Reviewed and updated October 7, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Kanawha County, West Virginia, has about 174,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person held after an arrest in Kanawha County is at the regional jail that serves Kanawha County. This guide says where to look for someone in custody, what the jail holds and who books people into it.
This guide covers the search, the jail, who books people, state prison and common questions.
Related guides: Kanawha County public records, Kanawha County warrants, Kanawha County criminal records, Kanawha County court records, Kanawha County police reports, West Virginia arrest records and West Virginia inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Kanawha County
West Virginia closed its county jails in favor of regional jails run by the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, so a person held after an arrest in Kanawha County is at the regional jail that serves Kanawha County, and the state's inmate search covers all of them.
That search is at dcr.wv.gov/offendersearch/Pages/default.aspx.
The Kanawha County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2024 the jail held about 430 people, down from about 500 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2023, the last year with a capacity figure, was 398 beds, and it ran at 107 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Kanawha County has about 174,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 25 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Kanawha County Jail
The Kanawha County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Charleston, South Charleston, St. Albans, Dunbar, Nitro, Marmet and eight more cities make the arrests that end in a booking in Kanawha County.
The FBI's agency list also places two campus police departments, four state agencies, two other agencies and four state police units in Kanawha County.
The Montgomery Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Kanawha County, so its arrests are not broken out for Kanawha County here.
From the Jail to State Prison
The jail holds people awaiting trial and people serving short sentences. A person sentenced to prison in Kanawha County serves the sentence in a facility of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, whose inmate locator is at dcr.wv.gov/offendersearch/Pages/default.aspx.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Kanawha County?
Ask the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office at 304-357-0216; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at kanawhasheriff.us.
How many people are in the Kanawha County jail?
About 430 on an average day in 2024, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 398 beds.
What is the phone number for the Kanawha County jail?
304-357-0216, the number on the page of the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Kanawha County go?
To a facility of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation; its inmate locator is at dcr.wv.gov/offendersearch/Pages/default.aspx.
Is this the official Kanawha County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.