Jefferson County Inmate Population
Jefferson County holds its inmate population at the county jail in Madison, Indiana, operated by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. The county participates in the Indiana VINE system, giving you a free and reliable way to search current custody status around the clock. This page covers how to search the Jefferson County inmate population, what records are available under Indiana's public access laws, and how to reach the sheriff's office for additional questions.
Jefferson County Quick Facts
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in Madison manages the county jail and all custody operations for the county. Madison sits along the Ohio River in southeast Indiana. The sheriff's office handles inmate population records, answers questions about who is currently in custody, and processes records requests under Indiana's public records law. Staff are available by phone during regular business hours for basic inquiries.
| Address | 317 S Mulberry St, Madison, IN 47250 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (812) 265-6428 |
| Fax | (812) 265-8963 |
Call the office with the full legal name of the person you are looking for. If you need formal records, send a written request to the South Mulberry Street address. The office responds to APRA requests within a reasonable time. Most basic inmate population information is public and does not require any special approval. More detailed records requests may take a few additional days depending on the scope.
Search Jefferson County Inmate Population Online
Jefferson County does not maintain a standalone public jail roster on its own website. The primary online tool is Indiana VINE, available at the Indiana SAVIN offender search page. VINE pulls live data from the county jail's booking system and makes it searchable at no charge. No registration is required for a basic name search.
Type the person's first and last name into the search form. If they are in the Jefferson County jail, you will see their custody status, the facility where they are held, and often a case number. If SAVIN returns no result, call the Jefferson County Sheriff at (812) 265-6428. Staff there can confirm whether someone is in custody and give you basic booking details during business hours.
The Indiana County Jail Public Portal is a useful backup. It pulls roster data from counties that participate in the statewide sharing system. Jefferson County is in southeast Indiana near the Kentucky border, so some people may have connections to the Louisville, Kentucky area as well. For those transferred to Indiana state prisons, use the IDOC Offender Locator separately.
Indiana SAVIN and Statewide Inmate Population Tools
Indiana SAVIN is the statewide system for tracking the inmate population across all 92 Indiana counties and state prisons. Jefferson County participates in SAVIN, so booking records from the Madison jail appear in the statewide database shortly after someone is processed. The VINE network runs the system continuously, and searches are free at any hour.
Automated notifications through VINE are available to anyone who signs up. After finding a person in the system, register to receive alerts by phone, text, or email whenever their status changes. This covers releases, transfers, and court-ordered changes in custody. Sign up at the VINELink Indiana portal for free. Registration takes just a few minutes and can be set up for multiple people at once.
Jefferson County borders Kentucky along the Ohio River, and people in the area may also appear in Clark or Switzerland County records depending on where charges were filed. If a SAVIN search in Jefferson County returns nothing, check those neighboring systems. Jennings, Ripley, and Dearborn County systems are also close enough to be worth a look if connections in the area are known. All Indiana counties connected to SAVIN are searchable through the same interface.
Jefferson County Inmate Population Records
Most jail records in Jefferson County are public under Indiana's Access to Public Records Act. Booking information, charges, bond status, and custody status are open records that any member of the public can request. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office must provide this information when asked and cannot deny a routine inmate population request without a specific legal reason.
State rules under 210 IAC 3-1-6 define what county jails must document for each person in their custody. Required records include the full name, booking date, charges on file, case number, bond status, and expected release date when set. Jefferson County follows these rules at its Madison jail. The broader legal framework is in Indiana Code Title 11, which covers all aspects of county jail administration in Indiana.
To request records formally, write to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at 317 S Mulberry St, Madison, IN 47250. Routine requests for inmate population data take a few business days in most cases. For guidance on Indiana's public records process, see in.gov/idoa. Court records for cases involving the same individual should be requested from the Jefferson County Circuit Court, not the sheriff's office.
Cities in Jefferson County
Jefferson County includes Madison and smaller communities such as Hanover and Deputy. Madison is the county seat and the largest city in the county. None of the cities in Jefferson County reach the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All inmate population and custody matters are handled by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in Madison.
Nearby Indiana Counties
Jefferson County borders several southeast Indiana counties. If you are searching for someone who may be held in a neighboring facility, check these county systems.