San Diego Released Inmates

Released inmate records in San Diego are split between the city police department and the county sheriff. San Diego Police make arrests within the city, but the San Diego County Sheriff runs the jails where people are held and eventually released. The county's "Who's In Jail" tool lets you search current and recently released inmates for free. SDPD also has its own public records portal for police reports and arrest data. This page covers how to find released inmate records in San Diego, the county jail search, and how to request records from the San Diego Police Department.

San Diego County Jail Records

San Diego does not have its own city jail. When SDPD officers arrest someone, that person is booked at a San Diego County Sheriff facility. The county runs several detention centers including the San Diego Central Jail, Vista Detention Facility, and George Bailey Detention Facility. All bookings and releases flow through one system. If you want to see whether someone arrested in San Diego has been released, you check the county search tool.

The San Diego County Sheriff runs a "Who's In Jail" search at apps.sdsheriff.net/wij. This tool is free. You search by name or booking number. Results show the charges, bail amount, booking date, and custody status. If a person has been released from a San Diego County facility, the record shows the release date and time. The search covers everyone booked at any county jail in San Diego, whether they were picked up by city police, the sheriff, or another local agency. No login is needed. The system updates regularly as inmates are booked and released from San Diego facilities.

Some cities in San Diego County contract with the sheriff for law enforcement. San Marcos and Vista use the SD Sheriff instead of running their own police force. Arrests in these areas also show up in the same county inmate tool.

How to Search San Diego Inmates

Start at the Who's In Jail page. Enter the last name. Add a first name if you have it. The system returns all matching records from San Diego County jails. Each entry shows the booking number, charges, court date, and where the person is held. Released inmates show when they got out. You can also search by booking number for a faster result.

A few things help when looking up released inmates in San Diego. Use the full legal name. Check spelling carefully. If you get too many results, try adding a middle name or birth date. Records for released inmates stay in the system for a limited time. For older San Diego records, contact the sheriff at (858) 974-2222 or email SDSheriffRecords@sdsheriff.gov. Report copy fees in San Diego County run about $20.

SDPD Records in San Diego

The San Diego Police Department keeps its own files for arrests made within the city. Police reports, incident logs, and arrest data are available through the SDPD public records system. Submit a request online at sandiego.nextrequest.com. You can also call (619) 531-2846 or visit the records unit at 1401 Broadway, San Diego 92101. The California Public Records Act gives agencies 10 calendar days to respond to a request, with a possible 14-day extension for unusual cases.

SDPD records cover the police investigation side of an arrest in San Diego. The actual booking and release data sits with the county sheriff. If you need both the arrest report and the jail record for a released inmate, use both tools. The SDPD portal handles the police files. The county jail search shows the booking and custody details for San Diego inmates.

Note: SDPD does not operate a jail, so all released inmate custody records come from the San Diego County Sheriff.

California Law on San Diego Releases

California law makes certain released inmate data public. Government Code 7923.610 requires every law enforcement agency to share arrest and booking details. This includes the full name, date of birth, arrest time, booking time, charges, bail, and how a person was released. The statute applies to San Diego Police and the San Diego County Sheriff alike. It took effect on January 1, 2023. Only information that would harm an active investigation or endanger someone can be withheld.

Penal Code 3003 controls what happens when state prison inmates are released back to San Diego. Parolees must return to the county where they lived before going to prison. CDCR sends local law enforcement in San Diego detailed data about each released inmate. This includes names, physical descriptions, tattoos, scars, and the address where the person will live. Each released inmate gets $200 in gate money. San Diego receives a significant number of returning parolees each year, and law enforcement in the city gets advance notice before each one arrives.

VINE Notifications in San Diego

VINE tracks custody changes for San Diego inmates. Register for free alerts by phone, email, or text. The system works 24 hours a day in over 200 languages. When someone is released from a San Diego County jail, VINE sends a notification to anyone who has signed up. Call 1-877-411-5588 to register by phone, or go to vinelink.com to sign up online.

VINE covers about 2,900 facilities in 48 states, including all San Diego County jails and California state prisons. It is the fastest way to know when a released inmate has left custody in the San Diego area. Victims and families use it the most, but anyone can register for alerts.

San Diego Police Records Portal

The San Diego Police Department's NextRequest portal at sandiego.nextrequest.com is shown below. You use this page to submit formal records requests for SDPD police reports related to arrests and released inmate cases in San Diego.

Requests submitted through this portal are handled under the California Public Records Act. Basic arrest and booking data is available through the county inmate tool, but the SDPD portal covers police reports and investigation files for San Diego cases. Use both resources if you need a complete picture of a released inmate's case in San Diego.

Nearby Cities With Records

Arrests near San Diego can sometimes be handled by a neighboring city or agency. If you can't find a released inmate in the San Diego County system, try searching in a nearby city that also has a records page.