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.
Amherst County, Virginia, has about 32,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Amherst County is held at the county jail, run by the Amherst 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: Amherst County public records, Amherst County arrest records, Amherst County warrants, Amherst County criminal records, Amherst County court records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Amherst County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Amherst County is held at the county jail, run by the Amherst County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the Amherst County Sheriff's Office at countyofamherst.com/department/index.php?structureid=27 (page title: Sheriff's Office | Amherst County, Virginia), phone (434) 946-9381, 115 Taylor St P.O. Box 410, Amherst, VA 24521, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 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 (434) 946-9381.
The Amherst County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2025 the jail held about 400 people, up from about 130 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2023, the last year with a capacity figure, was 146 beds, and it ran at 43 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Amherst County has about 32,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 125 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Amherst County Jail
The Amherst County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Amherst make the arrests that end in a booking in Amherst County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Amherst County: the Amherst County State Police (state police).
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were the Amherst County Sheriff's Office's 458 for 2025 and Amherst's 20 for 2025.
Together, the two agencies in Amherst County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 478 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 Amherst 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 Amherst County serves the sentence in a facility of the Virginia Department of Corrections, whose inmate locator is at vadoc.virginia.gov/family-and-friends.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Amherst County?
Ask the Amherst County Sheriff's Office at (434) 946-9381; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at countyofamherst.com.
How many people are in the Amherst County jail?
About 400 on an average day in 2025, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 146 beds.
What is the phone number for the Amherst County jail?
(434) 946-9381, the number on the page of the Amherst County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Amherst County go?
To a facility of the Virginia Department of Corrections; its inmate locator is at vadoc.virginia.gov/family-and-friends.
Is this the official Amherst 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.