Forest County Jail and Inmate Records
Forest County released inmate records are kept by the Forest County Jail in Tionesta, Pennsylvania. Forest County is one of the smallest and most rural counties in the entire state, with a modest jail population. The facility at 526 Elm Street holds adult male inmates at the medium security level. Public rosters are limited, so most inquiries go through direct contact with the jail at 814-755-3541 or through a formal Right-to-Know request. This page covers every available method for searching Forest County released inmate data, including state-level tools that apply to all Pennsylvania counties.
Forest County Quick Facts
Forest County Jail — Tionesta Facility
The Forest County Jail is at 526 Elm Street, Box 9, Tionesta, PA 16353. The phone number is 814-755-3541. The jail also accepts contact by email at rwolfgang@co.forest.pa.us for administrative inquiries. This is a medium security county jail that houses adult male inmates who are 18 years old or older.
Forest County is one of the least populous counties in Pennsylvania. Because of its small size, the jail holds a very limited number of inmates at any given time. A public roster is not maintained online. Jail log requests and records inquiries should go directly to the facility at 814-755-3541 or through the county website at co.forest.pa.us.
Forest County government offices are small and handle records requests on a case-by-case basis. Response times may be longer than in larger counties simply due to staffing. If you do not get a response by phone, a formal Right-to-Know request is the next step. The county's Open Records Officer is required by law to respond within five business days of receiving a proper RTKL request.
| Facility |
Forest County Jail 526 Elm Street, Box 9 Tionesta, PA 16353 Phone: 814-755-3541 |
|---|---|
| rwolfgang@co.forest.pa.us | |
| Security Level | Medium security, adult males only |
| County Website | co.forest.pa.us |
Inmate Records and Search in Forest County
Searching for released inmate records in Forest County requires a different approach than in larger counties. There is no online public roster. Phone contact at 814-755-3541 is the primary method. Staff can confirm custody status, booking date, charges, and release information during business hours.
For state prison records, the PADOC Inmate Locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov covers individuals who received state sentences after being charged in Forest County. The locator is free and searches by name or DOC number. It returns facility location, sentence length, and minimum release date for individuals in the state system.
The UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us provides court records for criminal cases filed in Forest County. A name or docket number search returns case history, charges, and court dates. Because Forest County's jail does not publish a roster, court records often serve as the most accessible source of information about a person's criminal case in this county.
Jail log requests can be made by contacting the Forest County Jail directly at 814-755-3541 or by emailing rwolfgang@co.forest.pa.us. The jail log is a public document that records bookings and releases. Requesting the jail log gives you a record of who was booked into Forest County custody during a specific period, including releases.
Note: Because Forest County holds adult male inmates only, female defendants may be transferred to a nearby county facility. If you cannot locate someone in Forest County custody, check with neighboring counties including Clarion, Venango, Elk, Warren, or Jefferson.
Right-to-Know Requests in Forest County
The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. §§ 67.101–67.3104, applies to all Forest County agencies. Any person may request public records. Forest County must respond within five business days. Booking records, jail logs, and release dates are public records under the RTKL.
The standard RTK request form is available at openrecords.pa.gov/RTKL/StandardRTKForm.cfm. You can also write your own request. Address it to the Open Records Officer for Forest County. Include the type of record you want, the name of the person involved, and the approximate date range. The copy fee is $0.25 per page in Pennsylvania.
If Forest County denies your request, appeal to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov or call 717-346-9903. The OOR reviews all denial appeals and issues binding decisions. Further appeals can go to Commonwealth Court. This process is free for requesters and applies to all counties, including Forest County.
Note: Law enforcement records may also fall under CHRIA, 18 Pa.C.S. § 9121 et seq., which limits access to detailed criminal histories. The RTKL exemption for criminal investigative records is separate from CHRIA and may also apply to certain Forest County records.
PA SAVIN — Victim Notification in Forest County
PA SAVIN provides free custody notifications for Forest County. Register at pavictimhelp.org or call 1-866-972-7284 any time. The system runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It sends alerts when a person's custody status changes — including releases, transfers, and bookings — at Forest County Jail and state facilities throughout Pennsylvania.
Anyone may register with PA SAVIN. You do not need to be a crime victim or have a court case pending. Once registered, the system alerts you by your chosen method — phone call, email, or text message. You can also search current custody status at any time without registering through the PA SAVIN website.
Because Forest County's jail does not publish an online roster, PA SAVIN is especially valuable for people who need to track an individual's custody status in this county. It provides real-time data drawn directly from the jail's records management system.
State Resources for Forest County Residents
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections at cor.pa.gov oversees state prisons holding individuals originally charged in Forest County. The PADOC Inmate Locator at inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov is a free daily-updated tool for finding state-sentenced inmates. For state parole matters, contact the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole at pbpp.pa.gov.
The PATCH system through the Pennsylvania State Police at epatch.state.pa.us provides statewide criminal history reports for $22 per search. Call 1-888-783-7972 for assistance. PATCH reports are useful when you need a complete criminal history across all Pennsylvania counties, including Forest County cases that may not appear in a simple jail roster search.
Pennsylvania's Clean Slate Act (Act 56 of 2018) automatically seals certain lower-level records after an eligibility waiting period. Expungement under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 also removes records from public access when granted by a court. These laws mean some older Forest County inmate records may no longer appear in public searches. The UJS Portal will not show sealed or expunged cases.
Nearby Counties
Forest County borders Clarion, Venango, Elk, Warren, and Jefferson counties. Female inmates or overflow from Forest County may be held in nearby facilities. Search records for those counties using the links below.