Dallas County Inmate Population Overview
The local adult custody count centers on the Dallas County Jail, which is operated by the Dallas County Sheriff's Department. Official county material states that the jail houses an average of 180 inmates and has a jail staff of 28. That number is the strongest local population figure in the research because Dallas County does not publish a live jail dashboard, daily census feed, or public roster page. The count should be read as an average jail operating figure, not a rated-bed capacity or a daily head count.
The Dallas County inmate population changes as people are booked, released on bond, held on warrants, sentenced locally, or transferred to the Alabama Department of Corrections. The county also operates juvenile custody programs that are separate from the adult jail. The sheriff's official page names Sheriff Michael L. Granthum and describes jail operations, courthouse security, process service, transport duties, and 24-hour dispatch for both Dallas County and Selma. Those local duties explain why one inmate search can involve the jail, sheriff office, police department, court clerk, ADOC, VINELink, BOP, or ICE.
The official Dallas County Jail page is the main source for the adult jail population figure and current temporary facility status. The page does not publish a public online jail roster. That absence matters. Readers looking for a current inmate have to use the jail phone line, sheriff office, in-person public record book access, court records, and state or federal tools depending on where the person is held.
Dallas County also has a location issue that affects record searches. The jail page identifies the adult jail as a temporary facility on US-80, while the sheriff administrative office is listed at 102 Church Street and the Circuit Clerk is at the courthouse on Lauderdale Street. Those are different counters with different records. Jail staff can address current custody and release questions. The sheriff office is the local law-enforcement records starting point. The clerk and Alacourt handle court files after charges are opened.
Dallas County Inmate Population Statistics
Dallas County publishes a small but useful set of jail and youth-facility numbers. The adult jail average is tied to official county jail material and the sheriff page. The Perry Varner youth treatment program has more precise figures because its 2023 PREA audit lists designed capacity, current population, and average daily population. ADOC numbers are statewide prison figures, not Dallas County jail figures, but they help explain where sentenced Alabama prisoners are searched after transfer.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas County Jail average population | 180 inmates | Official county jail page, crawled in 2026 |
| Dallas County Jail staff | 28 staff | Official jail and sheriff pages |
| Perry Varner designed capacity | 32 youth | 2023 PREA audit |
| Perry Varner current population | 14 youth | 2023 PREA audit |
| ADOC statewide total | 27,601 inmates | ADOC inmate search page inspected 2026-05-27 |
Dallas County Jail Population Trends
Dallas County does not publish a multi-year adult jail trend table in the official materials reviewed. The safe trend statement is narrow: the county's current public jail page and sheriff material report an average adult jail population of 180 inmates, while the site identifies the adult jail location as a temporary facility. No official source in the research explains the reason for that temporary status, the construction timeline, or a permanent replacement plan.
Statewide prison trends are reported separately by ADOC through monthly and quarterly statistical reports. Those reports should not be treated as Dallas County jail census data. They are useful after sentencing because a Dallas County defendant who enters state prison moves into ADOC's statewide count and no longer belongs to the county jail population for lookup purposes.
| System | Published Figure | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas County Jail | Average 180 inmates | Current local adult jail operating figure from official county material |
| Perry Varner | Average daily population 10 | Juvenile treatment program count from the 2023 PREA audit |
| ADOC | Monthly and quarterly reports | State prison population reports, not county jail reports |
Note: Dallas County's official jail materials do not break out pretrial status, sex, charge level, bond status, or daily overcrowding.
Who Is in Dallas County Custody
The adult Dallas County inmate population includes people booked after local arrests, people held on warrants, local sentenced inmates, and people waiting for transfer. The sheriff flyer also mentions transport of state inmates, juveniles, and fugitives. That does not mean each group appears in the same public record. Juvenile custody is handled through separate youth facilities and juvenile court rules. State prison custody is searched through ADOC. Federal and immigration custody use federal systems.
- Adult county jail: Dallas County Jail handles adult local custody, including pretrial detainees and local sentenced inmates.
- Juvenile detention: Dallas County Juvenile Detention Center receives males and females ages 13 to 18 through juvenile court channels.
- Youth treatment: Perry Varner serves male youth ages 13 to 17 in a structured treatment program.
- Municipal holding: Selma Police may handle very recent arrests before transfer to Dallas County Jail.
- State prison: Sentenced ADOC prisoners are searched through the statewide ADOC locator.
Laws for Dallas County Inmate Records
Alabama law is important because Dallas County does not provide an online jail roster. Public access starts with the county's official contact channels, but state law explains why certain jail records can be inspected and why some records, such as juvenile or unserved warrant records, may be restricted. The court system, not the jail, controls formal case files after charges are filed.
Key statutes and rules:
Alabama Code section 36-12-40 gives Alabama residents a right to inspect and copy public records, subject to exceptions.
Alabama Code section 36-22-8 requires sheriffs to keep a public prisoner record book with identity, charge, commitment, and release details.
Alabama Code Title 15, Chapter 13 provides the state bail framework used after arrest.
Dallas County Magistrates and Warrants states that an arrest warrant is not public record until served.
Search Dallas County Inmate Population
The official Dallas County website does not publish a searchable adult jail roster, booking report, or mugshot gallery. A current inmate lookup therefore starts with the jail or sheriff office rather than a county web form. The temporary jail number listed in the sheriff flyer is (334) 690-1203, while the jail page lists (334) 690-1200. The county phone directory also lists the jail at (334) 874-2585. Dispatch, listed in official sheriff material as a 24-hour channel, is (334) 874-2578.
- Call Dallas County Jail and ask whether the person is in current county custody.
- Use the full legal name, date of birth or age, arrest date, and arresting agency if known.
- If Selma Police made the arrest, call Selma Police and ask whether the person was transferred to Dallas County Jail.
- For in-person inspection, start with the sheriff office or jail and ask about the public prisoner record book.
- If county custody has ended, check Alacourt, ADOC, VINELink, BOP, or ICE based on the next custody stage.
The Dallas County phone directory is useful because it places jail, sheriff, Circuit Clerk, District Attorney, juvenile detention, and other local numbers in one official list. It is not a roster, but it helps route calls when a name search cannot be done online.
The official county jail page is shown in this screenshot from the Dallas County Jail source page.
The page confirms the adult jail contact channel and average population, while leaving roster searches to phone, in-person, and records-request paths.
Dallas County Inmate Record Fields
Because Dallas County does not post online adult inmate profiles, the most concrete field list comes from Alabama's sheriff prisoner record statute. Those fields are not the same as a modern vendor roster with booking number, housing unit, photo, and bond fields. They are the minimum statutory prisoner book fields that support public inspection during office hours.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Name, age, sex, and color | Basic identifying details for a prisoner received into the county jail. |
| Distinguishing marks | Identifying description required by the prisoner record book law. |
| Charge held for | The charge supporting jail custody, which may differ from later filed court charges. |
| Commitment order and date | The order and date placing the person into jail custody. |
| Release order and date | The order and date authorizing release from custody. |
| Mugshot | Not required by the statutory record-book text and not posted online by Dallas County. |
Dallas County Jail vs State Prison
A Dallas County jail search is not the same as a state prison search. The county jail handles recent arrests and local custody. ADOC handles people sentenced to Alabama prison custody. A person can move from jail to court, then from jail to ADOC, and each move changes the correct lookup tool.
| Custody Type | Correct Channel | Use When |
|---|---|---|
| County jail custody | Dallas County Jail or Sheriff's Department | Recent arrest, pretrial hold, local sentence, warrant hold |
| Court case status | Alacourt Access or Circuit Clerk | Formal charges, court settings, case status, court documents |
| State prison | ADOC Inmate Search | Sentenced Alabama prisoner currently in ADOC custody |
| Federal prison | BOP Inmate Locator | Federal inmate incarcerated from 1982 to present |
| Immigration detention | ICE Online Detainee Locator | Immigration custody with A-number or biographical search details |
The ADOC search page also displayed statewide population statistics when inspected, including a total of 27,601 inmates. That figure is statewide prison custody and should not be read as a Dallas County jail count.
ADOC is the right tool only after a Dallas County defendant has moved into state prison custody.
Dallas County Arrest to Court Flow
After arrest, a Dallas County case can move through booking, first appearance, bond review, warrant processing, and formal court charges. The Dallas County Circuit Clerk is the local court channel, and Alacourt Access is the paid public trial-court record portal. Alacourt offers name and case-number searches, case detail reports, document images, and case monitoring for a fee.
Bond questions start with the jail because Dallas County does not publish a local bond desk page or payment rules online. Alabama sheriff handbook material explains that a person unable to obtain release on an appearance bond is generally entitled to an initial appearance within 72 hours unless the offense is not bailable. For serious charges covered by Aniah's Law, the court can hold a pretrial detention hearing and may deny release with a written order.
Arrest to custody flow: Arrest -> booking -> warrant or complaint review -> first appearance and bond -> court case -> release, continued jail custody, or transfer.
Dallas County Detention Facilities
Dallas County has one primary adult jail channel, two county-operated juvenile facilities, and a Selma Police short-term holding channel. The adult jail is the correct starting point for most county inmate population searches. The juvenile facilities should not be treated as adult jail roster sources, and Selma Police should be used mainly for very recent arrests or municipal incident questions.
- Dallas County Jail: adult county jail custody, including recent arrests, local holds, and people awaiting transfer.
- Dallas County Juvenile Detention Center: long-term juvenile detention for youth handled through juvenile court channels.
- Perry and Carolyn Varner Educational and Treatment Facility: juvenile treatment program for referred male youth.
- Selma Police Department Holding Facility: municipal short-term arrest and transfer channel, not a published city jail roster.
Dallas County Inmate Population FAQ
How large is the Dallas County inmate population?
The official Dallas County Jail page states that the adult jail houses an average of 180 inmates. The same local material lists 28 jail staff. Dallas County does not publish a live daily population dashboard, rated-bed capacity for the adult jail, or demographic breakdown for the adult jail population.
Can I search the Dallas County jail roster online?
No official online adult jail roster was located in the Dallas County, sheriff, city, or court sources reviewed. Start with the Dallas County Jail phone numbers, the sheriff office, in-person prisoner record access, and VINELink. Use court and state tools only when the person has moved beyond county jail custody.
Where do sentenced Dallas County inmates appear?
Once a Dallas County defendant is sentenced to ADOC custody, use the Alabama Department of Corrections inmate locator. ADOC's locator covers current state prisoners only and does not replace the county jail channel for recent arrests or pretrial custody.
Are Dallas County mugshots posted online?
Official Dallas County adult jail pages do not publish a mugshot gallery, recent booking feed, or roster photo field. Booking photo questions should go to the jail or sheriff office, and court record questions should go to the Circuit Clerk or Alacourt.
What if a Dallas County inmate is a juvenile?
Juvenile custody does not use the adult Dallas County jail roster path. Dallas County Juvenile Detention Center and Perry Varner are youth facilities, and their records are handled through facility administration and juvenile court channels. Juvenile photos, treatment records, and detention details should not be treated as public adult inmate population records.
Is VINELink a Dallas County roster?
VINELink is a custody notification and lookup channel for Alabama, not the county's own jail roster. It can help with custody status and notification registration, but official jail, court, ADOC, BOP, and ICE channels still control their own records.