Inmate Population in Richmond County
Richmond County is a rural county in Virginia's Northern Neck region, separate from and not connected to the independent City of Richmond. The Richmond County inmate population is held at the county jail in Warsaw, Virginia, managed by the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. You can search current inmates through Virginia VINE, contact the Sheriff directly, or use the VADOC Offender Locator for anyone already transferred to a state facility. This page walks through the main search tools, local jail procedures, VADOC connections, and how to request public records for Richmond County.
Richmond County Quick Facts
Richmond County Sheriff and Jail Records
The Richmond County Sheriff's Office in Warsaw is the agency that runs the local jail and holds all custody records. Under Virginia Code § 53.1-31, the Sheriff is the legal custodian of booking sheets, charge records, bond information, court dates, and release paperwork for everyone held in the county jail. Visit the Richmond County Sheriff page on the county government website for current phone numbers and office hours.
It is worth repeating: Richmond County, Virginia, and the City of Richmond, Virginia, are two completely separate jurisdictions. Richmond County sits along the Rappahannock River in the Northern Neck, roughly 60 miles northeast of the City of Richmond. They share a name but have different courts, different sheriffs, and different jails. If you are looking for someone held in the City of Richmond, see that city's separate resources. If you are looking for a Richmond County inmate, you are in the right place.
The county jail holds pre-trial detainees and those serving terms up to twelve months. Anyone given more than twelve months by a judge transfers to a VADOC state facility, usually within sixty days of the final sentencing order. Once that transfer happens, the Sheriff no longer holds custody or records for that person.
Note: Richmond County is in the Northern Neck region. It is not related to the City of Richmond, which is a separate independent city jurisdiction.
Search Richmond County Inmate Population Through VINE
Virginia VINE is the fastest online way to check on someone held in Richmond County without making a phone call. The Richmond County Jail participates in the VINE program. Go to vavine.org or vinelink.com, select Virginia, and choose Richmond County Jail as the facility. The search returns real-time custody status. You can see if the person is in, released, transferred, or has escaped. The service is free and available day or night.
VINE also lets you register for alerts. If a custody status changes, VINE notifies you by phone, email, text, or TTY. Basic name searches are anonymous. You only give contact details when you want to receive alerts. VINE covers local and regional jails, not VADOC state prisons.
If the person has already transferred to a state facility, use the VADOC Offender Locator. That tool shows inmate ID, current facility name, and projected release date for anyone in state custody. Call the VINE line at 1-800-467-4943 for a phone-based search of local facilities.
VADOC Eastern Region and Richmond County
Richmond County is in the VADOC Eastern Region. State-sentenced inmates from the county transfer to Eastern Region facilities after classification. Those facilities include Haynesville Correctional Center at (804) 333-3577, which is actually located in Richmond County itself at 100 Haynesville Road, Haynesville, VA 22472. That facility houses state-sentenced inmates. Other Eastern Region facilities include Greensville Correctional Center at (434) 535-7000, Sussex I State Prison at (804) 834-9967, and Sussex II State Prison at (804) 834-2678.
The fact that Haynesville Correctional Center sits inside Richmond County is worth noting. It means people from across Virginia may be sent to a state prison right in the county. Those inmates show up in the VADOC Offender Locator, not in the local county VINE feed. See the full Eastern Region directory on the VADOC facilities and offices page.
VADOC's Probation and Parole office serving the Northern Neck area tracks people on supervised release from state sentences. For full facility and office information, check the VADOC facilities page. The VINE portal and the VADOC locator work together to give you a complete picture of custody status in the county.
From VINELink you can switch to Virginia, select Richmond County Jail, run a name search, and register for free custody notifications.
Richmond County Court Records
The Clerk of Circuit Court in Warsaw holds the criminal case files for Richmond County. That office keeps charges, pleas, verdicts, and sentencing orders. The Sheriff holds the jail record. You may need to contact both offices to get the full story on someone in the Richmond County inmate population.
The Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System covers Richmond County Circuit Court and General District Court cases. Search by name for free. Richmond County falls under the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit. Cases appear in the system once the clerk logs them, usually within a day or two of filing. For printed copies of court records, fees apply at the clerk's counter. For a broader criminal history, the Virginia State Police Criminal Records Exchange handles requests under § 19.2-389. Mail requests to P.O. Box 85076, Richmond, VA 23261-5076.
Note: The Virginia courts case search system covers both Richmond County circuit and district courts and is free for name-based lookups.
Requesting Richmond County Inmate Population Records
Virginia residents can request jail logs, booking sheets, charges, and custody status under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act at § 2.2-3700 et seq. No reason is needed. The Richmond County Sheriff's Office must respond within five business days, with up to seven extra days for complex requests.
Exemptions apply to active criminal investigations, personnel records, and attorney-client material. Inmates cannot use FOIA to get their own records under § 2.2-3703(C). For denied or stalled requests, the Virginia FOIA Advisory Council takes questions at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov or by phone at (804) 698-1810, toll-free 1-866-448-4100. For state inmate records, contact VADOC Central Records at 6900 Atmore Drive, Richmond VA 23225, phone (804) 674-3000.
Victim Services for Richmond County Inmates
Crime victims wanting custody alerts for someone held in Richmond County should register through Virginia VINE at vavine.org or by calling 1-800-467-4943. VINE sends free, private notifications when an inmate is released, transferred, escapes, or dies. Alerts come by phone, email, text, or TTY. Basic searches stay anonymous.
Once an inmate moves to a VADOC state facility, register with the NAAVI system through the VADOC Victim Services page or call 1-804-674-3243. VADOC provides 30-day advance release notice and sends updates on parole hearings, work release, name changes, and other custody events. The two systems are separate, so register with both if the person moves from local to state custody.
Cities in Richmond County
Richmond County contains no independent cities. The county seat is Warsaw. No communities in Richmond County meet the population threshold for separate city pages on this site. For the independent City of Richmond, see the city's own resources, which are entirely separate from this county.
Nearby Counties
Richmond County is bordered by Essex, Westmoreland, King George, and Lancaster counties in the Northern Neck region.