Contra Costa County Released Inmates

Released inmate records in Contra Costa County are managed by the sheriff's office and its detention facilities in Martinez and Richmond. The county operates an online In-Custody Locator where you can search for current and recently released inmates for free. Contra Costa County is one of the larger Bay Area counties with multiple booking facilities. You can also use VINE for custody alerts and the CDCR CIRIS database for state prison releases. This page explains how to search for released inmates in Contra Costa County, what details the records hold, and your rights under California law.

Contra Costa County In-Custody Locator

The Contra Costa County Sheriff runs an In-Custody Locator at inmateinfo.so.cccounty.us. This online tool lets you search for inmates held in county detention facilities. Look up a person by name, booking number, or other identifiers. The results show charges, booking date, bail amount, court dates, and custody status. When someone has been released from a Contra Costa County facility, the record reflects that status change. The tool is free and does not need an account.

Contra Costa County operates the Martinez Detention Facility and the West County Detention Facility in Richmond. People arrested anywhere in the county may end up at either location. Cities like Walnut Creek, Concord, Antioch, Richmond, and Pittsburg all send their bookings to these county facilities. The In-Custody Locator covers both jails. When you search for a released inmate in Contra Costa County, results pull from both facilities at once. If the person was recently released, the record typically stays in the system for a period before dropping off. For older records, contact the sheriff's records division.

How to Search Contra Costa County Inmates

Go to the In-Custody Locator page. Enter the last name of the person you want to find. You can add a first name or booking number to narrow results. Click search. The system returns matching records from both Contra Costa County detention facilities. Each result shows the booking number, charges, bail, and current status. Pick the correct person from the list. The detail page tells you whether they are still in custody or have been released.

Contra Costa County released inmate records contain these key data points:

• Full name and date of birth
• Booking number and arrest date
• All charges at the time of booking in Contra Costa County
• Bail amount set by the court
• Facility where the person was held
• Release date, time, and method
• Arresting agency

You can also email the records unit at recordsinfo@so.cccounty.us if you need copies of booking documents. Include the person's name and approximate date of arrest. The sheriff's office processes requests under the California Public Records Act for released inmate records.

Released Inmate Records in Contra Costa County

When someone leaves a Contra Costa County jail, their booking record remains on file with the sheriff. The information is public under California law. You do not need to explain why you want it. Common reasons people look up released inmate records in Contra Costa County include background checks, court proceedings, safety concerns, and family matters. The records unit handles requests by mail, email, and in person at the sheriff's office in Martinez.

For state prison inmates who were released to Contra Costa County, the CIRIS database is the right tool. CIRIS shows the person's name, CDCR number, age, facility, admission date, and commitment county. If someone was sentenced in a Contra Costa County court and sent to state prison, CIRIS tracks the full record. This tool is free and runs around the clock. It does not cover local jail bookings, so you still need the In-Custody Locator for county-level data on Contra Costa County released inmates.

Note: The In-Custody Locator focuses on recent records; older data may require a formal records request.

California Law on Contra Costa County Releases

Government Code 7923.610 tells the Contra Costa County Sheriff what arrest data must be public. The law requires disclosure of the person's full name, occupation, physical description, date of birth, arrest time, booking time, arrest location, all charges, bail amount, and the time and way they were released. An agency can only hold back a detail if sharing it would endanger someone involved in an investigation or compromise the investigation itself. This rule applies to all Contra Costa County released inmate records since January 1, 2023.

Penal Code 3003 covers parolees who return to Contra Costa County after state prison. CDCR must share names, physical traits, tattoos, scars, offense history, and the home address where each released inmate will live in the county. Parolees go back to the county where they lived before prison. CDCR can approve transfers when needed. Each released inmate gets $200 in gate money upon leaving a California state prison and transport to the nearest bus or train station if nobody picks them up.

VINE Alerts for Contra Costa County

California's VINE system provides free custody alerts for Contra Costa County inmates. Register for phone calls, emails, or text messages. VINE works 24 hours a day in over 200 languages. When the custody status of a tracked person changes, you get your chosen alert. Call 1-877-411-5588 to register by phone. You can also sign up at vinelink.com by selecting California and then Contra Costa County.

VINE covers both county jail facilities and California state prisons. If a Contra Costa County inmate gets transferred to another location, the system follows them. You do not need to set up a new registration. Many Contra Costa County law enforcement agencies and victim advocacy groups recommend VINE as the primary way to track released inmates. The service covers roughly 2,900 facilities in 48 states nationwide.

Contra Costa County Public Records Requests

You can submit a formal records request to the Contra Costa County Sheriff for released inmate data. Email recordsinfo@so.cccounty.us or call (925) 655-0000. The California Public Records Act requires the agency to respond within 10 calendar days. An extension of up to 14 days is possible for unusual situations. The DOJ PRA page explains the statewide process. For state-level records about released inmates tied to Contra Costa County, use the CDCR Public Records Portal.

The Contra Costa County In-Custody Locator at inmateinfo.so.cccounty.us is shown below. This is the main search tool for looking up released inmates booked at Contra Costa County detention facilities.

Use this tool to search by name or booking number. Results cover both the Martinez and West County detention facilities in Contra Costa County.

Nearby Counties

Contra Costa County shares borders with several other Bay Area and Central Valley counties. If your search does not turn up results, the person may have been booked in one of these neighboring areas instead.