Medford Jail Roster Lookup

Medford is a Middlesex County city, and anyone arrested in Medford and held in custody goes to the Middlesex County Sheriff's facility in Billerica. Medford does not operate its own jail. The Medford Police Department makes arrests, and the Middlesex County Sheriff manages all detention. This page explains how to search the Medford jail roster through the county inmate locator, how to request records from the police department, what the online search shows, and what to do if you cannot find someone in the county system.

Medford Police Department

The Medford Police Department is at 100 Main Street, Medford, MA 02155. Their main line is (781) 391-6400. The department's website is at medfordma.org. The department handles all law enforcement for the city of Medford, including arrests that may result in county detention.

When Medford Police arrest someone and the person is held, the department processes the booking and the person is then transported to the Middlesex County facility in Billerica. The arrest report and all related documentation stay with Medford Police. They do not go to the county sheriff. So the city police hold the arrest record and the county sheriff holds the custody record. These are two separate agencies with two separate document sets.

To request an arrest report from Medford Police, submit a written public records request to the department. Under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10, the department must respond within ten business days. Include the person's name, the incident date, and your contact information. Call (781) 391-6400 to confirm the preferred submission format for records requests.

Middlesex County Inmate Locator

The Middlesex County Sheriff's Office runs the jail at 269 Treble Cove Road, Billerica, MA 01862. This is where Medford arrests end up when someone is kept in custody. The main phone is (978) 667-0700. The sheriff's website is at middlesheriff.com.

Use the Middlesex County inmate locator to search by name. Results show current custody status, booking date, charges, bail amount, and next court date. The database is updated as changes happen. If no results appear, the person may have been released or transferred. Call (978) 667-0700 to verify if the online search is unclear. Staff can confirm custody status by name or booking number.

The sheriff's website also provides visiting hours, mail and phone rules, and information on programs at the Billerica facility. Check those sections if you have a family member in custody and want to know how to maintain contact.

For cases where the county locator shows no results, try the Massachusetts DOC Inmate Search. People who receive sentences longer than two and a half years are transferred to a state prison facility operated by the Department of Correction and no longer appear in the county system.

Understanding the Two Records Systems

A lot of confusion comes from not knowing that two entirely different agencies each keep their own records after an arrest in Medford. The city police and the county sheriff operate independently. Their records don't merge at any point. If you need both the arrest documentation and the custody record, you need to contact both offices separately.

The Medford Police Department arrest record covers the initial incident. It includes the charge as written by the officer, the circumstances of the arrest, field evidence notes, and booking information created at the station. This record stays with the department even after the person is transferred to county custody.

The Middlesex County jail record covers what happens once the person arrives at Billerica. It includes the booking date at the facility, charges as processed by the jail, bail status, housing assignment, and court dates. The online inmate locator gives you most of this. For a full booking report or older records, a written request to the sheriff's office is the way to go.

Court records for the underlying case are available through MassCourts. Medford cases are heard in Medford District Court and Middlesex Superior Court for more serious charges. Both are searchable by name through MassCourts.

Public Records in Massachusetts

Both the Medford Police and the Middlesex Sheriff are subject to the Massachusetts public records law. Under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10, any person may inspect or copy public records held by a government agency. Arrest records, booking logs, and jail rosters are generally public. Some narrow categories may be withheld under specific exemptions, but routine booking information is accessible.

If your request is denied or not answered within ten business days, the Massachusetts Public Records office can help you navigate an appeal. Most routine requests do not reach that point. The law applies equally to anyone making a request, and you do not need to explain why you want a record.

Note: For state-level inmate records, the Massachusetts DOC maintains its own public search tool at publicsearch.doc.state.ma.us that operates separately from county and city records.

Medford Jail Roster and Surrounding Resources

The Massachusetts DOC Inmate Search is useful when county results come back empty. If someone received a long sentence and was moved to a state facility, they would only show up in the DOC database, not in the Middlesex County locator. The two systems cover different populations and are maintained by entirely different agencies.

For help with records requests that are denied or not handled on time, the Massachusetts Public Records office under the Secretary of State provides appeal guidance and can mediate disputes between requesters and government agencies. This applies to records from any city or county in the state.

Middlesex County Jail Roster Page

The Middlesex County page covers the Billerica facility in full, including visiting rules, inmate programs, and how to submit records requests to the sheriff's office.

Nearby Cities

Other qualifying cities near Medford in Middlesex County each have pages covering their local police departments and county jail roster resources.