Stafford County Inmate Population
Stafford County is a small south-central Kansas county with a county seat in St. John and communities that include Stafford, Macksville, Hudson, Radium, and Seward. The official county site describes roughly 4,000 residents, but it does not publish a current jail population count. The verified local custody point is the Stafford County Sheriff / Communications office, which is also the public contact for jail questions. Kansas law gives the sheriff charge and custody of the county jail and its prisoners, so local inmate population questions begin with that office.
The Stafford County inmate population should be read by custody stage. A recent arrest or local hold is a sheriff and jail question. A formal criminal case is a court question once charges are filed. A prison sentence moves the search to the Kansas Department of Corrections KASPER locator. A federal or immigration custody issue uses BOP or ICE tools. Treating all of those systems as one roster leads to missed records.
Stafford County Inmate Population Statistics
Official Stafford County online sources reviewed for this build did not publish a jail capacity, current custody count, average daily population, annual bookings, or demographic table. That is a finding, not a blank to fill. The safest local table labels the missing jail figures plainly and separates them from statewide and national context that comes from other sources.
The KDOC homepage gives statewide prison and parole figures, while the Bureau of Justice Statistics publishes national jail counts. Those figures help frame the scale of Kansas and U.S. custody, but they are not Stafford County jail numbers. A person checking the Stafford County inmate population for today still needs the sheriff or a records request if no online roster is posted.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Date |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford County Jail rated capacity | Not published in official online sources | Stafford County pages reviewed June 13, 2026 |
| Stafford County current jail population | Not published online | No official roster or dashboard located June 13, 2026 |
| Stafford County annual bookings | Not published online | No annual sheriff report located |
| Stafford County resident population | Roughly 4,000 residents | Stafford County homepage |
| KDOC adult correctional facilities statewide | 9,849 people / 10,674 capacity | KDOC homepage, updated 9-18-2025 |
| BJS U.S. local jail population | 664,200 at midyear 2023 | BJS Jail Inmates in 2023 |
| Kansas incarceration context | 648 per 100,000 people, 17,000 behind bars | Prison Policy Initiative Kansas profile |
The BJS jail population tables provide national context for why local jail counts matter. The Stafford County inmate population table above keeps the local and nonlocal figures separate so a statewide prison count is not mistaken for the Stafford County Jail count.
Because Stafford County has not posted the same type of dashboard, the BJS image is only context for jail population reporting, not a local custody roster.
Stafford County Jail Population Trends
A trend line for the Stafford County inmate population could not be built from official county pages because no annual jail report or current roster archive was located. The lack of online data affects several common questions: whether the jail is crowded, whether annual bookings have risen, and whether average length of stay has changed. Those answers may exist in sheriff records, but they were not posted in the online sources used for this build.
| Year | Stafford County jail count / ADP | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Not located | No official county report found |
| 2022 | Not located | No official county report found |
| 2023 | Not located | BJS national jail data exists, but no Stafford count was found online |
| 2024 | Not located | No official county report found |
| 2025 | Not located locally | KDOC statewide prison count is available, not a Stafford jail count |
| 2026 | Not located | No official roster or jail population dashboard located as of June 13, 2026 |
For a current count, ask the sheriff whether a jail book entry, daily count, or other jail record is available under the Kansas Open Records Act. The request should name the date range and record type, since a population count, a booking list, and a full booking record are not the same thing.
Stafford County Jail Custody Laws
Kansas law explains why the Stafford County inmate population sits under sheriff control and why some jail records may be public. K.S.A. 19-811 states that the sheriff has charge and custody of the county jail and prisoners. K.S.A. 19-1930 covers prisoners committed by county, city, federal, or corrections authority. That matters in Stafford County because the sheriff page says the office works with city police departments, Kansas Highway Patrol, KBI, Fire, and EMS.
Public access is handled through the Kansas Open Records Act. K.S.A. 45-215 begins KORA, and K.S.A. 45-217 defines public-record terms. Research notes for the Kansas Revisor annotations reference law-enforcement records, jail books, standard offense reports, and mug shots. KORA still allows fees, redactions, and denials when a statutory exception applies.
Key Statutes:
K.S.A. 19-811 - places the county jail and prisoners in the sheriff's charge and custody.
K.S.A. 45-215 - begins the Kansas Open Records Act, the main public-records framework.
K.S.A. 19-1935 - requires a KBI inquiry after a city or county prisoner dies in custody, unless a natural-cause exception applies.
Search Stafford County Inmate Population
No official Stafford County online jail roster was located. The county-level route is the Stafford County Sheriff / Communications office. Call (620) 549-3247 or visit the public counter at 209 North Broadway in St. John during posted weekday hours. Ask whether the person is currently in local custody, whether bond or a hold is listed, whether a court date is known, and how to request a booking record if the information is not released by phone.
When a person is no longer in the Stafford County Jail, the search shifts. Sentenced prisoners use KASPER. Filed criminal cases use Kansas Case Search or the district court clerk. Federal inmates use BOP. Immigration detainees use ICE ODLS. Kansas VINELink can help with custody notification where a record is available.
- Start with the Stafford County Sheriff if the question is current local custody.
- Ask whether the person is held locally, transferred, released, or held on another agency's warrant.
- Use Kansas Case Search after charges have had time to be filed.
- Use KDOC KASPER if the person has been sentenced to state custody.
- Use BOP, ICE ODLS, or Kansas VINELink for custody outside the local jail path.
Stafford County Inmate Lookup Fields
Because Stafford County did not post an official online roster, there is no verified Stafford roster search-field table to publish. KASPER does have a documented public search form for sentenced Kansas offenders. It is useful after a Stafford County case reaches state custody, but it should not be used as proof that a new arrestee is or is not in the Stafford County Jail.
| KASPER field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Show Photos | Radio | Optional | Yes or No, default No |
| Last Name | Text | Optional | One or more criteria requested |
| First / Middle Name | Text | Optional | Helpful for common names |
| KDOC Number | Text | Optional | Best when the state registration number is known |
| Conviction County | Dropdown | Optional | Includes Stafford and other Kansas counties |
| Advanced Search | Expandable panel | Optional | Includes race, gender, birth date, age range, and supervision county |
The KDOC locating FAQ explains that KASPER is updated each working day and includes profile fields such as photo, conviction, release date, housing, custody or supervision level, and movement history.
KASPER's disclaimer is a reminder to separate state prison records from Stafford County Jail custody records.
Stafford County Inmate Record Details
A Stafford County booking record may include identity, arresting agency, booking time, charges, bond, holds, property, fingerprints, and a booking photo if one was taken. The research did not locate an official online profile proving which fields Stafford County publishes on the web. For that reason, online claims about Stafford booking numbers, housing units, or release dates should be verified with the sheriff before anyone relies on them.
| Record type | What it may show | Where to request or search |
|---|---|---|
| Current custody status | Whether the person is held locally, released, or transferred | Stafford County Sheriff / Communications |
| Booking record | Intake details, arresting agency, booking date, bond or hold status when releasable | Sheriff KORA request path |
| Court case | Filed charge, case number, court events, warrants, disposition if public | Kansas Case Search or district court clerk |
| KDOC profile | State sentence, conviction county, housing, release date, supervision level | KASPER |
Stafford County Jail vs State Prison
The Stafford County inmate population is not the same as the Kansas prison population. The jail is the local custody point for recent arrests, local holds, and short-term custody. KDOC is the state corrections system for people sentenced to the custody of the Secretary of Corrections. Federal and immigration custody are separate again.
| Custody type | Who it covers | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| County jail | Recent arrests, pretrial defendants, local sentences, city/county lawful holds | Stafford County Sheriff / Communications |
| State prison or supervision | People sentenced to KDOC custody since 1980, plus certain supervision records | KDOC KASPER |
| Federal sentence | People in Bureau of Prisons custody from 1982 to present | BOP inmate locator |
| Immigration detention | ICE detainees searchable in the public ODLS when data is available | ICE Online Detainee Locator System |
- Booking
- Jail intake after arrest, including identity checks and initial custody data.
- Detainer
- A hold or request from another agency that can affect release.
- First appearance
- An early court hearing where rights, bond, and charges may be addressed.
- KORA
- The Kansas Open Records Act, used for public-record requests.
Stafford County Detention Facility
The facility map for Stafford County resolves to one verified local facility page. No KDOC adult prison, BOP prison, ICE detention center, regional jail, or separate municipal jail was verified in the county. City prisoners may still pass into sheriff custody when legally committed, so the facility question often comes back to the Stafford County Jail.
- Stafford County Jail - sheriff-operated county jail function for local arrests, county prisoners, municipal prisoners committed to sheriff custody, and other lawful holds under Kansas law.
Stafford County Inmate Population FAQ
How big is the Stafford County inmate population?
The current Stafford County Jail count was not published in official online sources reviewed June 13, 2026. Call the sheriff or ask how to request a daily count or jail book information under KORA.
How do I search Stafford County inmates?
No official online Stafford County roster was located. Start with the sheriff at (620) 549-3247, then use Kansas Case Search for filed charges and KASPER for sentenced state prisoners.
Are Stafford County mugshots online?
No official Stafford County mugshot gallery or recent-bookings page was found. Booking photo questions should go through the sheriff records process and may be subject to KORA limits or redactions.
Can VINELink replace a jail roster?
VINELink is useful for custody notifications where available, but it is not the Stafford County jail book. Verify urgent custody or release questions with the sheriff.