How to Find Recently Released Clark County Inmates
Clark County Jail Services keeps the recent releases table separate from the active jail roster. The roster shows who is currently in custody. The releases page shows who left. Both are public. To find recently released Clark County inmates, go to the Clark County recent releases page. The table loads without a login and without a search form. It displays in reverse chronological order so the most recent releases appear at the top.
Each row in the table covers one release event. You can scan by name or scroll by date. The Status column is the fastest way to tell whether a release is complete. A RELEASED status means the person left custody on the date and time shown. A PENDING status means the release paperwork is in process but the person has not yet walked out. Pending entries often show a date but no exact time.
The table below explains each column in the Clark County recent releases display. These fields match what Jail Services publishes on the public-facing page.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options / Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| CFN | Result column | n/a | Jail control file number. Unique identifier assigned at booking. |
| Name | Result column | n/a | Last, First, Middle. Matches the booking name. |
| Book Date | Result column | n/a | MM/DD/YYYY format. The date the person was booked into Clark County Jail. |
| Release Date | Result column | n/a | MM/DD/YYYY, and often includes a time (e.g., 5/26/2026 7:27 AM) for confirmed releases. |
| Status | Result column | n/a | RELEASED or PENDING. RELEASED means custody ended. PENDING means the release is in process. |
The screenshot below was taken at the Clark County Jail Services recent releases page, which is the official local source for release checks.
The table is the main public tool for Clark County released inmate checks. It does not include mugshots, bond amounts, or attorney information. For those details, the full booking record sits on the Clark County inmate records page, which explains the active roster and what each field contains.
Note: The recent releases table reflects jail releases only. People transferred to state prison or federal custody will not appear as RELEASED here.
Release Timing Guidelines for Clark County Jail
The timing of a Clark County jail release depends on the reason for release. Bail or fine payment, a court order, a completed sentence, and a short-stay rule each follow different timelines. Jail Records processes court orders, calculates sentences, and releases inmates in order of facility priority and housing-unit security. After-hours releases process in the order they are received. The official Clark County inmate release information page states these are guidelines, not guarantees.
Full bail for every charge must be paid before a bail release begins. Family or friends can pay directly. A bail bond company can post on the person's behalf. Bail is accepted at the Clark County Courthouse during regular business hours or at Clark County Jail Records after hours. Charges with no bail set cannot be released early. Those inmates stay until a judge rules.
The table below summarizes the release timing guidelines that Jail Services publishes for the Main Jail.
| Release Type | Typical Timing |
|---|---|
| Bail or fines paid | Usually 2 to 4 hours after payment is processed |
| Court order received 8 a.m. to noon | Release may occur late afternoon |
| Court order received noon to 5 p.m. | Release may occur early evening |
| Day sentence completed | Often released 7 to 8 a.m. next morning |
| Stay of less than 4 days | May release at same time as original booking |
Good time credit, inmate worker time, and court-imposed fines reduced by the jail housing rate can also shift a sentence-completion date. If the recent releases table shows a person as PENDING past the expected window, the 24-hour information line at 564-397-4996 can confirm current status.
Setting Up Release Notifications With VINELink
VINELink is a free notification service that alerts registered users when a person's custody status changes. It is designed for crime victims, family members, and others who need to know about a release, transfer, or escape in real time. Clark County Jail participates in the VINELink network, which means a person booked there should be searchable through the system. Notifications go out by phone, email, or SMS depending on what you set up during registration.
The screenshot below shows the VINELink portal at vinelink.vineapps.com, where you choose the state and agency to start a search.
The steps below explain how to register for a release alert for a Clark County inmate.
- Go to vinelink.vineapps.com and choose Washington as the state.
- Select Clark County or Clark County Jail as the agency when prompted.
- Search the person by name or custody ID to pull up their record.
- Confirm the match and click to register for notifications.
- Enter a phone number, email address, or both. Choose SMS if you want a text message.
- Complete the PIN setup so VINELink can verify your identity when it calls.
VINELink contacts you when custody status changes. That includes a release, a transfer to another facility, or an escape. The service is free. You do not need to register to search, but registration is required to receive alerts.
The VINELink field table below shows how the service is set up for Washington searches.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options / Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| State / Agency | Dropdown / search | Yes | Choose Washington, then select Clark County or the specific agency. |
| Name / ID | Text | Yes | Search by name or custody ID to locate the person's record. |
| Notification registration | Contact fields | Optional | Phone, email, or SMS. PIN setup required to confirm alerts. |
Searching State and Federal Released Inmates
Clark County Jail handles pretrial detainees and people serving short sentences. People convicted of felonies with longer terms typically transfer to a Washington state prison run by the Department of Corrections. Those releases and current custody locations do not appear on the county's recent releases table. The Washington DOC operates its own public incarcerated person search at doc.wa.gov. Anyone held at a state facility, a reentry center, or under supervision shows up there, not on the county page.
The screenshot below is from the Washington Department of Corrections inmate search portal, which covers people in state prison, not Clark County Jail.
The Washington DOC search accepts a name or a DOC number. The result shows facility, supervision status, and other context where available. The table below shows the search fields.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options / Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name / DOC number | Text | Varies | Use either a full name or a DOC-assigned number to search state prison or reentry custody. Does not cover county jail. |
| Facility / location result | Result | n/a | Shows state prison, reentry center, or supervision context where available. |
For federal custody, the Bureau of Prisons runs a separate locator at bop.gov/inmateloc. People convicted of federal crimes and held in federal prisons are not in any county or state database. The BOP locator covers anyone in federal custody and shows release date or location when the record is public.
The screenshot below shows the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator, which handles federal custody searches separate from Clark County or Washington state records.
The BOP locator has two search modes. Find by Number uses an identifier. Find by Name uses personal details. The table below breaks out both options.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options / Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find by Number | Text | Optional | BOP Register Number, DCDC Number, FBI Number, or INS Number. One number is enough to pull a record. |
| Find by Name | Text fields | Optional | First, Middle, Last name. Can also filter by Race, Age, and Sex to narrow results. |
| Results | Result | n/a | Name, register number, age, race, sex, release date or location where the record is publicly available. |
Verifying a Release by Phone
Clark County Jail runs a 24-hour information line for custody status checks. The number is 564-397-4996. Call that line to ask whether a specific person is still in custody, has been released, or has been transferred. Staff can confirm what the roster and recent releases table show. They cannot give legal advice or case details beyond custody status.
Clark County Jail Records
Law Enforcement Center
Downtown Vancouver, WA
564-397-4996 (24-hour line)
The 24-hour line covers people currently in custody or recently processed. For state DOC or federal BOP custody, you need the DOC or BOP contact numbers, not the county jail line. If the line confirms the person is no longer in county custody and you do not know where they went, the DOC and BOP searches described above are the next steps. For anything related to criminal case outcomes, the Clark County arrest records page and the court records page explain where case files live.
Jail records beyond the roster and the recent releases table are confidential under RCW 70.48.100. Public records requests for those files go through the county's Public Records Request Portal.
The Washington Sex Offender Registry
Washington law requires people convicted of sex offenses to register with local law enforcement when they are released. That registration feeds the state sex offender registry, which is publicly searchable. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs manages this information through the official sex offender portal. Anyone released from Clark County Jail who is required to register must report to the Clark County Sheriff within three days of release.
The screenshot below is from the WASPC sex offender information page, which links to the public search tools for Washington state.
The registry search accepts a name, address, or map-based location. Results typically show a photo, name, address or general area, offense description, and risk level when the record is public. The field table below outlines the search options.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Options / Format Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name / address / location search | Text / map | Varies | Search by name, address, or a map-based radius through WASPC and state links. |
| Offender profile | Result | n/a | Typically shows name, photo, address or area, offense description, and risk level where public. |
Not every person released from Clark County Jail has a sex offense registration requirement. The registry only lists those with qualifying convictions who are actively registered. If a name does not appear, it does not mean no record exists. It may mean no registration requirement applies.
Parole, Probation, and Reentry Resources
Washington does not use traditional parole for most state felony sentences. Most people released from state prison are under community custody, which is the Washington DOC term for supervision after release. Community custody conditions are set by the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board for some offenses and by the sentencing court for others. Violations can result in a return to custody. People on community custody in Clark County report to a Washington DOC community corrections office.
Local courts also use probation for misdemeanor convictions handled by Clark County District Court. Probation conditions vary by case. Failure to comply can bring a bench warrant. For active warrants related to a supervision violation, the Clark County warrant records page explains how to check for open warrants.
Reentry resources available to Clark County residents leaving custody include the following programs and services.
- Washington DOC Community Reentry - The DOC runs reentry programs that help people find housing, employment, and treatment after release from state prison. Contact the local community corrections office for Clark County.
- Clark County Therapeutic Courts - Drug Court, Veterans Court, Mental Health Docket, and Family Treatment Court offer supervised treatment as an alternative to standard sentencing. People already involved in the system may qualify for continued support post-release.
- Clark County Law Library - Located in the Clark County Courthouse at 1200 Franklin Street, Vancouver, WA. Open to the public for legal research, including issues related to supervision conditions, rights restoration, and expungement.
- Public Defense and Legal Aid - The Clark County Public Defender and local legal aid organizations provide guidance to people who cannot afford an attorney, including those dealing with post-release supervision issues.
Reentry support for transitional housing was not fully confirmed from official Clark County sources during research. Contact the Washington DOC or Clark County social services for current program availability.
Civil Rights Restoration After Release
Washington restores voting rights automatically after a person is released from total confinement for a felony conviction. Total confinement means a person has finished serving their prison or jail term. Community custody, probation, or other supervision does not block voting rights if the person is no longer physically confined. Anyone who has served their sentence and left custody can register and vote. The Washington Secretary of State's office has current guidance on voter registration for people with felony records.
Firearm rights are a different matter. A Washington felony conviction permanently revokes the right to possess a firearm under state law. Some federal convictions also carry a lifetime prohibition. Restoring firearm rights requires a separate court process and is not automatic after release. Legal counsel is strongly recommended for anyone exploring that route.
Employment and licensing rights vary by profession and conviction type. Some state licenses have mandatory bars tied to specific convictions. Others use a case-by-case review. Washington has passed laws limiting how employers can use criminal records in hiring decisions, but those protections do not cover all jobs. For more on the underlying criminal record, see the Clark County arrest records page and the court records page, which explain how to check what is publicly on file and how records can be vacated under Washington law.
For current guidance on rights after a felony conviction in Washington, the Washington Secretary of State and the Washington state courts self-help site are the most reliable starting points. The Clark County Law Library can also help with research on vacating convictions under the relevant Washington statutes.