Madera County Released Inmates

Released inmate records in Madera County are managed by the Madera County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff runs an online Inmate Inquiry tool that is free and open to the public. You can search for current inmates and people who were recently released from the Madera County jail. Madera County sits in the San Joaquin Valley between Fresno and Merced, and its jail handles all local bookings. This page covers how to find released inmate records in Madera County, which tools to use, and the California laws that give you the right to access this data.

Madera County Inmate Inquiry Tool

The Madera County Sheriff operates an Inmate Inquiry portal at inmatepublicview.maderacounty.com. This is the primary way to look up released inmates and people currently held in the Madera County jail. The search is free. You do not need to create an account or log in. Type in a name and the system pulls up matching records. Results show the booking number, charges, bail amount, and custody status. If the person has been released, you can see the release date and how they left custody.

Madera County is a smaller county in California's central valley. The jail here handles a lower volume than places like Los Angeles or Fresno, but the same public access rules apply. People arrested by law enforcement in the city of Madera, Chowchilla, Oakhurst, and other communities throughout the county all get booked into this facility. The data from those bookings goes into the Inmate Inquiry system, which means one search covers all arrests made within Madera County.

Note: The Inmate Inquiry tool shows recent bookings and releases, not older historical records.

How to Search Madera County Released Inmates

Go to the Madera County Inmate Inquiry page. Enter the last name of the person. Add a first name if you want to narrow the results. Hit search. The system shows all matching records from the Madera County jail. Each result includes the booking number, the charges filed, bail, and whether the person is still in custody or has been released. For released inmates, you see the date they left and the type of release.

Here is what Madera County released inmate records generally contain:

• Full name and date of birth
• Booking number and arrest date
• Charges at the time of booking
• Bail amount
• Release date and method

If you do not find the person in the Madera County search, they may have been booked at a different facility. People sometimes get held in a neighboring county jail. Try the Fresno County or Merced County inmate search if your Madera County search does not return results. For state prison records, the CDCR CIRIS database covers inmates who served time in a California state facility and were released.

California Law on Madera County Releases

Government Code 7923.610 requires every law enforcement agency in California to make arrest and booking data public. The Madera County Sheriff must follow this rule. The law says agencies need to share the arrested person's full name, date of birth, physical description, time and date of arrest, booking time, charges, bail amount, and the time and way they were released. An agency can only hold back a detail if sharing it would put a person at risk or hurt an investigation. This took effect on January 1, 2023, and applies to all released inmates booked in Madera County.

State prison parolees who come to Madera County fall under Penal Code 3003. CDCR must tell Madera County law enforcement about each parolee heading to the area. The notification includes names, physical descriptions, tattoos, scars, offenses, and the address where the released inmate plans to live. Under this law, parolees return to the county where they lived before going to prison. CDCR can approve a transfer if there is a valid reason. Each released inmate gets $200 in gate money.

If you need a copy of your own criminal history, submit Live Scan fingerprints and pay a $25 fee to the California DOJ. The DOJ record review page has the steps for residents anywhere in California, including Madera County.

VINE Alerts for Madera County

California's VINE notification system sends alerts when a Madera County inmate's custody status changes. Sign up for phone calls, emails, or text messages. The service is free and runs around the clock in more than 200 languages. VINE covers the Madera County jail along with thousands of other facilities across the country. It is the quickest way to learn when a released inmate leaves custody.

Call 1-877-411-5588 to register by phone. You can also visit vinelink.com to sign up online. When a custody change happens, VINE sends your alert within minutes. Many families and crime victims in Madera County use this tool to stay informed about released inmates without having to check the jail roster over and over.

The Madera County Inmate Inquiry tool at inmatepublicview.maderacounty.com is shown below. This portal is the main search resource for finding released inmates booked at the Madera County jail.

The search page lets you look up inmates by name. Results include custody status, charges, and release details for people who passed through the Madera County jail system.

State Records for Madera County Inmates

For records about state prison inmates released to Madera County, the CIRIS database is the right place to look. CIRIS is run by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. It covers state prison inmates and shows names, CDCR numbers, ages, admission dates, and current or past facility locations. This tool does not cover county jail bookings. For Madera County jail records, use the Inmate Inquiry portal instead.

You can also submit a formal records request. The CDCR Public Records Portal handles requests for state prison documents. Agencies must respond within 10 calendar days of getting your request. An additional 14 days may apply in unusual cases. For county-level records about released inmates in Madera County, send your request directly to the sheriff's office. The California DOJ PRA page handles requests for state criminal history data held by the Department of Justice, which is a separate process from the county or CDCR.

Nearby Counties

If you cannot find the released inmate in the Madera County system, check neighboring county jails. Transfers and cross-county bookings do happen in the central valley.

Cities in Madera County

Madera County does not have any cities with a population over 100,000. All arrests in the county are processed through the Madera County jail. Use the Inmate Inquiry tool above to search for released inmates booked anywhere in Madera County, including the city of Madera and Chowchilla.