Search Cowlitz County Jail Inmates

Cowlitz County Jail Overview

Cowlitz County Jail is operated by the Cowlitz County Corrections Department, a county corrections agency led in county materials by Director Marin Fox. The official jail page states that the jail expanded with a new facility in 2005 and is the only adult detention center in Cowlitz County. That point matters for adult inmate lookup because arrests from Longview, Kelso, Castle Rock, Kalama, Woodland, and smaller communities route to this county jail rather than to separate city jail rosters.

The county's Jail Division page is the official source for the Cowlitz County Jail overview, contact sidebar, and facility role.

The page identifies the jail as the county's adult detention center, while the roster and contact channels fill in the custody details.

The jail holds adult county detainees, people waiting for first appearance or trial, local misdemeanor and felony inmates, court holds, out-of-county matters shown in the charge table, and some Washington Department of Corrections supervision violators held by contract. Public roster entries show arresting agencies such as CCSO, LVPD, KEPD, CCCD, and DOC, so the Cowlitz County Jail record may involve a city police arrest, a sheriff's case, a court warrant, or a DOC supervision hold.

Cowlitz County Jail Population

Cowlitz County has several jail population figures, and they should not be treated as the same measure. The county jail page says the jail averages around 325 residents at a given time. A 2013 county video-visitation RFP reported a 356-bed Jail Annex capacity and a 277 average daily population at that time. The live county roster inspected on July 2, 2026 at 7:40 a.m. showed 192 current inmates, 22 bookings in the last 24 hours, and 26 releases in the last 48 hours.

For a current custody check, the roster count is the practical number. For jail planning, averages and bed counts are better context. The Cowlitz County inmate records process should start with the live roster, but bond, release, and transfer status can change after the roster timestamp.

Cowlitz County Jail Roster Search

The correct adult lookup is the county-hosted Cowlitz County Jail roster. It is free and showed no login requirement during research. The table lists current adults in jail, plus separate booking and release views. Profile and charges open in modal windows, not separate profile pages, so searchers should copy key fields before leaving the record.

1. Open the current roster and check the updated timestamp before relying on a Cowlitz County Jail inmate record.
2. Use the table search or browser find to filter by name, inmate number, booked date, or visible jail location code.
3. Match the person by name, number, booked-at time, jail location, and arresting agency.
4. Open Profile / Charges for visitation blocks, bond total, court, warrant or citation number, disposition, bond type, and charge amount.
5. Use the VINE registration link on the roster row if custody notifications are needed.

People who are not on the adult jail roster may have been released, transferred, or placed in another system. Recent releases appear on the county's 48-hour release view. Sentenced state prisoners are searched through the Washington DOC incarcerated search, federal prisoners through the BOP inmate locator, and immigration detainees through the ICE detainee locator.

Cowlitz County Jail Contact

Use the jail contact line for custody, visitation, and facility questions that need confirmation before travel. Sheriff Brad Thurman's office is separate from jail operations in the research, although sheriff records and GovQA requests may be needed for police reports or public disclosure. The adult jail is on First Avenue in Longview, while the sheriff's main office is in Kelso.

Cowlitz County Jail Visits

Adult jail visits are scheduled through the county's Securus video system or in person at the jail during lobby hours. The county visitation page says visits cannot be scheduled by phone to the jail and must be scheduled 24 hours in advance. The system does not account for each inmate's out-of-cell time, so the visitor must use the roster's visitation block and schedule inside that out time.

Visitors need to follow the jail dress and behavior rules. Shoes are required, revealing clothing is barred, and the jail does not allow food, drinks, cameras, or cell phone use during visits. Children must stay seated, and corrections staff have final authority over visit approval. Attorney visits, chaplain visits, jail programs, lockdown, or custody needs can make an inmate unavailable even after a visit was scheduled.

Cowlitz County Jail Mail and Funds

The adult jail page says correspondence must be in a plain white envelope. The research did not locate a full published mail format with inmate number, so anyone mailing Cowlitz County Jail correspondence should confirm the current format with the jail before sending it. Phone and video services are linked to Securus. Inmate voicemail can be left at 1-866-949-4574, and the county lists a 45-second voicemail limit with a $1.99 cost.

The inmate account page says an inmate account is created at intake. Money found on the person is counted and added to the account, then funds may be used for commissary, phones, medical fees, and other approved costs. The county also states that inmate funds are applied first to debts at rates based on the debt type.

Cowlitz County Jail Booking

Adult booking begins when a person is brought to the jail by the sheriff's office, a city police agency, DOC, or another arresting authority. Intake creates a local inmate number, records the booked-at timestamp, assigns a location code after processing, and links charges or holds to courts and agencies. The public profile may show a housing code such as A21, C10, D26, INTAKE H2, or WSH. Intake and temporary housing can show no visitation.

Bond rules are local and time-sensitive. The jail FAQ says new felony charges have no initial bail before a Superior Court judge reviews the case. Cowlitz County has no weekend or night court, so a felony booking after Friday morning may wait until Monday, or Tuesday after a Monday holiday. Misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor bail rules differ, and holds from DOC or another court can block release even when a local charge has a bond amount.

Cowlitz County Jail Programs

Cowlitz County Corrections also lists Offender Services and Work Crew functions. Offender Services provides alternatives and monitoring services for the courts, while Work Crew gives minimum-risk offenders a way to complete court obligations, community service, program fees, fines, or jail sentences. The FAQ says selected inmate workers can earn extra good time at jail staff discretion, but that status can be lost and the release date recalculated.

PREA reporting is handled through the county jail's reporting process for allegations of sexual misconduct. The jail also houses some DOC supervision violators by contract, which explains why the roster may show DOC holds or DOC Contract Court entries even though no Washington DOC prison is located in Cowlitz County.