Richmond Inmate Records

Richmond inmate population records are managed by the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office. The city sits in the western part of Contra Costa County along the San Francisco Bay shoreline. Richmond does not run its own jail. All arrests made by Richmond police end up at the county detention facility in Martinez. The Contra Costa County Sheriff handles booking, custody, and release for everyone held in the county jail system. If you need to find someone in custody from Richmond, you search through the county sheriff's tools rather than any city system. This page covers how to look up inmates connected to Richmond through both county and state resources.

Contra Costa County Jail Lookup

The Contra Costa County Sheriff runs the main jail that serves Richmond. The county detention facility is in Martinez, which is the county seat. When Richmond police arrest someone, that person gets transported to the Martinez Detention Facility for booking and processing. The county also operates the West County Detention Facility in Richmond itself, located on Civic Center Drive. This facility holds inmates closer to the western part of the county. Both jails fall under the sheriff's control and share the same inmate lookup system.

To search for a Richmond inmate, go to the Contra Costa County Sheriff inmate information page. The sheriff provides current custody data through this portal. You can search by name to see if a person is in custody at either county facility. Results show the booking date, charges, bail amount, and housing location. The system updates throughout the day as new bookings come in and inmates get released. If you know the person was arrested in Richmond, they will show up in this same county system.

Note: The West County Detention Facility in Richmond has faced capacity issues over the years. Some inmates booked in Richmond may transfer to Martinez or other county facilities quickly.

Richmond Police Arrest Records

The Richmond Police Department handles law enforcement within city limits. Officers make arrests and do the initial processing. After that, inmates go to the county jail. The Richmond PD does not maintain a public inmate search tool on its own. All custody data routes through the Contra Costa County Sheriff. You can reach the Richmond Police Department at (510) 233-1214 for general questions about recent arrests in the city. The department's main station is at 1701 Regatta Boulevard in Richmond.

Richmond sees a fair amount of arrests each year. The city's crime rate has dropped since the early 2010s, but it still runs higher than the state average in some categories. Violent crime arrests in Richmond often lead to state prison time after conviction. Property crime arrests tend to stay at the county level. For any arrest made by Richmond police, the booking record becomes public under Government Code 6254(f). This means you can find the person's name, charges, and booking details through the county sheriff.

Richmond police also work with federal agencies on some cases. The FBI and ATF have had task forces operating in the city. Federal arrests go to the federal detention system, not the county jail. If you cannot find someone through the county search, they may be in federal custody instead.

State Prison Search for Richmond

People sentenced to state prison from Richmond go into the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation system. CDCR runs 34 state prisons across California. To find someone from Richmond who went to state prison, use the CIRIS inmate locator. This is a free tool. Search by last name or CDCR number. Results show which prison the person is at, their admission date, and parole hearing information. CIRIS only covers state prison inmates. It does not show people in county jail or city police custody from Richmond.

You can access the CIRIS tool shown below to search for Richmond inmates serving state prison time.

VINELink is another option. This system covers all 58 California counties. Call 1-877-411-5588 or search online. VINE sends alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. It works for Contra Costa County jail inmates from Richmond and can help you track someone through the system. The BSCC Jail Profile Survey also tracks Contra Costa County jail population data if you need historical numbers.

Richmond Inmate Records Access

Basic inmate data for Richmond is public. Under California law, booking information falls under public records. The name, charges, bail, and booking date are all open to anyone who asks. You do not need to explain why you want the information. The Contra Costa County Sheriff posts this data through its online inmate search tool. Full criminal history records are a different matter. Penal Code 11105 restricts criminal history access to law enforcement, certain employers, and the person whose record it is. You can check your own criminal history through the California DOJ by submitting fingerprints and paying a $25 fee.

Contra Costa County handles public records requests for jail records. You can file a request with the sheriff's office for specific booking records, incident reports, or arrest logs related to Richmond. Response times vary but the county must acknowledge the request within 10 days under the California Public Records Act. Some records may be partially redacted to protect ongoing investigations or personal information that is exempt from disclosure.

• County sheriff inmate search is free and available online
• CIRIS covers state prison inmates from Richmond at no cost
• VINE provides free custody status alerts for Contra Costa County
• Criminal history requests cost $25 through the California DOJ
• Public records requests go to the Contra Costa County Sheriff

Nearby City Inmate Records

These cities are near Richmond. Some share the same Contra Costa County jail system while others fall in neighboring counties.

For full county details, see the Contra Costa County inmate population page.