Find Tulare County Released Inmates

Released inmate records in Tulare County come from both the local sheriff and the state prison system. The Tulare County Sheriff runs an inmate search on its website that covers bookings at the county jail in Visalia. For people who served time in a California state prison, the CDCR CIRIS tool covers released inmates tied to Tulare County as a commitment county. This page explains how to look up Tulare County released inmates, what the law says about public access, and where to go for records and custody alerts.

Tulare County Sheriff Inmate Search

The Tulare County Sheriff's Office provides an inmate search through its website at tularecounty.ca.gov/sheriff. The tool lets you look up people held in Tulare County jail facilities by name. Results show booking details, charges, and custody status. When someone gets released from the Tulare County jail, their record stays in the system for a period so you can still find information about recent releases. The search runs online and is free. No account is needed.

Tulare County processes a large number of bookings each year. The main jail is in Visalia, and the sheriff also runs the Tulare County Pre-Trial Facility and the Bob Wiley Detention Facility. All bookings at these locations go through the same inmate search system. If you need records that go back further than what the online tool covers, contact the Tulare County Sheriff's Office directly to request older released inmate files. Staff can verify release dates and provide copies of booking records from the Tulare County jail.

For state prison records, use the CIRIS database from CDCR. It tracks inmates who served time in California state prisons, including those with Tulare County listed as their commitment county. CIRIS shows names, CDCR numbers, ages, admission dates, and parole hearing results for Tulare County released inmates.

How to Search Tulare County Inmates

Start at the Tulare County Sheriff's website. Go to the inmate search page and type in the person's first or last name. The system pulls from the county jail database and returns matching records. Each entry shows the booking date, charges, bail, and whether the person is still in custody or has been released. This is the fastest way to check on someone who was recently booked at a Tulare County jail facility.

If the person was in a state prison, use CIRIS instead. Tulare County sits in a part of California that has several state correctional facilities nearby. That means many inmates are committed through Tulare County courts but serve their time at a state institution. CIRIS covers all of these cases. You can search by name or CDCR number. Both tools are free and run all day.

Here are the main resources for looking up Tulare County released inmates:

• Tulare County Sheriff Inmate Search covers local jail bookings and releases
• CIRIS covers state prison inmates with Tulare County commitments
• VINELink sends custody change alerts for Tulare County inmates
• CDCR Public Records Portal handles formal document requests for state records
• California DOJ PRA page processes state-level criminal history requests

California Law on Tulare County Releases

The Tulare County Sheriff must share arrest and booking data with the public under Government Code 7923.610. This California statute lists every piece of information that law enforcement agencies are required to make public. It includes the full name of the arrested person, their date of birth, physical description, arrest date and time, booking date, bail amount, all charges, and how and when the person was released. Tulare County cannot withhold this data unless doing so would put someone in danger or hurt an active investigation. The law took effect January 1, 2023.

When a released inmate heads to Tulare County on parole, Penal Code 3003 requires CDCR to share detailed information with local law enforcement. This includes the parolee's name, date of birth, height, weight, tattoos, scars, offenses, and the address where they plan to live. Parolees must return to the county where they lived before going to prison. That means if someone lived in Tulare County before their sentence, they come back to Tulare County when they get out. CDCR gives each released inmate $200 in release money and takes them to the nearest bus or train station if nobody picks them up.

Public records requests in Tulare County follow the California Public Records Act. Agencies have 10 calendar days to respond after receiving your request. They can extend that by 14 days in unusual cases. For state-held records, use the CDCR Public Records Portal or the DOJ PRA page.

VINE Alerts for Tulare County

VINE is the free notification system that tracks custody changes in Tulare County and across California. You can register for alerts by phone, email, or text. When someone in the Tulare County jail gets released, transferred, or has any change in status, VINE sends you a message right away. The service runs 24 hours a day and supports more than 200 languages.

Call 1-877-411-5588 to sign up by phone. TTY users can reach VINE at (866) 847-1298. You can also register online at vinelink.com. For victims and families in Tulare County, VINE is often the quickest way to learn about a released inmate without having to call the jail. It covers county jails and state prisons and lets you set up alerts for more than one person at a time.

Tulare County Released Inmate Resources

The CIRIS database from CDCR at ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov is the statewide tool for looking up released inmates who served time in California state prisons, including those committed through Tulare County courts.

The screenshot above shows the CIRIS search interface. Enter a name or CDCR number to find inmates linked to Tulare County. Results include the person's current location, admission date, commitment county, and Board of Parole Hearing outcomes. For help with CIRIS, call CDCR's Identification Unit at (916) 445-6713, available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time. This tool is separate from the Tulare County Sheriff's inmate search, which handles local jail records only.

Counties Near Tulare County

Tulare County borders several other California counties. People move between these areas, and a released inmate from one county may have records in another. Check nearby county systems to get a fuller picture.

Tulare County Cities

Tulare County does not have any cities with a population over 100,000. Visalia is the county seat and largest city, but falls below that mark. Porterville and Tulare are the other main cities in the county. All arrests in these cities are processed through the Tulare County Sheriff's jail system. For released inmate records from any Tulare County city, use the sheriff's inmate search or the statewide CIRIS tool for state prison records.