Delaware Jail Roster
The Delaware jail roster lists people held in state-run Delaware prisons. Delaware runs a unified jail roster system, so the state, not each Delaware county, holds inmates. That means one main inmate locator covers the Delaware jail roster for all three counties. You can search the Delaware jail roster by inmate name or by an inmate ID. Most folks start with the Delaware Department of Correction inmate search tool. It shows inmate custody status, facility, and a release date. This page walks you through each step to find an inmate on the Delaware jail roster and points you to the right state and local jail roster tools.
Delaware Jail Roster Overview
How the Delaware Jail Roster Works
Delaware does not run county jails the way most states do. The Delaware Department of Correction holds all adult inmates in state prisons and work release centers. That is a big deal for your jail roster search. You do not need to call each Delaware county. One state agency runs the Delaware jail roster, and one inmate search tool covers the whole state. The DOC watches over about 4,500 to 5,000 inmates in custody and another 13,000 on probation. The main Delaware DOC homepage links to the inmate locator, visitation rules, and mail rules for each Delaware prison and jail facility.
You can learn more about how Delaware handles inmates on the Delaware Department of Correction main website, which serves as the hub for the whole Delaware jail roster system.
The DOC site explains that release dates on the Delaware jail roster may shift. Good time credits, work release status, or holds from other states can move the date. The DOC Administration Building sits at 245 McKee Road, Dover, DE 19904. You can call (302) 739-5601 for help with a custody question. The DOC Victim Services Unit at (302) 857-5440 can walk you through inmate status notes and how the Delaware jail roster flags upcoming moves.
Delaware splits prisons into levels. Level 5 is full-time lockup. Level 4 is work release. Level 3 is daily report. Level 2 is standard probation. Level 1 is low contact. The Delaware jail roster mostly tracks Level 5 and Level 4. Probation levels do not show on the inmate search since those folks are not held.
Note: The Delaware jail roster is a state system, so you use one inmate locator to find someone held in any county facility.
Using the Delaware Inmate Locator
The Delaware DOC inmate locator is the fastest way to search the Delaware jail roster. It runs on the VINE network, which stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday. You enter an inmate name or an inmate ID, pick Delaware as the state, and the jail roster tool pulls up a match. It shows the Delaware facility name, inmate custody status, and a projected release date. The jail roster tool works on phones and desktops. It is free to use at any time of day for any inmate search.
For a quick start, use the Delaware DOC inmate locator gateway to search the full state jail roster.
The gateway page sends you to VINELink, which is the public Delaware jail roster search site. You can also sign up for inmate alerts there. When a release, a transfer, or an escape happens, the Delaware jail roster alerts system can text, email, or call you. That matters for victims and families who want to know the minute inmate custody status changes on the Delaware jail roster.
Visit VINELink to sign up for alerts tied to the Delaware jail roster.
VINELink works in English and Spanish. You do not have to share your name to set up a watch on a Delaware jail roster record. Sign-ups stay private. You can even call the Delaware VINE phone line if the website is slow.
When you search the Delaware jail roster, some fields may show as blank. That can mean a new booking that has not been indexed, a sealed juvenile record, or a federal hold. If a name gives no result, try an alias or a middle initial. Also try the inmate SBI number if you have it from an older court paper.
Delaware Jail Roster Facilities
Delaware has a handful of adult jails and prisons that feed the Delaware jail roster. Each Delaware facility holds a certain inmate group based on sex, risk level, and county of arrest. Knowing where your inmate is held on the Delaware jail roster helps you plan a visit or mail a letter to the right Delaware prison.
- Howard R. Young Correctional Institution (Wilmington) — main jail for New Castle County men
- Baylor Women's Correctional Institution (New Castle) — only all-female prison in Delaware
- James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (Smyrna) — largest Delaware prison, serves Kent County men
- Sussex Correctional Institution (Georgetown) — main jail for Sussex County men
- Kent Community Corrections Center (Dover) — work release and probation violation center
- Sussex Community Corrections Center (Georgetown) — work release for Sussex County
The Delaware jail roster pulls live data from each of these Delaware prisons. When a person moves from one prison to another, the roster reflects it. Mail and visit rules vary by site, so check the DOC facility page before you show up. Female inmates from Kent and Sussex go to Baylor in New Castle County, so do not look for women on the JTVCC or SCI jail roster.
Each Delaware facility has its own security level and inmate group. Howard R. Young (HRYCI) takes in most pretrial holds from Wilmington. James T. Vaughn (JTVCC) is the largest Delaware prison at around 2,500 men. Sussex Correctional (SCI) is a Level 5 site in Georgetown. The two community corrections centers in Dover and Georgetown move people back to work and home life near the end of their Delaware jail roster time.
Delaware State Police Jail Roster Resources
The Delaware State Police helps with arrest and booking records that feed the Delaware jail roster. The State Bureau of Identification, or SBI, is the main Delaware office that holds criminal history reports tied to inmate records. If you need a full Delaware criminal history report on an inmate, you start at SBI, not at the jail.
Visit the Delaware State Police main site to find troop pages, news releases, and SBI details.
SBI has two walk-in offices. The Sussex County office is at 546 South Bedford Street in Georgetown. You need an appointment there. Call (302) 739-2528 to set one up. The Kent County office is at 655 South Bay Road in Dover. No appointment is needed there, so walk-ins work best in Dover. State-only checks cost $52. State and federal together cost $65.
The State Police also handles FOIA requests for its own records. That includes some arrest reports that tie back to the jail roster. The form and rules live on the Delaware State Police FOIA portal.
The DSP FOIA coordinator is Angie von Bank. Her email is angie.vonbank@delaware.gov. The agency must reply within 15 business days. Be clear in your request. List the date, the troop, and the case number if you know them.
Court Case Search for the Delaware Jail Roster
A Delaware jail roster tells you where an inmate is held. A court case search tells you why. Delaware runs an online Delaware case search called CourtConnect. It covers civil, criminal, and family matters from most Delaware courts. Use it next to the Delaware jail roster to get the full picture on any inmate.
Run a case search on Delaware CourtConnect to pull charges, court dates, and case status.
CourtConnect shows case numbers, filing dates, party info, and events for each Delaware inmate case. Basic use is free. The Delaware Judicial Information Center runs the site. If you need full jail roster case papers, go to the Delaware courthouse in person. The Prothonotary's Office in each Delaware county can pull inmate case files.
Behind the scenes, all of this inmate data flows through DELJIS, which is the Delaware criminal justice data hub. The public does not log in to DELJIS, but you see its output in the Delaware jail roster and in court searches for each inmate.
The DELJIS system under Title 11, Chapter 85 of Delaware Code keeps arrest, court, and custody records.
DELJIS ties into the FBI's NCIC. That means a Delaware jail roster hit can show a hold from another state. If you see a detainer note on a roster record, DELJIS is why the hold shows up.
DELJIS also runs an Online Wanted Person Review. That page lets you see if a Delaware warrant is active for a name. It is a good quick check before you plan a court visit or a family pickup. The Delaware Criminal Justice Council helps run this side of DELJIS and sets policy for who can log in to the non-public part.
Delaware Jail Roster FOIA Requests
When the online Delaware jail roster does not show what you need, a FOIA request may fill the gap. Delaware's FOIA law lives in Title 29, Chapter 100 of the state code. It sets who can see Delaware public records, what is exempt, and what fees can cost. Inmate personnel files and ongoing Delaware investigation files are often exempt. Basic Delaware jail roster info is open to the public.
The full law is on the Delaware FOIA statutes page.
Under Section 10003, Delaware agencies must answer a jail roster records request in 15 business days. The first 20 pages of plain copies are free. After that, the cost is $0.10 per page. Staff time past one hour can be billed. Use plain words in the inmate records request. Ask for the Delaware jail roster records by date, case, or topic.
Delaware also runs one central FOIA portal where you can file a request to almost any state agency, including the Delaware DOC. This is the place to start if you want Delaware jail roster inmate records that are not live online. Inmate mail logs, phone logs, and prison visit logs often need a FOIA request to pull.
The Department of Justice explains how to appeal a denial on its FOIA information page.
If a Delaware agency says no, you can appeal to the Attorney General within 60 days. The AG must reply to Delaware state agencies in 20 days. For other public bodies, the AG replies in 10. If the AG agrees with you, the agency must release the Delaware jail roster records or inmate files.
Attorney General and the Delaware Jail Roster
The Criminal Division of the Delaware Department of Justice charges and tries adult cases. It works close to the inmate data that shows up on the Delaware jail roster. The Delaware DOJ office has units for homicide, felony trials, misdemeanors, drug cases, and special victims. It also runs the Victim and Witness Assistance Program for people tied to a Delaware jail roster case.
The office lives at 820 N. French Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. Call (302) 577-8500 for New Castle County, (302) 672-4600 for Kent County, or (302) 856-5400 for Sussex County. Learn more on the Delaware Attorney General site, which covers all three Delaware county offices tied to the state jail roster system.
The Delaware AG can also object to expungement petitions when public safety is at stake. That matters if you want an old Delaware jail roster record cleared from the inmate search.
Delaware Expungement and the Jail Roster
A Delaware jail roster record does not stay forever. Delaware law under Title 11, Chapter 43 lets some folks clear an old inmate case. The Delaware Office of Defense Services has guides on who can file and how. Delaware arrests that did not end in a guilty plea can be cleared. Most Delaware misdemeanors need a three-year wait. Delaware felonies that can be cleared need seven years to drop from the jail roster history.
Serious violent crimes and most sex crimes can not be cleared. The Delaware Office of Defense Services gives free forms and how-to pages.
Once a Delaware judge signs the order, the court tells each agency to seal the file. The inmate record drops off the public Delaware jail roster, the court search, and the SBI criminal history file.
Delaware Jail Roster Laws and Statutes
Delaware's criminal code is Title 11 of the state code. Chapter 86 sets up the Delaware DOC. Chapter 65 covers sentence length and good time credit. Chapter 43 covers expungement. These Delaware rules drive what you see on a Delaware jail roster inmate entry.
Browse the full code at the Delaware General Assembly site.
The Delaware General Assembly meets at Legislative Hall, 411 Legislative Avenue, Dover, DE 19901. Bills posted online can affect Delaware jail roster access and FOIA exemptions year by year.
Delaware Public Archives and Old Jail Roster Records
Old Delaware prison files go to the state archives. These include jail commitment slips, inmate photos, jail roster books, and pardon files. The archives hold inmate papers from colonial days to the near past.
The Delaware Public Archives is at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. North, Dover, DE 19901. Call (302) 744-5000 to plan a visit.
Some inmate papers have limits for privacy. Archives staff can tell you what jail roster records are open for research use.
Sex Offender Registry and the Jail Roster
The Delaware Sex Offender Registry is a sister tool to the Delaware jail roster. It lists people who must register with the Delaware State Police after prison. You can search the Delaware sex offender list by name, by area, or by all homeless offenders. A map view shows who lives near a set Delaware address.
Open the Delaware Sex Offender Registry to run a search.
Delaware uses three tiers for sex offender tracking. Tier 1 is low risk. Tier 2 is middle. Tier 3 is high. The law bars use of the Delaware registry to hurt or harass any inmate on it. Keep that in mind when you search the Delaware jail roster and the registry together.
Note: Use the Delaware jail roster and the sex offender registry together when you want full custody and residence data on a person.
Browse Delaware Jail Roster by County
Delaware has three counties, and each has its own local police, courts, and sheriff. All adult Delaware inmates still land in the state DOC jail roster system, but each Delaware county has its own intake flow. Pick a Delaware county below for contact info, court links, and local jail roster inmate details.
Delaware Jail Roster by City
Delaware city police make many of the arrests that feed the Delaware jail roster. Each Delaware city below has its own police records unit, and most arrestees go to the nearest state jail or prison. Pick a Delaware city to see local inmate records info and the Delaware jail facility that serves it.