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.
Jefferson County, Kansas, has about 18,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Jefferson County 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: Jefferson County public records, Jefferson County arrest records, Jefferson County warrants, Jefferson County criminal records, Jefferson County court records, Kansas arrest records and Kansas inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Jefferson County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Jefferson County 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 jeffersoncountykssheriff.com (page title: Jefferson County, Kansas Sheriff's Office), phone 785-863-2765, Monday through Friday, from 8am to 4pm, 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 785-863-2765.
The Jefferson County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2021 the jail held about 18 people, down from about 32 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2019, the last year with a capacity figure, was 35 beds, and it ran at 91 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Jefferson County has about 18,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 10 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Jefferson County Jail
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Oskaloosa, Valley Falls, Perry, McLouth, Meriden, Ozawkie and two more cities make the arrests that end in a booking in Jefferson County.
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office's 260 for 2025, McLouth's 24 for 2022 and Valley Falls's 17 for 2021.
The counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in Jefferson County arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
The jail holds people awaiting trial and people serving short sentences. A person sentenced to prison in Jefferson County serves the sentence in a facility of the Kansas Department of Corrections, whose inmate locator is at doc.ks.gov/@@search?SearchableText=inmate+search.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Jefferson County?
Ask the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at 785-863-2765; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at jeffersoncountykssheriff.com.
How many people are in the Jefferson County jail?
About 18 on an average day in 2021, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 35 beds.
What is the phone number for the Jefferson County jail?
785-863-2765, 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 Kansas Department of Corrections; its inmate locator is at doc.ks.gov.
Is this the official Jefferson 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.