Montgomery County Inmate Population Overview
Montgomery County has a two-facility local custody picture. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Corrections Division operates the Montgomery County Jail in Christiansburg, while the Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority serves Montgomery County as one of its member jurisdictions. The county jail is the primary local jail tied to sheriff records, jail information, visitation, mail, and Home Electronic Monitoring. Western Virginia Regional Jail, in Salem, carries the public JailTracker roster used for many Montgomery County regional-jail custody searches.
The Montgomery County inmate population count depends on what is being measured. The county jail count covers local jail inmates, short-term female detainees awaiting transfer, and people in the local jail's housing units or alternative confinement programs. The regional jail count covers Montgomery County inmates housed with Franklin County, Roanoke County, Salem, federal, state-responsible, and contract inmates. After a felony sentence moves a person to the Virginia Department of Corrections, that person belongs in the state prison count and should be searched through VADOC, not through the county jail roster.
Montgomery County Inmate Population Statistics
The best sourced Montgomery County inmate population numbers come from the 2024 PREA audit, the FY 2024 Jail Cost Report published in 2025, and Western Virginia Regional Jail's official statistics pages. The county jail is rated for 60 beds, but the PREA audit says it generally houses around 80 adult male inmates. The FY 2024 state jail tables list the Montgomery County Jail average daily population at 75, with 27,613 inmate responsible days.
Western Virginia Regional Jail is much larger. Its Interesting Facts and Statistics page gives 605 rated beds, 805 expanded general-population beds, and room for later expansion. The FY 2024 Jail Cost Report lists WVRJ average daily population at 651. Virginia's all-jail average daily population was 20,307 in FY 2024, up from 19,620 in FY 2023, so local figures should be read inside a statewide jail trend.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County Jail rated capacity | 60 beds | 2024 PREA audit |
| Montgomery County Jail typical population | Generally around 80 adult male inmates | 2024 PREA audit |
| Montgomery County Jail ADP | 75 | FY 2024 Jail Cost Report |
| WVRJ rated / expanded capacity | 605 rated; 805 general-population beds | WVRJ statistics page |
| WVRJ ADP | 651 | FY 2024 Jail Cost Report |
| Virginia all-jail ADP | 20,307 | FY 2024 Jail Cost Report |
Montgomery County Inmate Population Trends
The Montgomery County inmate population trend is not a simple single-line chart because the county jail and the regional jail are reported in different ways. WVRJ published a 2016 average daily population of 814 on its operation page. The FY 2024 Jail Cost Report lists WVRJ at 651 ADP. The county jail PREA audit describes typical housing around 80 adult male inmates, while the FY 2024 Jail Cost Report shows 75 ADP. Those figures point to a county jail that often works above its state-rated bed count and a regional jail that still absorbs a large share of the broader custody load.
| Year / Source | Montgomery County Jail | Western Virginia Regional Jail | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 WVRJ operation page | Not published | 814 ADP | Regional facility published its average daily population. |
| 2024 PREA audit | Around 80 adult male inmates | Not applicable | County jail was compared with 60 rated beds. |
| FY 2024 Jail Cost Report | 75 ADP | 651 ADP | Virginia all-jail ADP was 20,307. |
WVRJ's project history explains why the regional jail matters. Franklin County, Montgomery County, Roanoke County, and Salem formed the authority after local jails were described as operating at two to three times rated capacity. That history still affects Montgomery County searches because a person arrested by a local agency may be housed outside the county line at WVRJ.
Who Makes Up Montgomery County Inmates
The official sources do not publish a full Montgomery County race, sex, and age demographic dashboard. They do provide custody categories. The Montgomery County Jail PREA audit describes an adult local detention facility that generally houses adult male inmates, including minimum and medium security general population and special-management inmates. Female detainees may be held for short periods before transfer to a larger regional facility. Maximum-security inmates are usually sent to a larger regional correctional facility.
- Local pretrial detainees: People held after arrest while charges, bond, or court dates are pending.
- Local sentenced jail inmates: People serving short jail terms or awaiting transfer after court action.
- Home Electronic Monitoring participants: Court-ordered inmates screened for home confinement under local jail supervision.
- Regional jail inmates: Male and female inmates held at WVRJ for member agencies and other contract or responsible populations.
- State-responsible prisoners: Sentenced felons who may move from local jail custody into VADOC tracking.
Montgomery County Jail Capacity
The capacity facts are central to the Montgomery County inmate population. The Montgomery County Jail was originally constructed in 1953 with a 40-inmate rating, then expanded and reconstructed between 1987 and 1989 to a state rating of 60. The 2024 PREA audit describes two open dormitories, eight ten-person cell blocks, six classification or special-management cells, and two docket holding cells. It also states that the jail generally houses around 80 adult male inmates.
That local capacity pressure explains why WVRJ is not a side note. Western Virginia Regional Jail covers about 265,000 square feet and was built for a regional population. It was created after member local jails faced overcrowded and potentially unsafe conditions. The county budget research also noted proposed FY 2026 funding for jail staffing and WVRJ per diem or debt-service costs, so the inmate population has a direct local budget impact.
Source context appears on the official Corrections Division page.
The Corrections Division page is the local source for jail contact, visitation, mail, PREA, property, and VINE references tied to the county jail.
Laws Governing Montgomery County Inmates
Virginia law controls what can be requested, what must be reported, and what may be withheld. A roster record is not the same as a full criminal-history file, and a public booking detail is not the same as a court conviction. In Montgomery County, current custody should be checked through the jail or WVRJ first. Older booking records, photos, incident records, and agency files may require a focused public-records request.
Key Statutes:
Virginia FOIA, Code § 2.2-3700 et seq. sets the public-records framework unless an exemption applies.
Code § 2.2-3704 requires requests for existing records to be reasonably specific.
Code § 2.2-3706 governs law-enforcement and criminal-record disclosure.
Code § 53.1-68 covers minimum standards and inspections for local correctional facilities.
Search Montgomery County Inmate Population
Current custody searches should use every channel documented by the research, not just one roster. Montgomery County Jail does not publish a separate county-run roster on the county page. The jail information line and jail email are the local custody fallback. Western Virginia Regional Jail publishes the JailTracker Public Roster for people held at WVRJ, and it is the strongest online route for a regional-jail inmate lookup.
- Start with a full name and, if known, the arrest date, court case number, or agency.
- Search the WVRJ JailTracker roster by last name, first name, middle name, gender, ID, or intake date range.
- Open the detail record to review status, intake date, charges, bond fields, and photo availability.
- Call Montgomery County Jail when the person may be in local jail custody and not listed at WVRJ.
- Use VADOC, BOP, ICE, or VINELink when the person has moved out of county or regional jail custody.
Montgomery County Roster Search Fields
The WVRJ JailTracker roster is configured for public searching with no login. The agency metadata says current-offender display is on, images are enabled, and the maximum result count is high enough that a name search can return broad results. The public interface also includes an Export PDF function. Use a narrow search when names are common.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Name | Text | No | Can be blank; helps narrow common last names. |
| Last Name | Text | No | Primary public search field. |
| Middle Name | Text | No | Useful when multiple records match. |
| Gender | Dropdown | No | Blank, F, or M. |
| Offender Id | Text | No | JailTracker agency offender ID. |
| Intake Date Range | Date | No | From and to date filters for booking date. |
The public WVRJ Inmate Name Search page points users to the roster.
The roster screenshot shows why the regional-jail channel belongs in a Montgomery County inmate search, even though the facility is outside the county.
Montgomery County Inmate Record Fields
A WVRJ detail record can show more than a name and booking date. Public sample fields include a photo area, active status, first, middle, and last name, offender identifiers, intake date, agency, criminal offenses, case or control numbers, bond type, bond amount, and additional descriptive fields. Exact birth dates, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, and state ID fields were not publicly displayed in the inspected data.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Photo / hasImage | Whether a booking-style image is available on the public profile. |
| Intake Date | The booking or intake date in the roster system. |
| Status | Active custody was observed for current detainees. |
| CriminalOffenses | Offense label, statute, charge description, case number, and control number when entered. |
| BondType / BondAmount | Examples include no bond, secured bond, attached bond, and dollar amount. |
| AdditionalInfo | Age, race, birthplace, height, weight, citizenship, hair, facial hair, and eye color when entered. |
Montgomery County Jail vs Prison
Many searches fail because the wrong system is used. A person booked after a local arrest may first be at Montgomery County Jail or WVRJ. A sentenced felon later committed to the Department of Corrections should be searched through the Virginia Department of Corrections Inmate and Supervisee Locator. Federal sentenced prisoners belong in the BOP locator, and immigration detainees may appear in ICE's locator after transfer.
| Custody Type | Where to Look | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| County jail | Jail information line and county records request | Local pretrial detainees, short jail terms, local jail records. |
| Regional jail | WVRJ JailTracker roster | Current inmates held at Western Virginia Regional Jail. |
| State prison or supervision | VADOC locator | Sentenced prisoners, supervisees, CCAP, and some state-responsible custody. |
| Federal or immigration custody | BOP locator or ICE ODLS | Federal prisoners, USMS-related custody, or ICE detainee location. |
Montgomery County Detention Facilities
Montgomery County inmate population searches should include both facilities in the Facility Map. The county jail is local and sheriff-operated. WVRJ is regional, but it is required because Montgomery County participates in the regional jail authority and inmates can be housed there.
- Montgomery County Jail - local sheriff-operated jail for minimum and medium security male inmates, short-term female holding, local sentenced inmates, and Home Electronic Monitoring.
- Western Virginia Regional Jail - regional jail serving Montgomery County and other member jurisdictions, with male, female, state-responsible, federal, and contract inmates.
Montgomery County Custody Terms
Roster and court terms can look similar but mean different things. These short definitions help connect a jail record to the right next search.
- Booking
- The jail intake event after arrest.
- Detainer
- A hold or request from another agency that may block release.
- PR Bond
- Release on a signed promise to appear, also called recognizance.
- Classification
- The jail decision about housing and security level.
- DOC
- The Virginia Department of Corrections for sentenced state prisoners.
Montgomery County Inmate Population FAQ
How large is the Montgomery County inmate population?
The FY 2024 Jail Cost Report lists Montgomery County Jail at 75 average daily population. The 2024 PREA audit says the jail generally houses around 80 adult male inmates. WVRJ, which also serves Montgomery County, had a FY 2024 ADP of 651.
Where is the Montgomery County jail roster?
The county jail page does not publish a separate roster. Use the WVRJ JailTracker roster for people held at Western Virginia Regional Jail, and call or email the Montgomery County Jail for local jail custody that does not appear online.
Can released Montgomery County inmates be searched online?
WVRJ metadata includes a 400-day released-retention value, but the public agency setting is current-offender only. Do not assume a released booking will remain visible. Use FOIA channels for historical booking records.
Does VINELink cover Montgomery County?
Yes. Virginia VINELink provides custody-status search and notification services. VADOC materials also list a VINE phone route at 1-800-467-4943.
Is there a Montgomery County sheriff app for inmate lookup?
No official Montgomery County, Virginia sheriff or police mobile app with inmate roster, warrant search, mugshots, or records-request features was located in the research pass.