Somerville Inmate Population
The Somerville inmate population is housed at the Middlesex Jail and House of Correction in Billerica. Somerville sits just north of Boston in Middlesex County with a population close to 81,000. The city has its own police department that handles arrests and bookings, but anyone held after booking goes to the county jail about 20 miles away. Middlesex County does not offer a public online inmate search, which means you have to use other methods to find someone in custody. This page covers the tools and contacts you need to search for inmates from Somerville and get related records.
Somerville Overview
How to Search the Somerville Inmate Population
The Middlesex Jail and House of Correction at 269 Treble Cove Road in Billerica is where people arrested in Somerville are held. The facility serves all of Middlesex County. To find out if someone from Somerville is in custody, call the jail at 978-667-1711. Staff can check their roster by name and date of birth. There is no online search tool for Middlesex County inmates, so the phone is the fastest option.
The Middlesex Sheriff's Office posts some general inmate information at middlesexsheriff.org/inmate-information. The page covers visiting rules, mail policies, and phone access but does not include a searchable inmate database. This is a gap compared to counties like Essex or Suffolk that have public lookup tools. For Somerville, calling the facility directly remains the main way to confirm if a specific person is there.
Under M.G.L. c.66 §10, public records must be provided on request. Inmate records are generally public unless they fall under a specific exemption. You can submit a written public records request to the Middlesex Sheriff's Office for more detailed information about an inmate. Include the person's full name and date of birth. Written requests take longer than a phone call but may get you more data.
The VINE notification system at vinelink.com is another tool to check. VINE covers some Massachusetts facilities and lets you sign up for alerts when an inmate is released or transferred. Middlesex County has limited coverage on VINE, but it is still worth a search.
The VINE search page is shown below.
You can search by name and register for custody status updates at no cost.
Somerville Police Department Records
The Somerville Police Department is at 220 Washington Street, Somerville 02143. The main number is 617-625-1600. The department handles all arrests within city limits and creates booking records for each person taken into custody. These booking records include the person's name, charges, arrest date, and arresting officer. After booking, the person is either released on bail or sent to the Middlesex Jail.
To get copies of arrest records or incident reports from Somerville Police, you file a public records request. The department processes these based on the state public records law. Under M.G.L. c.4 §7, the definition of public records is broad and covers most documents created by government agencies. Arrest logs and booking data generally qualify as public records. Some details may be redacted if they involve ongoing cases or protected personal info.
Response times vary. The law says agencies must respond within 10 business days, though the actual records may take longer to produce if the request is complex. Be specific about what you want. A request for "all arrest records for John Smith in 2024" will be processed faster than a broad request for "all police records." Include dates and names when you can.
Somerville Records Access Officer
The City of Somerville has a Municipal Records Access Officer who handles public records requests for all city departments. The RAO works through the Law Department at 93 Highland Avenue in Somerville. The phone number is 617-625-6600, extension 2100. You can submit requests by phone, email, mail, or in person during business hours. City Hall is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
A public records request through the RAO can cover police booking logs, arrest records, and other documents that relate to the inmate population. The RAO coordinates with the relevant department to gather what you need. If the Somerville Police Department holds the records, the RAO gets them from the police and provides them to you. This central process makes it easier than going to each department on your own, though you can also go directly to the police department if you prefer.
If your request is denied, you have the right to appeal to the Supervisor of Records at the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The appeal is free and usually resolved within a few weeks. Most requests for basic arrest data and custody records are fulfilled without issue, since these records do not fall under the common exemptions in Massachusetts public records law.
State Inmate Population Search Tools
If someone from Somerville is in a state prison rather than the county jail, you use different tools. The Massachusetts Department of Correction runs the state prison system and has a search tool at mass.gov. This covers all 16 state facilities. County jails hold people with sentences of two and a half years or less. State prisons handle longer sentences. So the right tool depends on what happened in the case.
The Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association at masssheriffs.org provides links and contact info for all 14 county sheriffs in the state. This is a helpful starting point if you are not sure which county is holding someone.
The sheriffs' association homepage is shown below.
The site lists each county sheriff with contact details and links to their offices.
For criminal background checks beyond current custody, iCORI at icori.chs.state.ma.us shows conviction history. Third-party checks cost $25. Under M.G.L. c.276 §100A, access to Criminal Offender Record Information is regulated. The system shows different levels of detail depending on who runs the check. Anyone can look up their own CORI for free.
Court records from masscourts.org are another source. Criminal cases from Somerville go through the Somerville Division of the District Court or Middlesex Superior Court. The online system lets you search by name or case number to see charges, docket entries, and outcomes.
Nearby Cities
Somerville is surrounded by several cities that also fall under Middlesex County or neighboring counties. These pages cover inmate population details for nearby areas.
Middlesex County Inmate Population
Somerville is in Middlesex County. The county jail in Billerica holds inmates from all cities and towns across the county. The Middlesex County page covers the full details on the jail facility, contact information for the sheriff's office, and what search options are available at the county level.