Seattle Inmate Population Records
Seattle inmate population records are maintained by King County's Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention, which operates both jail facilities serving the city. When Seattle Police Department officers make an arrest, the person is booked into the King County Correctional Facility downtown at 500 5th Avenue, or in some cases the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. The county's Jail Information and Lookup System, known as JILS, is the public search tool for current and recent Seattle inmate population data. It is free to use online and covers records up to 365 days back.
Seattle Jail Overview
Where Seattle Arrests Are Processed
Seattle is the largest city in Washington, and its jail population flows through two King County facilities. The primary booking location is the King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) at 500 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104. This is a high-rise detention center in downtown Seattle and is the main facility for holding people arrested within city limits. The phone number for KCCF is 206-296-1234.
The second facility is the Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) at 401 4th Avenue N in Kent, WA 98032. The MRJC serves the southern part of King County and is used for some overflow bookings and for inmates whose cases are heard in Kent-area courts. Both facilities are run by the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD). The JILS system covers both facilities, so a single search will show you which one currently holds the person you are looking for.
Seattle Police Department operates out of 610 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104. The main non-emergency line is 206-625-5011. The department has multiple precincts across the city, but all arrests funnel through the same county booking system.
| Primary Jail | King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) |
|---|---|
| KCCF Address | 500 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104 |
| KCCF Phone | 206-296-1234 |
| Secondary Jail | Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) |
| MRJC Address | 401 4th Ave N, Kent, WA 98032 |
| Managing Agency | King County DAJD |
| Seattle Police | 610 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104; 206-625-5011 |
| DAJD Website | kingcounty.gov/dept/dajd.aspx |
The DAJD also maintains a daily jail register that shows who is currently in custody along with anyone booked or released in the past 24 hours. This register is part of what King County makes public under RCW 70.48.100. You can view it through the JILS system without any account or login.
How to Search the Seattle Inmate Population
The King County JILS system at dajd-jms.powerappsportals.us is the main public tool for searching the Seattle inmate population. Last name is the only required field. You can also enter first name, middle initial, date of birth, race, gender, booking number, custody status, and which facility you want to search. Adding more fields narrows your results when searching for a common name.
Once you find a record, JILS shows the person's full name, booking number (labeled BA#), the facility where they are held, booking date, expected release date, charges, bail amount, housing unit, and upcoming court date. This is one of the more detailed public jail lookup systems in Washington. The data updates throughout the day as bookings and releases occur.
The DAJD page below shows the King County agency that runs the jail system and the lookup tools available to the public for Seattle inmate searches.
The King County Sheriff's Office also plays a role in jail operations. The page below shows the sheriff's department, which works alongside DAJD to run the correctional facilities where Seattle Police bookings are processed.
One important note about VINE: it does not cover King County Jail. If you want custody alerts for someone in the Seattle inmate population held at KCCF or MRJC, use the JILS system directly to check status. VINE does cover Washington State DOC facilities, so if the person was transferred to state prison after a conviction, VINE will work for that stage of custody.
Note: VINE does not cover King County Jail. Use JILS directly to check custody status for Seattle inmates at KCCF and MRJC. For state prison inmates, VINE at VINELink.com does apply.
Visitation at King County Correctional Facility
Visits to inmates at KCCF must be scheduled in advance at gtlvisitme.com. You must book at least 24 hours ahead of time. Visits are 25 minutes long. Each inmate may have up to three visitors at once and is allowed a maximum of two visits per week. Walk-in visits are not accepted.
Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. The facility may deny entry if you do not have a confirmed reservation or do not meet the visitation rules. All visits are subject to review and can be revoked. Check the current policies through the DAJD website, as rules can change with facility population levels or security needs.
Public Records Access for Seattle Inmate Data
Washington's Public Records Act under RCW 42.56 gives every person broad rights to request government records, including booking logs, arrest reports, and jail intake data. You do not need to explain why you want the records. Agencies must respond within five business days. The response can be a full release, a partial release with an explanation, or a timeline for when the records will be ready.
Jail registers are governed by RCW 70.48.100, which requires all county jails to keep a public record of each person confined, including the date and time of confinement and how they were released. King County satisfies this through the JILS system and the daily jail register, both of which are publicly accessible without a formal records request.
For Seattle Police Department records, contact the department at 610 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104 or call 206-625-5011. Records requests can also be submitted through seattle.gov/police. For records held at the jail facilities, contact the King County Public Records Office at 516 Third Ave, Room W-116, Seattle, WA 98104, or call 206-296-4155. Written requests work best for anything beyond the basic roster data that JILS already provides online.
Seattle Municipal Court handles misdemeanor cases filed within city limits. Case records are available at seattle.gov/courts/municipal-court. Felony cases go to King County Superior Court and are searchable through the state courts public case portal.
State Resources for Seattle Inmate Searches
When a Seattle resident is convicted of a felony and given a sentence longer than one year, they serve that time at a Washington State DOC facility rather than King County jail. The DOC incarcerated person search at doc.wa.gov covers all state prisons and community custody programs. Search by name or DOC number. Results show the current facility, sentence start date, and projected release date. This is where to look when someone no longer appears in JILS.
The Washington State Patrol WATCH system at watch.wsp.wa.gov runs fingerprint-based criminal history searches for $11 each. It covers all Washington convictions and recent arrests with pending dispositions. WATCH is more reliable than a name-only search because it uses biometric records. For a full background check on a Seattle resident, WATCH is the most thorough option available to the public.
Court records for Seattle cases are searchable through courts.wa.gov. The public case search covers all Washington courts. You can find misdemeanor records from Seattle Municipal Court and King County District Court, and felony records from King County Superior Court. Case records show charges, hearing dates, and final outcomes. An arrest record documents a booking; a court record shows what happened after that.
King County Inmate Population Records
Seattle is in King County, and all city arrests route through the King County DAJD jail system. The county page covers both facilities, the JILS search tool, visitation rules, and public records request procedures.
Nearby Cities
These nearby cities also use King County or South King County jail facilities for their arrests.