local custody records. Under Virginia Code § 53.1-31, the sheriff is the keeper of records on all people held in city custody.

To reach the Roanoke City Jail directly, call the main jail line at 540-853-2621. For civil process matters, call 540-853-2721. The booking and intake line is 540-853-2331. The facility houses people awaiting trial on city charges, people serving misdemeanor sentences of twelve months or less, and inmates waiting on VADOC transfers. The Roanoke City Jail also provides secure housing for some inmates through the Western Virginia Regional Jail system when capacity or classification requires it. If someone is not found in the city jail search, check the Western Virginia Regional Jail or the VADOC Offender Locator depending on the length of the sentence.

Use the VADOC state system for any Roanoke inmate who has already been transferred to a state facility.

Virginia VINE for Roanoke Inmate Population

The Roanoke City Jail participates in Virginia VINE. Search for a current inmate and register for free custody alerts at vavine.org or through the national portal at vinelink.com. Choose Virginia and then select the Roanoke City facility. The system shows current custody status and lets you sign up for alerts by phone, email, text, or TTY. The VINE notification line is 1-800-467-4943 and operates around the clock every day of the week.

VINE alerts cover release, transfer, escape, recapture, and death in custody. The system does not explain the reason for a change or provide a new location. For location details after a VADOC transfer, use the VADOC Offender Locator. VINE is anonymous. You do not need to give your name to search or register. Once a Roanoke inmate moves to a state prison, VINE stops tracking them. For federal charges, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator. Federal inmates are not in the city or state system.

Roanoke Court Records and Inmate Population

Court records tell you why someone is in custody. The Roanoke Circuit Court Clerk maintains the official case file for every criminal case in the city. That file includes charges, plea, verdict, sentencing order, and any supervision conditions. The Clerk's Office is reachable through roanokeva.gov/departments/circuit-court-clerk. For a free online search, use the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System, which covers Roanoke Circuit and District Court records statewide at no cost.

The jail tells you where someone is right now. The Clerk's Office tells you what the judge ordered. You may need both to get the full picture. If someone appears sentenced in the court system but is missing from the jail search, they may have already transferred to VADOC or been released. The VADOC Probation and Parole office for Roanoke is District 15, located at 305 Electric Road, Salem, VA 24153, phone (540) 387-5257, Chief Cynthia Hughes. Note that this office is in the City of Salem, not Roanoke, but it serves both jurisdictions in that area.

For your own criminal history, the Virginia State Police maintains the Central Criminal Records Exchange under § 19.2-389. Request your record through the Virginia State Police records page or mail to P.O. Box 85076, Richmond, VA 23261-5076.

Requesting Roanoke Inmate Population Records

Virginia's Freedom of Information Act, § 2.2-3700 et seq., gives Virginia residents the right to ask for public records. Jail logs, booking sheets, mug shots, charges, and basic custody status are all public. Submit a written FOIA request to the Roanoke City Sheriff's Office or through the City Attorney's FOIA page at roanokeva.gov/departments/city-attorney/foia. State the inmate's full name, the approximate booking date, and what specific records you need.

Agencies have five business days to respond and may take seven more for complex requests. Exempt categories include active investigation materials, personnel records, and attorney-client privileged items. Inmates cannot use FOIA to get their own records under § 2.2-3703(C). Most basic inmate population records exist in digital form and come back quickly. If your request is delayed or denied, contact the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov or call (804) 698-1810, toll-free 1-866-448-4100.

Victim Services and Roanoke Inmate Alerts

For victims with cases tied to the Roanoke inmate population, VINE and NAAVI cover different custody stages. While someone is at the Roanoke City Jail, use VINE at vavine.org or call 1-800-467-4943 to register for free, anonymous alerts. VINE notifies you of release, transfer, escape, recapture, or death. Once the person transfers to a VADOC state prison, register with the VADOC Victim Services unit at 1-804-674-3243 for NAAVI alerts. NAAVI sends 30-day advance release notice and updates for parole, work release, name changes, escape, and recapture. Many victims register with both to maintain coverage across custody stages.

State Prison Transfers from Roanoke

When a Roanoke City resident receives a sentence over twelve months, VADOC takes custody. State inmates from Roanoke typically transfer to VADOC Western Region facilities, though the actual facility depends on security classification and available space. Track a transferred inmate through the VADOC Offender Locator, which returns the inmate ID, current facility, and projected release date. You need the full last name and at least the first initial of the first name to run the search.

VADOC Central Records is at 6900 Atmore Drive, Richmond, VA 23225, phone (804) 674-3000. That office handles FOIA requests for state-held Roanoke inmates. The offender locator is free and does not require a login. Results include name, inmate ID, age, race, sex, current location, and release date.

• Roanoke City Sheriff's Office: roanokeva.gov/departments/sheriff
• Roanoke City Jail - General: (540) 853-2621
• Roanoke City Jail - Intake/Booking: (540) 853-2331
• VADOC Probation and Parole, District 15: 305 Electric Rd, Salem, VA 24153, (540) 387-5257
• Virginia VINE: vavine.org or 1-800-467-4943
• Western Virginia Regional Jail: wvrja.com

Roanoke Sex Offender Registry Records

The Virginia Sex Offender Registry is governed by §§ 9.1-900 et seq. of the Virginia Code and is maintained by the Virginia State Police. It covers all registered offenders in Roanoke City and throughout the Commonwealth. Search by name at sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov. Results include name, photo, conviction details, and compliance status. If a registered offender is currently in custody, the registry reflects that. Registry records and inmate population records come from different agencies. Always check VINE or the VADOC Offender Locator for current custody status confirmation.

Nearby Virginia Cities

Roanoke is in western Virginia, near several other independent cities and the surrounding county. These pages cover inmate population searches and local custody records for the region.