Jeff Davis County Inmate Population Snapshot
The best current jail snapshot in the research is the Georgia Sheriffs' Association County Jail Report for May 2026. That report listed 73 people in the Jeff Davis County jail system against 106 reported beds, or 68.9 percent of capacity. The figure is a jail-population count, not the same as the number of people booked over a quarter or year. It reflects people held at the local detention center on the reporting snapshot, including pretrial custody, local sentences, state-sentenced inmates who had not yet moved into Georgia Department of Corrections custody, and other hold categories reported by the jail source.
Jeff Davis County is a small southeast Georgia county, and the jail count should be read in that scale. U.S. Census QuickFacts estimated the county population at 15,219 on July 1, 2025. The jail count can rise after arrests, warrants, probation or parole holds, and court remands, then drop after bond, dismissal, sentence completion, transfer to GDC, or release to another agency. The local jail is not a state prison, and no state prison, federal prison, or ICE detention facility was found inside Jeff Davis County in the official sources reviewed.
Jeff Davis County Inmate Population Statistics
Jeff Davis County inmate population data comes from several public sources, and each source answers a different question. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association report gives a current jail snapshot. The sheriff's quarterly Georgia Criminal Alien Track and Report Act posts give booking-flow and detainer numbers for a quarter. Vera Institute trend data gives multi-year jail population and capacity values. Census data gives county population context, not jail demographics.
The Georgia Sheriffs' Association jail report interface is the strongest current source for the May 2026 population and capacity numbers used here.
The report screenshot matters because it shows the county jail data source, while the sheriff and detention-center sites provide the practical custody and records contacts.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Date |
|---|---|---|
| Current jail population | 73 inmates | Georgia Sheriffs' Association, May 2026 |
| Current jail capacity | 106 beds | Georgia Sheriffs' Association, May 2026 |
| Percent of capacity | 68.9% | Georgia Sheriffs' Association, May 2026 |
| Q1 2026 bookings | 199 booked | Jeff Davis Sheriff's quarterly jail report, Apr. 2, 2026 |
| Q1 2026 USDHS detainers | 6 detainers | Jeff Davis Sheriff's quarterly jail report, Apr. 2, 2026 |
| County population estimate | 15,219 residents | U.S. Census QuickFacts, July 1, 2025 estimate |
Jeff Davis County Inmate Population Trends
Multi-year jail data shows why one current count should not be treated as the whole story. Vera's March 2026 county dataset reported a 2026 Jeff Davis jail population value of 57, with 42 in pretrial custody and 15 in sentenced custody, while the May 2026 GSA report listed 73 people in jail. Those are different source types and dates, so they should be compared as trend and snapshot material, not forced into one daily count.
The capacity figures also need care. The January 2019 Georgia DCA jail report listed 39 people and 64 capacity. Vera listed capacity as 106 for 2025 and 2026, matching the May 2026 GSA bed count, but the research did not locate a local construction or expansion notice. The safe reading is that current high-authority sources support 106 beds, while the older 64-bed figure is historical context.
| Year | Total Jail Population | Pretrial | Sentenced | Rated Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 57 | 42 | 15 | 106 |
| 2025 | 64 | 47.25 | 16.75 | 106 |
| 2024 | 33.25 | 24.75 | 17 | 42.25 |
| 2023 | 52.75 | 36.75 | 16 | 63.25 |
| 2022 | 46.75 | 37.25 | 9.5 | 64 |
Note: Vera values can be fractional dataset values, so they are best used for trend context rather than a head count from the sheriff's daily jail log.
Jeff Davis County Jail Custody Makeup
The May 2026 GSA report included custody category figures for Jeff Davis County: 5 state-sentenced inmates, 25 awaiting trial, 4 serving a county sentence, and 8 listed as other inmates. Those category values do not add up to the total of 73 returned in the report notes, so the categories should be presented as source-reported partial categories rather than a complete breakdown. That limitation is important because jail users often try to turn a public table into a live roster, and the public table is not built for that purpose.
- Awaiting trial: people held before final case disposition, often because bond has not been set, posted, or allowed.
- County sentence: people serving local jail time rather than a state-prison sentence.
- State-sentenced locally: people counted at the jail even though a state sentence or GDC process may be involved.
- Other holds: categories can include agency holds or custody situations that need jail confirmation.
Laws Governing Jeff Davis County Inmate Records
Georgia's public-records framework allows many jail, booking, and court records to be requested, but it also allows fees, redactions, and exemptions. For Jeff Davis County inmate records, the sheriff's open-records form cites O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 et seq. and separates Arrest Booking Report, Arrest Booking Photo, Incident Report, CAD, 911 calls, body-worn video, in-car video, photographs, statements, and other records. Booking photos have a separate Georgia law and local affirmation requirement.
Key Georgia rules:
O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 et seq. is Georgia's open-records baseline for agency records unless an exemption applies.
O.C.G.A. 50-18-71 covers response timing and allows reasonable search, redaction, copy, media, and mailing charges.
O.C.G.A. 35-1-19 defines booking photographs and restricts law-enforcement website posting and release for pay-to-remove use.
Georgia Uniform Magistrate Court Rule 25.1 sets first appearance timing after arrest unless bond is made first.
Search Jeff Davis County Inmate Custody
No official public Jeff Davis County current-inmate roster was located on the sheriff, county, or detention-center websites in the research. That is the key search fact. The local inmate lookup workflow is therefore a chain of official channels rather than one public roster box. For a recent arrest, call the Jeff Davis County Detention Center first, then use the sheriff's record request form if written booking records or photos are needed. For court charges, move to the clerk, Magistrate Court, Georgia eAccess, or PeachCourt after the case is filed.
The sheriff's online record request form is the main official online substitute for a missing roster when a written booking record is needed.
The form is not a live custody search, but it is local, official, and specific about booking reports and booking photos.
- Call the detention center for current custody, bond, release, account, or visit questions.
- Call the sheriff's main line if the jail line does not resolve the custody or records question.
- Submit a sheriff record request for an Arrest Booking Report when written booking detail is needed.
- Use Georgia VINELink for custody notifications where the record is available.
- Search GDC only when the person may be in sentenced Georgia state custody.
- Use BOP, ICE ODLS, or federal court channels for federal or immigration custody.
Jeff Davis County Inmate Record Fields
Because no official public roster profile was located, the local field inventory comes from the sheriff's request categories and from state or federal locator fields. A Jeff Davis County Arrest Booking Report may be requested from the sheriff, while a booking photo is a separate request type with a Letter of Affirmation. Charges on a booking report may be arrest charges, not the same as the filed accusation, indictment, dismissal, or disposition found later in court records.
| Record Item | Supported Source | What to Know |
|---|---|---|
| Current custody status | Detention center phone or VINELink | No official local roster page was found. |
| Arrest Booking Report | Sheriff Record Request | Use the exact form category for booking detail. |
| Arrest Booking Photo | Sheriff Record Request | Requires the local Letter of Affirmation. |
| Filed charges | Clerk, Magistrate Court, Georgia eAccess, PeachCourt | Filed charges can differ from arrest charges. |
| State prison location | GDC offender query | Use after sentencing or for state offender records. |
| Federal sentence location | BOP inmate locator | BOP does not cover all federal pretrial custody. |
Jeff Davis County Jail vs State Prison
Many searches fail because the custody system has changed. A person arrested in Hazlehurst or elsewhere in Jeff Davis County starts with local jail and sheriff channels. Once a person is sentenced to state prison, the Georgia Department of Corrections offender query becomes the better search tool. A federal sentence belongs in the BOP locator, and civil immigration detention belongs in ICE ODLS. A federal pretrial defendant may be in U.S. Marshals custody without a public USMS locator.
| System | Covers | Use When |
|---|---|---|
| Jeff Davis County Detention Center | Current local jail custody, bond, booking, release | The arrest is recent or local. |
| Jeff Davis Sheriff Records | Booking reports, photos, incident records, CAD, 911, videos | A written record is needed. |
| Georgia Department of Corrections | Sentenced state offenders | The person moved to state custody. |
| BOP | Federal inmates from 1982 to present | The person is federally sentenced. |
| ICE ODLS | Current ICE custody or CBP custody over 48 hours | An immigration detention search is needed. |
Jeff Davis County Detention Facilities
The facility map resolved one local detention facility for this project. The Jeff Davis County Detention Center is the county jail and local detention center operated by the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office. No separate city jail, county work-release center, state prison, federal BOP facility, or ICE detention center was found physically inside Jeff Davis County. Nearby state and federal facilities may appear in locator searches, but they are not Jeff Davis County facility pages.
- Jeff Davis County Detention Center holds pretrial detainees, local-sentence inmates, some state-sentenced inmates awaiting transfer or housed locally, and other holds reported through jail channels.
Jeff Davis County Booking Flow
Booking volume is different from inmate population. The sheriff's Q1 2026 Georgia Criminal Alien Track and Report Act post reported 199 inmates booked from January through March 2026, 10 Law Enforcement Support Center inquiries, 5 LESC responses, and 6 USDHS detainers. Earlier 2025 quarterly posts reported 176 bookings in Q1, 193 in Q2, 206 in Q3, and 161 in Q4, for 734 bookings across those four quarters. Those figures show jail intake flow over time, not 734 people housed at once.
Recent local news also shows why a static public page cannot prove current custody. WJCL reported in December 2025 that the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office said 14 people in Hazlehurst were arrested on drug-related charges over two weeks, including alleged attempted jail drug smuggling. GBI reported in January 2024 that three people were booked into the Jeff Davis County Jail after a Hazlehurst death investigation. Those items are useful local context, but the later custody status, bond, court charges, and disposition still require official jail and court channels.
| Period | Bookings | USDHS Detainers | Use on Inmate Population Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | 199 | 6 | Official booking-flow report, not a daily jail count. |
| Q4 2025 | 161 | 9 | Quarterly sheriff report. |
| Q3 2025 | 206 | 7 | Quarterly sheriff report. |
| Q2 2025 | 193 | 6 | Quarterly sheriff report. |
| Q1 2025 | 176 | 3 | Quarterly sheriff report. |
Jeff Davis County Custody Terms
Several record terms repeat across Jeff Davis County inmate searches. A booking is the jail intake event after arrest. An Arrest Booking Report is the sheriff record type for written booking material. A first appearance is the early court event governed by Georgia magistrate rules. A detainer is a notice or hold request from another agency, such as immigration, another jurisdiction, probation, parole, or federal authority. A disposition is the court outcome for a charge or case.
- Pretrial detainee
- A person held before final case disposition, often while bond, charges, or court dates are pending.
- Local sentence
- Jail time served locally rather than a state-prison sentence served through GDC.
- State-sentenced inmate
- A person with a state sentence who may be awaiting transfer or otherwise counted through local jail channels.
- Hold
- A custody block that can keep a person in jail even if a local bond issue appears resolved.
Jeff Davis County Inmate Population FAQ
How big is the Jeff Davis County inmate population?
The May 2026 Georgia Sheriffs' Association report listed 73 people in the Jeff Davis County jail against 106 reported beds. Vera's 2026 trend value listed 57, so use the GSA number as the current monthly snapshot and the Vera number as trend data.
Can I search a Jeff Davis County jail roster online?
No official public roster was found on the sheriff, county, or detention-center websites. Start with the detention center phone line, then use the sheriff record request form, VINELink, GDC, BOP, ICE ODLS, or court channels based on custody stage.
Are booking photos part of the inmate search?
Jeff Davis County does not appear to publish a public mugshot roster in the official sources reviewed. The sheriff form lists Arrest Booking Photo as a request type and requires a Letter of Affirmation under Georgia's booking-photo rules.
Where do filed charges appear after arrest?
Filed charges move through court sources, not the jail population report. Check Magistrate Court for early warrant or first-appearance issues and the clerk, Georgia eAccess, or PeachCourt for State and Superior Court records.