Nelson County Released Inmates
Nelson County released inmates records help families and the press find people who left local custody in central Virginia. Nelson uses the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail in Charlottesville for jail beds. Use the tools on this page to search a name, look up a court file, or set up a custody alert. We list each step you need to find a Nelson County released inmate fast and to follow the case from arrest to release.
Nelson County Released Inmates Overview
Nelson County Sheriff Inmate Records
The Nelson County Sheriff's Office is the lead agency for jail records. Sheriff Mark Embrey runs the office from Lovingston, the county seat. The Sheriff's Office handles patrol, court security, and booking. The office also helps run the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail in partnership with Charlottesville City and Albemarle County. Staff handle records and questions for each Nelson County released inmate.
Nelson is part of the 24th Judicial Circuit. The county seat sits in Lovingston, just off Route 29. The first image below comes from the Nelson County official website, which lists each county service.
The page above is a good first stop. From there you can find the Sheriff and the Clerk of Circuit Court for a Nelson County released inmate.
Note: Nelson County has no local jail, so all bookings move to ACRJ in Charlottesville the same day.
Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail
The Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail (ACRJ) is the lockup for Nelson County. ACRJ serves Albemarle County, the City of Charlottesville, and Nelson County. The jail is the main holding spot for pre-trial inmates, sentenced inmates, and short-term holds from Nelson. Most Nelson County released inmates spent at least part of their stay here. The Nelson County Sheriff helps run ACRJ along with the Charlottesville Sheriff and the Albemarle County Sheriff.
To check the roster, call ACRJ or use its inmate lookup. Staff can confirm if a person is still in custody and share the next court date for a Nelson County released inmate. Mail to inmates must follow the format on the ACRJ site. Do not send cash. Use a money order if you need to add funds.
Nelson County has board representation at ACRJ. Mark Embrey is the Sheriff member. Candice McGarry is the County Administrator member. Cameron Lenahan is the Board of Supervisors member.
Nelson Circuit Court Released Inmates Records
Felony case files for Nelson County released inmates live with the Clerk of Circuit Court. The Circuit Court sits in Lovingston, the county seat. The Clerk handles criminal records, civil claims, deeds, wills, and marriage records. The office is open Monday through Friday during business hours. Nelson is part of the 24th Judicial Circuit.
Use the Virginia Circuit Court case information system and pick Nelson from the list. You can search by name, case number, or hearing date. Criminal cases use the prefix CR. The data is real time and free. For misdemeanor or traffic charges that did not get bumped up, use the General District Court case search. Many short jail terms in Nelson County end at the General District level.
Court files often hold the sentence length, the conviction date, and the probation terms. Those facts help you set a release date for a Nelson County released inmate.
State Prison Cases for Nelson
If a Nelson County released inmate served state prison time, the case moves to the Virginia Department of Corrections. The VADOC offender locator covers about 24,000 state inmates in 26 facilities. Type the first letter of the first name and the full last name. The tool gives the facility, the projected release date, and the offender status. It is free and updates each day.
The rules for state time live in Virginia Code Title 53.1. Section 53.1-24 makes the Director keep a register of every prisoner. Section 53.1-28 lets the Director discharge a prisoner up to 30 days early. Good conduct credit cuts time too. Misdemeanor cases of 12 months or less earn one day of credit for each day served.
Note: VADOC does not list jail or juvenile cases, so a check at ACRJ is still needed for short stays from Nelson.
VINE Alerts and FOIA in Nelson
VINE is the free alert tool for victims and the public. Sign up at vinelink.com or call 1-800-467-4943. Pick email, text, or a phone call. VINE works for jails in Virginia that take part, including ACRJ. It tracks release, transfer, escape, death, and other custody changes for Nelson County released inmates. Sign up is free and anonymous.
The Virginia Freedom of Information Act lets you ask for jail records held by Nelson County. The law sits at Virginia Code § 2.2-3700. Send a letter to the Sheriff's Office in Lovingston. The county has five working days to reply, with seven more if needed. Active criminal investigation files do not have to be shared. The rules on law enforcement files sit in § 2.2-3706.
Other Sources for Nelson Records
The Virginia State Police criminal history check is the formal way to get a full record on a Nelson County released inmate. The fee is $15 per name search. Use form SP-167 and mail it to the State Police in Richmond. Turnaround is about 15 business days. Juvenile records are not given out except in narrow cases listed under Virginia Code § 19.2-389.1.
For sex offender data, use the Virginia Sex Offender Registry. It is free and shows photos, addresses, and the offense type. Other tools that help with Nelson records:
- VADOC Offender Locator
- VINE Link for release alerts
- Circuit Court case search
Cities and Nearby Counties
Nelson County sits in central Virginia at the foot of the Blue Ridge. There are no qualifying cities inside the county that have their own pages on this site. For records help in nearby places, use the county pages below.
Nearby counties: