Guide
Virginia Inmate Search at a Glance
Virginia holds state prisoners under the Virginia Department of Corrections at Red Onion and Wallens Ridge in the far southwest, Sussex I and II in Waverly, Greensville in Jarratt, Buckingham, Augusta, Keen Mountain, River North, Nottoway, Lunenburg, Deerfield and the Fluvanna and Virginia Correctional Center for Women, among others. Local and regional jails hold pretrial detainees, misdemeanor sentences and thousands of state responsible inmates waiting for a prison bed; many Virginia localities share a regional jail authority rather than running their own.
The VADOC Offender Locator is the state lookup. It covers people in state custody, keyed to the offender number or the name.
Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.
Guide
Virginia state prison inmate search
| State prison inmates | Yes, VADOC Offender Locator |
|---|---|
| County jail inmates | No, local and regional jail searches |
| Parole and probation | No, Community Corrections supervises |
| Released inmates | No |
| Photographs | No |
| Release dates | Yes, projected release |
| Best search key | Offender number |
The Virginia Offender Locator returns the offender number, name, the facility or, for state responsible inmates still in a local jail, the name of that jail, the custody status and the projected release date. It does not list the offenses; those come from the court. People on probation or parole are supervised by the Department's Community Corrections division but are not shown in the locator.
- VADOC Offender LocatorSearch Virginia state prison inmates by offender number or name
- Virginia Department of CorrectionsFacilities, visiting, mail, phone and money deposits
- Virginia Parole BoardParole for pre 1995 sentences, geriatric release and decisions
- VINELink VirginiaCustody alerts for Virginia local and regional jails and state prisons
Guide
Local and regional jails in Virginia
The Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, the Virginia Beach Sheriff's jail, the Richmond City Justice Center, the Norfolk City Jail, the Chesterfield County Jail, the Henrico County jails and the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center post inmate searches with charges and bond. Regional jail authorities such as Prince William-Manassas, Riverside Regional in Prince George County, Hampton Roads Regional in Portsmouth, Western Virginia Regional in Salem and Rappahannock Regional in Stafford hold prisoners for several localities each. City and county police book into the jail that serves their locality, and the Virginia State Police book into the local jail of the arrest.
Guide
What Virginia inmate records show, and what stays private
The Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Va. Code section 2.2-3700 and following, makes the basic custody record public, and the locator posts the facility, status and projected release date without photographs or offenses. Sheriffs release booking information, and most post booking photos. Medical and mental health records, the pre-sentence report, classification and disciplinary files and Parole Board case files are exempt. Criminal history from the Virginia State Police goes to the subject and to employers with consent; the public uses the Virginia Judiciary's online case information system, which is free and covers circuit and general district courts.
Guide
Parole, probation and release in Virginia
Virginia abolished parole for felonies committed after 1994, so most prisoners serve at least 85 percent of the sentence with earned sentence credits and then finish on post release supervision. The Virginia Parole Board still hears people sentenced before 1995 and decides geriatric and conditional releases. Probation and parole officers of the Department's Community Corrections division supervise releases and felony probationers from district offices statewide. The judgment sits with the clerk of the circuit court of the city or county of conviction.
Guide
When the search shows nothing
If the VADOC locator returns nothing, check the local or regional jail search for the place of arrest, starting with Fairfax County, Virginia Beach, Richmond City, Norfolk, Chesterfield or Henrico, since pending cases and sentences of up to a year stay in the jail and state responsible inmates wait there for transfer. Check the Virginia Judiciary's online case information for the case, the federal Bureau of Prisons locator for a federal case, including the federal prison in Petersburg, and VINELink for a recent release.
Straight answers
Virginia Inmate Search, questions
Does the Virginia offender locator show the crime?
No. It shows the offender number, facility, status and projected release date. The charges and sentence are in the Virginia Judiciary's free online case information system.
Why is a Virginia state inmate listed at a local jail?
State responsible inmates often wait in a local or regional jail for a prison bed. The locator shows the jail as the location until the transfer.
Does Virginia have parole?
Only for felonies committed before 1995 and for geriatric release. Newer sentences are served at 85 percent or more with earned credits, followed by post release supervision.
Where is someone arrested in Virginia Beach held?
At the Virginia Beach Correctional Center, run by the Virginia Beach Sheriff. The sheriff posts an inmate search with charges and bond.