Reading Pennsylvania Inmate Population
Reading is the county seat of Berks County and one of the larger cities in eastern Pennsylvania. Those arrested by Reading police are held at Berks County Prison rather than a city-run jail. Searching the Reading inmate population means using the Berks County Prison inmate roster and the Pennsylvania state inmate locator. This page explains how to find individuals in custody in Reading, how to access related court records, and what other tools are available for inmate population searches in this area.
Reading Quick Facts
Berks County Prison and Reading Inmates
Reading does not operate its own municipal jail. When Reading police make arrests, those individuals are transferred to Berks County Prison for processing and holding. Berks County Prison is located at 1281 County Road, Leesport, PA 19533, just outside of Reading. The main phone number is 610-478-3160. The county prison maintains an online inmate roster that you can use to search the Reading inmate population by name.
The prison holds pre-trial detainees awaiting bail decisions or trial, as well as those serving shorter county-level sentences. Individuals sentenced to two or more years in Pennsylvania are sent to a state correctional institution managed by the PA Department of Corrections rather than remaining at Berks County Prison. If you cannot find someone in the county roster, they may have been transferred to a state facility.
Bail information and court dates for Reading area inmates appear in the Berks County court records. The Unified Judicial System portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us shows criminal dockets for Berks County cases. You can search by name or case number to track the legal status of anyone in the Reading inmate population.
How to Search Reading Inmate Population Records
To find someone in the Reading inmate population, start with the Berks County Prison roster for county-held inmates. For state-sentenced individuals, use the Pennsylvania DOC inmate locator at pa.gov or at the direct portal at cor.pa.gov. The PA DOC system covers more than 36,000 inmates across 24 state correctional institutions and is updated daily.
The Pennsylvania inmate and parolee locator at pa.gov is the tool to use when searching for Reading area residents who have been transferred to state correctional institutions across Pennsylvania.
The Reading Police Department handles arrest records and incident reports for crimes occurring in the city. You can request public records through the Reading city Right-to-Know office at readingpa.gov. The city must respond within five business days, and denied requests can be appealed to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records. For police department records, contact the Reading Police Department at readingpa.gov directly.
Federal inmates from Reading appear in the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator at bop.gov. Parolees released from state prisons are tracked through the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole at pbpp.pa.gov. Background check searches for conviction history go through the Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History system at epatch.pa.gov.
Note: The state locator and county roster are separate systems. Someone may be present in one and not the other depending on where they are held at the time of your search.
Visiting Reading Area Inmates
Berks County Prison sets its own visiting schedule for the Reading inmate population held there. Visitors must present valid photo ID. Children may visit with an approved adult. Mail and telephone service connect inmates with family and attorneys. Commissary accounts allow inmates to purchase approved items. Medical care, mental health services, and educational programs are available at the facility.
The PADOC direct locator at cor.pa.gov covers Reading area residents held in state prisons, separate from the county jail roster maintained by Berks County Prison.
Release planning services at Berks County Prison help Reading inmates prepare for life after custody. Programs cover substance abuse treatment, life skills, and job readiness. For inmates in PA DOC state facilities, visiting and program information is available at cor.pa.gov. Bail information for Reading cases is accessible through the county courts or by contacting Berks County Prison at 610-478-3160.
Accessing Reading Inmate and Criminal Records
Reading inmate records and related criminal history documents are governed by state law. The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. sections 67.101 through 67.3104 applies to city and county records. The Criminal History Record Information Act under 18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91 governs access to criminal history. Both Reading city and Berks County have designated open records officers to handle formal requests.
Court records for Reading cases are filed in Berks County. Search them through the UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us. Case filings, charge information, hearing dates, and dispositions are all accessible online at no cost. Certified copies of documents require a fee and a request to the Berks County court clerk. For Reading city-held records, contact the open records office at readingpa.gov.
Note: Historical inmate records no longer available online can be requested through a formal Right-to-Know submission to either Reading city or Berks County depending on which office holds the records.
Berks County Inmate Records
Reading is the county seat of Berks County, and the county prison holds the Reading inmate population. For complete Berks County inmate records, jail facility information, and county-level resources, visit the Berks County page.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Other nearby cities rely on their own county jail systems for the local inmate population. Select a city below to explore inmate records in that area.