The Leake County Inmate Population
The best source for the broad Leake County inmate population is the Vera Institute county data for 2023, paired with Mississippi Department of Corrections reports for regional and state facilities. Vera lists Leake County with a jail total population of 433 and rated capacity of 462 in 2023. That county-level figure should not be read as a single bed count for the sheriff's front-end jail building. The research shows that Leake County has the sheriff-run Leake County Jail, the Leake County Correctional Facility listed by MDOC as a regional facility, and the Walnut Grove Correctional Facility state prison in the county.
The count moves when a person is arrested, booked, released on bond, held for another jail, sentenced, or transferred into MDOC custody. That matters in Leake County because the 2023 Vera data shows 57 people in pretrial custody and 376 in sentenced custody, with 306 held from state prison and 67 held from another jail. A current local arrest is still checked through the Leake County Sheriff's Office, but a sentenced state prisoner is searched through the MDOC inmate search.
Leake County Inmate Population Statistics
Leake County's available statistics come from several official or research-grade sources. Vera's 2023 data gives the county jail population and rated capacity. MDOC's June 1, 2026 monthly fact sheet lists Leake County Correctional Facility at 300 capacity and 300 offenders. The January 9, 2026 PREA audit for the regional facility gives a designed capacity of 312, current population of 294, and 12-month average daily population of 293. These figures do not conflict as much as they measure slightly different reporting units and dates.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Leake County jail total population | 433 | Vera Incarceration Trends county CSV, 2023 |
| Leake County jail rated capacity | 462 | Vera Incarceration Trends county CSV, 2023 |
| Pretrial custody | 57 | Vera Incarceration Trends county CSV, 2023 |
| Sentenced custody | 376 | Vera Incarceration Trends county CSV, 2023 |
| Held from state prison | 306 | Vera Incarceration Trends county CSV, 2023 |
| Leake County Correctional Facility capacity | 300 | MDOC Monthly Fact Sheet, June 1, 2026 |
| Walnut Grove Correctional Facility capacity | 1,496 | MDOC facility page, inspected 2026 |
Leake County Inmate Population Trends
Vera's long trend shows why Leake County inmate population data needs context. The county rose from a very small jail population in 1970 to a much larger jail and regional correctional profile by 2023. The increase is tied to more than local arrests. By 2023, most people in the county jail reporting unit were sentenced, and many were held from state prison. That is why a person can be physically in Leake County while the right search tool is the state MDOC locator, not a county roster.
| Year | Total jail population | Rated capacity | Pretrial | Sentenced | Held from state prison |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6 | 20 | 6 | not located | not located |
| 2015 | 292 | 485 | 29 | 263 | 255 |
| 2019 | 362 | 485 | 23 | 339 | 284 |
| 2022 | 420 | 479 | 97 | 323 | 323 |
| 2023 | 433 | 462 | 57 | 376 | 306 |
Who Is in Leake County Custody
Vera's 2023 county data reports 412 males and 21 females in the Leake County jail reporting unit. Race and ethnicity fields list 161 Black people, 242 White people, 10 Latinx people, 5 Native people, 0 AAPI people, and 15 people in another race category. The same data lists 0 people held from federal authorities, 0 from BOP, 0 from ICE, and 0 from U.S. Marshals in that county jail dataset. The absence of federal counts in that table does not mean a federal warrant or detainer can never affect a Leake County arrest.
- Pretrial
- Custody before conviction or final case disposition.
- Sentenced
- Custody after a conviction, plea, or sentencing order.
- Regional facility
- A locally operated correctional facility listed by MDOC that can hold state offenders.
- Detainer
- A hold or request from another agency that may delay release.
Leake County Jail Capacity
The Leake County jail reporting unit had 433 people against rated capacity of 462 in Vera's 2023 data. The Leake County Correctional Facility numbers look tighter in the state data. MDOC's June 1, 2026 fact sheet lists that regional facility at 300 capacity and 300 offenders, while a June 2026 daily population report lists 300 capacity and an average population of 299. The PREA audit used a designed capacity of 312 and found 294 people at the reporting point, with no over-capacity point during the prior 12 months.
Local news has discussed jail conditions and staffing challenges in broad terms. WAPT reported on January 16, 2026 that a Discovery Channel crew spent time inside Leake County Regional Correctional Facility for a series about life inside local jails. That report should not be treated as a capacity finding by itself. The official PREA audit is the better source for capacity status at the regional facility during the audited period.
Laws Behind Leake County Jail Records
Mississippi law explains why jail and booking records can be requested even when Leake County does not publish a full online roster. The Mississippi Public Records Act opens public records unless a law says they are exempt. Incident-report material is treated differently from investigative material. A booking photo, jail docket entry, or incident report may be requestable, but confidential victim details, investigative reports, and certain law-enforcement records may be withheld or redacted.
Key statutes:
Miss. Code Ann. section 19-25-63 requires sheriffs to keep a jail docket for people received into county jail.
Miss. Code Ann. section 25-61-3 defines public records, incident reports, and investigative reports.
Miss. Code Ann. section 25-61-5 covers public-records timing, redaction, and written denials.
Miss. Code Ann. section 45-27-7 authorizes collection of fingerprints, photographs, and identifying data in criminal information systems.
Search Leake County Inmate Population
No official browser-accessible Leake County jail roster was located on the official sheriff page during the research pass. That finding shapes the search process. For a fresh local arrest, start with the sheriff's office by phone or in person and give the full legal name, date of birth if known, arrest date, and arresting agency. Ask whether the person remains at Leake County Jail, moved to Leake County Correctional Facility, bonded out, transferred to another county, or entered MDOC custody.
- Call the Leake County Sheriff's Office or visit during posted weekday office hours for current county jail status.
- Ask Leake County Justice Court about an initial appearance, felony preliminary matter, bond order, or affidavit filing.
- Contact the Circuit Clerk or use PAMEC/MEC if felony charges or indictments have moved into Circuit Court.
- Use the MDOC inmate search for sentenced state custody or regional-facility state placement.
- Use BOP, ICE, VINELink, or the U.S. Marshals channel only when the custody facts point outside local county custody.
Leake County Roster Search Fields
The official Leake County Sheriff page did not expose a public roster search form. The MDOC locator does provide visible fields and covers sentenced state custody, including people assigned to Walnut Grove Correctional Facility or MDOC-supervised regional placement. It is not a full substitute for a same-day Leake County Jail status check after arrest.
| Lookup | Field Label | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leake County online jail roster | Not located | Not applicable | No official sheriff-hosted roster fields were found. |
| MDOC inmate search | Search Criteria | Yes | Choose Name or ID Number. |
| MDOC inmate search | First Name | If using name | Used with last name. |
| MDOC inmate search | Last Name | If using name | Main name field. |
| MDOC inmate search | MDOC ID Number | If using ID | Alternate to name search. |
The MDOC inmate search page shows the name and ID search fields used for state custody searches.
Use this state page after a sentence, transfer, or MDOC placement, not as the only check for a new Leake County arrest.
Leake County Jail vs State Prison
The same person can move across several systems. A local arrest starts with sheriff and court records. A felony preliminary matter may begin in Justice Court, then an indictment or filed case may appear through the Circuit Clerk and PAMEC/MEC. Once a person is sentenced to state custody, the state corrections locator becomes the main lookup path. If a federal warrant, U.S. Marshals hold, or immigration case is involved, county and MDOC tools may not show the full custody picture.
| Custody type | Main search channel | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh local arrest | Leake County Sheriff's Office | County jail status, release, transfer, jail docket basics. |
| Initial appearance or bond | Leake County Justice Court | Felony first appearances, affidavits, jail sessions, bond questions. |
| Filed felony case | Circuit Clerk and PAMEC/MEC | Indictments, motions, docket entries, orders, case status. |
| Sentenced state custody | Mississippi Department of Corrections | Facility placement, MDOC ID, sentence and records department questions. |
| Federal or immigration custody | BOP, ICE, or U.S. Marshals | Federal prison, immigration detention, or federal pretrial custody. |
VINELink and Federal Custody
Mississippi VINELink is a custody and notification option for Mississippi. MDOC says SAVIN/VINE can include county and state offenders depending on agency booking-system updates. That makes VINELink useful for release notifications, but it should not be the only proof of where someone is held. For federal prison custody, use the BOP inmate locator. For immigration custody, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System or ICE's locator factsheet.
The BOP locator covers federal inmates incarcerated from 1982 to present. ICE searches use either an A-number plus country of birth or exact biographical fields. Leake County had no BOP or ICE detention facility identified in the official sources reviewed, but those tools still matter when a local arrest intersects with a federal warrant, detainer, or sentence.
Leake County Detention Facilities
Three detention facilities shape the Leake County inmate population. The primary county jail handles local custody questions. The regional correctional facility is locally operated and listed by MDOC. Walnut Grove is a state prison, so lookup and visitation rules come from MDOC rather than the county jail roster.
- Leake County Jail - sheriff-run local jail custody for arrests, booking, bond, transfer, and jail-docket questions.
- Leake County Correctional Facility - regional correctional facility in Carthage listed by MDOC and operated locally.
- Walnut Grove Correctional Facility - MDOC state prison for sentenced custody in Walnut Grove.
Leake County Inmate Population FAQ
How big is the Leake County inmate population? Vera's 2023 county data lists 433 people in the Leake County jail reporting unit and rated capacity of 462. MDOC reports separate 2026 numbers for Leake County Correctional Facility and Walnut Grove Correctional Facility.
Is there an official Leake County jail roster online? No official sheriff-hosted, browser-accessible current roster was located during the research pass. Use the sheriff's phone or in-person contact for fresh county jail custody checks.
When should MDOC be searched? Search MDOC when a person has been sentenced to state custody, assigned to Walnut Grove, or placed at a regional facility under state corrections custody.
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