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How Are Inmate Records in Washington Created and Stored?

Inmate records in Washington state are created when someone is first arrested. Then every event that takes place in the inmate’s life is recorded, and the file is updated to provide a complete picture. The arresting officer fills out a RAP sheet containing basic demographic information like name, address, and phone number and then details about the crime. Once the inmate is sentenced to prison, the Washington State Department of Corrections takes over and stores, updates and maintains all inmate records. They have an inmate locator feature on their website, and they keep all inmate records in a consolidated database online that is searchable so the public can run an inmate search at any time 24/7.

How to Find if Someone is in Jail or Prison in Washington?

Washington state makes it very easy to find someone in jail or prison. The processes are different for each type of facility, however. The Washington State Department of Corrections has an inmate locator on their website, making it easy to locate a state prison inmate within seconds. Follow the instructions below to look up someone who is in a Washington state prison:

  1. Visit the Washington State Department of Corrections website .
  2. Scroll down to the footer section and click the link that says, “Inmate Search.”
  3. Read the disclaimer and agree by clicking the green “Inmate Search” button.
  4. The search form is simple, and you can enter either the DOC# or the person’s last name.
  5. Click the “Submit” button.
  6. Review the results which show up in the list below the form with each inmate’s DOC#, name, and location.
  7. There are links for victims to be notified of a change in status for each inmate, or you can click the link for the facility to learn more about where they are held.

Anyone wishing to find out more about someone’s criminal past, review convictions, arrest reports, warrants, inmate records, or other public records may also use the Infotracer tool to search and get results quickly.

What Does Washington’s Prison System Look Like?

The Washington state prison system is pretty straightforward, with a few different types of facilities. There are state and federal prisons, juvenile detention and also dozens of local jails. Each type of facility has a specific purpose. All the state-run facilities are overseen and managed by the Washington State Department of Corrections. The Washington prison system consists of:

  • 12 State Prisons
  • 2 Federal Prisons
  • 3 Secure Juvenile Detention Facilities and Eight Community Juvenile Detention Facilities
  • Dozens of Local Jails Throughout the State

Did you Know?

  • Every year, about 8,774 people walk out of prison gates in Washington, but people go to jail 1.0 times more each year
  • 91% of prison inmates in Washington are male, 9% female.
  • From 1979–80 to 2012–13, state and local government expenditures on corrections in Washington increased by 283 percent (from $392,405,941 to $1,500,971,000).
  • As of 2016, there were 1,658 women in Washington federal prisons.
  • Between 2007 and 2016, the Washington prison population increased by 7%

Types of Jails/Prisons in Washington

Washington state has twelve state prisons that hold felons who broke state laws. Each facility has a specific purpose and range in custody levels from minimum-security to maximum-security. Two of them are specifically designed for women. All state-run prison facilities are overseen by the Washington State Department of Corrections and Secretary, Stephen Sinclair. The juvenile detention facilities house youth offenders and are managed by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and the Office of Juvenile Rehabilitation. Federal prisons are managed and operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and local jails are run by the local police stations.

How Many People are Locked up in Washington?

Washington’s prison system holds 19,104 residents in various kinds of correctional facilities, from which 18,915 residents are held in state prisons, 11 in federal prisons, and 178 in local jails.

Correctional Facilities: Totals:
Federal Prisons11
State Prisons18,915
Local Jails178

Washington State Prisons

The state of Washington has twelve state prisons. Each one houses a different demographic. Two are designed specifically for women. Each has different custody levels, and all of them are overseen and managed by the State Department of Corrections and Secretary, Stephen Sinclair. The list of state prisons in Washington are:

  • Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC).
  • Cedar Creek Corrections Center (CCCC).
  • Clallam Bay Corrections Center (CBCC).
  • Coyote Ridge Corrections Center (CRCC).
  • Larch Corrections Center (LCC).
  • Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW).
  • Monroe Correctional Complex (MCC).
  • Olympic Corrections Center (OCC).
  • Stafford Creek Corrections Center (SCCC).
  • Washington Corrections Center (WCC).
  • Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW).
  • Washington State Penitentiary (WSP).

How to Search for State Prison Inmates

The process of finding someone located in a Washington state prison is very easy. The Washington State Department of Corrections hosts the entire database of inmate records online and makes them searchable for the public. Follow these instructions to lookup an inmate in a Washington state prison:

  1. Visit the Washington State Department of Corrections website .
  2. Scroll down to the footer section and click the link that says “Inmate Search.”
  3. Read the disclaimer and agree by clicking the green “Inmate Search” button.
  4. The search form is simple, and you can enter either the DOC# or the person’s last name.
  5. Click the “Submit” button.
  6. Review the results which show up in a list below the form with each inmate’s DOC#, name, and location.
  7. There are links for victims to be notified of a change in status for each inmate, or you can click the link for the facility to learn more about where they are held.

Washington Federal Prisons

The federal government maintains two federal prisons in Washington state. These facilities hold federal prisoners who have broken federal laws within state boundaries. All federal prisons are owned and operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FOB). The list of federal prison facilities in Washington are:

  • SeaTac FDC - An administrative security federal detention center holding 666 male and female offenders.
  • Seattle RRM - residential reentry management field office.

Washington's Federal Prison Population During 2011-2016 years

201120122013201420152016
Total10888811
Male9777711
Female111110

How to Search for Federal Prison Inmates in Washington

The process for finding someone in a federal prison in Washington is different than finding a state prison inmate. This is because all federal prisons are run and managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons . They do have a helpful website with an inmate locator feature on it. They also have one page per facility with details about the inmate population, how to visit, send gifts, or contact someone there by phone.

Washington County Jails

Washington state has 39 counties and within each, dozens of local police jails. Each jail is operated and managed entirely by local law enforcement. The list of jails throughout the state totals hundreds. Although there is no master list online to pull from, a quick online search will yield results for many of the local county jails where recently arrested suspects and pretrial detainees are held.

Washington's County and Local Jail Prison Population During 2011-2016 years

201120122013201420152016
Total386279163167158178
Male353229144149149166
Female33501918912

How to Perform a Washington Jail Inmate Search

Searching for an inmate in a local county jail in Washington is a bit more difficult than finding someone in state prison. Each local law enforcement office keeps records of their own jail inmates. Therefore, anyone wanting to find a specific inmate must contact the local police station or county authorities to inquire. Some of the local counties or police have their own websites where you can search for an inmate and some display lists of current jail inmates.

Washington Juvenile Detention Centers

The state of Washington has eleven total juvenile detention centers that make up the juvenile justice program. Some of these are secure residential facilities, and some are community-based facilities. The entire program is overseen and managed by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Office of Juvenile Rehabilitation. These programs and facilities serve high-risk youth offenders. The juvenile detention centers in Washington include:

Secure Residential Facilities

  • Echo Glen Children’s Center.
  • Green Hill School.
  • Naselle Youth Camp.

Community Facilities

  • Canyon View Community Facility.
  • Oakridge Community Facility.
  • Parke Creek Community Facility.
  • Ridgeview Community Facility.
  • Sunrise Community Facility.
  • Touchstone Community Facility.
  • Twin Rivers Community Facility.
  • Woodinville Community Facility in Kirkland.

Juvenile Population in Custody During 2011-2016 years

201120122013201420152016
Total12424100
Male12423100
Female001000

How to Search for Inmates in Juvenile Detention Center Inmates

Juvenile records across the county are sealed and protected until the inmate turns 18. Then the offender has the right to request permanent removal or expungement of their juvenile records. Therefore, searching online for an inmate in a juvenile detention facility in Washington won’t be possible. Instead, simply contact the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Office of Juvenile Rehabilitation or the facility itself to inquire.

Why are People Incarcerated in Washington?

Roughly, 37,000 people are incarcerated in the state of Washington. Of that total, more than half (20,000) are in state prison, about 12,000 are in local jails, 3,000 are in federal facilities, 920 are in juvenile detention, 380 reside in Indian Country facilities, and about 630 are in mental institutions receiving treatment. The most popular reason that someone is in prison in Washington is assault. The next top reason is sex crimes (28%), then property crimes (16.8%) and then murder (13.1%).

Washington’s Incarceration Rate and Statistics

Washington’s incarceration rate for year-end 2016 under state prison or local jail jurisdiction per 100,000 population was 259, which is lower than an average incarceration rate by 42%. The number of Washington prisoners at the year-end of 2016 was 19,104, from which 9% were female prisoners, whereas the number of male prisoners was 17,446 in 2016.

2011201220132014201520162017
Total2600256254252259262
Male4800471468464473477
Female4004141404546

Where Do Washington Inmates Go When They are Released?

Washington has a lot of facilities where inmates are held; however, none of them are specifically for transitioning back into society. The state does have progressive reentry programs but no facilities to support them. Therefore, inmates released from Washington prisons will simply return home to family and friends.

How Does Parole Work in Washington?

Parole is a privilege given to inmates who have served a portion of their sentence when the parole board feels they are no longer a danger to society. These parolees may be released with a set of terms like checking in with a parole officer once a week. If they violate any of the terms of their parole, they will return to prison for the remainder of his or her sentence.

Parole Population

Type of Parole Entry: Number of Parolees:
State Parole Population: 11,322
Entries: 5,782
Exits: 5,591
Change in 2016: 1%

How Does Someone Get Probation in Washington?

Some Washington judges may order probation rather than prison when the offender is low-risk. Probation is a supervisory program where the probationer must be monitored and reviewed periodically. The offender must follow a set of court-ordered rules, or they will go to prison.

Probation Statistics

Type of Parole Entry: Number of Parolees:
State Probation Population: 89,317
Entries: 37,969
Exits: 37,108
Change in 2016: -4%

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Washington Department of Corrections

Additional Resources

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