Louisiana Jail Roster
Louisiana jail rosters give the public a way to look up who is in custody at any parish jail across the state. All 64 parishes keep their own inmate lists, and most can be searched from home through the LAVNS system or each sheriff's own site. You can find booking dates, charges, bond amounts, and jail location for current inmates. Whether you need to check on someone held in Orleans Parish or a small rural jail in north Louisiana, this page will help you find the right jail roster fast. Each parish sheriff runs the local jail and posts roster data for public use.
Louisiana Jail Roster Quick Facts
Louisiana Jail Roster Search Through LAVNS
The main tool for finding inmates in Louisiana is the Louisiana Automated Victim Notification System, known as LAVNS. This is the state's official inmate tracking database. It collects data from all 64 parish jail systems, the state Department of Corrections, and the Louisiana District Attorneys' Association. The system runs around the clock, every day of the year. Parish rosters on LAVNS update at regular intervals, so the data stays current.
LAVNS lets you search by name, location, or ID number. You can look up anyone held in a parish jail or state prison. The system also lets you register to get alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. This is free. You do not have to give your name to sign up for these alerts. As the state puts it, "LAVNS will automatically collect offender transaction data from the state's sixty-four (64) parish jail systems" on a 24/7/365 basis.
You can reach VINE Link online at any time. There is also a toll-free phone line at 1-866-528-6748. Call this number to check on an inmate if you do not have web access. The line is staffed around the clock.
VINE Link is a national database. It covers inmates in Louisiana and in other states too. For Louisiana, enter the state name and then search by parish or by the person's name.
Louisiana Jail Roster and State Corrections
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections runs the state prison system. It also works with parish jails that hold state inmates. Right now, more than 36,000 people serve time for state felonies in Louisiana. State prisons can hold just under 19,000 of them. The rest are housed in parish jails and private facilities around the state.
The department is split into three main parts. Corrections Services handles adults in custody and those on probation or parole. Public Safety Services includes the State Police, the Office of Motor Vehicles, and the State Fire Marshal. The Office of Juvenile Justice deals with youth in custody. For jail roster searches, the Corrections Services branch is the one most people need.
You can also call 225-383-4580 to reach the Imprisoned Person Locator. You will need the person's DPS&C number or their full name and date of birth. The phone system can tell you which facility holds the inmate, give you a contact number for that location, and share a projected release date.
Note: The DPS&C locator covers state inmates only, not people held in parish jails on local charges.
How to Search a Louisiana Jail Roster
Each parish sheriff runs the local jail and keeps its own inmate roster. Most parishes post their jail roster on the LAVNS system. The URL pattern is simple. For example, the Acadia Parish jail roster is at acadia.lavns.org, and the Caddo Parish roster is at the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office website. Some parishes use other systems too, like 365Labs, Zuercher Portal, TBS-Web, or Kologik.
To search a Louisiana jail roster, you can:
- Go to vinelink.com and search by state and parish
- Visit the parish sheriff's website and look for "Jail Roster" or "Inmate Search"
- Call the parish jail directly and ask for inmate information
- Use the LAVNS phone line at 1-866-528-6748
Jail rosters in Louisiana show basic facts about each person in custody. You can see the inmate's name, age, booking date, charges, and bond amount. Some parishes also show mugshots. Under the Louisiana Public Records Act (LSA-R.S. 44:1), arrest records are public records. However, certain limits exist. Louisiana Revised Statute 15:574.12 keeps some offender records private, but basic details like the offense, conviction date, and sentence length are still public.
Louisiana Jail Roster Victim Notification
The Crime Victims Services Bureau was set up in 1993 as a single point of contact for victims. If you are a crime victim, you can use LAVNS to track the person who committed the crime against you. The system will send you alerts by phone, email, or text when the inmate's status changes. This includes transfers, releases, and court dates.
Registration is free and private. As the state notes, "LAVNS offers everyone access to a state imprisoned person's location by Internet and a 24-hour, toll-free telephone number." You do not need to prove you are a victim to use the basic search. Anyone can look up an inmate.
The DPS&C public records office can also help. Reach them at (225) 342-6744, by fax at (225) 342-3095, or by email at docpublicrecords@la.gov. They handle formal records requests for inmate data that goes beyond what the online jail roster shows.
Public Access to Jail Roster Data in Louisiana
Louisiana law makes most jail roster data public. The Louisiana Public Records Act (LSA-R.S. 44:1 et seq.) gives citizens the right to inspect and copy public records. This includes booking records and arrest data held by parish sheriffs. You do not need to give a reason for your request.
There are some limits. Louisiana Revised Statute 15:574.12 says that presentence reports, pre-parole reports, and prison records gathered by the Department of Corrections are private. But basic facts are still public. These include the offender's age, the offense, the date of conviction, and the sentence length. Most jail rosters show this kind of data plus more, like booking photos and bond amounts.
Louisiana Revised Statute 14:405 also bars inmates from making social media accounts. This came about in 2011 when the legislature passed a law that "prohibits people in prison or jail from establishing an account on any internet-based social networking website." The jail roster itself is not affected by this rule, but it shows how the state handles inmate data online.
Jail Roster Systems Used in Louisiana
Besides LAVNS, several other systems host jail roster data for Louisiana parishes. The DPS&C public programs page links to many of these tools. Here is a quick look at the main ones.
TBS-Web is used by Livingston, Tangipahoa, St. Martin, and other parishes. The 365Labs Community Portal runs the Lafayette Parish jail roster and shows both current inmates and recent bookings from the past 72 hours. The Zuercher Portal serves Terrebonne Parish. Webster Parish uses the Kologik system. And Rapides Parish has the NewWorld Inmate Inquiry tool.
Some parishes run their own search tools right on the sheriff's website. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office has its own online inmate search page. The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office runs a detainee search tool. And the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff posts a full parish prison inmate list on their site.
Most of these tools are free. They let you search by name, booking number, or date. Some parishes like Caddo also post disclaimers that the jail roster is for public safety purposes and that "an arrest does not mean that the inmate has been convicted of the crime."
Other Ways to Check Louisiana Jail Rosters
Not all parishes have working online rosters at all times. Some LAVNS pages go offline now and then. If the web search does not work, call the jail. Every parish jail has a phone line that staff answer around the clock. Give them the person's name and date of birth. They can tell you if that person is in custody.
You can also visit a parish jail in person during office hours. Bring a valid photo ID. Some facilities have a lobby where you can check the current roster on a screen or ask staff for help. The DPS&C FAQ page has more details on how to find someone in the state system. For parish-level questions, contact the sheriff's office in the parish where the arrest took place.
Third-party phone services like Securus Technologies (1-800-844-6591) and JPay (1-800-574-5729) handle inmate calls and money transfers in many Louisiana facilities. They can also help you confirm if someone is at a particular jail, though the jail roster is the fastest free option.
Browse Louisiana Jail Rosters by Parish
Each of the 64 parishes in Louisiana runs its own jail and keeps its own inmate roster. Pick a parish below to find local jail contact info, inmate search links, and booking details.
Jail Rosters in Major Louisiana Cities
Most Louisiana cities do not run their own jails. City police bring arrested people to the parish jail. Pick a city below to find out which parish jail holds inmates from that area and how to search its roster.