Find Medford Inmate Population

Medford is a city just north of Boston in Middlesex County with about 58,000 residents. The inmate population for people arrested in Medford falls under the Middlesex Sheriff's Office, which operates the jail and House of Correction in Billerica. Middlesex County offers an inmate information page through the sheriff's website. This guide covers how to search for inmates from Medford, where to call, how to look up court records, and how to file public records requests for jail and arrest data under Massachusetts law.

Middlesex County Jail Serving Medford

People arrested in Medford who are held pending trial or who get a sentence of up to two and a half years go to the Middlesex Jail and House of Correction. The facility is at 269 Treble Cove Road in Billerica. It is about 20 miles northwest of Medford. The Middlesex Sheriff's Office runs this jail. It is one of the largest county facilities in the state, covering a county with over 1.6 million residents. The main phone number is (978) 667-1711.

The Middlesex Sheriff's Office has an inmate information page on its website at middlesexsheriff.org. This page explains how to get information about someone in custody. It covers visiting rules, mail policies, and how to reach the records department. Not all county sheriff offices in Massachusetts have this kind of online resource, so it is a good place to start if you are looking for someone held at the Middlesex facility.

If you call the jail, have the person's full legal name ready. Staff can tell you if that person is in custody and share basic booking details. For more detailed records, you may need to file a written public records request. The jail does not release all information over the phone, especially for sensitive cases or when the person's location is restricted for safety reasons.

How to Search the Medford Inmate Population

Start by visiting the Middlesex Sheriff's inmate information page. This will tell you how to check on someone in custody at the Billerica facility. You can also call (978) 667-1711 and ask the records office directly. Phone calls are often the fastest way to confirm if a specific person is held there.

The screenshot below shows the Massachusetts DOC inmate search instructions page. This is for state prison inmates, not county jail inmates. Use it if you think the person may have been transferred to a state facility.

State prisons hold people with sentences over two and a half years. If someone from Medford received a long sentence, they likely moved from the county jail to a state prison after sentencing.

The VINELink system lets you search for inmates and register for release notifications. It covers state prisons and some county jails in Massachusetts. You can search by name or offender ID. VINELink will also send you a call, text, or email when an inmate's custody status changes. This is useful if you need to track when someone gets out.

Medford Police Department Records

The Medford Police Department handles arrests and maintains police reports for the city. The station is at 100 Main Street, Medford, MA 02155. The main phone number is (781) 391-6400. Arrest records from Medford police show the charges, the date of the arrest, and who was taken into custody. These are separate from the jail records kept by the Middlesex Sheriff's Office. Police records cover the initial arrest. Jail records cover what happens after the person is booked into the county facility.

The screenshot below shows the City of Medford official website, where you can find police department details and city services information.

Visit the city website to find the police department page with contact information and hours.

Under M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A, every police department in the state must keep a daily log of arrests. This log is a public record. It includes the names of people arrested, the charges, and when the arrest took place. You can go to the Medford police station during business hours and ask to see the log. There is no fee to view it. Copies may cost a small amount per page.

The Medford City Clerk is at 85 George P. Hassett Drive. The phone number is (781) 393-2425. City Hall is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The clerk handles vital records and city documents but does not manage arrest or jail records.

Court Records for Medford Cases

Court records show the legal side of a criminal case. The MassCourts system lets you search dockets from all courts in the state. Cases from Medford usually go through Somerville District Court or Middlesex Superior Court. Search by name or case number. The results include charges, hearing dates, bail amounts, and case outcomes. This is not a jail search, but it tells you what court handled the case and what the result was.

The iCORI system is a criminal background check tool run by the state Criminal History Systems Board. You can search for convictions and pending cases across Massachusetts. There is a fee for each search. The results do not tell you where someone is currently held, but they show what charges are on someone's record. This can help you figure out which facility they might be at based on the sentence length and the court that handled the case.

Medford Inmate Population Records Requests

Massachusetts public records law lets you request documents about the inmate population from county and local agencies. Under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10, any person can ask for records held by a government agency. This includes booking logs, population reports, and incident records from the Middlesex Sheriff's Office. The scope of public records is defined in M.G.L. c. 4, § 7, which covers most documents created or received by state and local agencies in the course of their duties.

To request records from the Middlesex Sheriff's Office, call (978) 667-1711 and ask for the Records Access Officer. A written request works best. Include the specific records you want, any date ranges, and names or case numbers if you have them. The agency must respond within 10 business days. Large or complex requests can take longer, but the agency has to tell you and provide a timeline. If your request is denied, you can appeal to the Supervisor of Records within 90 days.

For records from Medford police or city agencies, contact the city's Records Access Officer. The city follows the same state law. The first two hours of staff time on a records request are typically free. After that, agencies can charge $25 per hour for search and retrieval time. Paper copies cost $0.05 per page.

Legal Framework for Inmate Records

Three statutes govern access to inmate and arrest records in Medford. The public records law at M.G.L. c. 66, § 10 is the main tool. It gives you the right to request any record a government agency keeps, with certain exemptions. The definition of what counts as a public record sits in M.G.L. c. 4, § 7. Exemptions include medical records, attorney-client communications, and certain investigative files. Most basic jail and booking records do not fall under any exemption.

The arrest log law at M.G.L. c. 276, § 100A specifically requires police departments to keep a daily arrest log and make it available to the public. This is a powerful tool for finding out about recent arrests in Medford. The log cannot be withheld, even if other parts of the case are sealed or under active investigation. It gives you names, charges, and arrest dates without having to file a formal request.

Middlesex County Inmate Population

Medford is in Middlesex County, the largest county in the state by population. The Middlesex Sheriff's Office runs the jail in Billerica that serves Medford and dozens of other cities and towns. For full details on the facility, visiting rules, inmate programs, and how to contact the sheriff's records office, see the Middlesex County page.

View Middlesex County Inmate Population

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Medford. Most are in Middlesex County and share the same jail facility in Billerica. Some border Suffolk County and use a different sheriff's department.