St. Mary's County Inmate Population Search
St. Mary's County inmate population records are kept by the sheriff's office at the county detention center in Leonardtown. The sheriff runs an online inmate search tool on the department website that lets you look up who is in custody right now. You can also check the St. Mary's County inmate population through state tools like VINELink and the DPSCS locator. This page covers every way to search for inmates held in St. Mary's County, how to request records, and what the law says about public access to this data.
St. Mary's County Detention Overview
St. Mary's County Inmate Search Tools
The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office runs an online inmate search on its website. This tool lets you look up current inmates by name. You type in a first or last name and the system pulls up results from the detention center. It is free to use. No account is needed. Results show basic info on each person in custody at the St. Mary's County jail.
The sheriff's main site is at firstsheriff.com. The name comes from the fact that St. Mary's County was the first county in Maryland to have a sheriff, going back to the colonial era. The inmate search page sits under the main site and pulls data from the jail's booking system. If a name does not come up, the person may have been released or transferred to a state facility. Try the state tools listed below if that happens.
You can call the detention center at 301-475-4200 ext. 1900 for help with inmate lookups. Staff can check on a person's status and give you basic booking info over the phone. The fax line is 301-475-4514.
State Tools for St. Mary's County Inmates
VINELink is a free tool that covers St. Mary's County and every other county in Maryland. You can search by name or ID number. The system works all day, every day. What sets VINELink apart is the alert feature. You sign up and pick the person you want to track. When their custody status changes, you get a call, text, or email. Registration is free and stays anonymous. The toll-free line is 1-866-277-7477 if you need help with the system.
The Maryland Judiciary runs the Case Search tool. This covers court records from St. Mary's County and the rest of the state. You can look up criminal, civil, and traffic cases by name or case number. It will not tell you if someone is still in jail, but it shows charges filed, court dates, and case outcomes. Under General Provisions Article Section 4-301, anyone can inspect public records at a reasonable time. Case Search puts that right in your hands from a web browser.
Case Search is useful when you know someone was arrested in St. Mary's County but want details on what happened in court.
DPSCS and St. Mary's County Inmate Population
The DPSCS Incarcerated Individual Locator covers state prisons across Maryland. If someone from St. Mary's County gets sentenced to a year or more, they move from the county jail to a state facility. At that point, DPSCS takes over custody. The locator lets you search by last name to find which state prison holds a person. It is free and open to the public.
DPSCS runs 16 correctional facilities and 5 detention centers. The one closest to St. Mary's County is the Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover. Under Correctional Services Article Section 1-202, the Commissioner of Correction manages all state facilities and sets the rules that govern them. The DPSCS website has info on each facility, visitation rules, and how to contact staff about a specific inmate.
The state locator does not include people held at county jails. Use the sheriff's inmate search for that.
Requesting St. Mary's County Inmate Records
Maryland's Public Information Act covers inmate records at the St. Mary's County Detention Center. Under General Provisions Article Section 4-305, the public can always get the name of an inmate, charges filed, conviction details, the sentence, and the facility where they are held. Medical records, social security numbers, and certain other data are restricted.
To request records from the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office, call 301-475-4200 or send a written request to 23150 Leonard Hall Drive, Leonardtown, MD 20650. For state-level records on inmates who transferred to DPSCS custody, email dpscs.pia@maryland.gov or mail your request to the Office of Constituent Services at 6776 Reisterstown Road, Suite 212, Baltimore, MD 21215. The DPSCS PIA page has the application form you need to fill out.
Fees for copies through DPSCS run 50 cents per page. Certified copies cost an extra 50 cents per page plus postage. The first two hours of search and prep time are free. If the total is a dollar or less, there is no charge. Under Section 4-308, fee waivers are possible when the request serves the public interest and is not for commercial gain. Agencies have 30 days to respond to your request.
Note: St. Mary's County may have its own fee schedule for local records that differs from the state rates listed above.
Visiting St. Mary's County Detention Center
The St. Mary's County Detention Center at 23150 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown has its own visitation rules. You must be on the inmate's approved list to visit. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. The schedule depends on the housing unit and the facility's current rules. Call 301-475-4200 ext. 1900 to check the times before you go.
Many Maryland counties have shifted to video visits. Some still allow in-person visits on set days. Check with the detention center for the most current setup. The DPSCS visitation page covers general rules for state facilities, but local jails like St. Mary's set their own schedules. Remote video visits from home may be available through a third-party platform. There is often a small fee for remote sessions. On-site video visits tend to be free.
St. Mary's County Inmate Population Legal Framework
Several Maryland statutes shape how the St. Mary's County inmate population is tracked and what records you can access. Correctional Services Article Section 8-101 requires that the Commissioner keep accurate records on every inmate received, discharged, or released from a state facility. These records include the person's name, age, offense, sentence, and conduct while in custody. County jails follow similar rules under local policy.
Correctional Services Article Section 1-101 defines who counts as an inmate under Maryland law. This matters when you are trying to figure out which agency holds the records you need. People serving less than a year stay at the county level. Those with longer sentences move to state prisons. The line between county and state custody in St. Mary's County works the same way it does across all of Maryland.
The DPSCS statistics page publishes data on the statewide inmate population, including breakdowns by facility and county of origin. This can give you a broader picture of how St. Mary's County fits into the larger system.
Nearby County Inmate Population Pages
These counties border St. Mary's County and have their own detention centers and inmate search options.