Access Longview Inmate Population Records
Longview inmate population records are managed by the Cowlitz County Jail, which maintains an active public online roster showing everyone currently in custody. The Cowlitz County Jail serves Longview, Kelso, and the rest of the county. The online roster includes names, booking timestamps, housing locations, bond totals, arresting agencies, and visitation times specific to each inmate's unit. This page explains how to use the roster, what information it contains, and what other resources are available for Longview arrest and custody records.
Longview Jail Overview
Where Longview Arrests Are Processed
Cowlitz County Jail operates from two locations. One is at 1935 First Avenue, Longview, WA 98633, directly within the city. The other is at 312 SW 1st Ave, Kelso, WA 98626, in the county seat just a few miles away. The jail phone number is 360-577-3094. Jail Director Martin Fox oversees operations. The average daily population runs around 254 inmates, covering people held across the full county.
When Longview Police make an arrest, the person is transported to one of these Cowlitz County Jail locations for booking. Longview Police are at 1350 Commerce Avenue, Longview, WA 98632, with a non-emergency number of 360-577-3092. Because one jail location sits in Longview itself, the booking process for Longview arrests is often handled close to where the arrest occurred. The online roster shows which location each inmate is assigned to.
| Jail Location 1 | 1935 First Avenue, Longview, WA 98633 |
|---|---|
| Jail Location 2 | 312 SW 1st Ave, Kelso, WA 98626 |
| Jail Phone | 360-577-3094 |
| Jail Director | Martin Fox |
| Longview Police | 1350 Commerce Avenue, Longview, WA 98632 |
| Police Non-Emergency | 360-577-3092 |
The Cowlitz County Jail holds a mix of pre-trial detainees and people serving short sentences. Given the facility's average daily population of about 254, it is a mid-sized county jail relative to other Washington counties. The two-location setup gives the county flexibility to manage its inmate population across the Longview-Kelso corridor. Both locations feed into the same online roster system.
How to Search the Longview Inmate Roster
The Cowlitz County Jail maintains a detailed public online roster at apps.co.cowlitz.wa.us. The roster is one of the more information-rich county jail rosters in Washington. Each entry shows the inmate's name, their booking timestamp, current housing location, a link to victim notification information, total bond amount, and the arresting agency. The roster also includes visitation schedules specific to each inmate's housing unit, which is helpful for planning visits.
The screenshot below shows the Cowlitz County Jail roster, where Longview inmate population records appear in real time after booking at either of the two county jail locations.
The level of detail in the Cowlitz County roster is more than most county jails provide. The visitation time feature, in particular, is useful because it shows visitation windows tied to the specific housing unit where an inmate is assigned. That saves time compared to calling the jail to ask about schedules.
The screenshot below is from the Cowlitz County Jail Division page, which provides background on the facility and links to additional jail resources for the Longview area.
The roster also includes an export option, which may be useful if you need to review or save a snapshot of the current population list for reference. The export function is available directly on the roster page.
Virtual visits are available for Cowlitz County inmates. On-site video visits cost $8.99 and are scheduled through icsolutions.com, with at least 12 hours of advance notice required. This is the same system used by many Washington county jails for video visitation.
Note: The online roster shows current in-custody individuals only. If someone was booked and released, they will not appear in the live roster. For past booking records, submit a public records request to Cowlitz County Corrections or Longview Police.
Public Records Rights for Longview Inmate Population
Washington's Public Records Act, RCW 42.56, gives the public the right to request government records without explaining why. Jail logs, booking records, and inmate rosters are covered. Agencies must respond within five business days by providing records, giving a timeline, or asking for clarification about the request scope.
Under RCW 70.48.100, county jails must keep a public register of every person confined. That register must show the person's name, the date and time of confinement, and the manner of release. The Cowlitz County online roster satisfies this requirement and is publicly accessible at no cost.
To request archived records, contact the Cowlitz County Jail at 360-577-3094. For records about Longview Police arrests specifically, contact the Longview Police Department at 1350 Commerce Avenue, Longview, WA 98632, non-emergency 360-577-3092. Written requests are the standard format for anything not available through the live online roster.
VINE Notifications for Longview Inmates
VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) provides free, anonymous custody tracking for Cowlitz County Jail and Washington State DOC facilities. If you need alerts when a Longview inmate is released, transferred, or has a scheduled court event, register at VINELink.com. You can choose phone, text, or email notifications. Registration does not require sharing your name with the jail.
VINE updates roughly every 15 minutes for jail events. The service is useful for family members, victims, and others who need to monitor custody status over time. The Cowlitz County Jail roster also includes a victim notification link for each inmate record, which may connect directly to the VINE registration process. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs manages VINE statewide across all participating facilities.
Court Records for Longview Cases
A jail booking record is not a court record. The jail record shows what happened at the time of arrest. The court record shows what happened during legal proceedings afterward. To look up court case records for Longview arrests, use the free public case search at courts.wa.gov. This portal covers all Washington courts by name or case number.
Felony cases from Longview are heard at Cowlitz County Superior Court. Misdemeanor cases go to Longview Municipal Court or Cowlitz County District Court, depending on the charge and which agency made the arrest. All are searchable at courts.wa.gov. Court records include charges, hearing dates, and final case outcomes including whether a conviction resulted.
If a Longview case involved both city and county charges, records may appear under multiple courts. Searching by the person's name in courts.wa.gov will return all matching cases statewide, which helps if you are not sure which court handled a specific matter.
State Resources for Longview Inmate Searches
Longview residents convicted of felonies with sentences over one year will serve their time at a Washington State DOC facility rather than the county jail. Search the Washington DOC incarcerated person lookup by name or DOC number to find current facility assignment and release date. Cowlitz County is in southwest Washington, so DOC placements may vary based on classification and available space at state facilities.
The Washington State Patrol WATCH system at watch.wsp.wa.gov provides fingerprint-based statewide criminal history searches for $11. WATCH covers conviction records and recent arrests still in the court process. For a thorough, verified background check on a Longview individual, WATCH is the most reliable public resource available in Washington.
The statutes covering public access to jail and arrest records in Washington are RCW 42.56 and RCW 70.48.100, both available at the Washington State Legislature website.
Cowlitz County Inmate Population Records
Longview is in Cowlitz County, and all Longview arrests are processed at the Cowlitz County Jail. The county page covers both jail locations, the online roster, the jail division, and additional Cowlitz County inmate population resources.
Nearby Cities
Vancouver and Camas are the nearest larger Washington cities with inmate population pages, located to the south in Clark County.