Find Released Inmates in Hamburg
Hamburg released inmates are processed through the Erie County jail system, which runs two main facilities in the Buffalo area. The town sits in southern Erie County and is home to about 56,000 people. When someone gets arrested in Hamburg, they go to Erie County for holding and court processing. The Erie County Sheriff posts a daily inmate roster as a PDF, which makes it one of the easier counties in New York for checking who is currently locked up. Once a person is released from county custody, their name drops off the list, but other state tools can help you track release info and parole status.
Hamburg Overview
Erie County Released Inmates Custody
Hamburg falls under Erie County for all criminal justice matters. Arrests made by Hamburg police lead to bookings at one of two Erie County facilities. The county runs the Erie County Holding Center in downtown Buffalo and the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden. Both are managed by the Erie County Sheriff's Office.
The Holding Center at 40 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo is where most new arrests go first. It holds people awaiting trial and those with short stays. The Correctional Facility on Walden Avenue in Alden houses inmates serving sentences of up to one year. People convicted of felonies with sentences over one year get transferred to state prison under DOCCS.
Hamburg sits in the 8th Judicial District. The town has its own Justice Court for local matters like traffic tickets and small claims. But criminal cases that move past the town level go to Erie County Court or Supreme Court in Buffalo. For more about the county system, see the Erie County page.
Erie County Released Inmates Facilities
Erie County operates two jail facilities that serve Hamburg and all other towns in the county. Here are the details for both.
| Facility | Erie County Holding Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 40 Delaware Avenue Buffalo, NY |
| Phone | (716) 858-7636 |
| Facility | Erie County Correctional Facility |
|---|---|
| Address | 11581 Walden Avenue Alden, NY |
| Phone | (716) 937-9100 |
| Website | Erie County Jail Management Division |
The Sheriff's Office Jail Management Division oversees both places. They handle intake, housing, medical care, and release processing. When an inmate's sentence ends or bail is posted, the release happens at whichever facility holds the person at that time.
New York Correction Law requires county jails to keep records of all inmates, including when they come in and when they leave. Under this law, the sheriff must maintain a jail register that tracks each person's name, charge, date of commitment, and date of discharge. These records can be requested by the public through proper channels.
How to Search for Released Inmates
Erie County is one of the few counties in New York that posts an inmate roster online. The Sheriff's Office publishes a PDF list of current inmates. You can find it at the Erie County inmate list. This shows who is currently held. If the person you are looking for is not on the list, they may have been released.
The list updates regularly. It shows names, booking dates, and charges. Keep in mind that it only shows current inmates. Once someone is released, their name comes off. There is no archive of past inmates on the site. For that, you need other tools.
For state prison records, use the DOCCS lookup at doccs.ny.gov. This covers people serving state time. The parolee lookup at doccs.ny.gov/parolee-lookup shows those on active parole. Both tools are free to use.
The court system also has records. The Criminal History Record Search at the CHRS portal lets you search for criminal case records across New York courts. There is a fee for this service. The Sex Offender Registry at criminaljustice.ny.gov/nsor is free and lists people convicted of sex offenses.
Released Inmates Alerts Through VINE
VINE gives you a way to track inmates in Erie County jails without calling the facility over and over. It is a free victim notification system that covers jails and prisons across New York state.
Go to vinelink.com and search for the inmate by name. You can register to get a call, text, or email when the person is released, moved, or has any change in status. This works for people held at the Erie County Holding Center, the Correctional Facility in Alden, or state prisons.
VINE is run by a company called Appriss Safety and works with law enforcement agencies across the country. In New York, it ties into county and state systems. The service costs nothing to the user. It was set up to help crime victims stay informed, but anyone can use it to check on an inmate.
Released Inmates Records Requests Under FOIL
If you need official records about a released inmate from Erie County, you can file a FOIL request. New York's Freedom of Information Law under Public Officers Law Article 6 gives the public a right to government records, including jail records.
Send your request in writing to the Erie County Sheriff's Office. Include the full name of the person, date of birth, and a clear description of what records you want. The agency has five business days to respond, though they can ask for more time if the request is large or complex.
Erie County may charge $0.25 per page for copies of records provided under FOIL. Some information in jail records may be redacted to protect medical data, ongoing investigations, or other exempt material. You can appeal any denial to the Committee on Open Government.
FOIL works well for getting booking records, release dates, and other factual information about a person's time in county custody. It does not apply to sealed records or cases involving juveniles. The process can take a few weeks, so plan ahead if you need the info by a certain date.
Erie County Jail Management Resources
The Erie County Sheriff's Jail Management Division website provides details about both county facilities, visiting hours, and the inmate roster PDF. Use it as a starting point when searching for inmates connected to Hamburg. The site also has info about jail programs and policies.
Nearby Cities
Other towns near Hamburg in Erie County use the same jail system. Released inmates from these areas go through the same two facilities in Buffalo and Alden.
Buffalo is the county seat and where the Holding Center is located. Cheektowaga, Tonawanda, and Amherst are all large suburbs in Erie County. The same search tools and FOIL process apply to inmates from any of these places.
Erie County Released Inmates
Hamburg is part of Erie County, and all local jail operations run through the Erie County Sheriff. For a full look at the county jail system, inmate lookup tools, and legal resources, visit the Erie County released inmates page.