VINELink: Inmate Search, Custody Alerts, and Notifications

VINELink is a free public website where you can look up someone held in a state prison or county jail and sign up to be alerted automatically when their custody status changes. It covers roughly 2,900 facilities in 48 states, which makes it the largest victim notification network in the country.¹ Maine and South Dakota do not participate, and the service does not track federal inmates or people in immigration custody — those require separate systems covered at the end of this article.²

How To Search for an Inmate

Start at the VINELink homepage and pick the state where the person is being held. From there you can search by name or by an offender ID number.²

An ID number is the fastest route because it points to exactly one record. A booking number, state identification number, or department of corrections number will all work, and these usually appear on court paperwork, bond documents, or a county jail’s online roster.

Name searches also work, but they return every match across the state’s participating facilities, and common names can produce long lists. The system accepts partial entries and uses phonetic matching, which helps when a name was misspelled during booking. Results show each person’s name, date of birth, and facility so you can pick the correct record before registering.

Registering for Custody Alerts

Once you open the right offender record, click the button to register for notifications. The site asks for two things: a way to reach you, usually a phone number or email address, and a four-digit PIN that you create. It does not ask for your name, address, or relationship to the offender.³

Your PIN is how the system confirms the right person received the alert. When VINE calls, you enter your PIN followed by the pound key to acknowledge the message and stop the system from calling again about that specific event.² You will also need the PIN later to update your contact information or cancel, so save it somewhere you can find it. A verification message should arrive through your chosen channel right after you confirm your details.

You can register more than one contact method for the same offender, and it is worth doing. If one channel fails, another still reaches you.

What Custody Events Trigger an Alert

The exact events reported depend on the facility, but the common triggers are:

Release from custody, whether through a completed sentence, bond, or court order
Transfer to a different facility or jurisdiction
Escape
Death in custody
Placement on work release, meaning the person spends part of the day outside secure custody
Out-to-court transport for a hearing

Not every facility reports every event, and update speed varies. Some states push alerts within hours; others operate on a slower schedule. What you can be notified about depends on what each facility feeds into the system.²

How You Receive Notifications

When you register, you choose how you want to be contacted. The available channels are:

Automated phone call with a recorded message. If you do not pick up or enter your PIN, the system keeps trying at intervals until you confirm.²
Text message to your registered mobile number
Email, which creates a written record you can save
TTY for people who are deaf or hard of hearing²
Push notifications through the VINELink mobile app on Android and iOS

Live operator support is available in more than 240 languages for anyone who needs help registering or understanding an alert.

Changing or Canceling Your Alerts

You can update a phone number, change an email address, or stop notifications through the VINELink website or app. If you have an account, go to your Watchlist, select the offender, and edit or delete the notification method. If you registered as a guest, use the Search then My Registrations feature to find and remove the alert.²

Both paths need your four-digit PIN. If you have forgotten it, or if you believe you are receiving notifications meant for someone else, call your state’s toll-free VINE number and ask an operator to stop the calls manually.

Privacy for the Person Registering

Information you submit is kept confidential and used only for notification.⁴ The offender being tracked has no way to see who has registered for alerts about them. Because the system does not ask for your name or address, there is nothing identifying you tied to the record beyond your contact method.³

Who VINELink Does Not Cover

Searching VINELink for someone in federal prison will return nothing. Federal inmates are tracked through the Victim Notification System (VNS), run jointly by the Bureau of Prisons, the FBI, and the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys. Victims are usually enrolled automatically during the investigation and receive a Victim Identification Number and PIN to access the VNS call center at 1-866-365-4986 or the VNS website. Notifications come by email and postal mail in English and Spanish. If you were left out, contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the district where the case was prosecuted to be added.⁵

For someone in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, use DHS-VINE instead. It works much like state VINELink but pulls from immigration detention records, and searching requires either an alien number and country of birth or a full name and country of birth.⁶ If you are not sure which system fits your case, the Office for Victims of Crime maintains a guide that sorts notification by jurisdiction.⁷

1
VINELink. VINELink
2
Arkansas Department of Public Safety. VINELink Enhanced Frequently Asked Questions
3
Department of Homeland Security. Privacy Impact Assessment for DHS-VINE
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VINELink. Colorado – VINELink
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Federal Bureau of Prisons. Resources for Victims and Witnesses
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. DHS-VINE Fact Sheet
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Office for Victims of Crime. Victim Notification