Search Hartford County Released Inmates

Hartford County released inmates records are held by the Connecticut Department of Correction and by local police departments spread across the county. With a population of about 900,000, Hartford County is one of the largest in Connecticut. Two state correctional facilities sit in the county: the Hartford Correctional Center and MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution. The Hartford Judicial District courthouse at 95 Washington Street handles criminal cases for the area. You can search for released inmate records through the state DOC inmate lookup, the CT Judicial Branch case search, or by contacting police departments in Hartford, New Britain, West Hartford, and East Hartford.

Hartford County Inmate Facilities

Hartford County has two state correctional facilities. The Hartford Correctional Center is right in the city of Hartford. MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution is in the town of Suffield. Both are run by the Connecticut Department of Correction. There are no county jails in Connecticut. That system ended in 1968. All jails and prisons fall under the state DOC now. Under C.G.S. § 54-142g, criminal history record information includes arrests, charges, sentences, and releases for inmates held at these Hartford County facilities. The DOC tracks both sentenced inmates and people on accused status who have not yet gone to trial.

The Connecticut DOC website is the main source for released inmates records from Hartford County state facilities.

The DOC updates its inmate data on a daily basis for all state sites.

MacDougall-Walker CI is one of the largest facilities in the state. It holds male inmates at multiple security levels. Hartford CC holds both pre-trial detainees and sentenced offenders from the Hartford area. If someone you are looking for was held at either site and has since been released, the DOC Public Information Office at (860) 692-7480 can help. You can also email DOC.PIO@ct.gov. The office is at 24 Wolcott Hill Road in Wethersfield.

Search Released Inmates in Hartford County

The state runs an online inmate search tool. It lets you look up current and past inmates by name or inmate number. The CT DOC inmate search covers all state facilities, including both Hartford CC and MacDougall-Walker CI. For the best results, enter just a few letters of the last name. The system returns a list of names that start with those letters. There is no single database just for released inmates in Hartford County. If the person has already left custody, you may need to call the DOC or the specific facility where they were held.

The Connecticut Judicial Branch runs a case lookup tool. It shows criminal convictions from the past 10 years. The CT Judicial Branch case lookup covers the Hartford Judicial District at 95 Washington Street in Hartford, CT 06106. Court records show the charges and the outcome of each case. Under C.G.S. § 1-210, most records held by public agencies are open to the public. This includes court documents tied to criminal cases in Hartford County.

The Hartford County court records page gives more details on how to find case information.

Case records update as new information comes in from the courts.

Note: Youthful offender and juvenile records are not shown in the public case lookup system.

Hartford Police Released Inmates Records

The Hartford Police Department is the largest law enforcement agency in the county. Their Records Division is at 550 Main Street, Suite 001, Hartford, CT 06103. Call (860) 757-4150 for records requests. The division is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. On Thursdays, they stay open until 5:00 PM. Hartford PD gets about 65,000 reports each year. That is a big volume. Because of this, most records take at least 7 to 15 business days after the incident to become available. Copies of incident reports cost $0.50 per page. You must pay by business check or money order made payable to the City of Hartford. Cash is not accepted for Hartford released inmates records.

Some reports may not be fully available right away. Under Connecticut state law, certain records are redacted or withheld until the case has been adjudicated. This means if someone was arrested but the charges are still open, the full report might not be released yet. Once all charges are resolved, the report goes into the public record. C.G.S. § 1-215 says that the record of an arrest is a public document. It includes the name, address, date, time, place of arrest, and the offense charged. This applies to all Hartford County police departments.

Hartford County Police Department Records

West Hartford Police Department is at 103 Raymond Road, West Hartford, CT 06107. Their phone number is 860-570-8800. Email PDRecords@westhartfordct.gov for records requests. The records office is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Copies cost $0.50 per page, plus $1.00 if you need them mailed. A local record check costs $5.00. Fingerprinting is $10 for residents and $20 for non-residents. West Hartford keeps its own arrest records for released inmates who were processed through their department.

The East Hartford Police Department handles records Monday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Their non-emergency line is (860) 528-4401. Fingerprinting is offered every second and fourth Wednesday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. East Hartford processes a steady flow of arrest reports that relate to released inmates in Hartford County.

New Britain Police Department Records Bureau is at 860-826-3190. They are open Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. A local record check costs $15 in cash. Police reports cost $0.50 per page, cash only. A certified report is $5.00. If you need a CD with photos, that costs $10. Reports are ready 3 to 5 days after the incident. Accident reports are available at a separate site. Fingerprinting happens on Mondays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The fee is $30 per applicant. New Britain PD is a key source for released inmates records in the western part of Hartford County.

Note: Each police department in Hartford County sets its own hours and payment methods for records requests.

Criminal History Checks in Hartford County

The State Police Bureau of Identification handles criminal history checks for anyone in Connecticut. A state check costs $75. A federal check is $13.25. Fingerprinting costs $15. Under C.G.S. § 29-11, the bureau keeps a central file of criminal records for every person age 16 or older who has been charged with a crime in the state. Mail your request with form DPS-0846-C to 1111 Country Club Road, Middletown, CT 06457. The bureau does not take requests by email or fax. A law enforcement agency must handle the fingerprinting for Hartford County residents who need this service.

Hartford County residents can also seek criminal record erasure. Under C.G.S. § 54-142a, records may be erased if charges are dismissed, nolled after 13 months, or end in acquittal. Misdemeanor convictions can be erased after 7 years. Some felonies qualify after 10 years. The Clean Slate law makes some of this automatic. This means certain released inmates in Hartford County may not show up in searches if their records have been erased. Not all offenses qualify, though. Serious violent crimes and sex offenses are excluded from erasure.

Victim Notification for Hartford County

The DOC Victim Services Unit tracks inmate status changes. Call 888-869-7057 or email doc.victimservices@ct.gov. CT SAVIN sends automated phone alerts when an inmate's status changes. The toll-free SAVIN number is 1-866-277-7477. VINELink also provides victim notification for Hartford County through the Connecticut system. You can sign up for alerts on bond releases, escapes, parole hearings, and end-of-sentence dates for released inmates.

The Board of Pardons and Paroles handles parole decisions for Hartford County inmates. Their office is at 55 West Main Street in Waterbury. The board holds public hearings that victims can watch through a video feed. Parolees from Hartford County are supervised by DOC employees after they leave custody. Parole revocations go back to the board for review.

Note: Victims can sign up for both SAVIN phone alerts and VINELink online alerts at the same time for the same inmate.

Hartford County Public Records Access

Connecticut's Freedom of Information Act gives the public broad access to government records. Under C.G.S. § 1-210, all records held by public agencies are presumed open unless a specific exemption applies. For released inmates in Hartford County, this means you can request arrest records, court documents, and incident reports from most agencies. Law enforcement records tied to active investigations may have some limits. The names of informants and minor witnesses can be withheld. Details about investigative techniques that are not public knowledge may also be held back.

Each agency in Hartford County handles its own FOIA requests. You can file a request in writing with the Hartford Police Department, West Hartford PD, East Hartford PD, New Britain PD, or any other local department. The agency must respond within four business days. If they deny your request, you can appeal to the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission. There is no fee to file an appeal. The process can take several weeks, but it gives you a path to get records that were initially denied.

Cities in Hartford County

Hartford County has 14 cities and towns with populations over 25,000. All of them rely on the state DOC for inmate records and the Hartford Judicial District for court cases. Each city has its own police department that keeps local arrest records for released inmates.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Hartford County. If you need released inmate records from a different area, check the county where the arrest or court case took place.