Columbia Jail Roster Lookup
The Columbia jail roster is maintained by Richland County. Columbia does not have its own city jail. Arrests made by the Columbia Police Department go to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. You can search the Columbia jail roster through the Richland County online portal. The system lets you look up current inmates by name, date of birth, or system person number. Searching the Columbia jail roster is free and available to anyone at any time.
Columbia Quick Facts
Where Columbia Arrests Are Held
The City of Columbia does not run a jail. Like most cities in South Carolina, Columbia relies on the county for inmate detention. When Columbia police arrest someone, that person is taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. This facility is run by the Richland County Sheriff's Department.
The Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center is located at 201 John Mark Dial Drive, Columbia, SC 29209. The facility holds pretrial detainees and people sentenced to shorter terms. It serves Columbia and all other areas within Richland County. The center has minimum, medium, and maximum security levels.
| Facility | Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 201 John Mark Dial Drive Columbia, SC 29209 |
| Phone | (803) 576-3200 |
| Sheriff Phone | (803) 576-3000 |
| FOIA Email | ASGDCAdmin@richlandcountysc.gov |
Note: Visiting hours at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center run Monday through Friday from 8:15 AM to 8:30 PM, with each detainee allowed one one-hour visit per week.
How to Search the Columbia Jail Roster
The Richland County JMS Online Portal gives public access to the Columbia jail roster. You can search by first and last name, date of birth, or system person number. You can also scroll through the full roster if you prefer to browse all current inmates.
The portal shows photographs and basic booking details. Results include the inmate's name, charges, booking date, and bond information. The system has both a public access tier and a secure access tier. The public tier is free and does not need a login.
Columbia is the state capital and second-largest city in South Carolina. With about 137,000 residents and a metro area of roughly 840,000, the Richland County jail roster covers a large number of bookings. The University of South Carolina is also in Columbia, which adds to the area's population.
You can also check the Richland County website at richlandcountysc.gov for links to the inmate search system and other county services related to the jail roster.
The Richland County detention center page provides access to the jail roster portal and information about the Alvin S. Glenn facility.
Columbia Police Department
The Columbia Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency within city limits. Officers patrol, investigate crimes, and make arrests. After an arrest, the person is booked at the county detention center and listed on the Columbia jail roster.
| Agency | Columbia Police Department |
|---|---|
| Address | 1 Justice Square Columbia, SC 29201 |
| Phone | (803) 252-2911 (Non-Emergency) |
| Website | columbiapolice.com |
Police reports and arrest records are available through the Columbia Police Department's records division. You can submit a records request in person or by mail at 1 Justice Square, Columbia, SC 29201. Call (803) 252-2911 for more details about how to get police records in Columbia.
The Columbia jail roster itself is separate from police reports. The roster tracks who is currently in county custody. Police reports document what happened during the arrest. Both are public records under South Carolina law.
Jail Roster Records and FOIA
South Carolina's Freedom of Information Act gives the public a right to access jail roster records. Under S.C. Code Title 30, Chapter 4, detention centers are defined as public bodies. This means their records, including the Columbia jail roster, are available to the public.
If you visit the Richland County Sheriff's Office in person during business hours, you can get the identities of anyone jailed in the past three months right away. For older records or more detailed information, submit a written FOIA request. The county has 10 business days to respond for records less than two years old.
Commissary deposits at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center must be made by noon on Wednesday each week. Only two visitors are allowed at a time during visits, including children. These policies affect families looking for someone on the Columbia jail roster.
The City of Columbia website provides links to city departments, including the police department and municipal court information.
Note: Columbia's municipal court handles minor offenses, while more serious charges go through the Richland County court system.
State Resources for Inmate Searches
Sometimes the person you are looking for is not on the Columbia jail roster. They may have been transferred to a state prison or released. The South Carolina Department of Corrections offers a statewide inmate search at doc.sc.gov. This covers inmates in state facilities only.
You can also use VINE to track custody status and get release alerts. Visit VINELink.com or call 1-800-846-3546. The service is free and available in multiple languages. The SC Judicial Branch Public Index at publicindex.sccourts.org lets you search court cases across all 46 counties in South Carolina.
SLED's CATCH system at catch.sled.sc.gov provides criminal history searches for a $25 fee. This is useful when you need a broader look beyond the Columbia jail roster.
Richland County's homepage connects you to the sheriff's office, detention center, and other county services that support the jail roster system.
Richland County Jail Roster
Columbia arrests are handled by Richland County. Visit the county page for full detention center details.