The Colfax County Inmate Population
The current Colfax County inmate population is shaped by one local fact: the official Colfax County Jail page describes a courthouse-based sheriff holding cell, not a full overnight jail. The sheriff's office can hold arrestees briefly during the workday, but people who remain in custody are routed to contracted detention centers. That makes the public count different from counties that run a normal jail with a daily roster, full visitation desk, commissary counter, and regular inmate housing.
For search purposes, the count has two parts. The local part is the Colfax County Sheriff's Office Holding Cell in Schuyler. The longer custody part may be at Butler County Detention Center, Platte County Detention Facility, or Antelope County Law Enforcement Center. Once a person is sentenced to state prison, the record moves to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services incarceration search. Federal and immigration records use separate federal tools.
The Colfax County Sheriff's Office identifies Sheriff Shawn Messerlie and gives the sheriff's office phone as (402) 352-8526. That office is the first point of contact for a Colfax arrest because it can identify whether the person is still local, released, due in court, or moved to a contract jail. The sheriff biography also helps explain why the jail role sits inside a broader courthouse and patrol operation rather than a separate detention campus.
Colfax County Inmate Population Statistics
Published Colfax County inmate population numbers are thin because the county does not operate a normal overnight jail population. The current official figure is the six-person holding-cell capacity listed by Colfax County, inspected in June 2026. Current average daily population, annual bookings, length of stay, and demographic breakdowns were not available in extractable county tables during the research pass. The table below keeps those gaps visible instead of filling them with generic Nebraska estimates.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Date |
|---|---|---|
| Current Colfax holding capacity | 6-person holding cell | Colfax County Jail page, inspected June 2026 |
| Current overnight jail population | Not published as a Colfax jail count | Colfax says inmates are not housed there outside business hours |
| Contract detention centers | Butler, Platte, Antelope | Colfax County Jail page, inspected June 2026 |
| Butler housing rate discussion | $50 per day | Butler County board minutes, February 17, 2026 |
| Nebraska jail pretrial share | 73% | Vera Nebraska profile context cited in research |
| Nebraska annual local jail bookings | At least 30,000 people | Prison Policy Initiative Nebraska profile, inspected June 2026 |
Colfax County Inmate Population Trends
Historical data does not match the current Colfax County holding-cell model. The Vera Institute incarceration trends dataset contains older Colfax jail population and rated-capacity values through 2014, and the research file flags them as historical county data rather than a current operating count. They are still useful because they show that Colfax inmate population reporting once looked more like a jail-population series, while the current official Colfax page describes a smaller holding role with contracted housing.
| Year | Total Jail Population | Rated Capacity | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 19.22 | 34.6 | Vera historical county data |
| 2013 | 18.79 | 34.26 | Vera historical county data |
| 2012 | 23.56 | 34.05 | Vera historical county data |
| 2011 | 16.77 | 34.07 | Vera historical county data |
| 2010 | 22.99 | 34.21 | Vera historical county data |
| 2005 | 2 | 16 | Vera historical county data |
The modern trend is operational rather than numerical. Colfax County points the public to the sheriff's office and to the detention center where the person is actually housed. That shift matters for families because the place that controls visits, mail, money, phone access, and some booking records may be outside Colfax County.
Colfax County Jail Capacity
The Colfax County Sheriff's Office Holding Cell has a six-person capacity. The same official page states that inmates are not housed in that holding cell outside business hours. It also says questions about locating inmates, providing funds, visitation hours, and detention-facility details should go to the local detention center where the inmate is housed. That sentence is the clearest rule for reading Colfax County jail capacity.
Platte County's official pages give the most detailed contract-facility data. One Platte sheriff About page describes capacity for 144 adult inmates, while another Platte detention source describes a 180-bed facility. Because both figures appear in official Platte material, the conflict should be treated as a source difference, not averaged. Butler and Antelope official pages confirmed sheriff and facility contact paths, but no official capacity figure was located in the inspected sources.
The official Colfax County Jail page is the source for the holding-cell rule.
The screenshot reinforces why the Colfax County inmate population cannot be read from a single online county roster.
Colfax County Inmate Population Laws
Nebraska public-records law is the starting point for Colfax County inmate population records, but it does not make every jail document instantly available online. The Nebraska Attorney General public records guidance and the county's own records page point requesters to the agency that holds the record. In practice, a Colfax booking record may sit with the sheriff, the contract jail, a court office, or a state/federal agency depending on the stage of the case.
Key Nebraska rules:
Neb. Rev. Stat. 84-712 allows public records to be examined and copied during office hours, subject to lawful exceptions and fee rules.
Neb. Rev. Stat. 84-712.01 defines public records broadly for state, county, city, village, and other public bodies.
Neb. Rev. Stat. 84-712.05 lists records that may be withheld, including some law-enforcement and investigatory records.
Neb. Rev. Stat. 29-3521 classifies certain criminal justice information as public, including arrest-identification photographs and original entry records.
Neb. Rev. Stat. 47-105 places jail custody with the sheriff unless a county board of corrections exists, and ties jail operation to Nebraska standards.
The Nebraska Crime Commission Jail Standards Division adds state oversight context. Its jail standards material describes annual inspections and data collection through state jail information systems. The death-in-custody reporting page also explains quarterly reporting for deaths in lockups, booking centers, local jails, state prisons, juvenile correctional facilities, and private correctional facilities.
Search Colfax County Inmate Records
There is no official Colfax County online roster located in the county site. The search chain starts with the sheriff's office during posted business hours. If Colfax confirms a transfer, then the receiving detention center controls many day-to-day inmate-service details. Platte County has a public roster on its detention page, but the captured roster showed only Last Name, First Name, and POD. Butler and Antelope did not publish an online roster in the inspected official sources.
- Call the Colfax County Sheriff's Office at (402) 352-8526 during business hours and ask whether the person is in holding, released, due in court, or transferred.
- If Colfax identifies Butler, Platte, or Antelope as the housing jail, use that facility's official phone or roster path.
- For Platte County, check the Platte County Detention Facility page for the visible roster fields and facility instructions.
- For sentenced state prisoners, search the NDCS locator by last name, first name, or DCS ID.
- For custody notification, use NEVCAP or its phone hotline if the person is covered by the portal.
- For federal sentences or immigration detention, use BOP or ICE rather than the Colfax sheriff page.
Note: No official Colfax sheriff or Schuyler police mobile custody app was located in the research.
Colfax County Roster Fields
Colfax County does not expose a public roster form, so the field inventory is a negative inventory. That is still useful. It tells searchers not to waste time hunting for booking-number boxes or a hidden Colfax inmate profile. Platte County's contract-facility roster is narrower than many readers expect because it confirms identity and pod, not charges, mugshots, bond, or court dates in the captured output.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Colfax jail roster | Not located | n/a | Official page provides phone/contact instructions instead of a search form. |
| Booking number | Not located | n/a | No Colfax public booking-number search was found. |
| Last name / first name | Not located on Colfax site | n/a | Use phone routing first, then the contract facility if identified. |
| Platte Last Name | Roster column | n/a | Visible on the Platte roster for listed detainees. |
| Platte First Name | Roster column | n/a | Visible on the Platte roster for listed detainees. |
| Platte POD | Roster column | n/a | Housing pod label such as A-POD, F-DORM, or MD-1. |
Colfax County Inmate Record Contents
A Colfax County inmate record may be split among several offices. The sheriff can identify the local custody path. The contract facility may hold intake and housing details. The court system holds filed charges and hearing records. The County Attorney's office handles prosecution after charges are filed. Because no full Colfax online inmate profile was located, the safest way to read a record is to match the question to the custodian.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Current holding status | Not online for Colfax; confirm by calling the sheriff during business hours. |
| Contract facility | Must be confirmed through Colfax or the receiving detention center. |
| Mugshot | Not shown on the Colfax page or the captured Platte roster output. |
| Charges | Not shown on Colfax roster because no roster was found; use court records after filing. |
| Bond | Use court, jail phone, or approved facility bond path depending on location. |
| Court date | Use the Nebraska court calendar, Colfax County Court, District Court Clerk, or JUSTICE. |
- Holding cell
- A short-term secure space before release, court, or transfer.
- POD
- A jail housing unit label used by Platte County's public roster.
- Detainer
- A hold or request from another agency that may affect release.
- DCS ID
- The Nebraska state prison identification number used in the NDCS locator.
Colfax County Court and Bond
Court records become important soon after a Colfax County arrest because booking information and filed charges are not the same thing. Colfax County Court handles many misdemeanor and county-court matters, while the District Court Clerk's office handles felony and district-court records. The Nebraska JUSTICE case search covers all 93 county and district courts, has a 24-hour lag, costs $17 per search, and keeps completed search access available for three calendar days.
Nebraska also differs from many states because bail bondsmen are not used. Release can involve personal recognizance, percentage bond, cash or appearance bond, or conditions set by a judge. Platte County's intake material says arrestees who do not bond out may appear before a judge within 24 hours. For a deeper charge path, use the Colfax County court records after jail arrest page.
State and Federal Inmate Search
The Colfax County inmate population does not include every person with a Colfax case. A sentenced state prisoner is searched through NDCS. The NDCS form accepts last name, first name, or DCS ID and requires a verification step. The locator is for Nebraska state custody, not the Colfax holding cell and not a contract jail roster.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator covers federal inmates from 1982 to the present. The ICE Online Detainee Locator uses A-number or biographical search paths for immigration detention. U.S. Marshals and federal prosecution records are separate from Nebraska JUSTICE and may involve federal court systems.
| Custody Type | Search Channel | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Colfax arrest, current local custody | Colfax Sheriff, then contract jail | Holding, transfer, release, or jail location |
| Platte contract housing | Platte detention page | Visible roster fields: last name, first name, POD |
| Sentenced Nebraska prisoner | NDCS locator | DCS ID, facility, state custody record where available |
| Federal prisoner | BOP locator | Federal custody from 1982 to present |
| Immigration detainee | ICE ODLS | Current ICE custody or certain CBP custody |
Colfax County Detention Facilities
The Colfax County detention system is a set of facility paths. The sheriff's holding cell is the local entry point, while contracted jails handle longer custody when Colfax assigns a person there. A reader should not assume that money, visits, phone calls, mail, or booking-photo requests follow Colfax rules after transfer. The receiving jail's rules control those services.
- Colfax County Sheriff's Office Holding Cell holds arrestees briefly during business hours before release, court handling, or transfer.
- Butler County Detention Center is a contracted county detention path for assigned Colfax inmates.
- Platte County Detention Facility has the most public facility detail, including intake, roster, CIDNET, care packages, and NEVCAP notes.
- Antelope County Law Enforcement Center is another contract facility path with official contact and payment links.
Colfax County Inmate Population FAQ
How big is the Colfax County inmate population?
The current official Colfax figure is a six-person holding cell. The county does not publish a current average daily population table for a full Colfax jail because people are not housed in the holding cell outside business hours.
Where should a Colfax County inmate search start?
Start with the Colfax County Sheriff's Office during business hours. If the person was transferred, use the identified contract facility. For state prison, federal, or immigration custody, use the separate state or federal locator.
Does Colfax County have an online jail roster?
No official Colfax County online roster was located. Platte County has a visible roster for its facility, but the captured output showed only last name, first name, and POD.
Are Colfax County mugshots online?
No official Colfax mugshot gallery or recent-booking photo roster was located. Booking-photo questions usually require a public-records request to the agency or facility that holds the photograph.
Can released inmates be found later?
Released Colfax custody records may require a request to the sheriff, the contract jail, or the court. State prison records remain in the NDCS system when the person is sentenced to Nebraska custody.