New Bedford Released Inmate Records
New Bedford released inmate records come from a few different sources in Bristol County. The city has its own jail, the Ash Street Jail, which is one of the oldest in the country. The New Bedford Police Department also publishes daily arrest logs that show who was booked and released. Finding released inmate data for New Bedford means checking the police department site, the Bristol County Sheriff's Office, and the state public records system. Most of this is not in one spot, so you have to pull from several places to get a full picture of released inmates tied to New Bedford.
New Bedford Overview
New Bedford Police Released Inmate Logs
The New Bedford Police Department is run by Chief Paul Oliveira. The department publishes daily arrest logs on its website in PDF format. These logs show the names of people who were arrested, the charges, and booking details. They also note when someone was released from custody. The logs go back a long time, and the site keeps an extensive archive of past reports. This makes the NBPD site one of the best local sources for finding released inmate information tied to New Bedford.
You can find the police logs at the New Bedford Police Logs page. Each log is a PDF file. They are posted daily and list every arrest from the prior day. The logs include the person's name, age, address, and what they were charged with. If someone was released on bail or personal recognizance, that shows up in the log too. This is a free resource that anyone can use without filing a formal request.
The log archive goes back years. If you need to look up a released inmate from a past date, scroll through the archive to find the right day. Each file covers one day of arrests and releases.
The NBPD is also active on social media. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok under the handle @NewBedfordPD. They post updates about arrests, public safety alerts, and community events. Sometimes these posts include details about recent arrests that can help you track down released inmate information before the official logs are posted.
The main New Bedford Police website has other resources too, including contact info for specific units and crime data that may be useful when searching for released inmates in the city.
Ash Street Jail and New Bedford Inmate Records
The Ash Street Jail sits at 226 Ash Street in New Bedford. It opened in 1888 and is considered the oldest operational jail in the country. The facility is run by the Bristol County Sheriff's Office under Sheriff Paul Heroux. You can call the jail at (508) 996-6704. Released inmate records from this jail go through the sheriff's office, not the city police.
The jail has held inmates for well over a century. That means there are historical records going back more than 100 years. The New Bedford Whaling Museum has preserved glass plate negatives of inmate photos from the early days of the Ash Street Jail. These are some of the oldest inmate records in the state and give a rare look at the jail system from over a century ago. For anyone doing historical research on released inmates in New Bedford, the museum is worth contacting.
There are plans to close the Ash Street Jail and move operations to a new facility in Dartmouth. The Bristol County Sheriff's Office runs a larger facility in Dartmouth already, and the goal is to consolidate jail operations there. When this happens, released inmate records for people held in New Bedford will shift to the Dartmouth site. For now, Ash Street is still in use and still generating inmate records.
To get released inmate records from the Ash Street Jail, you file a public records request with the Bristol County Sheriff's Office. Under M.G.L. Chapter 66, Section 10, any person can request these records. The law gives the office 10 business days to respond. You do not need to live in Massachusetts or give a reason for the request.
Bristol County Sheriff Released Inmate Data
Sheriff Paul Heroux runs the Bristol County Sheriff's Office. The main facility is in Dartmouth, and you can reach them at (508) 995-6400. All released inmate records from both the Ash Street Jail in New Bedford and the Dartmouth facility go through this office. There is no public online inmate lookup tool on the Bristol County Sheriff's site, so you have to contact them directly.
When you call, have the person's full name and date of birth ready. Staff can sometimes confirm custody status over the phone. For detailed records like booking dates, charges, and release dates, you need to file a written public records request. Send it to the Records Access Officer at the sheriff's office. Under M.G.L. Chapter 4, Section 7(26), some records may be withheld if they fall under exemptions like medical data or security concerns. But basic release information is generally public.
The cost for records is low. Under 950 CMR 32.07, the first two hours of staff time are free. Paper copies cost $0.05 per page. If you want electronic copies, ask for them by email since that is usually cheaper and faster. Most requests for released inmate records in New Bedford can be handled through this one office.
Note: The Bristol County Sheriff's Office does not participate in the VINE victim notification system for county inmates, so you cannot track New Bedford jail inmates through VINELink.
Bristol County DA and New Bedford Released Inmates
The Bristol County District Attorney is Thomas M. Quinn III. His office handles all criminal prosecutions in the county, which includes New Bedford cases. The DA's office is at 218 South Main Street in Fall River. Court records from the DA's office can show case outcomes, sentences, and whether someone has been released from custody.
You can email the DA's public records team at publicrecords@bristolda.com. This is useful when you need case disposition records that tie to a released inmate in New Bedford. Court outcomes often show the sentence length, which helps you figure out when someone was or will be released. The DA does not hold the actual jail records, but the case files they keep are another piece of the puzzle when tracking released inmates.
For cases that went through the New Bedford District Court or Fall River Superior Court, you can also check the Massachusetts Trial Court system. The Trial Court website lets you search by name or case number. Sentencing details from these courts can confirm whether a person served time and was released.
How to Search New Bedford Released Inmate Records
Searching for released inmates in New Bedford takes a few steps since no single tool covers everything. Here is how to approach it depending on what you need.
Start with the New Bedford Police Department logs if the arrest was recent. The daily arrest logs show who was picked up and released in the city. These are free and updated every day. For older records, dig through the archive on the same page.
For inmates who served time at the Ash Street Jail or the Dartmouth facility, contact the Bristol County Sheriff's Office at (508) 995-6400. File a public records request for the specific person. You need their full name and date of birth. The office must respond within 10 business days under state law.
If the person was in a state prison rather than the county jail, go through the Massachusetts Department of Correction. The DOC keeps records of all state prison inmates. You can submit a request through the Massachusetts public records portal or contact the DOC directly at (508) 422-3300.
The iCORI system is another option. It costs $25 per search and gives you Criminal Offender Record Information. This can show arrest records, convictions, and incarceration details. You need the person's full name and date of birth to run the search. The system is run by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) at 200 Arlington Street in Chelsea.
- NBPD logs: free, daily updates, covers city arrests
- Sheriff's office request: free, 10-day response, covers jail records
- DOC request: free, covers state prison records
- iCORI search: $25, covers criminal history statewide
- Trial Court search: free, covers case outcomes and sentences
Note: VINELink does not cover Bristol County jail inmates, so it will not help for most New Bedford released inmate searches.
New Bedford Inmate Records and Public Records Law
Massachusetts public records law gives you the right to ask for released inmate records from any government agency. M.G.L. Chapter 66, Section 10 is the main statute. It says you can request records without stating a reason and without being a state resident. The law covers both city and county agencies, so the New Bedford Police Department and the Bristol County Sheriff's Office are both subject to it.
Each agency must have a Records Access Officer under M.G.L. Chapter 66, Section 6A. This is the person who handles your request. For the NBPD, contact the department at newbedfordpd.com to find the right person. For the sheriff's office, call (508) 995-6400 and ask for the Records Access Officer. Agencies have 10 business days to respond to your request.
Not all records are open. M.G.L. Chapter 4, Section 7(26) lists exemptions. Medical records, mental health data, and social security numbers are always redacted. Juvenile records are sealed in most cases. If an agency denies your request, they must explain why in writing. You can appeal to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Public Records Division if you think the denial was wrong.
Bristol County Released Inmate Records
New Bedford is in Bristol County. All jail records for the city go through the Bristol County Sheriff's Office. The county runs the Ash Street Jail in New Bedford and the larger Dartmouth facility. For full details on Bristol County released inmate records, including contact info for the sheriff's office, fee schedules, and the public records request process, visit the county page.
Nearby Cities With Released Inmate Records
Other cities in the Bristol County area also have released inmate resources. Fall River is the county seat and home to the DA's office. Taunton has its own court system. Both cities fall under the same Bristol County Sheriff's Office for jail records.