Downey Inmate Records
Downey inmate population records go through the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The city has its own police force but does not run a jail. About 111,000 people live in Downey, in the southeast part of LA County. When Downey police make an arrest, the person gets transported to a Los Angeles County facility for booking. The LA County jail system is the largest in the nation, holding more than 12,000 people on any given day. To find someone arrested in Downey, you search the LA County Sheriff's Inmate Information Center. This page explains how that works and what other search options exist.
Downey Quick Facts
LA County Inmate Search for Downey
Los Angeles County runs the biggest jail system in the United States. Seven facilities spread across the county hold inmates at various custody levels. People arrested in Downey usually go to the Century Regional Detention Facility or the Inmate Reception Center in downtown LA. Which facility depends on the charges and available bed space. The system processes tens of thousands of bookings every month. Twin Towers Correctional Facility and Men's Central Jail are two other major locations where Downey inmates may be housed.
The LA County Sheriff runs an online tool called the Inmate Information Center. Go to app5.lasd.org/iic and type a name to search. Results show booking number, charges, bail amount, next court date, and facility location. The system covers every LA County jail. If someone was arrested in Downey and booked into county custody, they show up here. Searches are free. The tool updates throughout the day, though a brand-new booking may take several hours to appear.
The LA County Sheriff Inmate Information Center is shown below. Use this tool when searching for Downey inmates.
For phone inquiries, call the LA County Sheriff custody division at (213) 473-6100. Staff can look up inmates by name or booking number. Lines get busy, so the online search is usually faster for basic custody checks on Downey inmates.
Downey Police Department
The Downey Police Department handles law enforcement for the city. Officers make arrests and transport people to county facilities. There is no city jail in Downey. The police station is at 10911 Brookshire Avenue. If you need an arrest report or police incident record from a Downey case, contact the records bureau at (562) 904-2342. Reports are available for a small copy fee.
Downey PD is one of the independent police departments in LA County. Many cities in the county contract with the sheriff for police services, but Downey runs its own force. This does not change how jail works though. All inmates from Downey still go to LA County facilities. The police department only handles the arrest and initial paperwork. Once a person is in county custody, the sheriff takes over all booking and housing decisions. Downey police officers patrol the city but have no role in managing inmates after the hand-off to the county system.
The department runs a jail information line at the front desk. Call (562) 904-2308 to ask where a recently arrested person might have been taken. Staff can usually tell you which county facility received the person from Downey.
Note: Downey police handle the arrest, but LA County Sheriff manages all jail custody from booking onward.
Statewide Inmate Search Tools
If you cannot find someone through the LA County system, try VINELink. It searches across all California counties. Enter a name and see if the person is in custody anywhere in the state. VINE also lets you set up alerts. When an inmate's status changes, you get a call or email. This is helpful when someone from Downey might have been moved to another county or released. Call 1-877-411-5588 for VINE by phone.
For people serving time in state prison, use the CIRIS inmate locator from CDCR. This covers all 34 California state prisons. Search by name or CDCR number. If someone from Downey was sentenced and sent to state prison, they show up in CIRIS with Los Angeles as the commitment county. The tool is free and open to anyone. It shows prison location, admission date, and parole hearing schedule.
CIRIS does not include county jail inmates. The LA County Inmate Information Center does not include state prison inmates. These are separate systems. Make sure you search the right one based on where the Downey inmate is likely held. The BSCC Jail Profile Survey tracks monthly jail population numbers for LA County and every other California county. It is useful for studying jail population trends across the Downey area over time.
Downey Inmate Records Access
California law makes certain arrest data public. Government Code 6254(f) requires law enforcement agencies to release booking information to anyone who asks. This covers names, charges, bail, and booking details for people arrested in Downey. The LA County Sheriff posts this on the Inmate Information Center because the law requires it.
Criminal history records are restricted though. Penal Code 11105 limits access to full criminal backgrounds. The California DOJ holds these records and only releases them to authorized people. You can check your own record by going to a Live Scan site in the Downey area and paying the $25 DOJ fee. Results come back in a few days to two weeks. The DOJ Record Review page has more information on the process.
- LA County Inmate Information Center is free at app5.lasd.org/iic
- Downey PD records bureau: (562) 904-2342
- VINE statewide search is free across California
- CIRIS covers all California state prison inmates
- Personal criminal history costs $25 through the DOJ
Current jail data is a snapshot. It shows who is in custody right now. Past bookings that have cleared may not appear. For older Downey arrest records, contact the police department or the LA County Sheriff records division directly.
Nearby Cities
These cities are close to Downey and use the same LA County Sheriff jail system for inmate custody.
Los Angeles County Inmate Records
Downey is in Los Angeles County. See the full county page for details on all jail facilities and the sheriff's inmate search system.