Find Released Inmates in Colonie
Released inmates from Colonie go through the Albany County jail system before returning to the area. Colonie is one of the most populated towns in the Capital District, sitting just north of Albany. The town does not have its own jail, so all inmates end up at the Albany County Correctional Facility on Albany Shaker Road. If you need to find out about someone who was held there and has since been released, you can check state databases, call the facility, or use the VINE notification system. The state also runs lookup tools for anyone who went to prison under DOCCS supervision.
Colonie Overview
Albany County Handles Colonie Released Inmates
Colonie relies on Albany County for all jail and correctional services. The Albany County Correctional Facility is the only county-run jail in the area. It sits on Albany Shaker Road, which is actually within Colonie's borders. The facility holds pretrial detainees and people sentenced to up to one year in jail.
The Albany County Sheriff runs this facility. Anyone arrested in Colonie by town police gets booked locally and then transferred to the county jail if they cannot make bail or are held without bail. Once a person finishes their sentence or posts bail, the release is processed at this same location.
| Facility | Albany County Correctional Facility |
|---|---|
| Address | 840 Albany Shaker Road Albany, NY 12211 |
| Phone | (518) 869-2724 |
| Sheriff | (518) 869-2600 |
| Website | Albany County Correctional Facility |
Call the jail at (518) 869-2724 to ask about a specific inmate. Have the full name and date of birth ready. Staff can tell you whether someone is still in custody or has been released. For general questions about the sheriff's office, call (518) 869-2600.
Jail Details and Inmate Processing
The Albany County Correctional Facility holds several hundred inmates at any given time. It serves all of Albany County, which includes the city of Albany, Colonie, and smaller towns in the area. The jail handles intake, classification, housing, and release for everyone who comes through the system.
New York Correction Law requires county jails to maintain records of each person admitted and released. These records include the person's name, date of birth, charges, commitment date, and release date. Under state law, the sheriff must keep these records and make certain information available to the public upon request.
Inmates held at the county level typically serve sentences of one year or less. Anyone sentenced to more than a year gets transferred to a state prison. DOCCS then takes over custody and manages the person through their sentence and any post-release supervision. The county has no role once someone enters the state system.
Albany County does not publish a public online inmate roster. To find out if someone is currently held or has been released, you must call the facility directly. This is different from some larger counties in New York that post inmate lists on their websites.
How to Search for Colonie Released Inmates
There are several ways to look up released inmates tied to Colonie. The right tool depends on whether the person was held at the county jail or a state prison.
For state prison records, go to the DOCCS Incarcerated Lookup at doccs.ny.gov/incarcerated-lookup. Type in the person's name and search. The system shows current and past inmates, including their facility, charges, and release dates. It tells you if someone has been released and when. DOCCS also maintains a parolee lookup that shows people currently under parole supervision.
For county jail records, call the Albany County Correctional Facility at (518) 869-2724. Give them the name and date of birth. They can confirm if the person is still held or was released. They may share the release date over the phone. For a written record, submit a FOIL request.
The Criminal History Record Search through the state court system is another option. Visit ww2.nycourts.gov/apps/chrs and pay the $65 fee. You get criminal case records tied to a specific name. The results show charges, outcomes, and sentences. That can help piece together release timelines.
If the person is a registered sex offender, the state registry at criminaljustice.ny.gov/nsor will show their current status, conviction, and location. You can search by name, county, or zip code.
VINE Released Inmates Notifications
VINE lets you track an inmate and get a notification when they are released. It is free. Go to vinelink.com and select New York. Search by the person's name or ID number. If they are in the system, you can sign up for alerts by phone, text, or email.
This covers both Albany County jail inmates and state prison inmates. VINE updates in real time, so you hear about a status change as soon as it happens. You do not need to keep calling the jail to check. The system does the work for you.
VINE is available around the clock and costs nothing to use. It covers every county jail and state prison in New York. Register at vinelink.com to track an inmate from Colonie or anywhere else in the state.
Released Inmates Records Under FOIL
The Freedom of Information Law in New York gives the public a right to request government records. Under Public Officers Law Article 6, you can submit a written request to the Albany County Sheriff for records about released inmates. This can include booking records, release dates, and charges.
Put your request in writing. Include the person's full name, date of birth if you have it, and the approximate dates of custody. Send it to the Albany County Sheriff's records access officer. The office must respond within five business days. Some records may be partially redacted. Medical information and certain security details are exempt from disclosure.
If your request is denied, you have the right to appeal within 30 days. The appeal goes to the agency head or a designated appeals officer. You can also contact the New York Committee on Open Government for guidance on FOIL disputes.
Albany County Inmate Lookup Resources
The image above shows tools available for looking up inmates in Albany County. The sheriff's office and VINE system are the main resources for Colonie residents trying to find release information. State tools from DOCCS complement the county-level data for anyone who went to prison.
Nearby Cities
Colonie is part of the Capital District, which includes several other cities and towns that share the same regional court and jail systems. If the person you are looking for was connected to any of these places, the same search tools apply.
Albany and Colonie share the same county jail. Troy is in Rensselaer County, and Schenectady has its own county facility. Each has separate county-level records, but all share the same state-level DOCCS and VINE tools.
Albany County Released Inmates
Colonie falls under Albany County for all jail and correctional matters. For a deeper look at how Albany County handles inmate records, release information, and public lookups, visit the full county page.
Federal and Historical Released Inmates Records
If the person was in federal custody, use the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator at bop.gov/inmateloc. It covers current and recently released federal inmates. Federal cases are handled separately from state cases and go through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, which is based in Albany.
Historical prison records are kept by the New York State Archives. Visit archives.nysed.gov/research/prisons to browse admission ledgers, parole records, and other documents from past decades. These can be useful for genealogy or historical research.