Washington Inmate Records

In Washington, inmate records are maintained by different authorities, including state, local, and federal government agencies. Generally, each supervising authority of a correctional facility is responsible for keeping the records of all inmates under their jurisdiction.

Washington's incarceration rate of 174 per 100,000 residents is significantly lower than the national average of 355 per 100,000 people. An average of 11,520 persons are sentenced to correctional facilities under the jurisdiction of federal and state government agencies yearly in the state. In addition, about 13,772 inmates are held in those facilities, while the local jails house approximately 10,000 inmates within the same period.

The following are some of the details found in a typical Washington inmate record:

• Personal Information - The inmate's full name, gender, race, date of birth, and descriptors like height, marks (tattoos and scars), hair color, and eye color.
• Arrest Information - This contains details of the arrest location, arrest date, arrest time, charges filed, arrest warrant, and information about the arresting agency.
• Incarceration Details - These include the ID number assigned by the prison authority, the location of incarceration, admission date, custody status, booking date, and information about the reporting agency.
• Court Record - Details such as case number, trial information, court dates, judgment, and length of imprisonment make up the court record in a typical inmate record.
• Release Details - Information about the inmate's expected release date.

Are Inmate Records Public in Washington?

Yes. Most inmate records are considered public documents in Washington, per the state's Public Records Act (Chapter 42.56 of the Revised Code of Washington). In other words, members of the public may access most records of individuals serving time in correctional facilities in the state. However, sealed or expunged inmate records are exempt from public disclosure in Washington. Similarly, Section 42.56.475 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) exempts certain records and information created and maintained by correctional facilities from public copying and inspection. They include the following:

• Health information in records other than an inmate's medical, dental, and mental health files.
• Body scanner images.
• Reports of sexual harassment or sexual abuse.
• Risk assessments, monitoring plans, and risk indicators.
• Records of open prison rape elimination act investigations.

What Agencies Are Responsible for Inmate Records in Washington?

Government agencies charged with inmates' supervision, correctional facilities management, and inmate records maintenance in Washington include the following:

• The Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) - The Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) manages 11 state-run adult correctional facilities and supervises inmates housed in those facilities. In addition, the DOC keeps the records of all inmates under its supervision and has an established process to respond to inmate records disclosure requests,
• The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) - The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) runs the two federal prison facilities in Washington and keeps records of all inmates incarcerated in those facilities. Generally, only individuals convicted of violating federal (United States) laws in the state are housed in these federal prisons.
• County Sheriff's Offices - Each county sheriff's office in Washington's 39 counties operates its own jail facility and keeps records of those inmates. County jails primarily house offenders convicted of misdemeanors punishable by less than one year in jail, individuals awaiting trial, and offenders waiting to be transferred to DOC correctional facilities.
• Police Departments - The Washington State Patrol (WSP) keeps a criminal history database that contains arrest records, which are typically a part of inmate records. Also, the state's several city police departments (PDs) keep records of all offenders arrested within their jurisdiction and held in city jails.

How To Search for an Inmate's Information in Washington

An inmate's information in Washington State may be found by looking up such an inmate in the correctional facility where they are being incarcerated, which can either be a local jail, state-operated prison, or a federal correctional facility.

Find an inmate in Washington State Prisons

Interested persons may find certain information about any inmate held in one of the state prisons managed by the Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) through the Incarcerated Search Portal. This search tool is a database of all inmates currently incarcerated in state prisons, who may be searched by their names or DOC numbers. The result obtained from any search conducted on the Incarcerated Search Portal is typically limited to an inmate's full name, DOC number, location of incarceration, and age.

Individuals who wish to obtain a more detailed record of inmates incarcerated in Washington state prisons should visit the correctional facilities where the inmates are held or submit mail requests. Generally, the custodian of the records will require requesters to furnish them with vital information to enable them to search for sought records or information.

Find an Inmate in Local Jail

Washington's county sheriff's offices and local police departments maintain records of inmates/offenders currently held in local jails across the state. Many of these government agencies have inmate registers, rosters, or locators that enable the public to view details of inmates in their custody. In most cases, these online databases are searchable and require an inmate's name, ID number, age, and/or gender to conduct an inmate search. Others simply list all inmates currently in custody and allow users to filter by certain parameters.

Oftentimes, information obtained from local jails' inmate rosters/locators/registers is basic. Hence, it is imperative for anyone looking to obtain detailed records or information on an inmate housed in a local jail in Washington to visit the correctional facility housing them. However, they must be able to provide the custodian with information such as the inmate's name, gender, ID number, and some other important details during the visit to help facilitate the search.

Find an Inmate in Federal Prison

The BOP Inmate Locator is used to find information about inmates serving prison sentences in any of the federal prisons located in Washington. Typically, users can find basic records of individuals incarcerated in SeaTac FDC and Seattle RRM for federal offenses from 1982 to the present using their names or BOP register numbers. The search results usually include inmates' full names, age, race, register numbers, location of incarceration, sex, and release date.

How Can I Access Old Inmate Records?

Generally, government agencies in charge of correctional facilities in Washington State have records of old inmates on their files. However, the information provided online through their inmate locators/rosters/registers is largely for inmates currently incarcerated in those facilities. Hence, anyone looking to obtain records of inmates who served their prison sentences in state, local, or federal correctional facilities in Washington should visit the facility where the inmates were housed.

However, the first few places to look when finding information about old inmates in the state are the National Archives (for federal inmates) and the Washington State Archives (for individuals housed in state prisons). Similarly, reliable third-party sites, including Washingtonpublicrecords.us, provide a convenient means of looking up old inmate records in the state, although they may charge users a small fee. Typically, these sites are in the business of collecting public information, including inmate records, and collating it on their databases, where they are never erased.

Furthermore, interested persons may request old inmate records in Washington by submitting public record requests to the DOC. Such requests should include details of the records being requested, the requester's name and contact information, and the date on which the request is being made, and may be submitted online or by mail to:

Records of old/former inmates incarcerated in federal prisons operating in Washington state may also be accessed by submitting a FOIA request to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

Can I Find a Washington Inmate Record for Free?

Inmate information and records on individuals serving prison time in Washington State are available free of charge through different online databases maintained by each prison or jail authority in the state. However, only records of inmates under the jurisdiction of a particular government agency are accessible on their website. This means conducting an online search for an inmate under the supervision of the state's DOC through the BOP Inmate Locator will not yield any results, and vice versa. Only third-party sites can do that.

With credible independent sites like Washingtonpublicrecords.us, anyone may search all the correctional facilities in the state for an inmate incarcerated within the state's prison system. In other words, whether the inmate is housed in a local, state, or federal correctional facility, these sites provide centralized access to all inmate records, all in one place. However, users may have to pay a nominal fee to enjoy such public record search services.

Jails and Prisons in Washington

The prison and jail facilities in Washington State are grouped based on how they are being managed, and they include the following:

• State Prisons - The 11 state prisons in Washington State are managed by the Department of Corrections (DOC).
• Local Jails - In Washington State, local jails, which include numerous county jails and city jails, are under the supervision of county sheriff's offices and local police departments.
• Federal Prisons - The only two federal prisons in Washington are run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons

State Prisons in Washington

All Washington State prisons are listed in the table below:

Private Prisons in Washington

Washington has no private prisons.

Washington Inmate Statistics

• Washington Incarceration Rate - 174 per 100,000 residents
• Male Incarceration Rate - 325 per 100,000 males
• Female Incarceration Rate - 20 per 100,000 females
• Youth Custody Rate - 51 per 100,000 youths
• Number of Prisoners in Private Prisons - 0
• Black/White Imprisonment Disparity - 5.5:1
• Latino/White Imprisonment Disparity - 1.2:1
• Number of offenders under community supervision - 997 per 100,000 people
• Number on probation - 1,038 per 100,000 people
• Number on parole - 176 per 100,000 people
• Felony Disenfranchisement Rate - 0.3%

* Source: United States Bureau of Justice Statistics