Riverside County Inmate Population

Riverside County inmate population records are managed by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. The sheriff runs five jail facilities spread across this large Southern California county. Riverside County uses a system called JIMS for public inmate searches. You can look up anyone currently in custody by name or booking number. Charges, bail, court dates, and housing details are all available online at no cost. The county holds roughly 3,500 inmates on any given day across all facilities. For phone inquiries, call (951) 955-4500. Booking data is public under California law, so anyone can access these Riverside County inmate population records.

Riverside County JIMS Inmate Search

The Riverside County Sheriff uses JIMS for its public inmate search. JIMS stands for Jail Information Management System. You access it through the sheriff's website. The search form takes a last name and optional first name. Results display the person's full name, charges, bail amount, booking date, and which facility they are housed in. JIMS covers all five Riverside County jail facilities in a single search. You do not need to know which facility holds the person.

The system updates throughout the day. New bookings appear after processing is done, which can take a few hours. Released inmates stay in the system for a short time after they leave custody, but the status changes to show they are no longer in Riverside County jail. Searches are free. No registration needed. The JIMS portal is a public tool under California disclosure rules.

If you know the booking number, use that instead of a name search. It goes straight to the right record. Booking numbers in Riverside County are assigned at intake and stay with the person for that particular stay in custody. For repeat bookings, each stay gets a new number.

Note: JIMS only shows Riverside County jail inmates. It does not cover state prison or federal custody.

Riverside County Jail Facilities

Riverside County runs five jail facilities. The Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside is the main booking facility and courthouse jail. It sits at 4000 Orange Street. The Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning is the largest, holding over 1,500 inmates. The Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta serves the southern part of the county. The Indio Jail and the Blythe Jail cover the eastern desert areas. This spread of facilities reflects how large Riverside County is. It stretches from the suburbs east of Los Angeles all the way to the Arizona border.

The total rated capacity across all Riverside County facilities is about 4,000 beds. Some facilities run close to capacity. The BSCC Jail Profile Survey tracks monthly population data for Riverside County. You can see trends in average daily population, booking counts, and capacity over time. Riverside County has grown fast in recent decades, and its jail system has had to keep pace with a rising inmate population.

Finding Inmates in Riverside County

JIMS is the primary tool. Go to the search page and enter a name. If that does not work, try VINELink. VINE covers all California counties at once. It lets you search for anyone in jail across the state without needing to pick a specific county. Call 1-877-411-5588 to use VINE by phone. You can register for alerts through VINE. When an inmate's custody status changes in Riverside County, VINE sends a notification to you by call, text, or email.

State prison inmates from Riverside County are in a different system. Use the CIRIS inmate locator for anyone sentenced to California state prison. CIRIS covers all 34 state prisons. Once someone leaves Riverside County jail for state prison, the JIMS tool no longer tracks them. You need CIRIS from that point. The search is free and shows the inmate's current prison, admission date, and parole information.

The Riverside County Sheriff also handles phone inquiries at (951) 955-4500. Staff can check custody status during regular hours. For after-hours questions, call the main jail booking line.

Riverside County Records and the Law

Booking information in Riverside County is public record. Government Code 6254(f) makes law enforcement agencies share arrest and booking data with the public in California. The Riverside County Sheriff follows this by posting inmate data through JIMS. Names, charges, bail, booking dates, and facility locations are all part of what the public can see. You do not need to explain why you want the information.

Full criminal history records are restricted under Penal Code 11105. The California DOJ controls access to those files. You cannot get a complete criminal background through the Riverside County Sheriff or any local office. Only authorized agencies, qualified employers, and the individual can view full criminal history. For your own record, submit fingerprints at a Live Scan site in Riverside County and pay the $25 fee. There are sites in Riverside, Temecula, Palm Desert, and other cities across the county. Riverside County inmate population records show current custody status only. They are not a substitute for a full background check.

JIMS Booking Search Portal

The screenshot below shows the Riverside County JIMS search portal where you look up inmates.

The JIMS page has a straightforward search form. Enter a last name, click search, and results come up with the inmate's charges and status. The portal works on phones and computers. Riverside County keeps this tool available around the clock.

Cities in Riverside County

Riverside County has several large cities. Each relies on the county sheriff for jail and custody services. Pick a city below for local inmate population details.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Riverside and run separate jail systems with their own inmate search tools.