Whitman County Jail Roster Records

The Whitman County jail roster is the public booking log for the county jail in Colfax. You can use it to find out if someone is in custody, check the charges, and see when they were booked. The Whitman County Sheriff's Office runs the jail and handles inmate lookups. Whitman County is home to Washington State University in Pullman, and the Pullman Police Department handles most arrests in the city. This page explains how to search the Whitman County jail roster, how to request records, and where to look when the county system does not have the person you need.

How to Search the Whitman County Jail Roster

The Whitman County Sheriff's Office is headquartered at 400 N Main Street, Colfax, WA 99111. Phone is (509) 397-6266. The Whitman County Sheriff's Office website is the starting point for jail roster searches. The jail sits at the same Colfax location and can be reached directly at (509) 397-5575 for inmate information.

Whitman County is a smaller county. The jail holds people awaiting trial and those serving shorter sentences. To check the Whitman County jail roster, call the jail or the sheriff's office. Staff can tell you if someone is in custody, what the charges are, and when the person was booked. Basic booking data is public under state law and does not need a formal request.

Municipal police departments operate independently in Pullman and Colfax. The Pullman Police Department serves the largest city in the county and the Washington State University campus. People arrested by Pullman Police are typically booked into the Whitman County Jail. If you know the arrest happened in Pullman, you can also check with the Pullman Police Department for report info.

Whitman County Jail Roster Records

Under RCW 70.48.100, the Whitman County Jail must keep a jail register that is open to the public. The register logs the name of each person held, the hour and date of the booking, the cause of the booking, and the hour, date, and manner of release. This is the same law that applies to every jail in Washington.

The Whitman County jail roster shows the basics. Inmate name, booking date, charges, and custody status are all public. Bail or bond amounts appear when the court sets them. The full inmate file goes deeper than the register. Medical records, mental health data, security plans, and behavioral information are confidential. Under state law, those records can only go to criminal justice agencies, the courts, or the inmate with written consent.

Mugshots and booking photos in Whitman County are generally considered public records. You can request them through the jail or the law enforcement agency that made the arrest. Photos may be available quickly for recent bookings.

Filing Records Requests in Whitman County

For records beyond the public Whitman County jail roster, submit a written public records request to the sheriff's office or the municipal police department that made the arrest. Under RCW 42.56, the Public Records Act, agencies must respond within five business days. The Whitman County Public Records office processes these requests.

You do not need to give a reason for the request. You do not need to live in Whitman County. Include the inmate name, the dates you want, and a clear description of the records. Basic jail roster data like name, booking date, and charges is already public. Use the formal request for deeper records like incident reports, call logs, or full booking reports.

Whitman County Jail Roster and Court Records

Pair the Whitman County jail roster with court records for a complete view. The Odyssey court portal covers Washington district and municipal court cases. Search by name to find the case number, the charges, and the next hearing date. Whitman County Superior Court handles felonies. District court covers misdemeanors and infractions.

The charges on the jail roster line up with the charges on the court docket. If you find someone on the Whitman County jail roster and want to track the case, the Odyssey portal is the right tool. It shows where the case stands and when the next court date is set. Use both tools together for the most complete picture of an arrest and its outcome.

Custody Alerts for Whitman County

The VINE service covers Whitman County. VINE is the statewide victim notification system for Washington. It sends free alerts by phone, text, or email when an inmate is booked, moved, or released. Anyone can sign up. The service is confidential and free. It is run with support from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

If a person moves off the Whitman County jail roster and into a state prison, VINE can still track them through the DOC system. This is helpful when you want to know the moment someone is released, regardless of which facility holds them at the time.

State and Federal Searches

People sentenced to more than a year leave the Whitman County jail roster and go to a state prison. The Washington DOC runs the Incarcerated Search for state inmates. The DOC was set up under RCW 72.09 and runs all state adult prisons and the supervision of people released to the community.

For federal inmates, use the Bureau of Prisons locator at bop.gov/inmateloc. For people held by ICE, use the ICE Detainee Locator. The DOC Search Resources page links to both federal tools. Use these when the Whitman County jail roster has no match and you think the person was moved to a different system.

Whitman County Jail Roster Screenshot

The Whitman County Sheriff's Office website is the primary contact point for jail roster searches in the county.

The statute above, RCW 70.48.100, is the law that requires the Whitman County Jail to keep a public register of all bookings and releases.

Whitman County Jail Roster Privacy

The jail register is open to the public. The full inmate file is not. Under RCW 70.48.100, records of a person held in jail are kept in confidence and can only be shared with criminal justice agencies, the courts, research groups, or with the inmate's written consent. The Whitman County jail roster gives you the register data. Everything beyond that needs a formal process.

No tribal law enforcement agencies operate in Whitman County, though the county works with regional task forces for specialized investigations. If an arrest involves a multi-agency task force, the booking still goes through the Whitman County Jail and shows on the same roster.

Cities in Whitman County

People arrested in Pullman and other Whitman County cities are booked into the county jail in Colfax.

Nearby Counties