Find Ada County Inmates

Ada County Jail Roster Basics

The Ada County Inmate Roster is the official jail search tool. It lists people housed at the Ada County Jail for criminal offenses. The roster updates every 24 hours. Recent status changes may not appear right away. The page tells the public that inmate status can only be confirmed in person or by phone at (208) 577-3000. Juvenile offenders are not on the list.

The page is built around a single search field. Bail information appears only for charges that allow release. Some charges are not eligible for bail.

How to Use the Ada County Inmate Roster

The roster does not accept a blank search. A short message appears if the field is empty. "Please enter the first letter(s) of the last name. Must not be blank!" That single rule shapes most lookups.

1. Open the Ada County Inmate Roster.
2. Type the first letter or first few letters of the person's last name in the search field.
3. Click Search. The roster returns matching last names with current custody entries.
4. Open an entry to view booking date, charges, severity, agency, statute, and the VINE link.
5. Call the jail at (208) 577-3000 to confirm status before relying on a result.

For brand-new bookings, the current arrests report often shows the entry sooner than the inmate roster.

Ada County Inmate Roster Search Fields

The Sheriff's inmate roster uses one input field. Other filters do not appear on the page. The current arrests report is a sibling tool that uses several dropdowns and a free-text search.

The current arrests report adds a wider set of filters and a free-text search box.

Sample Ada County Inmate Record Fields

A booking entry on the Sheriff's site collects the same fields each time. The display lays out the photo and identity information first, then a charge table below it. The VINE registration link sits on the page for anyone who wants notifications of custody changes.

What the Ada County Roster Does Not Show

Roster data is a public-information tool. It is not a court record. The page hides juveniles. It does not include sealed cases. Bail information appears only for charges where release is an option. The Sheriff's notice tells the public that information should not be relied upon for legal action. For court status, bond hearings, and final dispositions, use Ada County court records and the Idaho iCourt Portal.

The Sheriff also runs a public-records request process for jail records beyond what is shown online. Open-investigation files and victim or witness information stay restricted under Idaho Code Section 74-105.

The request page above sets the response timing and the law-enforcement exemptions that apply to many jail and arrest records.

VINELink Custody Notifications

The arrest pages embed VINE registration links so members of the public can subscribe to custody-status changes. VINE is a victim notification service run statewide. Register with phone, email, or text and the system delivers an alert when the subject is released, transferred, or has a court-status change. The system does not replace direct calls to the jail for emergencies, but it is the layer that catches most movement.

For people transferred out of the Ada County Jail to state custody, the Idaho Department of Correction Resident/Client Search picks up the trail. Federal transfers move to the BOP locator. See the Ada County released inmates page for the full custody-tracking workflow.

Ada County Jail Facilities

The Ada County Jail is part of the Sheriff's Office Jail Services Bureau at the 7200 Barrister Drive campus. Sheriff reports describe the facility as Idaho's largest local jail. Capacity figures vary by official document. The Sheriff's annual report page lists 1,224 beds. The FY25 budget book cites a capacity of 1,116 inmates. The Idaho Sheriffs' Association directory lists a rated capacity of 1,049. The jail also operates a Maximum Security Unit with 44 cells for high-risk inmates.

Ada County Jail Visitation

All visits between Ada County Jail inmates and the public happen online. The Sheriff uses the GettingOut video visitation system. Each inmate receives two free 25-minute online visits each week. Additional visits can be purchased through the system. Account help: 1-866-516-0115. Ada County Jail visitation questions: (208) 577-3113.

Note: Visit windows depend on the GettingOut schedule and may be limited by housing assignment, classification, or facility lockdown.

Mail, Money, and Commissary

Ada County Jail mail is scanned and delivered to inmates electronically. The mailing address routes through Phoenix, Maryland. Mail must include sender and recipient information and the inmate's JID number. Newspapers, magazines, and books must come directly from a publisher or bookstore and ship to 7210 Barrister Drive, Boise.

Money deposits are accepted at the Sheriff's Office kiosk with cash or a Visa or debit card. Online deposits go through Telemate. iCare lets family and friends buy commissary packages once the inmate has at least $1 in the account. Inmates must maintain $15 in the personal account. Balances above that may be used for commissary. Inmates cannot receive phone calls but may purchase outgoing phone time.

Jail Programs and Health Services

The jail runs Active Behavioral Change, the Substance Abuse Program, and the Workforce Readiness Program. Programs are available in custody and at the Community Transition Center. Entry can come from a court order, a probation term, or self-referral. CTC participants must be ordered to the Community Transition Program and have at least 30 days to serve. Eligibility includes a classification level between 4 and 9, a discipline-free 30-day window, dorm or CTC housing, enough remaining time, and funding before the class begins.

The on-site medical facility runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week with full-time mental health providers and licensed health care staff. The Maximum Security Unit holds high-risk inmates in three sections. Class One inmates are housed one per cell with one hour of out-of-cell time each day. Staff conduct walk-throughs every 30 minutes.

Booking and Custody in Ada County

Arrests in Ada County route to the jail at 7200 Barrister Drive. Intake staff handle identification, take a booking photo, run fingerprints, and complete medical and classification screens. A magistrate judge sets bond at the first court appearance unless an existing court order controls release. Bond amounts on the jail roster appear only for charges where release is an option. Some charges are not eligible for bail.

Once a person is booked, the custody record lives with the Sheriff. The court case lives with the Clerk. The two feeds run in parallel. The roster shows current custody. iCourt shows the court file. The Idaho Department of Correction picks up the trail when a person is sentenced and transferred to state custody.

Bond and Court Status

The Sheriff's roster is not the right tool for bond questions. Use it to confirm a person is in custody. Use iCourt to find the case number and the scheduled hearings. Use the case docket to read any bond order. Bond hearings, motions to reduce bond, and stipulated release plans all live in the court file rather than on the roster.

Note: A magistrate may modify bond conditions at the initial appearance, the preliminary hearing, or any later hearing. A reset bond may not change the roster display until the next 24-hour update.

Classification, Health, and Programs

Classification screens place each inmate in the housing track that matches the risk and care level. General population dorms hold most inmates. Higher-security housing handles riskier classifications. The Maximum Security Unit holds the highest-risk and most disruptive inmates. Medical housing serves inmates with health or mental-health needs that cannot be met in general population.

Inmates with at least 30 days remaining and a clean discipline record may be eligible for the Community Transition Center program. CTC participants live in less restrictive housing and complete focused programming such as Active Behavioral Change or the Substance Abuse Program. Workforce Readiness adds employment readiness, resume help, and interview preparation. Court order, probation term, or self-referral can open the door to the programs. Funding must be in place before enrollment.

Incarceration Cost in Ada County

The Sheriff's mail and payments page cites Idaho Code Section 20-607 on jail reimbursement. Sentenced jail inmates are charged $25 per day, up to $500 per incarceration, which works out to a cap at 20 days. The payment usually appears as a debt on the criminal case docket and follows the inmate after release. Pretrial detainees are not assessed this fee. The Sheriff handles billing for sentenced inmates through standard county financial processes.

Note: Commissary revenue is used for inmate-related items such as books, law library materials, chairs, televisions, board games, and indigent supplies, per the jail's mail and payments page.

Related Ada County Searches

For people released or transferred out of Ada County custody, see the released inmates page. For warrants, see Ada County warrant records. For underlying court files, see court records. For population data, capacity context, and trends, see the Ada County jail population page.