Kings County Released Inmate Lookup

Released inmate records for Kings County are searchable through the county's online Inmate Locator and the California CIRIS database. The Kings County Sheriff's Office operates the county jail in Hanford and handles all local bookings and releases. Their Inmate Locator is the main public tool for finding current and recently released inmates from the Kings County Jail. For people who served time in a state prison, CDCR's CIRIS system covers those records separately. This page explains how each tool works, what California law says about public access to released inmate data, and how to get records from Kings County agencies.

Kings County Inmate Locator

The Kings County Sheriff runs an Inmate Locator on the county website. This is the go-to tool for checking on people booked into the Kings County Jail. Enter a person's name and the system returns matching records that include charges, booking date, bail amount, and custody status. If someone has been released, the record will reflect that. The Inmate Locator is free and does not require any registration. It updates throughout the day as new bookings and releases happen at the Kings County Jail.

Kings County is located in the San Joaquin Valley. Hanford is the county seat and where the main jail sits. Most arrests in the county result in a booking at this facility. The sheriff's office creates a record for every person who goes through the jail, and that record stays in the system after the person leaves. This is how you can look up Kings County released inmates even if they got out days or weeks earlier.

For questions the online tool cannot answer, call the Kings County Sheriff's Office. Staff can help you verify whether someone has been released, tell you about outstanding charges, and explain how to request formal copies of records tied to a specific Kings County inmate.

How to Search Kings County Inmates

Start at the Kings County Inmate Locator. Type in the first or last name of the person you want to find. The system searches the Kings County Jail database and pulls up any matching records. Each result shows the person's name, charges, bail, and whether they are still in custody or have been released. You can do this from any device with internet access. No fees. No account needed.

If the person you are looking for served time in a California state prison rather than the Kings County Jail, switch to the CIRIS database. CIRIS is run by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. It covers inmates in state prisons, not county jails. Search by name or CDCR number to find commitment counties, admission dates, facility locations, and parole hearing results. Kings County has a state prison within its borders, so some released inmates in the area may show up in CIRIS but not in the county's own Inmate Locator.

Here is a quick rundown of the tools available for Kings County released inmate searches:

• Kings County Inmate Locator for jail bookings and local releases
• CIRIS for state prison records connected to Kings County
• VINELink for automated custody status alerts
• Kings County Sheriff's Office by phone for records requests

California Law and Kings County Records

Public access to Kings County released inmate data is backed by California state law. Government Code 7923.610 requires the Kings County Sheriff and every other law enforcement agency in California to share arrest information with anyone who asks. The data that must be disclosed includes the arrested person's full name, physical description, date of birth, arrest date, booking date, location of arrest, bail amount, all charges, and the time and manner of release. A specific item can be withheld only if it would endanger someone or compromise an ongoing investigation in Kings County.

When a state prison inmate is released to Kings County on parole, Penal Code 3003 controls what happens. CDCR must tell local law enforcement about the parolee's name, date of birth, physical traits including tattoos and scars, the crimes they were convicted of, and where they will live after release. Parolees must go back to the county they lived in before prison. If someone called Kings County home before their sentence, they will likely return there. CDCR can approve transfers to other counties in certain situations, but the default is a return to Kings County.

The California Public Records Act gives you the right to request documents from the Kings County Sheriff. Agencies have 10 calendar days to respond. An extension of up to 14 days is possible for complex requests. For state records involving Kings County released inmates, use the DOJ PRA page or the CDCR Public Records Portal.

VINE Alerts for Kings County

VINE is a free notification service that tells you when someone's custody status changes at the Kings County Jail. Register for phone calls, emails, or text messages. The system sends alerts the moment a person is released, transferred, or their status changes in any other way. VINE operates around the clock in over 200 languages and covers roughly 2,900 facilities across the country.

To set up VINE alerts for a Kings County released inmate, call 1-877-411-5588 or go to vinelink.com. Pick California and then Kings County. Search for the person by name and register for notifications. TTY users can call (866) 847-1298. VINE is especially useful if you want to know the moment someone gets out of the Kings County Jail without having to check the Inmate Locator repeatedly. Victims and families across California rely on VINE as the primary way to track custody status changes.

Kings County Inmate Search Portal

The Kings County Inmate Locator at inmatelocator.countyofkings.com is the official search tool for people booked into the Kings County Jail. The screenshot below shows what the portal looks like.

This is the search page that the Kings County Sheriff provides to the public. You can enter a name to pull up booking records, charges, bail amounts, and release information. The tool covers current inmates and recently released inmates from the Kings County Jail. It is free and open to everyone. For older records that may no longer appear in the online system, contact the Kings County Sheriff's Office directly and ask about their records request process for released inmate files.

Getting Kings County Inmate Records

If you need formal copies of records tied to Kings County released inmates, contact the sheriff's office. They handle arrest reports, booking documents, and other jail records. You can ask about fees and processing times when you call. For state-level records about people who were in California prisons, submit a request through the CDCR Public Records Portal. CDCR must respond within 10 calendar days and can extend that by 14 days for unusual circumstances.

The DOJ is another option for state records. They charge 10 cents per page for copies. Keep in mind that the DOJ does not maintain Kings County local court records. It holds state-level criminal history data. For anything specific to the Kings County Jail or sheriff's office, go through the county directly. Between the Inmate Locator online and the sheriff's records office, you should be able to find most released inmate information tied to Kings County.

Counties Near Kings County

Kings County sits in the San Joaquin Valley and borders several other California counties. A released inmate from Kings County may also have records in one of these neighboring areas.