Three separate systems hold people in custody in Alaska, and they don't share one search. State prison inmates are in Alaska Department of Corrections custody. People awaiting trial or serving short sentences sit in county jails. Federal defendants are a third system entirely. Here's how to check each, free.
- State custody: Alaska Department of Corrections posts custody status through VINELink, the national victim-notification network — search by name, and register for release alerts while you're there.
- County jails: a handful of Alaska counties post rosters online (linked below); for the rest, the sheriff's office answers custody questions by phone.
- Federal custody: the Bureau of Prisons locator (bop.gov) covers federal defendants and anyone sentenced in US District Court — a separate population people forget to check.
- Stay notified: VINELink sends automatic alerts when someone's custody status changes — transfer, release, or escape — in nearly every state.
Alaska runs a combined jail-and-prison system — the state holds pretrial detainees too, so one search covers both. Content reviewed July 29, 2026 by the SearchSystems editorial team.
Official Alaska Custody Lookups
Alaska Counties With Online Jail Rosters
These counties publish their own booking or in-custody lists — click through for each county records page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Alaska Records
Custody is one piece: the Alaska criminal records page covers official background checks, wants & warrants lists who's being looked for, and Alaska court records hold the cases behind every custody entry.