West Virginia Inmate Search

You should know a few things when your friend or family is arrested in West Virginia. For example, they may remain behind bars for several reasons under state laws, the most common being sentencing or denial of bail. A person may also stay in jail or prison after being granted bail but fails to post the bail amount. 

Whichever the case, the Freedom of Information Act gives you a chance to easily learn the whereabouts of your loved one. West Virginia complies with this statute by providing the search options below.

State and County Inmate Search 

The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation is responsible for running and managing the affairs of state and county inmates. These offenders serve time for felony and misdemeanor offenses whose sentences range from a few months to life imprisonment.

The agency runs an online website containing information on currently incarcerated individuals. Follow this link to access the website and choose one of the following search options:

• Daily Incarcerations
• Offender Search (Jails)
• Offender Search (Prisons)
• Escapees and Absconders

The Daily Incarcerations option allows you to access information on inmates based on daily incarcerations. Follow this link and choose the county of interest, and the search engine will provide the following offender information:

• Name
• Date of Birth
• Charges
• Case Number
• Status

Offender Search (Jails)

The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation also runs the jails at the local level. You only have to select the preferred search option between the Last Name and the First Name. The Last Name category is mandatory, and you can provide the name in full or partially.

Offender Search (Prisons)

Unlike the above options, which only allow you to search by first and last names, this category has a third search category: the Offender ID Number.

Notably, the Offender ID Number option is the most accurate as each number is unique to each inmate. However, if you don’t know the number, the name option can be as precise as long as you use both names in conjunction.

Escapees and Absconders 

Some offenders escape custody or disobey their court appointments and go into hiding. In such a case, the DOCR maintains a database of these inmates, which you can access here.

The authorities suggest that these individuals may be armed and dangerous. So, if you know about their whereabouts, call 911 immediately.

Sex Offender Search

West Virginia also has a Sex Offender Registry, which contains information on all registered sex offenders in the state. The West Virginia State Police runs and maintains this website, which has the following offender search options:

• Basic
• Advanced
• Internet
• Neighborhood

The Basic search has further subcategories where you can provide the following details:

• Last Name
• Street Name
• County
• City

The difference between the Basic and the Advanced Search options is that with the basic, you can only search for each subcategory at a time. However, the Advanced Option allows you to use them in conjunction, giving more accurate results. The latter also allows you to limit results based on the following:

• Wanted Sex Offenders Only
• Sexually Violent Predators Only

For the Internet Search Option, you only have to provide the sex offender’s email or username.

Lastly, the Neighborhood Search allows you to learn about sex offenders in a specific location. For instance, you can narrow the search results to a particular city, zip code, and radius (1-25 miles). The search engine will list data on all registrants in the specific area.