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 September 30, 2026.
Mathews County, Virginia, has about 8,600 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Mathews County is held at the county jail, run by the Mathews 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: Mathews County public records, Mathews County arrest records, Mathews County warrants, Mathews County criminal records, Mathews County court records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Mathews County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Mathews County is held at the county jail, run by the Mathews County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the Mathews County Sheriff's Office at mathewscountyva.gov/232/Sheriff (page title: Sheriff | Mathews County, VA), phone 804-725-7177, 10622, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 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 804-725-7177.
The Mathews County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2024 the jail held about 37 people, up from about 36 in 2019. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Mathews County has about 8,600 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 43 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Mathews County Jail
The Mathews County Sheriff's Office makes the arrests that end in a booking in Mathews County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Mathews County: the Mathews County State Police (state police).
The Mathews County Sheriff's Office reported 112 arrests to the FBI for 2025. 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 Mathews 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 Virginia Department of Corrections lists its inmates at vadoc.virginia.gov/family-and-friends.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Mathews County?
Ask the Mathews County Sheriff's Office at 804-725-7177; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at mathewscountyva.gov/232/Sheriff.
How many people are in the Mathews County jail?
About 37 on an average day in 2024, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data.
What is the phone number for the Mathews County jail?
804-725-7177, the number on the page of the Mathews County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Mathews 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 Mathews 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.