Telfair County Inmate Population Sources
The best current source for Telfair County jail population numbers in the research file is the Vera Institute county dataset for FIPS 13271. Vera reports annual, county-level jail figures and rates, not a live jail counter. Telfair County did not publish a daily jail population dashboard in the sources located. That matters because a daily count can change after arrests, bond hearings, releases, state transfers, or holds from another agency.
The confirmed detention map has two different systems. Telfair County Jail is the local county jail for arrests and short-term detention. Telfair State Prison is a Georgia Department of Corrections prison for adult male felons. A person in the county jail is verified through the jail or sheriff. A person in state prison is searched through the GDC Offender Query.
Telfair County Inmate Population Statistics
Vera's 2024 county dataset reported a Telfair County jail total population of 57, total pretrial custody of 55.5, and rated capacity of 70. Those are county jail figures. They do not count the full population at Telfair State Prison, which is a separate GDC institution inside the county. For state prison, the GDC page lists capacity as 1,400, while the 2025 PREA audit lists designed capacity as 1,420 and current population as 1,415.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Telfair County jail total population | 57 | Vera county dataset, 2024 |
| Total pretrial custody | 55.5 | Vera county dataset, 2024 |
| County jail rated capacity | 70 | Vera county dataset, 2024 |
| Jail incarceration rate | 811.04 per 100,000 residents ages 15-64 | Vera county dataset, 2024 |
| Telfair State Prison current population | 1,415 | 2025 PREA audit |
Telfair County Jail Population Trend
The recent Telfair County inmate population trend shows why capacity context matters. Vera reported the county jail above its rated capacity in 2021 and 2022, then below the 2024 rated capacity after the reported capacity figure rose. The 2024 county jail population was higher than 2023 and close to the 2022 level. The figures are annual average-style data, so they should not be read as a same-day roster count.
| Year | Jail Population | Pretrial Custody | Rated Capacity | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 57 | 55.5 | 70 | Most of the measured jail population was pretrial. |
| 2023 | 43.25 | 26 | 61.5 | Capacity was higher than prior Vera years. |
| 2022 | 53 | 52.75 | 36 | Population exceeded rated capacity. |
| 2021 | 47.5 | 46.75 | 36 | Population exceeded rated capacity. |
| 2020 | 26 | 17.25 | 36 | Lower COVID-era figure in the gathered trend. |
Telfair County Inmate Population Makeup
The clearest recent county-jail split is pretrial custody. In 2024, Vera reported 55.5 people in pretrial custody out of a total county jail population of 57. That means most people counted in the Telfair County jail data were awaiting case outcomes or otherwise held before final disposition. Recent race and sex detail was incomplete in the research extraction, so those fields should not be filled in from guesswork.
Telfair State Prison has more specific population information because GDC and the PREA audit describe the facility. The state prison serves adult male felons. The 2025 audit lists the age range as 18 and older, no youthful inmates, and custody levels that include minimum, medium, and close. Those state-prison facts should not be assigned to the county jail.
- Pretrial detainee
- A person held before the case has reached final disposition.
- Sentenced felon
- A person serving a sentence in GDC custody after conviction or other qualifying commitment.
- Detainer
- A hold or notice from another agency that may affect release.
Telfair County Jail Capacity
The GDC location page for Telfair County Jail did not publish a county jail capacity. Vera reported recent rated-capacity values of 36 in 2020 through 2022, 61.5 in 2023, and 70 in 2024. Because those figures come from a research dataset rather than a county facility page, they should be treated as Vera-reported rated-capacity measures, not as a sheriff-published bed count.
The state prison has its own capacity picture. GDC lists Telfair State Prison capacity at 1,400. The 2025 PREA audit lists designed capacity of 1,420, current population of 1,415, and average daily population of 1,410 for the prior 12 months. It also notes the prison had been over capacity at some point in that prior year. County jail crowding and state prison crowding are separate issues, even when both facilities sit in Telfair County.
Telfair County Jail Record Laws
Georgia law shapes access to Telfair County jail records, booking records, and inmate population information. The research did not find a Telfair sheriff open-records form, so requests should be directed to the agency that holds the record. Jail booking material usually starts with the sheriff or jail. Court filings after an arrest usually start with the clerk of court. Some records may be redacted or withheld when a specific exemption applies.
Key statutes:
Georgia Open Records Act - public agency records are generally open unless a legal exemption applies.
O.C.G.A. 50-18-71 - agencies must respond within a reasonable time not to exceed three business days or explain timing.
O.C.G.A. Title 42, Chapter 4 - Georgia jail statutes cover detention facilities, jail duties, and inmate-related rules.
O.C.G.A. 35-1-19 - Georgia places special limits on law-enforcement release and website posting of booking photographs.
Search Telfair County Inmates
No official Telfair County Sheriff online jail roster or booking-search portal was located. The local custody path is phone-first. Call Telfair County Jail at (229) 868-7000, the number listed by GDC, or the sheriff's office at (229) 868-6621. The county public-safety page also prints a jail non-emergency number as (299) 868-6611, but the area code conflicts with the GDC listing and should be verified before use.
- Start with the person's full name, date of birth if known, and approximate arrest date.
- Call Telfair County Jail and ask whether the person is currently in local custody.
- Ask whether the person was released, transferred, or held on another agency's warrant or detainer.
- For copies of booking or jail records, ask how to submit a Georgia Open Records Act request.
- If the person was sentenced to GDC custody, search the GDC offender query instead of the county jail.
Telfair County Inmate Lookup Channels
Because the county jail roster was not located, the useful search-field table for this project comes from the GDC Offender Query. GDC is not the county jail roster. It is the right tool for sentenced offenders, people in Telfair State Prison, and state custody records. Georgia.gov's Find an Offender page also states that county jail offenders should be searched through the county.
The GDC offender query screenshot shows the state search interface used for state custody lookups.
For Telfair County searches, the useful GDC filters include most recent institution options for TELFAIR COUNTY JAIL and TELFAIR STATE PRISON, plus conviction county for TELFAIR COUNTY.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Name / First Name | Text | No stated requirement | Labels support partial name matching. |
| Most Recent Institution | Dropdown | No | Includes TELFAIR COUNTY JAIL and TELFAIR STATE PRISON. |
| Conviction County | Dropdown | No | Includes TELFAIR COUNTY. |
| Active / Inactive records | Radio buttons | No | Search active, inactive, or both record sets. |
| GDC ID or Case Number | Dropdown plus text | Conditional | Useful when an official identifier is known. |
Telfair County Inmate Record Details
No official Telfair County jail roster profile was available to inspect, so the county-jail fields cannot be promised. A sheriff or jail record may include booking details, but exact public fields, release retention, mugshot display, and housing fields were not published in the located county sources. GDC records are different because the state query publishes its own search fields and may display offender photos if available.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Current county custody | Not available from an official online Telfair roster; verify by jail phone or sheriff request. |
| Booking photo | No official county booking-photo page was found; Georgia booking-photo restrictions apply. |
| Charges | Booking charges should be checked against court records after prosecutor review. |
| Bond | Not published in a local roster located during research; call the jail or court. |
| GDC status | State query may show status, institution, offense context, conviction county, demographics, and photos if available. |
Telfair County Jail vs State Prison
The county jail and state prison names can cause confusion because both appear in Telfair County sources. The jail is the local custody point after many arrests. The state prison is a GDC facility for sentenced adult male felons. A county jail call is useful for a new arrest, bond, release, or local booking question. A GDC search is useful after a person moves into state corrections custody.
| County Jail | State Prison | |
|---|---|---|
| Facility | Telfair County Jail | Telfair State Prison |
| Operator | Telfair County Sheriff's Office | Georgia Department of Corrections |
| Who is held | Local detainees and short-term custody | Adult male felons in GDC custody |
| Lookup path | Jail phone, sheriff contact, open-records request | GDC offender query |
Federal, ICE, and VINE Search
No current BOP, ICE, or USMS detention facility was found in Telfair County from official federal sources. Those systems still matter when a local arrest becomes a federal case, an immigration hold is involved, or a person leaves local custody. The BOP Inmate Locator covers federal Bureau of Prisons custody. ICE ODLS covers immigration detainees. USMS handles federal pretrial prisoners, but no public USMS detainee locator was found.
Georgia CJCC announced statewide VINE service for victim notification. The research did not confirm Telfair County Jail participation on an official local page, so VINE should be treated as a possible notification channel, not a replacement for the jail phone line.
Telfair County Detention Facilities
The Telfair County detention map has one confirmed county jail page and one state prison page. No separate municipal jail, city roster, BOP facility, or ICE facility was located in official sources for the county. McRae-Helena, Lumber City, and Milan police contacts exist, but the research did not find a separate city detention roster.
- Telfair County Jail - local county jail custody for people booked after local arrests or held short term.
- Telfair State Prison - GDC state prison for adult male felons, searched through the state locator.
Telfair County Inmate Population FAQ
How large is the Telfair County inmate population?
For the county jail, Vera reported a 2024 total population of 57 and rated capacity of 70. Telfair State Prison is much larger and separate from the jail; its 2025 PREA audit listed current population of 1,415.
Is there a Telfair County online jail roster?
No official sheriff or county online jail roster was located in the research. Current county custody should be verified by calling the jail or sheriff and using an open-records request when copies are needed.
When should GDC be searched?
Search GDC when the person is serving a Georgia state sentence, has transferred to state custody, or may be housed at Telfair State Prison. The GDC locator is not the same as a county jail roster.