Kittitas County Inmate Population

Kittitas County inmate population records are maintained by the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office and made available through the county's public online jail roster. The Kittitas County Jail in Ellensburg holds people booked by local and state law enforcement agencies, and the roster lists both current inmates and those held within the past three days. You can look up custody status by name, check charges, and register for release notifications through the VINE system. This page covers the roster, how to search it, how to request records under Washington public records law, and additional state-level tools when someone is not found in the local system.

Kittitas County Jail Inmate Records

The Kittitas County Jail (KCJ) is located at 205 West 5th Ave, Suite 1, in Ellensburg. The facility was originally built in the 1980s to hold about 45 inmates. A major expansion in 2012 brought the capacity to 209 beds, and it now serves as the primary detention facility for the county. The Sheriff's Office main office is at 205 W 5th Ave, Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The main office number is 509-962-7507.

The online roster complies with RCW 70.48.100, which requires local jails to keep and share records of confined persons. The Kittitas County roster shows individuals currently in custody as well as those who were held during the past three days. This slightly wider window helps account for recent releases that may still be relevant to a search. Each entry includes name, booking details, and charges. Clicking on a name within the roster also gives you an option to register for VINE notifications directly from that record.

The jail information page on the county website provides details about the facility, rules, and services. The screenshot below shows that page as it appears on the county's official site.

The jail serves an average population of around 90 inmates at any given time, well below its 209-bed capacity, which gives staff room to manage bookings from multiple agencies across the county.

How to Search the Kittitas County Jail Roster

The public roster is available at co.kittitas.wa.us/sheriff/roster.aspx. The page loads a current list of inmates in custody along with those released within the past three days. You can scroll through the list or use your browser's find function to search for a specific name. The three-day window makes it useful if you are trying to confirm a recent release as well as an active booking.

Each record in the Kittitas County roster typically includes the inmate's name, booking date, and charges. Clicking on a name will open more detail and will also display a link to register that person with VINE so you can get notified of any custody changes. The roster is the county's primary public tool for checking current jail population, and it is accessible at no cost.

The roster page below shows what the public sees when searching for current Kittitas County inmates through the official county portal.

If the person you are looking for does not appear on the current Kittitas County roster, they may have been released more than three days ago, transferred to another facility, or moved to state custody after sentencing. Use the state DOC search for that second scenario.

Visitation at the Kittitas County Jail

Visitation at the Kittitas County Jail is available seven days a week from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Visits must be arranged at least 24 hours in advance. You can schedule a visit through inmatesales.com or by calling 1-877-998-5678. Visitors who show up without scheduling ahead will not be admitted. Contact the jail at 509-962-7507 before your first visit to confirm current policies, as schedules can change based on facility needs or an inmate's status.

Public Records Requests in Kittitas County

Washington's Public Records Act, found at RCW 42.56, gives the public broad access to government records. The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office must respond to a public records request within five business days. That response may provide the records, give a timeline, or ask for clarification. Booking logs, incident reports, and jail rosters generally fall within the scope of disclosure. Some records may be withheld if they relate to an ongoing investigation or are protected by another statute.

Local jails in Washington are also required under RCW 70.48.100 to keep records of all confined persons and make them available to the public. This is the statute behind the county's published online roster. The basic booking record, including name, booking date, and charges, is a public document under both statutes.

To request records from the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office, contact them by phone at 509-962-7507 or submit a written request to 205 W 5th Ave, Ellensburg, WA 98926. For court records, contact County Clerk Val Barschaw at 205 W 5th Ave Suite 210, Ellensburg, WA 98926, or call 509-962-7531. Certified court documents require a separate request to the clerk's office.

VINE Victim Notification for Kittitas County

VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) is a free automated service that tracks the custody status of inmates held in Kittitas County and across Washington State. Once you register, the system will send you alerts by phone, text, or email when an inmate is released, transferred, escapes, or has a scheduled court date. You do not need to give your name to register. The service is anonymous.

You can sign up or check inmate status at VINELink.com. Kittitas County Jail integrates directly with VINE, and the county's online roster makes it easy to register for a specific person by clicking their name in the list. VINE covers both local jails and state correctional facilities across Washington, so you can track an individual even if they are later moved to state custody.

State-Level Inmate Search Resources

When someone does not appear in the Kittitas County jail roster, Washington State has several tools that can help. The Washington State Department of Corrections provides an incarcerated person search at doc.wa.gov. This covers anyone currently serving a state sentence in a Washington prison, including people transferred from county jails after sentencing on felony charges. The search is free and available to the public.

The WATCH system at watch.wsp.wa.gov, operated by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, provides access to Washington State criminal history records. It covers arrests and convictions statewide, not just current custody. WATCH searches do carry a fee. For court records, the Washington Courts portal at courts.wa.gov allows free statewide case searches by name or case number and covers Superior and District Court records for Kittitas County.

Cities in Kittitas County

Kittitas County is a largely rural county in central Washington, east of the Cascades. Ellensburg is the county seat and the largest city, home to Central Washington University. Other communities include Cle Elum, Kittitas, Roslyn, and South Cle Elum. None of the cities in Kittitas County currently meet the population threshold for individual city pages on this site. All jail bookings in the county are processed through the Kittitas County Jail in Ellensburg.

Nearby Counties

Kittitas County borders several counties in central Washington. If you are searching for someone and they are not in the Kittitas County system, they may be held in one of the neighboring facilities below.