Look Up Kings County Released Inmates
Kings County released inmates records in Brooklyn are handled by the New York City Department of Correction, not a county sheriff. Kings County is one of five boroughs that make up New York City, and the city runs a unified jail system for all five counties. Inmates arrested in Brooklyn go through central booking at 120 Schermerhorn Street and may be held at Rikers Island or one of the other NYC DOC facilities. The DOC Inmate Lookup tool lets you search for current and recently released inmates online. State tools like DOCCS and VINELink cover those who went to state prison or are on parole.
Kings County Overview
NYC Released Inmates and Kings County
The New York City Department of Correction handles all inmates for Kings County. Unlike upstate counties where the sheriff runs the jail, the five NYC boroughs share a single DOC system. The main DOC office is at 75-20 Astoria Boulevard in East Elmhurst. Call (718) 546-1500 for general inquiries.
Brooklyn Central Booking is at 120 Schermerhorn Street in downtown Brooklyn. When someone is arrested in Kings County, they go through processing here first. From there, they may be held at one of several facilities. Rikers Island has multiple jails including AMKC, GMDC, EMFC, OBCC, NIC, and RMSC. Some inmates go to borough-based facilities instead.
Kings County is the most populated county in New York. About 2.7 million people live in Brooklyn. The volume of arrests and bookings is very high compared to any upstate county. The DOC system handles thousands of inmates at any given time across all five boroughs. Released inmates stay in the DOC system for about 48 hours after their release, so if you are searching for someone who just got out, the record may still be visible.
| Agency | New York City Department of Correction |
|---|---|
| DOC Address | 75-20 Astoria Boulevard East Elmhurst, NY 11370 |
| DOC Phone | (718) 546-1500 |
| Central Booking | 120 Schermerhorn Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 |
| DOC Website | nyc.gov - Department of Correction |
| Facilities | DOC Facilities and Locations |
How to Search Kings County Released Inmates
The NYC DOC Inmate Lookup is the primary tool for Kings County. Go to the DOC inmate lookup and search by name or booking number. This system shows current inmates and those released within the last 48 hours. It covers all DOC facilities across the five boroughs, not just Brooklyn.
VINELink also works for NYC. Visit vinelink.com, select New York, and search by name. You can set up alerts that tell you when someone's custody status changes. The VINE phone number is 1-888-846-3469. This is especially useful if you want to be notified the moment someone is released from a DOC facility.
For state prison records, use the DOCCS Incarcerated Individual Lookup at doccs.ny.gov. This covers all 44 state correctional facilities. If someone from Kings County was sentenced to more than one year, they went to state prison, not a city jail. The Parolee Lookup shows those released on parole supervision.
The Criminal History Record Search at ww2.nycourts.gov costs $95 and covers all 62 counties. For sex offenders, check the Sex Offender Registry. Historical records are at the State Archives, and federal cases go through the Bureau of Prisons.
Released Inmates Visiting in Kings County
Visiting someone held on a Kings County case depends on which DOC facility they are at. Rikers Island is the most common location. Each facility on Rikers has its own schedule. You can check the current visiting hours on the DOC website or call (718) 546-1500. All visitors must have a valid photo ID and go through a security screening.
Getting to Rikers Island takes planning. The DOC runs a bus from the Queens side, but there is no direct public transit to the island. The trip from Brooklyn can take well over an hour each way. Arrive early because wait times can be long, especially on weekends. If the person you want to visit has been moved or released, you may not find out until you get to the facility.
To avoid a wasted trip, check the DOC Inmate Lookup before you leave. If someone was released, their record stays in the system for about 48 hours. After that window, you would need to use VINELink or contact DOC directly to confirm what happened.
Released Inmates Records and FOIL for Kings County
You can request inmate records from the NYC Department of Correction under New York's Freedom of Information Law. Public Officers Law Article 6 applies to city agencies the same way it applies to county ones. The DOC has a FOIL unit that processes requests for booking records, release dates, and facility assignments.
Send your FOIL request to the DOC Records Access Officer. Include the person's full name, any booking or NYSID numbers you have, and the specific records you want. The agency has five business days to respond. Copies are $0.25 per page. Some records will be redacted for medical privacy or safety reasons.
Good to know: Under Correction Law Section 9, DOCCS removes online records for certain non-violent offenders five years after they complete their sentence or supervision. The DOC lookup has its own retention rules too. If you cannot find someone, the record may have aged out of the online system. FOIL requests or direct contact with the agency can still get you what you need.
Kings County court records are searchable through the state system at ww2.nycourts.gov. Brooklyn Supreme Court and Criminal Court records are part of the statewide database. Between the DOC lookup, VINELink, DOCCS, and the court system, Kings County has more search options than most counties due to the size of the NYC system.
Cities in Kings County
Kings County is the borough of Brooklyn, which is part of New York City. There are no separate cities within the county. All areas of Brooklyn fall under the NYC system.
Neighborhoods like Downtown Brooklyn, Bed-Stuy, Flatbush, Park Slope, Williamsburg, and Brownsville all fall under Kings County. All arrests from these areas are processed through Brooklyn Central Booking and the NYC DOC system.
Nearby Counties
These are the other NYC boroughs and neighboring counties. All five NYC boroughs share the DOC system, but each has its own court system and central booking location.