Find Sierra County Released Inmates

Released inmate records for Sierra County require a different search path than most California counties. Sierra County does not run its own jail. The county has a temporary holding unit at the courthouse in Downieville, but it transfers arrestees to the Nevada County Jail under a contract agreement. That means most released inmate data for Sierra County is held by Nevada County. You can also use the statewide VINE system and the CDCR CIRIS database for state prison releases. This page explains how to search for released inmates connected to Sierra County and where to find the records.

Sierra County Jail Services

Sierra County is one of the smallest counties in California. It does not have a full-service jail. The county operates a temporary holding unit at the courthouse in Downieville where people are booked and processed after an arrest. Stays at this holding unit are short. Arrestees are transferred to the Nevada County Jail for longer-term custody. This means that if you want to search for a released inmate who was arrested in Sierra County, you will likely need to check Nevada County records for the booking and release data.

The Nevada County Sheriff keeps an in-custody report online at reports.nevcounty.net. That tool shows people currently held at the Nevada County jail, including those transferred from Sierra County. When an inmate is released, the record updates to reflect the change. Since Sierra County sends its inmates there, the Nevada County system is your best starting point for finding released inmate records tied to Sierra County arrests.

For basic questions about an arrest that happened in Sierra County, you can still contact the Sierra County Sheriff's office directly. They handle the initial booking and arrest report before the transfer takes place. The sheriff can tell you where a person was sent and help point you to the right records source.

How to Search Sierra County Inmates

Because Sierra County contracts jail services with Nevada County, the search process has an extra step. Start by checking the Nevada County in-custody report. Enter the person's name and look for results. If the person was arrested in Sierra County, the booking record at Nevada County should note that. Released inmates will show a release date and time. If you do not find the person there, try the statewide VINE system at vinelink.com. VINE covers facilities across California and can track inmates who passed through Nevada County jail on a Sierra County arrest.

For state prison releases, use the CIRIS database from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. CIRIS shows inmates who served time in California state prisons. It includes the name, CDCR number, age, facility, commitment county, and hearing dates. If someone from Sierra County went to state prison and was later released on parole, CIRIS is the place to look. It does not cover county-level bookings or the temporary holding unit at the Sierra County courthouse.

You can also file a public records request with the Sierra County Sheriff or Nevada County Sheriff. Under the California Public Records Act, agencies must respond within 10 calendar days. Send your request in writing and describe the records you need. The DOJ PRA page explains the process in full detail for people searching for released inmate records.

Note: Sierra County arrest reports stay with the Sierra County Sheriff even though the inmate is housed in Nevada County.

California Law on Sierra County Releases

Government Code 7923.610 applies to Sierra County the same way it does to every other county in California. The law requires law enforcement agencies to make arrest and booking data public. Even though Sierra County does not operate its own full jail, the sheriff's office still has to share certain details about arrests. This includes the full name, date of birth, physical description, time of arrest, charges, bail amount, and how the person was released. The only exception is if sharing a piece of data would endanger someone or harm an active investigation.

Released inmates from state prison who come back to Sierra County are covered by Penal Code 3003. Under this statute, CDCR must notify local law enforcement when a parolee is headed to the area. The information shared includes names, physical descriptions, tattoos, scars, the offenses that led to prison, and the address where the released inmate plans to live. Parolees must go back to the county where they lived before prison in most cases. Given Sierra County's small size, parolee releases here are rare compared to larger California counties, but the same rules apply.

If you want to review your own criminal history, the California DOJ lets you request a copy by submitting fingerprints and paying a $25 fee. The DOJ record review page has instructions. Third-party requests for someone else's criminal history are not allowed under California law.

VINE Alerts for Sierra County

The VINE system covers Sierra County inmates even though they are held at the Nevada County jail. VINE is free. It runs all day, every day, and works in over 200 languages. You can search for a person by name or ID and register for automatic alerts. When the inmate's custody status changes, VINE sends a call, text, or email. This is the fastest way to find out when someone arrested in Sierra County gets released from the Nevada County facility.

Call 1-877-411-5588 to register by phone. You can also go to vinelink.com and set it up online. VINE covers about 2,900 facilities across 48 states. Victims, families, and anyone else can use it. Because Sierra County does not have its own jail roster page, VINE fills a critical gap for people tracking released inmate status in this part of California.

The screenshot below shows Government Code 7923.610 on the California Legislature's website. This law requires all California agencies, including the Sierra County Sheriff, to share arrest and released inmate data with the public.

The statute lists the specific data points that must be made public, from the full name and booking details to the time and manner of release for every inmate in Sierra County and across California.

Nearby Counties

Since Sierra County sends inmates to Nevada County, you may also want to search in other nearby counties. Inmates can be transferred or booked at different facilities depending on circumstances.