Guide
Alaska Inmate Search at a Glance
Alaska runs a unified correctional system. There are no county jails: the Alaska Department of Corrections operates every pretrial facility and every prison, from the Anchorage Correctional Complex and Goose Creek Correctional Center to Spring Creek in Seward, Hiland Mountain for women, Lemon Creek in Juneau and the Fairbanks Correctional Center. That makes the search simpler than in most states, because one agency holds everyone from the night of arrest to the end of the sentence.
The Department does not run its own public inmate locator website. Custody status for Alaska is provided through VINELink, the national victim notification service, which lists people in DOC custody by name and offender ID and sends alerts on release, transfer or escape.
Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.
Guide
Alaska state inmate search
| State prison inmates | Yes, through VINELink |
|---|---|
| County jail inmates | Yes, the DOC runs all jails |
| Parole and probation | No |
| Released inmates | No |
| Photographs | No |
| Release dates | No, status only |
| Best search key | Full name |
Use VINELink and pick Alaska as the state. A search by first and last name returns the offender ID, the facility, the custody status and the date of the last status change. Registration for notifications is free and can be anonymous. For questions a search does not answer, each DOC facility lists a records phone line, and the DOC's central office in Juneau handles written requests for custody records under the Alaska Public Records Act.
Guide
Local custody and police holds in Alaska
Because the state runs the jails, the Anchorage Police Department, the Fairbanks Police Department, the Juneau Police Department and the Alaska State Troopers book arrestees straight into a DOC facility. Small communities off the road system use community jails operated by the city or borough under contract with the DOC, for example in Kotzebue, Dillingham and Unalaska, and those holds also appear in the DOC system once the person is processed. Troopers post daily dispatch summaries that name people arrested across the state.
Guide
What Alaska inmate records show, and what stays private
The Alaska Public Records Act, AS 40.25.110, treats the basic custody record as public: name, offender ID, facility, custody status and release date. The DOC does not publish booking photographs online. Medical and mental health records, classification and disciplinary files, and anything about a juvenile in the Division of Juvenile Justice are confidential. A person's full criminal history comes from the Department of Public Safety criminal records unit, which charges a fee and requires fingerprints for a certified report.
Guide
Parole, probation and release in Alaska
The Alaska Board of Parole decides discretionary parole and sets conditions for mandatory parole. The DOC Division of Probation and Parole supervises people after release from offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Palmer, Kenai and other hubs. When someone is released, the VINELink status changes to released and the court case remains searchable in CourtView with the judgment and any restitution order.
Guide
When the search shows nothing
If VINELink shows nothing for Alaska, search CourtView for a pending case, since the person may have been released on bail at arraignment. Check the federal Bureau of Prisons locator for a federal case, which is common in Alaska for fishing, drug and firearms offenses, and call the facility nearest the arrest, such as the Anchorage Correctional Complex, for a same day booking.
Straight answers
Alaska Inmate Search, questions
Does Alaska have a state inmate locator website?
No. The Alaska Department of Corrections provides custody status through VINELink instead of running its own locator. Search VINELink with Alaska selected, or call the facility.
Are there county jails in Alaska?
No. Alaska has boroughs rather than counties and no sheriffs. The Department of Corrections runs every jail and prison, plus contracted community jails in remote towns.
How do I find the charges behind an Alaska custody record?
Search the Alaska Court System's CourtView by name. It shows the case number, charges, hearing dates and the judgment for district and superior court cases statewide.
Can I get a booking photo from Alaska DOC?
The DOC does not post booking photos online. A written public records request to the DOC or the arresting agency may be granted or denied depending on the status of the case.