Pittsylvania County Inmate Population Lookup
The Pittsylvania County inmate population is held at the Pittsylvania County Jail in Chatham, Virginia, managed by the Pittsylvania County Sheriff's Office. Pittsylvania is one of the largest counties in Virginia by land area, and the jail serves a significant population spread across this Southside Virginia county. People arrested here stay at the county facility for pre-trial detention or for sentences under twelve months. Those with longer sentences go to VADOC. This page covers how to search the Pittsylvania County inmate population, how VINE works for this county, what VADOC Western Region facilities apply, and how to file a FOIA records request.
Pittsylvania County Quick Facts
Pittsylvania County Jail and Sheriff's Office
The Pittsylvania County Sheriff's Office operates the county jail in Chatham and is the legal custodian of all jail records for people confined there. Under Virginia Code § 53.1-31, the Sheriff holds all booking sheets, charge records, and release paperwork. Pittsylvania County surrounds the independent city of Danville, and the two jurisdictions operate separate jail systems. If someone was arrested in the county itself, not in Danville, they were booked at the Pittsylvania County Jail in Chatham.
The jail holds pre-trial detainees and people serving sentences of twelve months or less. When a sentence goes beyond twelve months, VADOC takes over and moves the person to a state prison. That transfer typically happens within sixty days of sentencing. Until transfer, the Sheriff's Office handles all custody questions. Green Rock Correctional Center, a VADOC Western Region facility, is actually located in Chatham, Pittsylvania County, at (434) 797-2000. That is a state facility, not the county jail. Do not confuse the two when searching for someone.
Pittsylvania County is the second-largest county in Virginia by land area. Its size means the Sheriff's Office serves a broad geographic area. For current contact information and office hours, check available county government resources. The county jail is separate from and independent of the nearby Green Rock state prison.
Note: Green Rock Correctional Center in Chatham is a VADOC state prison, not the Pittsylvania County Jail. These are two separate facilities in the same town.
Search Pittsylvania County Inmate Population Through VINE
Virginia VINE is the primary tool for checking on someone in the Pittsylvania County Jail without a direct call. Go to vavine.org, select Virginia, and pick Pittsylvania County Jail from the list. The search is free and real-time, available 24 hours a day. You can also use the phone line at 1-800-467-4943 or the national portal at vinelink.com. Results show current custody status including whether the person is in, released, transferred, or escaped.
VINE also provides free automatic alerts. Register with a name or offender ID and VINE will notify you when that person's custody status changes. Alerts go out by phone, email, text, or TTY for hearing-impaired users. You do not have to give your name. Registration is anonymous and costs nothing. VINE has covered all of Virginia's local and regional jails since 2006 and has provided over a million custody change notifications to Virginians.
VINE does not cover VADOC state prisons, including Green Rock Correctional Center in Chatham. Once a Pittsylvania County inmate moves into a state facility, use the VADOC Offender Locator for all future searches. These two systems serve different parts of the corrections system and do not overlap.
Pittsylvania County and VADOC Western Region
Pittsylvania County falls in the VADOC Western Region. Inmates sentenced to more than twelve months from Pittsylvania County transfer to a Western Region state prison. Western Region facilities include Augusta Correctional Center at (540) 997-7000, Bland Correctional Center at (276) 688-3341, Cold Springs Correctional Unit at (540) 337-1818, Green Rock Correctional Center at (434) 797-2000, Keen Mountain Correctional Center at (276) 498-7411, Marion Correctional Treatment Center at (276) 783-7154, Red Onion State Prison at (276) 796-7510, River North Correctional Center at (276) 773-2518, and Wallens Ridge State Prison at (276) 523-3310. Because Green Rock Correctional Center sits right in Chatham, Pittsylvania County inmates often end up there or at another nearby Western Region facility depending on security needs.
VADOC Probation and Parole serves Pittsylvania County through a Western Region district office. People leaving state prisons on supervised release who return to Pittsylvania County report to that district. You can find district office addresses on the VADOC facilities and offices page. For anyone currently on state probation or parole in the county, that office manages their supervision.
Use the VADOC Offender Locator to find anyone currently in state custody. Search by last name and first initial. Results show the inmate ID, current facility location, and projected release date. The tool also covers discharged individuals and people who have absconded from supervision.
Court Records for Pittsylvania County Inmate Population
Court records and jail records are separate. The Pittsylvania County Circuit Court Clerk holds the official case file with the charge, plea, verdict, and sentencing order. The Sheriff holds the jail record covering bookings, custody changes, and releases. Getting both gives you the most complete picture of someone's legal status in Pittsylvania County.
The Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System provides free name searches for Circuit Court and General District Court records. Pittsylvania County falls under the Twenty-First Judicial Circuit. Cases appear in the online system after the Clerk enters them. Note that Danville, an independent city, has its own Circuit Court separate from Pittsylvania County even though they share the same judicial circuit.
Criminal history records spanning multiple counties or time periods are available through the Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange under Virginia Code § 19.2-389. Get forms from the Virginia State Police records page and mail requests to P.O. Box 85076, Richmond, VA 23261-5076.
Note: Danville is an independent city with its own court separate from Pittsylvania County courts, even though both fall under the Twenty-First Judicial Circuit.
Requesting Pittsylvania County Inmate Records
Jail records in Pittsylvania County are public under Virginia law. The Virginia Freedom of Information Act, at Virginia Code § 2.2-3700 et seq., gives Virginia residents the right to request jail logs, booking sheets, charges, and custody status from the Sheriff's Office without providing a reason. The agency must respond within five business days. Complex requests can take up to seven additional days.
Some records are exempt. Active investigation files, personnel records, and attorney-client material cannot be released. Inmates cannot use FOIA for their own case records under § 2.2-3703(C). If a request is denied or not answered, the Virginia FOIA Advisory Council provides free guidance. Call (804) 698-1810, toll-free 1-866-448-4100, or email foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov.
Write to the Pittsylvania County Sheriff's Office in Chatham to file your request. Name the specific records and the date range. Be as specific as possible. Keep a copy of what you send and ask for written confirmation of receipt. If the agency does not respond within five days, follow up directly or contact the FOIA Advisory Council for next steps.
Virginia VINE covers the Pittsylvania County Jail and provides real-time custody status checks for anyone held in local custody in Chatham.
Select Pittsylvania County Jail to run a name search and check current custody status, or register for free automated release alerts.
Victim Notification in Pittsylvania County
Crime victims in Pittsylvania County can track local custody through VINE. Register at vavine.org or call 1-800-467-4943. VINE sends free, anonymous alerts when an inmate is released, moved, escapes, or dies in custody. Alerts go by phone, email, text, or TTY. No name or identifying information is required to register.
Once a Pittsylvania County inmate moves to VADOC state custody, NAAVI takes over the notification duties. NAAVI (Notification and Assistance for Victim Inclusion) provides 30-day advance release notice, parole hearing alerts, transfer notices, and work release updates. Register at the VADOC Victim Services page or call 1-804-674-3243. Both services are free.
VINE and NAAVI are independent systems. Register for both to cover the full span of incarceration, from the Pittsylvania County Jail booking through any eventual release from a VADOC state prison. If the person is in Green Rock Correctional Center nearby, NAAVI handles notifications there since it is a state facility, not a local jail.
Cities Near Pittsylvania County
Pittsylvania County surrounds the independent city of Danville, which has its own jail and court system. Danville is a qualifying city with its own page on this site. For Danville-specific inmate population resources, see that city page. The county itself is served by the Pittsylvania County Jail in Chatham for county-level arrests and bookings.
Nearby Counties
Pittsylvania County borders Henry, Franklin, Patrick, Campbell, Halifax, and Mecklenburg counties in Virginia. For inmate records in adjacent jurisdictions, visit their county pages.