Russell County Inmate Population Lookup
The Russell County inmate population is held at the county jail in Lebanon, Virginia. The Sheriff's Office runs the facility and keeps custody records on everyone booked there. You can search current inmates through Virginia VINE, get custody status by phone, or reach the Sheriff directly. This page covers how to find someone in the Russell County jail, how VINE works for this facility, what VADOC handles for longer sentences, and how to request records under Virginia FOIA. Use the contacts and tools below to track a booking, a charge, or a release date.
Russell County Quick Facts
Russell County Jail and Sheriff's Office
The Russell County Sheriff's Office is the agency that runs the local jail and holds inmate records. When someone gets arrested in Russell County, they go to the Lebanon facility first. Under Virginia Code § 53.1-31, the Sheriff is the legal keeper of all booking sheets, charge records, and release paperwork. You can call or visit the Sheriff's Office during business hours to ask about anyone in custody at the jail.
The Russell County Jail holds people waiting for trial and anyone serving up to twelve months. Sentences over twelve months transfer to a VADOC state prison. That move happens within sixty days of the final sentencing order, in most cases. Until the transfer, the Sheriff's Office is your contact for custody status. Russell County is in southwest Virginia near the Kentucky and Tennessee borders, and the county seat of Lebanon is where the jail and main county offices are located.
The Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority serves several counties in this part of the state. Some Russell County inmates may be held at a regional jail rather than the county facility depending on capacity and classification. The Sheriff's Office can tell you which facility holds a specific person.
Note: Some Russell County inmates may be housed at a Southwest Virginia regional jail. Call the Sheriff at (276) 889-8003 to confirm the current facility.
Search Russell Inmate Population Through VINE
Virginia VINE lets you check on someone in the Russell County jail system without calling the Sheriff. The Russell County Jail participates in the VINE network. Go to vavine.org or vinelink.com, pick Virginia, and select the Russell County Jail or whichever facility the inmate is in. The search returns whether the person is still in custody, released, transferred, or escaped. VINE is free and available at any hour.
Sign-up for custody alerts is also free through VINE. You can register by name or offender ID. When the person's status changes, VINE sends a notification by phone, text, email, or TTY. Your registration stays private. To use VINE by phone, call 1-800-467-4943. VINE does not cover state prisons. If someone has transferred to a VADOC facility, use the VADOC Offender Locator.
The VA VINE portal is the simplest tool for tracking the Russell County inmate population in local custody.
From this landing page you can pick Russell County Jail, run a name search, and register for free custody alerts.
Russell County and the VADOC Western Region
Russell County is in the VADOC Western Region. Anyone from Russell County sentenced to more than twelve months moves to a Western Region state prison. Those facilities include Bland Correctional Center, Cold Springs Work Center, Green Rock Correctional Center, Keen Mountain Correctional Center, Marion Correctional Treatment Center, Red Onion State Prison, River North Correctional Center, and Wallens Ridge State Prison. The exact facility depends on security classification and available programs.
Red Onion State Prison and Wallens Ridge State Prison are both located in Wise County, which is not far from Russell County in far southwest Virginia. Inmates from Russell who get maximum security designations often end up at one of those two facilities. Keen Mountain Correctional Center in Buchanan County is another common placement for longer sentences from this region.
VADOC also runs Probation and Parole in the area. If someone left state custody on supervised probation from a Russell County sentence, the district office tracks their status. Find the full directory at the VADOC facilities and offices page. To search for anyone in state custody now, use the VADOC Offender Locator.
Note: Red Onion State Prison and Wallens Ridge State Prison in Wise County both hold Western Region inmates, including those from Russell County.
Russell County Court Records and Inmate Files
The Clerk of the Circuit Court keeps the case file. The Sheriff keeps the jail record. These are two separate things. For a full view of someone in the Russell County inmate population, you need both. The Circuit Court file has the charges, the plea, and the sentencing order. The jail record has the booking date, custody changes, and release date.
The Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System lets you search by name at no charge. There is a fee only for paper copies. Russell County is in the Twenty-Ninth Judicial Circuit. Cases filed there appear in the state system after the clerk enters them. The General District Court in Lebanon handles lower-level criminal matters for Russell County.
Under Virginia Code § 19.2-389, criminal history records are available through the Virginia State Police. The Virginia State Police records page has the request forms. Mail goes to P.O. Box 85076, Richmond, VA 23261-5076.
Requesting Russell County Inmate Records
Russell County inmate records are public under Virginia Code § 2.2-3700 et seq. Virginia residents can request jail logs, booking sheets, charges, and custody status without stating a reason. The agency has five business days to respond, with up to seven more days if the request is complex or large.
Exempt records include active investigation files, personnel records, and attorney-client material. Inmates cannot use FOIA for their own records under § 2.2-3703(C). If a request is denied, reach out to the Virginia FOIA Advisory Council at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov or (804) 698-1810, toll-free 1-866-448-4100.
Submit your written request to the Russell County Sheriff's Office in Lebanon. Name the specific records and the time period. The office must confirm receipt and give an estimated response date. Keep a copy of everything you send.
Victim Notification for Russell County Inmates
Crime victims in Russell County can track inmate custody status through VINE. Register at vavine.org or call 1-800-467-4943. VINE sends free alerts for release, transfer, escape, and death. Your registration is private.
When someone moves from the Russell County jail to a VADOC state prison, VADOC's NAAVI system takes over notifications. Register through the VADOC Victim Services page or call 1-804-674-3243. VADOC provides 30-day advance release notice and sends updates for parole hearings and work release. VINE and NAAVI do not share registrations, so sign up for both to stay covered through both stages of custody.
State Resources for Russell County Inmate Searches
Several state tools support inmate population searches for Russell County. The VADOC Offender Locator covers state prison inmates. Virginia VINE covers county and regional jail inmates. The Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange covers statewide criminal history. For federal inmates, the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator covers BOP custody from 1982 forward.
The sex offender registry through the Virginia State Police is also public. It operates under Virginia Code §§ 9.1-900 et seq. If a Russell County conviction included a sex offender registration requirement, that record shows on the state registry regardless of current custody status. The registry is searchable by name and by address.
The Federal BOP locator covers federal inmates from Russell County cases, which are separate from state and county records.
Search by name, BOP register number, FBI number, or other identifier to find a federal inmate from southwest Virginia.
Cities in Russell County
Russell County does not contain any independent cities that meet the qualifying population threshold for separate city pages on this site. The county seat of Lebanon and other communities within Russell County are served by the county government and the county Sheriff's Office. For inmate population searches, use the tools and contacts on this page.
Nearby Counties
Russell County shares borders with several other southwest Virginia counties. Visit their pages for local inmate population records.