KDOC Release and Supervision Records
Kentucky Department of Corrections institutions and county-jail beds form a statewide custody system, not one Lewis County facility. No KDOC prison was found in Lewis County. A Lewis felony case can still move from a receiving county jail into KDOC custody, and a qualified state inmate may be housed in a county-jail bed.
A state release can lead to parole, Mandatory Reentry Supervision, probation, home incarceration, shock probation, serve-out, court order, or transfer. Some modes mean the person left confinement but remains supervised. KOOL status, supervision dates, KDOC Daily Releases, and a formal movement or release record must be read together.
Confirm a Kentucky State Release
KOOL is the first public search for a state-sentenced person. Start with DOC or PID number when known. Otherwise search the full name and aliases, then compare conviction county, offense information, photo, and location. Advanced fields include supervision status, county of supervision, Institution Start or Supervision Begin Date, Escape/Abscond Date, and the exact label “Projected Release Date From/To.”
- Find the correct KOOL detail and record the observation date.
- Read current status and location with supervision begin and end dates.
- Check any parole table for action, next eligibility, and proposed date.
- Match the event to a KDOC Daily Releases PDF when available.
- Request movement or discharge records when a final document is needed.
The Lewis County release search covers county and court paths. KOOL should not be used as a negative test for a Lewis detainee who never entered a state sentence.
KDOC Open Records Contact
KDOC accepts written open-records requests for state correctional records. Include a mailing address, full name, and date of birth or offender number. Name the existing record, such as movement/release history, sentence-status sheet, release document, or discharge order.
KDOC Open Records Coordinator
Kentucky Department of Corrections
Division of Public Affairs
P.O. Box 2400
Frankfort, KY 40602
Email: correctionsopenrecords@ky.gov
Fax: 502-564-9575
KDOC lists ten cents per released paper page, a CD charge plus postage, and a separate approximate USB charge plus postage, with prepayment. KRS 197.025 permits correctional and security limits and contains five-business-day response language. Verify current terms on the official open-records page before submitting.
How KOOL Describes Release
KOOL updates daily, but KDOC cautions that information less than 120 days old may not be finalized. A status of Parole or Mandatory Reentry Supervision supports that confinement ended and supervision began. It does not prove sentence discharge. Probation can arise through a court order without a state-prison stay. An absconded flag reflects an alleged supervision problem, not discharge.
| KOOL item | Safe reading |
|---|---|
| Institution location | Current state custody when the record is current |
| Parole or MRS | Community status with continued supervision |
| Projected Release Date | Current calculation, not completed release |
| Supervision end | Expected end of supervision, not prison exit |
Research did not establish that KOOL permanently retains every fully discharged person. A no-match should lead to a KDOC records request, not a claim about custody history.
KDOC Daily Release Evidence
KDOC publishes Daily Releases PDFs listing first, middle, and last name, DOC ID, institution, and type of release. This is a real day-by-day state source. It is not a Lewis County jail feed, even when the person has a Lewis conviction or was housed in a county jail.
Match the DOC ID to KOOL and read the release type. A current KOOL record can supersede an older PDF if the person returned to custody. For exact physical movement from a county-jail bed, the housing jail's release or transfer sheet still answers the building-level question.
A statewide KDOC release list must stay labeled statewide and should be matched through KOOL by DOC ID.
KDOC Projected Dates and Credits
A projected date can change through jail credit, earned credit, forfeiture, programs, discipline, parole action, court modification, consecutive sentences, detainers, new charges, or correction. KRS 197.045 governs qualifying credits. The 85-percent rule in KRS 439.3401 applies only to qualifying enumerated violent offenders under applicable effective-date rules, not to every Kentucky prisoner.
Administrative release or delivery on a detainer may end one form of confinement without producing community freedom. Check KOOL after the projected day, then use Daily Releases and the movement record for confirmation. Parole eligibility and a proposed date are stages, not proof that release processing finished.
Lewis Closure Changes the KDOC Path
Because Lewis County's jail closed, a Lewis defendant may first appear in Rowan, Mason, or another receiver before a state sentence begins. Removal from that county roster can mean transfer into KDOC rather than release. The receiver's movement record proves the handoff, while KOOL shows the state location or later supervision.
The April 2021 closure and later Rowan housing language make the actual custodian date-specific. Begin with the Lewis court judgment and receiving jail, then move to KDOC only when the sentence or transfer supports it.
Distinguishing KDOC Release Stages
Parole eligibility is a review threshold, not approval. A parole recommendation is a decision stage, not the gate time. A proposed date remains subject to processing and conditions. A Daily Releases entry is stronger date-specific operational evidence, while the movement document can supply the final physical detail. Label each stage rather than collapsing them into one date.
Probation and parole also differ. Probation is generally imposed by a court and can follow county custody without a prison stay. Parole is discretionary release from a state sentence under supervision. Mandatory Reentry Supervision is another state reentry status. Home incarceration places a person outside prison under restrictions. None should be described as unconditional discharge unless a discharge record supports that result.
KOOL's location and county-of-supervision information can help identify the current Probation and Parole office. Static district lists conflicted for Lewis County during research, so use the live KOOL record and KDOC's current contact directory rather than publishing an uncertain district number. An absconded flag reports a supervision problem; it is not a new conviction or proof of a warrant unless another record says so.
A no-match in KOOL has limits. A county detainee who never entered a state sentence may properly have no KOOL record. A federal person belongs in BOP. A fully discharged state record may not remain indefinitely searchable. When a known state case is missing, use the judgment, DOC identifier, Daily Releases archive, and KDOC Open Records to build the history.
For difficult cases, rank evidence by the question. The housing facility record controls physical exit. The signed judgment or parole action explains authority. KOOL plus Daily Releases explains state operations. VINE provides notice that must be checked. A current locator is useful but can change. This issue-specific approach handles return to custody and later status changes without treating an older record as permanently current.