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 2, 2026.
James City, Virginia, has about 83,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in James City is held at the city jail, run by the James City County Police Department, 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: James City public records, James City arrest records, James City warrants, James City criminal records, James City court records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in James City
A person kept in custody after an arrest in James City is held at the city jail, run by the James City County Police Department, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the James City County Police Department at jamescitycountyva.gov/2698/Sheriff (page title: Williamsburg-James City Sheriff's Office | James City County, VA), phone 757-564-2220, 5201 Monticello Avenue Suite 5 Williamsburg, VA 23188, Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 2, 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 757-564-2220.
The James City Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2024 the jail held about 150 people, down from about 170 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2023, the last year with a capacity figure, was 230 beds, and it ran at 58 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
James City has about 83,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 18 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the James City Jail
The James City County Police Department makes the arrests that end in a booking in James City.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in James City: the James City County State Police (state police).
The James City County Police Department reported 1,019 arrests to the FBI for 2025. Those kept in custody were booked into the city jail; a person cited and released at the scene was not.
The counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in James City arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison, not the jail; the Virginia Department of Corrections lists its inmates at vadoc.virginia.gov/family-and-friends.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in James City?
Ask the James City County Police Department at 757-564-2220; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at jamescitycountyva.gov/2698/Sheriff.
How many people are in the James City jail?
About 150 on an average day in 2024, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 230 beds.
What is the phone number for the James City jail?
757-564-2220, the number on the page of the James City County Police Department SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in James City 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 James City website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.