Reviewed and updated October 9, 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 October 9, 2026.
Fairfield, Iowa, in Jefferson County, has about 9,500 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Fairfield is held at the county jail, run by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, and the jail's record of each person held is a public record. 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: Fairfield public records, Jefferson County inmate search, Fairfield arrest records, Fairfield warrants, Fairfield criminal records, Fairfield court records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Fairfield
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Fairfield is held at the county jail, run by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at jeffersoncounty.iowa.gov/sheriff (page title: Sheriff's Office | Jefferson County Iowa Government), phone (641) 472-3576, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 9, 2026.
That page is the office's jail information page rather than a roster, so a search for a particular person goes through the office at (641) 472-3576.
The Jefferson County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2019 the jail held about 23 people. Its rated capacity in 2019 was 32 beds, and it ran at 72 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Jefferson County has about 16,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 15 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Jefferson County Jail
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Fairfield (filed by the FBI as Fairfield Police Department) make the arrests that end in a booking in and around Fairfield.
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were Fairfield's 136 for 2025 and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office's 59 for 2025.
Together, the two agencies in Jefferson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 195 arrests to the FBI that year. Those kept in custody were booked into the county jail; a person cited and released at the scene was not.
The counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in Fairfield arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison, not the jail; the Iowa Department of Corrections lists its inmates at doc.iowa.gov/inmate-family-services.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Fairfield?
Ask the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at (641) 472-3576; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at jeffersoncounty.iowa.gov/sheriff.
How many people are in the Jefferson County jail?
About 23 on an average day in 2019, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 32 beds.
What is the phone number for the Jefferson County jail?
(641) 472-3576, the number on the page of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Jefferson County go?
To a facility of the Iowa Department of Corrections; its inmate locator is at doc.iowa.gov/inmate-family-services.
Is this the official Fairfield website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.