Suffolk County 72 Hour Booking
Suffolk County 72 hour booking records are processed through the Sheriff's Office, which operates two major correctional facilities on Long Island. The Riverhead facility handles maximum security inmates with a capacity of 840, while the Yaphank facility in the center of the county holds medium security inmates with 976 beds. Suffolk County is the largest county in New York outside of New York City, with a population of about 1.5 million. The Sheriff's Office also offers an online inmate search for checking on recent bookings.
Suffolk County Overview
Suffolk County Sheriff's Office and Correctional Facilities
The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office manages law enforcement and two correctional facilities. The main office is at 100 Center Drive South, Riverhead, NY 11901. Call (631) 852-2200 for general inquiries. You can email Suffolk_Sheriff@suffolkcountyny.gov for non-urgent questions.
The Riverhead Correctional Facility is the maximum security facility with a capacity of 840 beds. It sits near the county courthouse in Riverhead and processes many of the 72 hour bookings for the county. The Yaphank Correctional Facility at 200 Glover Drive, Yaphank, NY 11980 is the medium security facility with 976 beds. You can reach Yaphank at (631) 852-5900. Between the two facilities, Suffolk County has a combined capacity of over 1,800 beds, making it one of the largest jail systems in New York outside of New York City.
| Sheriff's Office | 100 Center Drive South, Riverhead, NY 11901 |
|---|---|
| Main Phone | (631) 852-2200 |
| Suffolk_Sheriff@suffolkcountyny.gov | |
| Riverhead Facility | Max Security, 840 beds |
| Yaphank Facility | 200 Glover Drive, Yaphank, NY 11980 - Medium Security, 976 beds |
| Yaphank Phone | (631) 852-5900 |
Suffolk County covers the eastern two-thirds of Long Island. It includes densely populated western towns like Huntington, Babylon, and Islip, as well as the more rural east end including the Hamptons and the North Fork. The Suffolk County Police Department handles most law enforcement, but town and village police departments also operate in some areas. All arrests in the county funnel through the Sheriff's corrections facilities for 72 hour booking.
How to Search Suffolk County 72 Hour Booking Records
The quickest way to check on a 72 hour booking in Suffolk County is to call the Sheriff's Office at (631) 852-2200 or Yaphank at (631) 852-5900. Staff can confirm if someone is held at either the Riverhead or Yaphank facility. The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office website also has contact info for both facilities.
VINELink also covers Suffolk County. You can search for inmates by name and register for alerts when someone's status changes. This is a free national system that updates regularly. It works well for ongoing monitoring of a case.
You can call the main Sheriff's Office number at (631) 852-2200 to ask about a specific inmate. Staff can confirm custody status and provide basic booking details. For the Yaphank facility specifically, call (631) 852-5900. Have the person's full name and date of birth ready for either call.
The DOCCS inmate lookup covers state prisons, not county jails. If someone was sentenced in Suffolk County and transferred to state custody, that tool will help you find them. For people still at the county level after a recent arrest, use the local inmate search, VINELink, or call the facility directly.
FOIL Requests for Suffolk County 72 Hour Booking
Public Officers Law Sections 84 through 90 give you the right to request booking records from Suffolk County. Send your FOIL request to the Sheriff's Office at 100 Center Drive South, Riverhead, NY 11901, or email Suffolk_Sheriff@suffolkcountyny.gov. Include the person's name, date of birth, and approximate arrest date. The agency has five business days to acknowledge the request.
Suffolk County processes a high volume of bookings, so be as specific as possible to help staff find the right record. Correction Law Section 9 may lead to some redacted fields in the documents you receive. The DCJS FOIL page provides guidance on how records requests work in New York. If your request is denied, you must be given a reason and you have the right to appeal.
What Suffolk County 72 Hour Booking Records Show
A booking record from Suffolk County includes the person's name, date of birth, physical description, charges at time of arrest, the arresting agency, and the arrest date and time. Each booking gets a unique number. The record shows which facility the person was sent to, bail information, and court details. Cases in Suffolk County go to various district courts, Suffolk County Court, or one of the local village courts depending on the charge and location.
Because Suffolk County has two facilities, the booking record will indicate whether the person is at Riverhead or Yaphank. Classification during intake determines which facility someone goes to based on the severity of the charges and other factors. The booking record captures the arrest as it was processed. Charges can change later. A booking is not a conviction.
Record Sealing and Suffolk County 72 Hour Booking
CPL Section 160.50 requires automatic sealing of booking records when a case is dismissed or the defendant is acquitted. Given the volume of cases in Suffolk County, a significant number of booking records are sealed each year as charges get dropped or cases are resolved without conviction.
Under CPL Section 160.59, people with certain convictions can petition for record sealing after completing their sentence. A motion must be filed with the court. If approved, the 72 hour booking record and case documents are sealed from public view. Youthful offender adjudications under CPL Section 720.35 are confidential. The repeal of Civil Rights Law Section 50-a in 2020 opened police disciplinary records to the public but did not change how booking records work under FOIL.
The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office website provides contact details and information about the two correctional facilities.
This is a good starting point to learn about the facilities or find contact numbers for questions about a 72 hour booking.
The VINELink system can also help track people booked in Suffolk County across state facilities.
Sign up for free alerts on VINELink to get notified when someone's custody status changes after being booked in Suffolk County.
Cities and Towns in Suffolk County
Suffolk County has ten towns spanning eastern Long Island. All arrests in the county are processed through the Sheriff's correctional facilities.
Other communities include Riverhead, East Hampton, Shelter Island, and Southold. People arrested in any part of Suffolk County go through the Sheriff's facilities for 72 hour booking.
Nearby Counties
Suffolk County borders Nassau County to the west. If you are not sure which county handled an arrest on Long Island, check the location.