Jay County Jail Inmate Search
Find an Inmate in Jay County
The adult jail for Jay County is the Jay County Jail. The address is 224 W. Water Street, Portland, IN 47371; the phone is 260-726-8188 or 260-726-7541 (call either). With no roster online, search VINELink. Each option is below.
How do I find someone in the Jay County Jail?
- Get the sheriff's office app for iPhone or Android. It shows Portland's current inmates and new bookings.
- As a backup, search VINELink. Its own app sends release alerts: VINE for Android or VINE for iPhone.
- Still nothing? Call the jail at 260-726-8188 or 260-726-7541 (call either).
What about youth arrested here?
Youth are held apart from adults. Call 260-726-8188 or 260-726-7541 (call either) about a child.
↑ Back to the question listWhere do prisoners go after sentencing?
Many Level 6 sentences are served in the Jay County Jail. Longer terms mean state prison. The IDOC offender search shows where a prisoner is.
↑ Back to the question listRelease after an arrest in the county
In Jay County, Criminal Rule 2.6 makes release without money the norm. Money bail in the county means cash, 10 percent or a bond. Details: our bail guide.
↑ Back to the question listWhich nearby jails should I check?
Arrests near the line may land here:
- Adams County Detention Center (Adams County, Decatur): 260-724-5345
- Blackford County Jail (Blackford County, Hartford City): 765-348-0930
- Delaware County Jail (Delaware County, Muncie): 765-747-7870 or 765-747-7885 (call either)
- Randolph County Jail (Randolph County, Winchester): 765-584-1721
- Wells County Jail (Wells County, Bluffton): 260-824-3426
Out of state, borders Darke County, OH, Mercer County, OH.
↑ Back to the question listHow do I reach an inmate?
- Phone calls: our inmate phone guide.
- Deposits: our money guide.
- Snacks and supplies: the commissary page.
- Visiting: our visit guide.
- Letters: our mail guide.
- Messages and texts: inmate email.
Video visits and deposits
The security center can hold 144 people.
- All visits are by video. Onsite video visits run 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Each inmate gets two 15-minute onsite visits a week, with 2 adults and 1 minor child per visit. An inmate who is the legal parent of more than one minor child may get an exception; proof may be asked for.
- Offsite video visits are unlimited, based on open slots. Book every visit 24 hours ahead; see our visiting guide.
- Money can go in a lobby kiosk at any hour, with cash or a card, or online.
- Phone accounts can be funded by calling 877-998-5678.
Guides: our money guide and phone guide.
↑ Back to the question listDoes this jail honor ICE holds?
- An ICE detainer, Form I-247A, asks the jail to hold someone.
- Under Senate Enrolled Act 76 (July 1, 2026), the jail must comply with detainers.
- Under a 2025 law, staff at 224 W. Water Street, Portland, IN 47371 flag some cases. Each needs probable cause.
- As of October 21, 2026, this county had no 287(g) agreement (ICE's 287(g) page).
- After ICE custody, search the ICE Online Detainee Locator System.
Can I get a booking photo?
IC 5-14-3 leaves booking photos to the sheriff. Write the Jay County Sheriff's Office, or call 260-726-8188 or 260-726-7541 (call either). An IC 35-38-9 expungement can seal the record.
↑ Back to the question listWhere are federal prisoners held?
U.S. Marshals may house federal defendants in county jails. Federal court for this county: Northern District of Indiana, Fort Wayne Division, 1300 S. Harrison Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802 (260-423-3000). Use VINELink while the case is open; then the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
↑ Back to the question listHow many people live in this county?
Jay County has about 20,118 residents (Census Vintage 2025, released 2026). The county seat is Portland.
↑ Back to the question listWhich numbers help after a local arrest?
Numbers to call:
- Arrests in Portland, Dunkirk, Redkey, Pennville, Bryant, Salamonia: ask the jail at 260-726-8188 or 260-726-7541 (call either) which agency made it.
- Jay County Sheriff's Office: 260-726-8188 or 260-726-7541 (call either)
Jay County Jail Inmate Services Information
Phone: 260-726-8188
Physical Address:
224 W. Water Street
Portland, IN 47371
Mailing Address (personal mail):
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID #
Jay County Jail
224 W. Water Street
Portland, IN. 47371
Mailing Address (legal mail or subscriptions):
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID #
Jay County Jail
224 W. Water Street
Portland, IN. 47371
Every year Jay County law enforcement agencies arrest and detain 3,040 offenders, and maintain an average of 152 inmates (county-wide) in their custody on any given day.
The weekly turnover rate of inmates is approximately 55%, meaning that every week more than half of these inmates are released and then replaced with new offenders being booked into jail.
The charts below break down the men, women, races, ethnicities and the types of crimes that people are arrested and incarcerated for in both Jay County and state prisons throughout the country. This information is compiled from local police and the Jay County Sheriff's Department, as well as the state of Indiana and the United States Department of Justice and Census Bureau.
If you are looking for a prisoner in Indiana or Federal custody, click on the appropriate institution below.
If you are searching for an inmate being held in another county in Indiana, click below.
If you are searching for a prisoner in a Indiana State Prison click below.
If you are searching for a United States Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate click below.
Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Search
For ICE Detainees (Immigration) being held at a detention facility in the United States, click below.
Jay County Inmate Race & Ethnicity - 10/27/2026
| Race | Inmates | % Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 95 | 91.35% |
| Black | 1 | 0.96% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8 | 7.69% |
| American Indian/Native Alaskan | 0 | 0.00% |
| Asian | 0 | 0.00% |
| Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian | 0 | 0.00% |
| Other | 0 | 0.00% |
| Total | 104 | 100.0% |
Jay County Inmate Criminal Charges - 10/27/2026
(many inmates have multiple charges)
| Charge | Inmates | % Total |
|---|---|---|
| Felony (3rd Degree) | 23 | 22.12% |
| Felony (2rd Degree) | 25 | 24.04% |
| Felony (1st Degree) | 7 | 6.73% |
| State Jail Felony | 5 | 4.81% |
| Felony (Uncategorized) | 22 | 21.15% |
| Misdemeanor (Class A) | 22 | 21.15% |
| Misdemeanor (Class C) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Holds | 0 | 0.00% |
| Uncategorized | 0 | 0.00% |
Jay County Inmate Sex - 10/27/2026
| Sex | Inmates | % Total |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 90 | 86.54% |
| Female | 14 | 13.46% |
| Total | 104 | 100.0% |
Jay County Inmate Age - 10/27/2026
| Age | Inmates | % Total |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 1 | 0.96% |
| 18-20 | 5 | 4.81% |
| 21-24 | 11 | 10.58% |
| 25-30 | 21 | 20.19% |
| 31-35 | 19 | 18.27% |
| 36-40 | 14 | 13.46% |
| 41-45 | 12 | 11.54% |
| 46-50 | 7 | 6.73% |
| 51-55 | 6 | 5.77% |
| 56-60 | 5 | 4.81% |
| 61-65 | 1 | 0.96% |
| 66-75 | 1 | 0.96% |
| 76-85 | 1 | 0.96% |
| Total | 104 | 100.0% |
- Jail (Main): 260-726-8188
- Sheriff: 260-726-8189
The Jay County Jail serves the following cities and towns of Jay County: Dunkirk and Portland.