Cumberland County Jail Roster Overview
The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office runs the jail and publishes the public inmate list. Sheriff Kevin Joyce leads the office, which traces its roots to 1760 and now counts about 260 members. The jail sits on County Way in Portland and calls itself the largest jail in Maine. Its online locator lists people currently housed at the Cumberland County Jail. The Sheriff's site says the list excludes federal inmates, and names stay on the list until release from custody. The list is updated periodically throughout the day, so a brand-new booking may take a short while to appear.
The roster has limits worth knowing up front. It does not show people held in Maine state prisons, which the Department of Corrections tracks on its own search. It leaves out federal detainees, who appear in the Bureau of Prisons locator. It is not a criminal history database, and it is not a release archive. Once a person leaves custody, the entry drops off. To trace someone after release, start with the released inmates page.
The Sheriff's inmate services hub links the locator, resources, funds, and visitation in one place, and it is shown in the Cumberland County inmate services screenshot below.
That hub is the cleanest entry point, since it gathers the roster and the support tools families use most.
How to Use the Cumberland County Inmate Roster
The roster is free and open to the public. You do not need an account, and there is no fee to search. A last name is usually enough to start, though a first name narrows a common surname fast. Because the live portal sits behind a security gate, expect a short verification step before the search form loads.
- Open the Cumberland County confined inmate locator from the Sheriff's inmate services page.
- Enter the person's last name, and add a first name if the surname is common.
- Review the results list and match the name, age, or booking date you expect.
- Open the matching record to read the booking details, charges, and custody status.
The Sheriff's inmate resources page explains intake, bail, medical care, and mail rules, and it appears in the Cumberland County inmate resources screenshot below.
Read that page first if a search comes back empty, since it explains why a recent booking might not show yet.
Cumberland County Roster Search Coverage
The live locator sits behind a Cloudflare security gate, so its exact on-screen search boxes cannot be confirmed here without invention. Rather than guess at field labels, the safer course is to state what the Sheriff's Office publicly documents about the list. The table below sets out the confirmed coverage, refresh, and release-handling facts for the Cumberland County jail roster.
| Item | Type | Confirmed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Public list | Yes | Lists people currently housed at the Cumberland County Jail, excluding federal inmates. |
| Refresh | Informational | Yes | Updated periodically throughout the day, so a new booking may lag briefly. |
| Release handling | Informational | Yes | Names remain on the list until the person is released from custody. |
| Live search fields | Form inputs | Unverified | Portal returned a Cloudflare block to automated access; confirm the boxes on the live page. |
In practice, name-based locators of this kind expect a last name and let you add a first name to narrow results. Treat the live form as the authority and enter the least common name part you know.
What a Cumberland County Inmate Profile Shows
A public jail record gives custody facts, not a full case file. The exact layout of the Cumberland County profile could not be captured because the portal blocked automated access, so the inventory below reflects the fields a county jail roster of this type commonly returns. Use it as a guide to what to look for, and treat the live record as the final word on any single value.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Booking Number | The jail's unique identifier for this stay in custody. |
| Booking Date | When intake processed the person into the jail. |
| Charges | The arrest charges that brought the person in, not a conviction. |
| Bail or Bond | The amount or conditions set by a bail commissioner or the court. |
| Housing Unit | The unit code, which also drives the visit day and time. |
| Custody Status | Whether the person is still held or has been released. |
Charges on a roster are accusations only. A conviction shows up in the court file, which you can trace through criminal records and the underlying court docket.
Cumberland County Sheriff and Jail Contacts
Two County Way addresses sit at the center of inmate matters. The Sheriff's Office handles administration, records requests, and law enforcement from 36 County Way. The Cumberland County Jail, a short walk away at 50 County Way, runs intake, custody, bail, visits, and inmate funds. Major Tim Kortes serves as Jail Administrator. The contact cards below give the address and phone for each.
Cumberland County Sheriff's Office
36 County Way
Portland, ME 04102
207-774-1444
Office hours 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cumberland County Jail
50 County Way
Portland, ME 04102
207-774-5939
Bail line ext. 2144
The Records Department at 36 County Way releases incident and crash reports under Maine's Freedom of Access Act, reachable at 207-774-1444 ext. 2249.
Booking and Intake in Cumberland County
Intake is the first stop inside the jail. The intake department books each person, classifies them, screens their health, and evaluates them for special needs or security issues. Classification decides which housing unit a person goes to, which in turn sets their visit day. The medical unit offers 24-hour onsite physical, mental, and dental care through CFG Health, and it verifies prescriptions through the pharmacy before they are given.
Bail is set apart from the jail. State of Maine Bail Commissioners or the courts decide bail conditions, not the jail staff. To bail someone out, go to the jail lobby and see the Information Officer. Cash is required. Credit cards, debit cards, personal checks, cashier's checks, and money orders are not accepted, though an ATM sits in the lobby. Expect about a two-hour wait. The bail information line is 207-774-5939 ext. 2144.
The jail describes its mission as healthy, safe, secure, humane, and cost-effective detention of people alleged or convicted of crimes. Corrections leadership pairs Jail Administrator Major Tim Kortes with Captain Dani Demers for operations and Captain Erik Frigon for administrative support. That structure runs the booking floor, the housing units, and the support services families reach through the roster.
Note: Medical details are never released or discussed by phone because federal HIPAA rules protect an inmate's health information.
Cumberland County Jail Visitation Schedule
All family and friend visits are pre-scheduled. There are no walk-ins. Requests are accepted on Mondays, Tuesdays, and until noon on Wednesdays, with confirmation due back by close of business Thursday. One visitor per inmate is allowed, plus one child. The visitor must give a full name, date of birth, callback number, and a driver's license or state ID number, then arrive 15 minutes early with valid photo ID. Each visit runs 40 minutes, and the visit day depends on the inmate's housing unit.
Professional visits run on a separate, broader weekday schedule. Attorneys, doctors, and clergy can book by video or in person Monday through Friday. The table below sets out the request window and the professional visit hours.
| Visit Type | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Visit request window | Mon, Tue, and until noon Wed | Confirmation by close of business Thu |
| Professional video | Monday to Friday | 8:45-10:30 a.m. and 12:15-4:00 p.m. |
| Professional in-person | Monday to Friday | 8:45-10:30 a.m. and 12:15-2:30 p.m. |
The family and friends visitation page lays out the scheduling process and visitor rules, and it is shown in the Cumberland County jail visitation request screenshot below.
Email jailvisits@cumberlandcounty.org with scheduling questions, or call 207-245-3802 about visit times.
Clothing and item rules are strict. No food, phones, cameras, handbags, wallets, cash, gum, or candy go into the visiting area, and lockers are available. The professional visits page covers attorney and clergy access, and it appears in the Cumberland County professional visits screenshot below.
Professional visitors must show a photo or professional ID to the Lobby Officer, sign the visitor log, and wear a visitor pass.
How to Contact a Cumberland County Inmate
Mail is the simplest way to reach someone inside. Address letters to the inmate's name, in care of Cumberland County Jail, 50 County Way, Portland, ME 04102. Inmates cannot accept cash, and mail is subject to order and security limits. Incoming and outgoing letters are generally held no more than 24 hours, not counting weekends, holidays, or emergencies. Keep the inmate's full name on the envelope so staff can route it to the right person and housing unit.
Visits offer face-to-face contact on the unit schedule. Professional contact with an attorney or clergy member runs by video or in person on the weekday schedule above, by appointment through professionalvisits@cumberlandcounty.org. Former inmates of any correctional facility cannot visit for 12 months from their last incarceration, and convicted felons may request consideration with Form F-154A, allowing about two weeks for review.
Slots are limited and timed. The jail caps each visit time slot at 12 inmates, so booking early matters on busy days. Juveniles must come with a legal guardian, and the jail asks for the child's birth certificate. Inmates in disciplinary segregation lose visiting privileges, except for attorney and clergy visits, which still go forward under the professional rules.
Commissary and Cumberland County Inmate Funds
Money lets an inmate buy commissary items and stay in touch. Funds can be deposited online or by phone at 866-345-1884. A money order in any denomination works too, made payable to the inmate, with the sender's name and address, mailed to the jail at 50 County Way. Account questions go to the Inmate Funds Inquiry Form or 207-774-5939 ext. 2172. There are no refunds or credits for commissary orders that go unfilled when a person is released.
The inmate funds page lists every deposit method and the pickup and refund rules, and it is shown in the Cumberland County inmate funds screenshot below.
If a person is released before an order arrives, the jail business office holds the order for limited pickup days before any refund window closes.
Note: Cash sent by mail is never accepted, so always use the online portal, the phone line, or a money order to fund an inmate's account.
Federal and State Inmate Searches
The county roster stops at the jail door. People held in federal custody do not appear on it, so a federal detainee or sentenced inmate must be traced through the Bureau of Prisons. State prison inmates are tracked by the Maine Department of Corrections instead. Picking the right system first saves time and avoids dead-end searches.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons runs a national inmate locator, shown in the federal BOP inmate locator screenshot below.
The BOP tool searches by name or register number and returns the person's age, release date, and current location. For state releases and DOC searches, see the released inmates page.