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 September 30, 2026.
Jackson County, Iowa, has about 19,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Jackson County is held at the county jail, run by the Jackson 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: Jackson County public records, Jackson County arrest records, Jackson County warrants, Jackson County criminal records, Jackson County court records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Jackson County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Jackson County is held at the county jail, run by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the custody page of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office at jacksoncountyso.com/inmate-search (page title: Inmate Search | Jackson County Sheriff's Office), phone 877-654-8463, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 24, 2026.
That page is the place to look for someone booked recently. A person cited and released at the scene, or held only a few hours by a city department, will not be on it.
The Jackson County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2019 the jail held about 14 people. Its rated capacity in 2019 was 9 beds, and it ran at 156 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Jackson County has about 19,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 7 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Jackson County Jail
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Maquoketa, Preston and Sabula make the arrests that end in a booking in Jackson County.
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were Maquoketa's 190 for 2025, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office's 66 for 2025 and Preston's 7 for 2025.
Together, the four agencies in Jackson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 270 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 Jackson County 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 Jackson County?
Look on the custody page of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office at jacksoncountyso.com/inmate-search, or call 877-654-8463. It covers people booked into the county jail.
How many people are in the Jackson County jail?
About 14 on an average day in 2019, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 9 beds.
What is the phone number for the Jackson County jail?
877-654-8463, the number on the page of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Jackson 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 Jackson 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.