VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) is a service used by many jails and state corrections departments. Its website, VINELink, shows whether someone is in custody and can alert you when that changes. It was built for crime victims, but anyone can look someone up.
What VINE does
The U.S. Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime describes VINE as a system that lets crime victims across the country get timely, reliable information about criminal cases and the custody status of offenders, 24 hours a day, by phone, email, text message, the VINELink app or a TTY device (OVC).
Some corrections departments point the public to VINELink instead of running their own search. Delaware's Department of Correction, for example, asks people to use VINELink to find out whether someone is incarcerated in Delaware.
How to look someone up on VINELink
- Go to vinelink.com and pick the state.
- Search by name, or by an ID number if that state's search offers it.
- Open the result to see the custody status and the facility.
Coverage depends on which jails and agencies in a state take part, so a person missing from VINELink may still be in custody. Check the jail or the state search too: see our guide to finding someone in jail and the state prison search pages, such as Texas (TDCJ).
Getting notified
From a person's record you can register to be told when their custody status changes, by phone, email, text message or TTY. Delaware's corrections department also mentions registering through a state or county toll-free number. Kentucky's corrections department says VINE alerts when an offender is released, transferred from a county jail, escapes or has an upcoming parole hearing.
On searchinmates.org you can also ask for an email when we see a booking or release on a person or facility page.
What VINE does not do
- It is a notification service, not the court record. Charges, sentences and release dates come from the jail, the department of corrections or the court.
- Information can lag behind real events. If safety depends on it, call the facility.
- If you are a crime victim in a federal case, the Department of Justice runs a separate federal Victim Notification System; OVC explains how to get access.
Questions
Who can use VINE?
VINE was built for crime victims, but Delaware's corrections department, for example, says victims and other concerned citizens can register for notifications.
Why is someone missing from VINELink?
Not every jail or agency takes part, and new bookings can take time to appear. Check the jail roster or the state department of corrections search.
Sources
The pages below back up the main rules and definitions in this guide. We opened each link on October 14, 2026.
- Victim Notification, Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice. What VINE is and the ways it delivers custody information (phone, email, text, app, TTY).
- VINELink, VINE. The VINE website, where you search and register for notifications.
- Locate an Inmate, Delaware Department of Correction. A state corrections department that sends people to VINELink and explains registering by phone, email, text or TTY.
- KOOL, Kentucky Department of Corrections. Says VINE alerts on release, transfer from a county jail, escape or an upcoming parole hearing.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws and facility rules differ and change; confirm details with the facility, court or a lawyer.