The Colquitt County Inmate Population
The Colquitt County inmate population is split between the sheriff's jail population and the county correctional institution population. The Colquitt County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Rod Howell, operates the Colquitt County Jail for recent arrests, pretrial custody, county sentences, and some holds for other agencies. The Colquitt County Correctional Institution, also called the county prison, is a separate facility for adult male offenders under Georgia Department of Corrections supervision. Those two systems sit near the same Vandenberg Drive corridor in Moultrie, but they do not serve the same record purpose.
Population counts move as arrests, releases, court orders, bond decisions, and prison transfers change. A person may begin in the jail after arrest, appear for bond in Magistrate Court, have formal charges filed in State or Superior Court, and later move to a GDC facility after sentencing. That is why Colquitt County inmate population data should be read with the source and date attached. A jail capacity report, a GDC prison audit, and a court record can all describe a different point in the same custody path.
Colquitt County Inmate Population Statistics
The strongest Colquitt County inmate population figures come from the county's 2024 jail feasibility study, the Georgia Sheriffs' Association jail report, and the 2024 PREA audit for Colquitt County Correctional Institution. The jail study reported 200 pre-construction jail beds and a planned 321-bed post-superpod configuration. The April 2026 Georgia Sheriffs' Association indexed report showed 255 jail inmates against 210 jail capacity, while the county prison audit gave separate state/county correctional-institution numbers.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| County population used in jail study | 46,167 | Colquitt County Jail Feasibility Study, 2024 |
| Jail beds before superpod | 200 | Colquitt County Jail Feasibility Study, 2024 |
| Planned jail beds after superpod | 321 | Colquitt County Jail Feasibility Study, 2024 |
| Jail inmates | 255 | Georgia Sheriffs' Association, April 2026 indexed report |
| Colquitt County CI current population | 183 | 2024 PREA audit |
| Colquitt County CI average daily population | 187 | 2024 PREA audit |
Colquitt County Inmate Population Trends
Colquitt County's clearest trend is capacity pressure at the jail and a separate, steadier count at the county correctional institution. The feasibility study said the old three-pod jail gave Colquitt one jail bed per 230.84 residents, compared with an average of one bed per 165 residents in the comparison counties. The planned 321-bed configuration would change the local ratio to one bed per 143.82 residents. That makes the superpod project a population-management issue, not just a building project.
| Year or Date | Count / Capacity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 feasibility study | 200 jail beds | Three-pod jail before superpod work. |
| 2024 feasibility plan | 321 planned jail beds | Pod One remains, Pods Two and Three were planned for demolition after new construction. |
| 2024 PREA audit | 183 current / 190 design capacity | Colquitt County Correctional Institution was not over capacity in the prior 12 months. |
| April 2026 GSA report | 255 jail inmates / 210 capacity | Indexed report showed the jail at 121.4% of capacity. |
The May 2026 Georgia Sheriffs' Association rendered table did not show a Colquitt County row with visible figures in the research pass, so the April 2026 row should not be treated as a live count. For a same-day custody check, use the jail phone rather than a population report.
Who Makes Up Colquitt County Jail Custody
The April 2026 Georgia Sheriffs' Association indexed row divided the jail population into practical custody categories. It reported 233 people awaiting trial, 10 state-sentenced inmates in the jail, a county-sentence category of 46, and 4 other inmates. The research file cautions that jail-report columns may not be mutually exclusive, so the safest use is to describe the posted categories rather than force them into a full demographic chart.
- Awaiting trial - the largest posted category, with 233 people in the April 2026 indexed row.
- State-sentenced in jail - 10 people were reported in that category in the same row.
- County sentence - the indexed row showed 46 in the county-sentence category.
- Other holds - the report snippet listed 4 other inmates.
- County prison population - Colquitt County Correctional Institution had a male population, age range 19 to 60, and minimum-to-medium custody levels in the 2024 PREA audit.
Colquitt County Jail Capacity Pressure
The county's 2024 jail feasibility study is the main source for Colquitt County jail capacity and conditions. It described mold, mildew, moisture, air-quality issues, inadequate classification separation, outdated locking controls, limited daylight, fire-door and smoke-control problems, cell-call limits, and accessibility deficiencies. The study also said the existing jail had the fewest beds per capita among the southwest Georgia comparison counties reviewed for the project.
County officials chose the existing jail site for the superpod because the county already owned the land, the location was accessible from across the county, and current infrastructure could remain in use during construction. The study projected superpod completion by December 2025 and operations beginning in January 2026 if no further delays occurred. Recent local reporting in 2026 described the upgraded jail addition, but the official feasibility study remains the best source for the capacity rationale and design history.
The Georgia Sheriffs' Association jail report page is the source tied to the April 2026 jail population row. The image below shows that statewide report source, which is used for jail capacity and population reporting rather than same-day custody lookup.
Monthly jail reports can explain capacity pressure, but they do not replace a direct call to the Colquitt County Jail for a current inmate search.
Laws Governing Colquitt County Inmate Records
Georgia law gives Colquitt County inmate population records two important anchors: public-record access and jail-record duties. A jail record is not the same as a court case file or a state criminal-history report, but state law requires sheriffs to keep specific jail commitment and discharge information. Georgia also has rules for open-records timing, exemptions, booking-photo disclosure, and quarterly inmate reporting.
Key Statutes:
O.C.G.A. 42-4-7 requires sheriffs to keep jail inmate records and makes those records subject to open-records examination.
O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 defines public records broadly for Georgia agencies.
O.C.G.A. 50-18-71 sets timing, access, fee, and electronic-record rules for open-records requests.
O.C.G.A. 42-4-16 requires county and municipal detention facilities to prepare and post quarterly inmate reports.
O.C.G.A. 35-1-19 restricts certain booking-photo disclosures, especially publication or removal-fee uses.
How to Search Colquitt County Inmates
Colquitt County does not appear to publish an official public jail roster, current-inmate list, recent-booking feed, or sheriff inmate-search portal on the county or sheriff website. That finding changes the search order. For a recent arrest, start with the Colquitt County Jail and Sheriff's Office main number, 229-616-7430. Ask whether the person is in custody, bonded out, transferred, held for another agency, or moved into state custody.
- Call the Colquitt County Jail at 229-616-7430 for current county jail custody.
- Have the person's full legal name, date of birth if known, approximate arrest date, and arresting agency ready.
- If the jail cannot provide the document needed, submit a written Georgia Open Records Act request to the Sheriff's Office.
- If the person was sentenced or transferred, search the GDC Find an Offender locator.
- If federal or immigration custody is possible, use the BOP inmate locator or ICE Online Detainee Locator.
The sheriff site screenshot below shows the official Colquitt County Sheriff's Office page with jail service links and the jail phone directory, not an online roster.
Because the official page routes users to service vendors but not a public roster, the jail phone and records-request path remain the main county custody channels.
Current Colquitt County Inmate Lookup
A current Colquitt County inmate lookup should not rely on a missing online roster. The county jail phone is the practical first step for active custody, bond status, transfers, and holds. If an arrest came from Moultrie Police or Doerun Police, the city agency can help with incident or citation routing, but jail custody normally points back to the Colquitt County Jail when detention is required.
| Channel | Best Use | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Jail phone, 229-616-7430 | Recent arrests, active custody, bond, transfer, or hold status. | Staff may direct records questions to a written request. |
| In-person sheriff/jail contact | Confirming where to submit a request or ask bond-routing questions. | Official lobby hours and entrance details were not posted. |
| Open-records request | Booking records, historical jail records, or legally releasable photographs. | Protected, juvenile, active-investigation, or restricted material may be withheld. |
| VINELink Georgia | Custody or release notification where the person or facility participates. | Use as notification support, not the only search channel. |
What Colquitt County Jail Records Show
No official Colquitt County public jail profile was available for inspection, so the safest field list comes from Georgia's jail-record statute. O.C.G.A. 42-4-7 says the sheriff must keep a record of all people committed to the county jail. Those records include identity, process, court, charge, commitment, and discharge information. They are subject to Georgia Open Records Act procedures, but a booking record is not a promise of online display.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Name, age, sex, race | Identity fields required for jail commitment records. |
| Process and issuing court | The warrant, order, sentence, or other legal process that placed the person in jail. |
| Crime charged | The charge basis listed for commitment, which may differ from later filed court charges. |
| Commitment date | The date the person was received into jail custody. |
| Discharge date, order, and court | The release date and legal authority for discharge when recorded. |
| Mugshot or bond | Not confirmed in a public Colquitt roster; ask the jail or request records subject to Georgia law. |
Colquitt County Jail vs State Prison
County jail custody and state prison custody answer different questions. A person arrested in Colquitt County may be at the jail before trial or while serving a county sentence. A sentenced state offender, including someone at Colquitt County Correctional Institution, is searched through GDC. Federal and immigration systems are separate again.
| County Jail | State Prison / GDC | Federal / ICE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who is held | Recent arrests, pretrial detainees, county sentences, local holds. | Sentenced or state-supervised offenders. | Federal sentenced inmates, federal pretrial custody, or immigration detainees. |
| Where to search | Call Colquitt County Jail because no official public roster was found. | Use GDC Find an Offender. | Use BOP or ICE ODLS. |
| Photo access | No official county mugshot gallery found. | GDC displays photos if available. | Federal and ICE locators are not public mugshot galleries. |
State and Federal Inmate Search
The Georgia Department of Corrections Find an Offender page is the right search path for sentenced and state-supervised offenders. It lets users search by name, GDC ID number, case number, Most Recent Institution, Conviction County, active or inactive status, and other filters. A missing GDC result does not prove a person is not in the Colquitt County Jail because GDC is not the sheriff's live booking list.
The GDC offender query screenshot below shows the statewide search source used for state custody and Colquitt County Correctional Institution records.
For federal custody, the BOP locator covers sentenced federal inmates from 1982 to the present. For immigration custody, ICE ODLS is the separate detainee locator. ICE also explains that a detainer can ask a local jail to notify ICE before release and hold the person for up to 48 hours beyond the ordinary release time.
Colquitt County Detention Facilities
The Colquitt County inmate population map includes the sheriff's jail, the county correctional institution, and two municipal police arrest channels. The city police pages are included because they may be the arresting agency, not because separate municipal jail rosters were found.
- Colquitt County Jail - the primary county jail for recent arrests, pretrial custody, county sentences, and local holds.
- Colquitt County Correctional Institution - a county correctional institution under GDC supervision for adult male offenders and work details.
- Moultrie Police Department - a city arrest channel; no standalone municipal jail roster was located.
- Doerun Police Department - a city police arrest channel; post-arrest detention lookup points to the county jail when custody is required.
Colquitt County Inmate Population FAQ
How big is the Colquitt County inmate population?
The April 2026 Georgia Sheriffs' Association indexed report showed 255 jail inmates and 210 capacity for Colquitt County Jail. The separate Colquitt County Correctional Institution had 183 current inmates and a 187 average daily population in its 2024 PREA audit. Those are dated figures, not live custody counts.
Can I search a Colquitt County jail roster online?
No official public county jail roster, current-inmate list, recent-booking feed, or mugshot gallery was located on the county or sheriff website during the research pass. Start with the jail phone at 229-616-7430 for current custody.
Where are state prisoners searched?
Sentenced and state-supervised offenders are searched through GDC Find an Offender. That includes people assigned to Colquitt County Correctional Institution. It does not replace the county jail phone for a recent local booking.
What if the arrest was by city police?
Moultrie Police and Doerun Police are arrest channels in Colquitt County. For police reports, contact the city agency. For jail custody after an arrest, use Colquitt County Jail unless the police department confirms a different routing.