Woodbury County Inmate Population Snapshot
The public count begins with the Woodbury County In Jail Search, the WCICC roster linked from the county inmate page. When inspected on June 13, 2026, that roster returned 368 current records. The sheriff's jail information page lists the new Law Enforcement Center and Jail capacity as 498 inmates and states that the facility houses pretrial detainees, sentenced people, and federal prisoners through a U.S. Marshals Service contract.
That makes the Woodbury County inmate population broader than one kind of case. A new arrest may sit in the county jail while charges are reviewed. A sentenced local jail inmate may remain in the jail. A person committed to state custody belongs in the Iowa Department of Corrections system. A federal pretrial prisoner can be housed locally under the contract, while a federal sentenced prisoner should be searched through BOP. The public roster is strong for current local custody, but it is not an annual report, a court disposition record, or a full criminal-history file.
Woodbury County Inmate Population Statistics
Woodbury County publishes useful current figures, but not every measure readers expect. The county jail page gives capacity and custody mix. The WCICC roster gives a point-in-time count when the search page is inspected. Historical context comes from BJS/Census-derived data republished by the Prison Policy Initiative, while statewide jail-trend context comes from Vera. The live roster count should be read as a dated web count, not as official average daily population.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Date |
|---|---|---|
| Current listed jail population | 368 records | WCICC In Jail Search, inspected June 13, 2026 |
| Rated jail capacity | 498 inmates | Woodbury County Sheriff's Jail Information page, 2026 |
| Capacity-use snapshot | About 74% | Calculated from the dated roster count and listed capacity |
| Old jail average daily population | 249 ADP | BJS Census of Jail Facilities 2013, republished in Census 2020 correctional facility data |
| Sioux City Residential Facility historical capacity | 62 | Prison Policy Initiative/Census data using a 2012 source |
The missing items are just as important. Current official Woodbury County sources did not publish annual bookings, average length of stay, sex and race breakdowns, felony and misdemeanor split, or a monthly demographic dashboard. The site language therefore should not convert the roster count into a full demographic study. It is a practical public-custody count for the day it was inspected.
Woodbury County Jail Population Trends
The trend story is mainly a facility-change story. The older jail had a BJS/Census-derived 2013 average daily population figure of 249. The new Law Enforcement Center and Jail was completed in 2024 and the official county page lists current capacity as 498. Iowa Public Radio reported the project cost about $70 million and included a courtroom inside the Law Enforcement Center, reducing the need to move inmates outside for legal proceedings.
| Year or Date | Population / Capacity | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 249 ADP | Historical average daily population for the old jail, not current capacity |
| 2024 | New jail completed | Official page says the Law Enforcement Center and Jail were completed in 2024 |
| June 13, 2026 | 368 records | Live roster count from the WCICC current in-jail search |
| 2026 | 498 capacity | Current capacity listed by the sheriff's jail page |
Who Makes Up Woodbury County Jail Custody
The county does not publish a current demographic dashboard, so the safest breakdown is by custody type. The jail page says the Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center and Jail houses pretrial detainees, sentenced individuals, and federal prisoners through a U.S. Marshals Service contract. The public roster does not expose sex, race, age, housing unit, or detailed custody-status fields in the search-result table. Those limits help explain why the roster works well for current custody confirmation but poorly for demographic analysis.
- Pretrial detainees are people held after arrest while charges, bond, and hearings are pending.
- Sentenced local inmates may serve county jail time in Woodbury County rather than state prison.
- Federal prisoners held locally may appear on the county roster because of the USMS contract.
- State offenders belong in the Iowa DOC locator after commitment or community-corrections placement.
- Juvenile holds are separate and should not be searched like adult jail records.
Laws Governing Woodbury County Inmate Records
Iowa law supplies the record-access frame. The Woodbury County inmate population is not public because a roster vendor exists; it is public because county and state records are subject to Iowa open-records law unless an exception applies. Jail operations also sit within Iowa jail statutes and state standards. That matters when a record is not on the roster, when a booking photo is requested, or when a person has moved from county jail to state corrections.
Key Statutes:
Iowa Code Chapter 22 defines Iowa public records and governs examination, copying, custodian supervision, and reasonable expenses.
Iowa Code 904.601 applies to Iowa DOC inmate records and is cited by the state offender search as public-record authority.
Iowa Code Chapter 356 governs Iowa jails and municipal holding facilities.
Iowa Code 356.36 directs minimum standards for jails, alternative jails, and municipal holding facilities.
Search the Woodbury County Inmate Population
The current Woodbury County jail search is the WCICC In Jail Search. The form accepts a name, booking-date range, and charge text, then lets the user set the number of lines shown and sort the table by name, date, charges, or bond amount. The result grid showed name, date booked, time booked, charges, bond amount, and a View Inmate Details link. One inspected row had blank booking date and time, so complete booking-time data should not be promised.
The official Woodbury County In Jail Search is the roster readers use for the current inmate population.
The search fields in the screenshot match the lookup process: start with a name, then narrow by booking date or charge only when needed.
- Open the Woodbury County In Jail Search linked from the sheriff's inmate page.
- Search by name first, using a partial last name if spelling is uncertain.
- Use Date Booked or Charge only after a broad search returns too many records.
- Sort by date to scan recent bookings or by bond amount when release is the urgent issue.
- Use View Inmate Details where available, then verify bond and release conditions by phone if timing matters.
| Roster Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Text | Unspecified | Free-text name search, with a 70-character limit in page markup |
| Date Booked From / To | Text | Unspecified | No visible format note was captured; search by name first if unsure |
| Charge | Text | Unspecified | Use words such as OWI, warrant, assault, theft, or probation |
| Display # of Lines | Dropdown | Optional | 10, 20, 50, 100, or All |
| Sort Table | Dropdown | Optional | Name, date, charges, or bond amount, ascending or descending |
What Woodbury County Inmate Records Show
A roster result is a current-custody lead, not a full booking packet. The search-result view omits date of birth, home address, housing unit, medical details, court outcome, and release date. The sheriff's disclaimer also warns that a record of arrest is not proof of guilt, that the sheriff does not provide case disposition, and that users should verify accuracy with the arresting agency or Iowa Courts Online. The court record controls charge status and disposition.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| View Inmate Details | A postback link for a listed person, rather than a stable direct profile URL |
| Inmate Name | Name in last-name-first format, often in all caps |
| Date and Time Booked | Booking date and time when present in the result row |
| Charges | Charge text or shorthand, including warrants, OWI, assault, theft, and probation violations |
| Bond Amount | A dollar amount or No Bond, subject to court and jail verification |
Woodbury County Detention Facilities
The facility map separates adult jail custody from juvenile detention and state community corrections. This distinction prevents a common search error. An adult currently held at the county jail is searched through WCICC. A juvenile placement is not searched on an adult public roster. A state work-release or residential-treatment resident is searched through Iowa DOC and the 3rd District, not through the county jail roster.
- Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center and Jail holds adult pretrial detainees, sentenced local inmates, and some federal prisoners under USMS contract.
- Woodbury County Juvenile Detention Center handles juvenile detention matters and does not publish an adult inmate roster.
- Sioux City Residential Treatment Facility is an Iowa DOC 3rd District community-corrections setting for residents, clients, reentry, and work-release related supervision.
State and Federal Inmate Lookup
The Iowa DOC Offender Search is the correct search for people sentenced to IDOC custody, on parole or probation, in community corrections, or in state residential/work-release programs. It includes fields for name, offender number, sex, location, offense, county of commitment, and name-search type. It is updated weekly and warns that information can change quickly.
Federal and immigration custody use other systems. The BOP Inmate Locator covers federal inmates from 1982 to the present, mainly after federal sentencing. The ICE Online Detainee Locator System is separate and requires JavaScript. No BOP prison or ICE detention center was found inside Woodbury County, but the local jail can hold federal prisoners under the USMS contract.
| Custody Type | Primary Search | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Current county jail custody | WCICC In Jail Search | Recent arrests, bond, current local holds |
| State prison or supervision | Iowa DOC Offender Search | Sentenced prisoners, parole, probation, community corrections |
| Federal sentenced custody | BOP Inmate Locator | Federal prison status from 1982 forward |
| Immigration detention | ICE ODLS | Immigration detainees, not county booking records |
Woodbury County Jail Rules That Affect Families
Population lookup is only one part of the task. The jail page says video visits run Monday through Friday, with morning and afternoon check-in windows and no holiday visitation. Ordinary inmate mail is not sent to Sioux City; it goes to a Longview, Texas processing address, is scanned, delivered electronically, and destroyed. Legal mail from a verified attorney is addressed to Woodbury County Jail at the Sioux City PO Box and must be marked as legal mail.
Money and property rules are also specific. Personal property is no longer accepted at the jail. Money is not accepted at Jail Administration and must be deposited through the ATM in the Law Enforcement Center vestibule or online through Inmate Canteen. Phone calls use NCIC collect calling, and family or friends can set up accounts through NCIC. Confirm custody before sending funds because release, transfer, court orders, and holds can change faster than public pages.
Woodbury County Inmate Population FAQ
How large is the Woodbury County inmate population? The best current public snapshot is the WCICC roster count. It returned 368 records when inspected on June 13, 2026. The sheriff's jail page lists capacity as 498 inmates. Treat that as a dated roster count, not a yearly average.
Why does the roster not show a person who was just arrested? Booking may not be complete, the person may have bonded out, been transferred, gone to a hospital, or been held under a restricted or juvenile status. Try a partial name, clear filters, and call the jail if timing matters.
Where are court charges found? Court charges, hearings, dispositions, and case documents are not final on the jail roster. Use Iowa Courts Online and the Woodbury County Clerk of Court for the court record after booking.
Does Woodbury County have a sheriff mobile app for inmates? No official Woodbury County Sheriff's Office inmate or warrant mobile app was found in the research. The verified channels are the WCICC web tools, IowaVINE, Iowa DOC, BOP, ICE, and Iowa Courts Online.