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 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Watertown, New York, in Jefferson County, has about 24,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Watertown 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: Watertown public records, Jefferson County inmate search, Watertown arrest records, Watertown warrants, Watertown criminal records, Watertown court records, New York arrest records and New York inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Watertown
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Watertown 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 jeffersoncountyny.gov/corrections-contact-numbers (page title: Welcome to Jefferson County, New York | Corrections Contact Information), phone (315) 786-2688, 175 Arsenal Street Watertown, NY 13601, 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 (315) 786-2688.
The Jefferson County Jail by the Numbers
So far in 2026 the jail has held about 160 people on an average day, up from about 130 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2019, the last year with a capacity figure, was 124 beds, and it ran at 106 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Jefferson County has about 113,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 14 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 Watertown (filed by the FBI as Watertown Police Department) make the arrests that end in a booking in and around Watertown.
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were Watertown's 964 for 2025, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office's 665 for 2024 and Carthage's 38 for 2025.
Together, the 12 agencies in Jefferson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,004 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 Watertown arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison, not the jail; the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision lists its inmates at nysdoccslookup.doccs.ny.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Watertown?
Ask the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at (315) 786-2688; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at jeffersoncountyny.gov.
How many people are in the Jefferson County jail?
About 160 on an average day so far in 2026, against a rated capacity of 124 beds.
What is the phone number for the Jefferson County jail?
(315) 786-2688, 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 New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision; its inmate locator is at nysdoccslookup.doccs.ny.gov.
Is this the official Watertown 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.