Fresno Released Inmate Lookup

Released inmate records in Fresno are handled by the Fresno County Sheriff. The Fresno Police Department arrests people within the city, but it does not run a jail. Inmates booked after a Fresno PD arrest go to the Fresno County Jail. The county sheriff's inmate search tool lets you check who is in custody and who has been released. Fresno PD also keeps police records that you can request through a separate portal. This page covers how to find released inmate data in Fresno, which agencies hold what records, and what California law requires them to share.

Fresno County Jail and Released Inmates

The city of Fresno does not operate a jail. Arrests made by Fresno Police lead to bookings at the Fresno County Jail, which the sheriff manages. The main facility is on Fresno Street in the city. All bookings and releases go through the county's system. If you want to know whether someone arrested in Fresno has been released, the county inmate search is where you start.

The Fresno County Sheriff runs an inmate search at publicinfo.fresnosheriff.org. This tool is free. Enter a name to pull up matching records. Results show the charges, bail, booking date, and custody status. Released inmates have a release date and time listed. The tool covers everyone booked at the Fresno County Jail, whether they were arrested by city police, the sheriff's patrol, or another agency in the area. You do not need to create an account. The system updates as inmates are booked and released throughout the day.

For questions about Fresno County jail records, call the jail information line at (559) 600-8600 or email jailinfo@fresnosheriff.org. The sheriff's main line is (559) 600-8400.

Searching for Fresno Released Inmates

Start on the Fresno County Sheriff inmate search page. Type the last name. Add the first name if you have it. The tool returns matches from the Fresno County Jail. Each result lists the booking number, charges, bail amount, and whether the person is still held or has been released. If someone left custody, the record shows the release date.

Here are tips for getting good results when searching for released inmates in Fresno:

• Use the full legal name
• Check spelling carefully
• Add a booking number if you have one for faster results
• Recent records show up faster than older ones
• Contact the jail directly for archived Fresno released inmate data

Fresno Police Records Requests

Fresno Police keep arrest reports and investigation files separate from the county jail data. You can submit a records request through the Fresno PD portal at fresnoca.govqa.us. Call (559) 621-2534 to reach the records division. The office is at 2323 Mariposa St, Fresno 93721.

The California Public Records Act gives Fresno PD 10 calendar days to respond. They can take an extra 14 days for unusual requests. Police records from Fresno cover the arrest itself and the investigation. They do not show jail booking or release information. For that, you need the county tool. If you are trying to get the full picture of a released inmate case in Fresno, request the police report from the city and check the county jail search for the booking and release data. The two sets of records together give you the most complete view.

Note: Fresno PD does not hold custody or release records for inmates booked at the Fresno County Jail.

California Law on Fresno Inmate Releases

California law requires that certain released inmate information be made public. Government Code 7923.610 says every law enforcement agency must share the full name, date of birth, physical description, arrest time, booking time, charges, bail, and how a person was released. This applies to Fresno Police and the Fresno County Sheriff. It went into effect January 1, 2023. An agency can hold back a detail only if it would endanger a person or hurt an active investigation.

For state prison inmates released to Fresno, Penal Code 3003 requires CDCR to send detailed data to local law enforcement. Parolees must go back to the county where they lived before prison. The notice includes names, physical descriptions, tattoos, scars, the conviction offense, and the address in Fresno where the person plans to live. Each released inmate gets $200 when they leave a state facility. Fresno is the largest city in the Central Valley, and a good number of state prison parolees return here each year. Local law enforcement in Fresno gets advance notice before each parolee arrives.

VINE Alerts for Fresno Inmates

Use the VINE notification system to track custody changes in Fresno. Registration is free. Pick phone, email, or text for your alerts. VINE runs 24 hours a day in over 200 languages. When a person is released from the Fresno County Jail, VINE notifies everyone who signed up for that inmate. Call 1-877-411-5588 to register by phone. Go to vinelink.com to sign up online.

VINE covers around 2,900 facilities in 48 states, including the Fresno County Jail and all California state prisons. It is the fastest way to know when a released inmate leaves custody in the Fresno area. Anyone can sign up, though victims and family members use the service most often.

Fresno Released Inmate Resources

The California DOJ PRA request page at oag.ca.gov lets you submit formal public records requests for state-level data, including criminal history information that may relate to released inmates in Fresno. The screenshot below shows this page.

For state prison release information, use the CIRIS database from CDCR. CIRIS covers anyone who served time in a California state prison, including those released to Fresno. It does not cover county jail bookings. Between the county inmate search and CIRIS, you can track both local and state released inmates connected to the Fresno area.

Nearby Cities With Records

If you are searching for a released inmate who may have been arrested outside of Fresno, check this nearby city with its own records page.