Find San Juan County Inmate Population Records
San Juan County inmate population records are managed through a two-facility system: the county's local holding facility in Friday Harbor handles initial detention, and most individuals awaiting trial or serving sentences are transferred to SCORE (South Correctional Entity) in Des Moines, WA. The county provides an online inmate inquiry tool that lets you search by name, subject number, booking number, or housing facility, and you can filter results to show only those currently in custody. This page explains how the system works, how to use the online inquiry tool, and what resources are available for public records and victim notification.
San Juan County Detention Overview
San Juan County Holding Facility and SCORE
San Juan County operates a local holding facility at the Sheriff's Office in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. All people taken into custody in San Juan County are first brought to this holding facility. It is the initial point of booking for anyone arrested within the county, whether by the Sheriff's Office, island police, or other law enforcement operating in the area.
However, San Juan County does not run a full-service jail in the traditional sense. Individuals who are awaiting trial or serving a sentence after conviction are sent from the Friday Harbor holding facility to SCORE, the South Correctional Entity, located at 20817 17th Avenue South in Des Moines, WA 98198. SCORE is a regional jail that serves multiple participating jurisdictions in Washington, and it handles the long-term housing of San Juan County inmates. This arrangement is fairly common among smaller island and rural counties that cannot justify operating a larger full-service facility on their own.
| Local Holding Facility | San Juan County Sheriff's Office, Friday Harbor, WA |
|---|---|
| Trial/Sentenced Inmates | SCORE, 20817 17th Ave S, Des Moines, WA 98198 |
| Sheriff Website | sanjuancountywa.gov/402/Sheriff |
| Holding Facility Page | sanjuancountywa.gov/409/Holding-Facility |
| Online Inmate Inquiry | sjcadc.net - Inmate Inquiry |
| SCORE Jail Website | scorejail.org |
In-person visitation at the Friday Harbor holding facility is limited to attorneys only. Family members and other visitors must arrange visits through SCORE in Des Moines for anyone held there. Electronic home detention (EHM) is an option managed by the San Juan County Sheriff's Office for certain individuals who qualify, and that program keeps some people in the community under supervision rather than at a physical jail.
How to Search the San Juan County Inmate Inquiry System
The online inmate inquiry tool is available at sjcadc.net/NewWorld.InmateInquiry/NM024023C. This system is powered by Tyler Technologies, a widely used public safety software platform. The search form lets you look up individuals using several different fields. You can search by name (last name, first name), subject number, or booking number. You can also filter results by whether the person is currently in custody or by the housing facility where they are held.
The booking date range filter is useful if you are not sure of someone's current status but know approximately when they were arrested. Setting a date range for the booking will narrow the results and make it easier to find the right person, especially if the name is common. The housing facility filter is important in San Juan County because inmates may be at the local Friday Harbor facility or at SCORE in Des Moines, and the results will reflect which facility currently holds the person.
The San Juan County holding facility page explains the local detention structure, including how SCORE works as the primary long-term facility. The screenshot below is from that page on the official county website.
The online inmate inquiry system itself is shown in the screenshot below, taken from the Tyler Technologies-powered portal used by San Juan County.
If you cannot find the person you are looking for in the San Juan County system, they may have been released or transferred to state DOC custody after sentencing. Check the Washington State DOC search tool for anyone who may no longer be in county or SCORE custody.
Note: Inmates held at SCORE in Des Moines will appear in the San Juan County inquiry system with SCORE listed as their housing facility, not Friday Harbor.
Public Records Requests in San Juan County
Washington's Public Records Act under RCW 42.56 gives the public broad access to government records. The San Juan County Sheriff's Office must respond to records requests within five business days, with a response that either fulfills the request, provides a timeline, or asks for clarification. Booking records, incident reports, and other law enforcement records generally fall within the scope of public disclosure, subject to limited exceptions.
Under RCW 70.48.100, local jails are required to keep records of all confined persons and make those records available to the public. The San Juan County inmate inquiry system is published under this requirement. If you need records beyond what is in the online system, contact the San Juan County Sheriff's Office directly through sanjuancountywa.gov/402/Sheriff.
Records for inmates housed at SCORE may require requests to SCORE directly in addition to or instead of San Juan County, depending on the nature of the records you need. SCORE can be contacted through scorejail.org. Court records are handled separately by the San Juan County Superior Court and District Court.
Note: Records for inmates housed at SCORE may need to be requested from SCORE directly, since San Juan County does not control records created at that facility.
VINE Victim Notification for San Juan County
VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) is a free service that sends automatic alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. Given that San Juan County inmates move between the local holding facility and SCORE, VINE is a critical tool for keeping track of custody status without making multiple calls to different facilities. The service sends notifications by phone, text, or email when someone is released, transferred, or has a scheduled court event.
Register at VINELink.com to set up notifications. The service is anonymous and free. It covers both county facilities and Washington State DOC facilities, so if an inmate moves from SCORE to a state prison, you will still receive updates. For victims who live on the islands and may have limited options to monitor custody status in person, VINE is especially important as a remote monitoring tool.
Note: Because San Juan County uses SCORE for longer-term housing, VINE's ability to track inmates across multiple facilities is especially important for anyone monitoring custody status in this county.
San Juan County Court and Criminal Case Records
Criminal case records for people arrested in San Juan County are handled by the San Juan County Superior Court and District Court. Booking records in the inmate inquiry system reflect charges at the time of arrest and do not show case outcomes. For plea agreements, sentencing, case dismissals, or other court actions, you need to check the court record directly.
The Washington Courts public access portal at courts.wa.gov lets you search court records statewide by name or case number at no cost. This covers San Juan County Superior and District Court filings. For certified copies or older records, contact the San Juan County Clerk directly in Friday Harbor. Court records and jail booking records are separate and need separate requests.
Electronic Home Detention in San Juan County
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office manages an Electronic Home Detention (EHM) program as an alternative to incarceration for eligible individuals. EHM allows people to serve part or all of their sentence at home while monitored by an electronic device, usually an ankle bracelet. This program is relevant to inmate population tracking because EHM participants are not physically held at SCORE or the local facility but are still technically in county custody.
If you are searching for someone and they do not appear in the inmate inquiry system, it is possible they are on EHM rather than being physically detained. Contact the San Juan County Sheriff's Office at sanjuancountywa.gov/402/Sheriff to ask about EHM status. Not all EHM participants will appear in the public online search system, since they are not held at a physical jail facility.
State-Level Inmate Search Resources
When someone is not found in the San Juan County inmate inquiry system and is not on EHM, they may have been released or moved to state DOC custody. The Washington State Department of Corrections maintains an incarcerated person search at doc.wa.gov. This covers people serving sentences in state prisons and facilities across Washington.
The WATCH system at watch.wsp.wa.gov provides access to Washington criminal history records and is operated by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. WATCH is a paid search that covers arrest and conviction history statewide. The Washington Courts portal at courts.wa.gov gives you access to court case records for San Juan County and statewide.
Note: The DOC incarcerated person search is free, while WATCH requires a fee and covers a broader history than current custody status alone.
Cities in San Juan County
San Juan County is an island county in northwest Washington, covering San Juan Island, Orcas Island, Lopez Island, and dozens of smaller islands. Friday Harbor is the county seat and the only incorporated town in the county. None of the communities in San Juan County currently meet the population threshold for individual city pages on this site. All arrests in the county are processed through the Sheriff's Office holding facility in Friday Harbor before transfer to SCORE.
Nearby Counties
San Juan County is accessible by ferry and is surrounded by water. The nearest mainland counties are accessible from the ferry terminals. If the person you are searching for is not in the San Juan County system, they may be held in one of these counties.