Berks County Released Inmates
Berks County released inmate records are maintained by the Berks County Jail System in Leesport, Pennsylvania. The jail holds an average of more than 1,000 people on any given day, and roughly 55 percent of that population turns over each week. Searching Berks County inmate records lets you check whether someone is currently in custody, view basic booking details, and find expected release dates. No fees are required to access the public inmate roster. The county seat is Reading, and all county correctional matters are handled through the jail on County Welfare Road.
Berks County Jail Quick Facts
Berks County Jail System
The Berks County Jail System is the primary detention facility for Berks County. It sits at 1287 County Welfare Road in Leesport and operates around the clock. The facility books people charged with crimes in Berks County and holds those who cannot post bail or who are serving short sentences. With an average daily population of over 1,000 inmates, it ranks among the busier county jails in Pennsylvania.
The Berks County Jail System tracks each inmate from booking through release. Staff record charges filed against each person, the bond or bail amount set by the court, and the housing location within the facility. Expected release dates are also logged. This data feeds the public inmate roster, which is updated as information changes. Families and attorneys searching for someone can call the jail directly at 610-208-4800 any time of day or night.
The Berks County Sheriff's Office offers a mobile app for inmate searches and custody notifications. The app is free and available through both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It gives users access to booking records and alert features when someone's custody status changes in Berks County.
The jail logs roughly 21,240 arrests per year across the county.| Facility |
Berks County Jail System 1287 County Welfare Road Leesport, PA 19533 Phone: 610-208-4800 |
|---|---|
| Hours | 24 hours a day, 7 days a week |
| Website | co.berks.pa.us |
Released Inmate Search in Berks County
The Berks County Jail System maintains a public inmate roster that shows who is currently in custody. You can check current booking records, view charges, and see bail amounts through the jail's official website at co.berks.pa.us. The roster is updated regularly, so information reflects recent changes to custody status throughout Berks County.
For people seeking Berks County released inmate records specifically, the jail's phone line is a reliable resource. Call 610-208-4800 and staff can confirm release dates and basic booking details. The sheriff's mobile app also lets you search by name and receive alerts about custody changes. These tools are free to use and cover everyone who passes through the Berks County Jail System. Released inmate data includes the name, charges, booking date, and date of release once a person has left the facility.
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections operates a separate statewide inmate locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov. This tool covers people serving state prison sentences but does not include county jail inmates. If you cannot find someone in the Berks County jail records, they may be in a state facility. The PADOC locator updates daily and is free to search.
The PADOC inmate locator is the right tool when someone has been transferred out of Berks County to a state correctional institution. State sentences of two years or more are typically served at a PADOC facility rather than the county jail. The locator shows current location, sentence length, and minimum release date for state inmates.
Note: The PADOC locator only covers individuals sentenced to state prison. For county-level released inmate records in Berks County, contact the jail directly or use the county website.
Right-to-Know in Berks County
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104, gives any person the right to request public records from government agencies, including the Berks County Jail System. Records are presumed public unless an agency can show they are exempt. The law requires a response within 5 business days of receiving a written request. Copy fees are set at $0.25 per page.
To request Berks County jail records under the RTKL, submit a written request to the Jail Records Office at 1287 County Welfare Road, Leesport, PA 19533. You can also use the standard Right-to-Know form available at openrecords.pa.gov. Describe the records you want as clearly as possible. The jail records office handles requests for booking records, inmate rosters, and related custody records in Berks County.
The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records oversees the RTKL statewide. If the Berks County Jail denies your request or does not respond in time, you can file an appeal with the Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov or by phone at 717-346-9903. Appeals are free to file and are decided by the Office of Open Records within 30 days.
Criminal history records disseminated under the RTKL are also governed by the Criminal History Record Information Act, 18 Pa.C.S. § 9121 et seq. This statute limits who may receive certain types of criminal history data and how it may be used. The Berks County Jail follows both laws when responding to records requests.
Note: Some records at the Berks County Jail may be withheld if disclosure would jeopardize facility security or reveal confidential investigative information.
Victim Notification in Berks County
Pennsylvania's SAVIN program, PA SAVIN, lets crime victims track the custody status of offenders in Berks County and across the state. The service is free, operates 24 hours a day, and notifies registered users when an offender is released, transferred, or escapes from custody. PA SAVIN covers both county jails and state prisons, so victims can follow an offender's status even if they move from the Berks County Jail to a state facility.
Register for PA SAVIN at pavictimhelp.org or call 1-866-972-7284. You can choose to receive notifications by phone, email, or text message. Registration requires the offender's name and date of birth. The system sends alerts automatically whenever the offender's custody status changes within Berks County or anywhere else in Pennsylvania.
Victims can also contact the Berks County District Attorney's Office for help with victim notification services and other support. The DA's office works with the jail and state agencies to ensure that victims in Berks County receive timely information about offender releases and court dates.
State Inmate Resources for Berks County
Several state resources help Berks County residents search for inmates and access criminal records. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections website at cor.pa.gov provides information about state prisons, inmate programs, and the parole process. The PADOC inmate locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov is the main tool for finding people sentenced to state prison from Berks County.
The Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole at pbpp.pa.gov oversees people on state parole, including those originally sentenced in Berks County. The board can tell you whether a person is currently on parole supervision. The UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us provides access to court case records from Berks County and every other county in Pennsylvania. You can search by name or case number to find charges, dispositions, and sentencing information.
PATCH, the Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History system, provides official criminal background checks. Searches cost $22 and can be requested online at epatch.state.pa.us or by calling 1-888-783-7972. PATCH results are issued by the Pennsylvania State Police and show convictions statewide, including cases from Berks County. The PA State Police also maintain sex offender registry information at psp.pa.gov.
Pennsylvania's Clean Slate Act, Act 56 of 2018, allows non-violent misdemeanor convictions to be automatically sealed after 10 years. Expungement is available under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 for certain arrests and convictions. People with Berks County records who believe their cases may qualify can contact the Berks County Public Defender or a private attorney for guidance.
Note: Sealed or expunged records will not appear in PATCH results but may still be visible to law enforcement agencies in Berks County.
Cities in Berks County
Berks County spans a large area of southeastern Pennsylvania. Reading is the county seat and the largest city in Berks County. Residents of any city or borough in Berks County who are arrested will be booked at the Berks County Jail System in Leesport. Released inmate records from any part of Berks County are available through the jail system.
Reading is the county seat of Berks County. Inmate records for people arrested in Reading are maintained by the Berks County Jail System along with records for all other municipalities in the county.
Nearby Counties
Berks County borders six other Pennsylvania counties. If someone was arrested near a county line, their custody records may be held by a neighboring county. Check the county where the arrest occurred to find the right jail records.