West Virginia inmate search

In West Virginia, regional facilities handle local jail custody. Managing these jails and tracking daily incarcerations is the job of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Local sheriff offices don't keep the roster, since the state runs the buildings.

Raleigh County's Beaver community is home to the Southern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility, as one example. Serving 7 counties, this facility is operated by the state corrections division. It's not run by the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. Calling the sheriff's main line at 304-255-9300 won't connect you to a jail booking desk. For anyone arrested in those counties, you'll turn to the state's regional jail system.

Regional jails in West Virginia share 1 statewide roster. Checking separate county websites isn't necessary. Someone may be housed in the Southern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility, or in another regional facility. Either way, the West Virginia Regional Jail Offender Search is the tool you'll need.

To begin, enter at least 3 letters from the start of the person's last name. This is useful if you're unsure of the full name's spelling. Daily incarcerations for the regional jails also appear on the state portal. When an arrest is brand new, call the jail, because a fresh jail booking won't appear online right away.

In West Virginia, the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or WVDCR, oversees state prisons and parole. This agency manages the regional jails too, but prison inmates are tracked in a separate online database.

Prison records are searchable through the WVDCR Prison Offender Search. It only lists people under active WVDCR supervision, on parole, or in state prison. Someone arrested last night who's still waiting for court in a regional jail won't appear there. If your family member hasn't received a state prison sentence yet, keep using the regional jail roster.

Another way to follow a person's custody status is West Virginia VINE. This service was launched by the state in December 2002. It now operates out of the WVDCR Victim Services office.

The system is open to anyone checking on an inmate in the corrections division's custody. Another option is signing up for free automatic alerts, which saves you from checking the roster again and again. If you register online, you can get notifications by email. If you prefer to use the phone, call 1-866-WV4-VINE, which is 1-866-984-8463, to check custody status or sign up for automatic updates.

A judicial officer can allow release in several ways under West Virginia Code §62-1C-1a, §62-1C-1, §62-1C-2, and §62-11B-1:

• Own recognizance release for misdemeanors
• Home incarceration or custody with a designated person
• An agreement to forfeit property, or an unsecured bond
• A cash bond limited to 3 times the maximum fine on a misdemeanor
• A surety bond from solvent sureties, such as a bail bondsman

With a bail bond, money backs the promise that the person will come back to court. Article 10 and West Virginia Code §51-10-5a regulate professional bail bondsmen. Hiring a bondsman means paying the bail agent a bonding fee, known as a premium. The fee must equal at least 10% of the bond, and it can't be more than the full bond amount. You may pay everything when it's issued, or give at least 3% up front and take no longer than 12 months for the rest.