New York inmate search

Outside the city, county sheriffs operate the local jails. The Monroe County Jail is run by the Monroe County Sheriff, and the Ontario County Sheriff's Corrections bureau runs its county jail. City jails in New York City are operated by the NYC Department of Correction.

City custody rules can be checked on the Rikers Island page. That system falls under the New York City Department of Correction. It includes the Rikers Island Central Cashier, Central Visits, and the Manhattan Detention Complex. To pay bail there, you need exact U.S. cash, money orders up to $1,000 each, or a cashier's check.

There's no single statewide jail roster, so every county or city jail maintains its own custody list. If the arrest was in the city, use the NYC Department of Correction inmate search. Basic case details and the person's current facility location appear in the results. Write down the Book and Case number, or note the NYSID, since paying bail requires it and your ID.

For areas outside the city, check VINE or the county's own roster. If the arrest is recent, phone the jail instead; booking takes time.

State prisons are run by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, known as DOCCS. This lookup won't show someone who was arrested last night. DOCCS holds only those serving a state prison sentence, while local jails hold people following an arrest and through trial.

Each prisoner has an earliest release date shown in the state lookup. Before that listed date and before finishing the minimum term, a prisoner can be released under some rules. Registration for Parole Board alerts is handled by the DOCCS Office of Victim Assistance.

You can check protective orders, criminal case details, and custody status through New York VINE, a free service. After finding the person, you can register for free alerts about any change in custody.

If you need help, call the toll-free support line at 1-888-846-3469. Help by phone runs 24/7, 365 days a year. The operators can help you reach local victim services, sign up for alerts, or find someone in custody. County inmate release alerts are also free to sign up for through Sheriff Assist.

Criminal Procedure Law Section 500 requires judges to choose the least restrictive terms that will bring a person back to court. Only qualifying offenses can carry money bail. A judge has these options:

• Release on their own recognizance, where the person goes home after promising to return, with no money paid.
• Release with conditions that don't involve money.
• Being tracked through electronic monitoring.
• Remand with no bail, meaning the person stays in jail.

After a judge sets bail, your choices are cash or a bail agent regulated by New York's Department of Financial Services. Bond fees are capped by state law: the minimum is $10 from $1 to $199, and the rate is 10% from $200 to $3,000. The cap stays 10% on the first $3,000 and 8% on the remainder for $3,001 through $10,000; at $10,001 or more, 6% applies over $10,000.

Bail reform passed the state legislature in April 2019, taking effect on January 1, 2020. Lawmakers have since changed it 3 times, easing some of the limits. Cash bail is still allowed.

Another bill, the 2019 Bail Elimination Act, aimed to end money bail. Though not yet enacted, it would repeal Insurance Law Article 68 as well as Criminal Procedure Law Article 520. If someone is being held now, money bail can only be set by a judge on qualifying charges. If not, the court orders release without money bail.