Massachusetts inmate search

The local jails and houses of correction are run by county sheriffs. Still, standards for inmate care, custody, and discipline are set by the Massachusetts Department of Correction through the 103 CMR 900 regulations.

Every sheriff is in charge of their facilities and custody records. Running Norfolk County Jail falls to the Norfolk County Sheriff's Office. Sentenced inmates and pre-trial detainees are held there. It also links to a Quincy office kiosk and the Braintree Public Safety Complex.

Operating the Worcester County Jail & House of Correction is the job of the Worcester County Sheriff's Office. A Modular Complex is part of this property. People with terms no longer than 2.5 years stay here, as do pre-trial detainees.

The statewide VINE lookup includes only the state Department of Correction. So, after a local arrest, check the county roster or the jail itself. Custody records are managed by each county sheriff on their own.

After a central Massachusetts arrest, you can search the online roster for Worcester County Jail & House of Correction. That facility houses inmates whose terms are no more than 2.5 years, plus pre-trial detainees. The sheriff's office in Norfolk County operates the local jail and house of correction, plus a Quincy office kiosk. Phone the jail directly for a very recent booking, since the jail booking process takes time and new arrests appear later.

Operating the state prison system is the job of the Massachusetts Department of Correction, or MADOC. People serving sentences after a court conviction are held in a state prison. It does not hold people just arrested, nor people in a county jail awaiting a local court date.

There's no separate web search tool run by MADOC. To find someone in a MADOC prison facility, you go through the national VINELink website or phone number instead. A family member just arrested by police won't show up in these results. You'd only look at MADOC records when the person is in a state prison.

Massachusetts VINE lets you find a state prisoner and register to get custody alerts. Within this system, Massachusetts has just one participant: the Department of Correction. People held in county jails don't appear there. The service tracks state prisoners, but the Department of Correction doesn't run it.

You can search online, or use the toll-free support phone lines 24 hours a day and 7 days each week, 365 days a year. Callers can dial 1-877-421-8463 or 866-277-7477 for help. The people who answer can help you find an offender, sign up for notifications, or connect with victim services near you.

Massachusetts doesn't have commercial bail bondsmen. Hiring a bond company isn't allowed under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 276, Section 58. Before release, a surety or the arrested person must pay the full bail amount in cash once a court or bail magistrate sets it. A family member or friend becomes the surety by bringing cash to the jail.

State rules on setting bail give a court or magistrate 6 options for release:

• A personal recognizance release, meaning you sign a promise to come back to court and pay no money
• Full payment of cash bail
• An appearance bond that's unsecured
• Conditional release
• Pretrial services program
• A program in community corrections

Cash is paid in the Main Jail Lobby in West Boylston at the Worcester County facility, or a pre-trial inmate's jail account can cover the full amount. A bail commissioner at the Norfolk County Jail charges $40. Cash is taken weekdays from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m., or weekends from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.