Search San Diego County Released Inmates

Released inmate records in San Diego County are handled by the sheriff's department, which runs a system called Who's In Jail for online searches. The county operates several detention facilities across the region. San Diego County is the second most populous county in California and sits along the U.S.-Mexico border. You can search for inmates who have been booked and released from any San Diego County jail using the sheriff's online tool. The VINE alert system and CDCR's CIRIS database also cover San Diego County. This page details how to find released inmate data, request records, and understand the laws that apply to public access in San Diego County.

San Diego County Who's In Jail Tool

The San Diego County Sheriff operates the Who's In Jail search portal at apps.sdsheriff.net/wij. This is the primary way to look up inmates in San Diego County. The tool is free to use and does not need an account. Type in a person's name and the system pulls up matching records from all San Diego County detention facilities. Each result shows the booking number, charges, bail amount, court date, and custody status. If someone has been released, you can see when and how they left.

San Diego County runs several jails. The main facilities include the San Diego Central Jail downtown, the George Bailey Detention Facility in Otay Mesa, the Vista Detention Facility in Vista, and the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility in Santee. Together these facilities hold thousands of inmates at any given time. People arrested in the city of San Diego, Chula Vista, Escondido, Carlsbad, and other communities throughout the county all pass through this system. Some cities like San Marcos and Vista contract with the San Diego County Sheriff for law enforcement, so their arrests go directly into the county jail system as well.

For records requests beyond what the online tool shows, email SDSheriffRecords@sdsheriff.gov or call (858) 974-2110. Report copies cost $20. Processing takes 3 to 10 days.

How to Search San Diego County Inmates

Start at the Who's In Jail page. Enter the last name of the person you want to find. Add a first name or booking number if you have it. Click search. The system checks all San Diego County facilities and returns a list of matches. Look at the status. If a person was released, the record will show the release date and the reason, such as bail posted, sentence served, or charges dropped. Current inmates show their housing location and next court appearance.

The San Diego County Sheriff also handles public records requests by email. Send your request to SDSheriffRecords@sdsheriff.gov. Include the full name, date of birth, and any case numbers you have. Copies of reports cost $20 each. You should expect a response in 3 to 10 business days. If you prefer the phone, call (858) 974-2110 during business hours. The jail information line is (858) 974-2222 for questions about a person currently in custody in San Diego County.

Here is what San Diego County released inmate records typically include:

• Full name, date of birth, and booking photo
• Booking number and arrest date
• All charges at time of booking in San Diego County
• Bail amount and court information
• Release date, time, and type of release
• Facility where the inmate was held
• Arresting agency within San Diego County

Note: The Who's In Jail tool shows recent bookings, not records from many years back.

California Law on San Diego County Releases

State law requires the San Diego County Sheriff to share certain details about every person who is booked. Government Code 7923.610 lays out the exact data that must be public. This includes the full name, physical description, date of birth, time and date of arrest, time and date of booking, location of the arrest, charges, bail, and the time and way someone was released. The law says an agency can withhold a single item only if it would put a person at risk or harm an active investigation. This applies to all released inmates in San Diego County and took effect on January 1, 2023.

When state prison inmates are released to parole in San Diego County, Penal Code 3003 controls what happens. CDCR must send the local sheriff and police agencies detailed data on each parolee. That data covers names, physical descriptions, tattoos, scars, offenses, parole length, and the address where the released inmate will live. Parolees must return to the county where they lived before going to prison. San Diego County, being the second largest county in the state by population, receives a significant number of parolees each year. Each released inmate gets $200 in gate money from CDCR and transport to the nearest bus or train station if no one comes to pick them up from the prison.

The California Public Records Act also gives anyone the right to request documents from the San Diego County Sheriff and other local agencies. Agencies have 10 calendar days to respond, with a possible 14-day extension for unusual situations.

VINE Alerts for San Diego County

VINE is a free notification service that tracks custody changes in San Diego County. Sign up and the system sends you an alert when an inmate is released, transferred, or has any other change in status. You can get alerts by phone, email, or text message. VINE works around the clock and supports more than 200 languages. It covers all San Diego County detention facilities along with state prisons and roughly 2,900 other facilities across 48 states.

Call 1-877-411-5588 to register by phone. TTY users can dial (866) 847-1298. You can also sign up at vinelink.com. Victims of crime in San Diego County use VINE the most, but the service is open to anyone. Once registered, the system watches for changes and contacts you within minutes of an update. Many San Diego County law enforcement agencies point people to VINE as the fastest way to know when a released inmate leaves custody.

Below is the San Diego County Sheriff's Who's In Jail search portal at apps.sdsheriff.net/wij. This is the main tool for finding released inmates from San Diego County jails.

The search portal covers all San Diego County detention facilities. You can look up any person by name or booking number to check their current custody status and release details.

State Records for San Diego County Inmates

For state prison records, the CIRIS database from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is the place to look. CIRIS shows inmates who served time in state prison, including those who were sentenced out of San Diego County courts. You can search by name or CDCR number. Results include the inmate's name, age, admission date, facility, and commitment county. If a person went through the San Diego County court system and was sent to state prison, CIRIS will have their record.

You can also submit a formal records request through the CDCR Public Records Portal. CDCR must respond within 10 calendar days. For your own criminal history, the California DOJ record review page has the steps. You will need Live Scan fingerprints and a $25 processing fee. Most requests are done in 2 to 3 days. The DOJ keeps criminal history data until a person reaches 100 years of age. Third parties cannot request someone else's criminal history in California under Penal Code 11142.

Nearby Counties

If you cannot find the person you are looking for in San Diego County, try one of these neighboring county jail systems. Inmates sometimes get transferred or are booked in a different county.

Cities in San Diego County

San Diego County has many cities and communities spread across the region. Most city police departments do not run their own jails. People arrested by city police are booked at one of the San Diego County Sheriff's detention facilities. Some cities, including San Marcos and Vista, contract with the San Diego County Sheriff for all law enforcement services, so arrests in those areas go straight through the county system. The cities below have their own released inmate pages with more details about local resources.