Howard County Inmate Population Lookup
Howard County keeps its inmate population at the county jail in Kokomo, Indiana, which is operated by the Howard County Sheriff's Office under Sheriff Jerry Asher. The county jail serves Kokomo and all surrounding communities in the county. To search the Howard County inmate population, the Indiana VINE system is the primary free online tool, and the sheriff's office can also be reached by phone for direct questions. This page explains how to search, what records are public, and how Indiana's statewide systems cover Howard County.
Howard County Quick Facts
Howard County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff Jerry Asher oversees the Howard County Sheriff's Office, which runs the county detention facility on West Markland Avenue in Kokomo. The jail holds people awaiting trial in Howard County Circuit and Superior Courts, as well as those serving short sentences. Staff can answer questions about who is currently in custody and provide basic booking information over the phone during regular hours.
| Address | 1800 W Markland Ave, Kokomo, IN 46901 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (765) 457-1105 |
| Fax | (765) 457-1312 |
| Website | howardcountysheriff.org |
Calling the jail directly is the fastest option for straightforward questions. Written records requests go to the same address and are processed under Indiana's Access to Public Records Act. Include the person's full name and approximate booking date in any written request to help staff locate the right records quickly.
Search Howard County Inmate Population Online
Howard County does not currently run a standalone public jail roster on its own website. The main online method for searching the Howard County inmate population is Indiana VINE through the Indiana SAVIN offender search page. VINE connects directly to the county jail's booking system and returns current custody status for free, around the clock.
Enter the person's full first and last name to run the search. If a match is found, you will see the facility where they are held, their custody status, and in many cases a case number. If SAVIN does not return a result, calling the Howard County Sheriff at (765) 457-1105 is the next step. Staff there can check the roster manually and confirm whether someone is in custody.
The Indiana County Jail Public Portal is another statewide tool worth trying. It aggregates roster data from counties that share information with the state system and may catch records that appear there before VINE updates. For people who have been transferred from county jail to a state prison, the IDOC Offender Locator covers those records separately.
Indiana SAVIN and Statewide Inmate Population Tools
Indiana SAVIN is the official statewide system for tracking the inmate population across county jails and state prisons in all 92 Indiana counties. Howard County connects to SAVIN directly, meaning booking data from the Kokomo jail feeds into the statewide platform automatically. The VINE network keeps this system active around the clock, so searches return current data at any hour.
The notification service offered through VINE is one of its most useful features. After finding a person in the system, you can register for automated alerts by phone call, text, or email. Alerts fire any time the person's custody status changes, including when they are released, transferred to another facility, or have a court-ordered status change. Register at VINELink Indiana for free after running your initial search.
Howard County is in north-central Indiana and serves as a regional hub for the area. The county neighbors Miami, Tipton, Hamilton, and Grant counties. If a SAVIN search in Howard County returns nothing, check those nearby counties. People with ties to multiple communities sometimes end up in a neighboring jail depending on where charges were filed, and SAVIN lets you search all Indiana counties through the same interface.
Howard County Inmate Population Records
Jail records in Howard County are public under Indiana's Access to Public Records Act. Booking information, criminal charges, bond status, and custody status are all open records that any person can request. The Howard County Sheriff's Office is required to respond to APRA requests within a reasonable time and cannot deny access to standard inmate population records without a specific legal basis.
State administrative rules under 210 IAC 3-1-6 define what county jails must document for each person in custody. Required records include the full name, booking date, charges on file, case number, bond status, and expected release date when one has been ordered by the court. Howard County maintains these records at the Kokomo facility. Indiana Code Title 11 provides the full statutory framework for county jail administration in Indiana.
To make a records request, write to the Howard County Sheriff's Office at 1800 W Markland Ave, Kokomo, IN 46901. Routine inmate population requests are typically processed within a few business days. For APRA guidance, the state has an overview at in.gov/idoa. Court records for cases tied to the same individual should be requested from the Howard County Circuit or Superior Court rather than the sheriff's office.
Cities in Howard County
Howard County is anchored by Kokomo, which is the county seat and the largest city in the county. Kokomo has a dedicated page on this site for inmate population information.
Nearby Indiana Counties
Howard County borders several north-central Indiana counties. Check these nearby systems if you believe the person you are looking for may be held at a neighboring facility.