Mercer County Inmate Population
The most important local fact is the absence of a current Mercer housing jail in the official sources reviewed. The official Mercer County Jailer page states that Mercer County houses inmates in Boyle County and Woodford County. Mercer still has an elected jailer, Brett Chamberlain, with an office in the Mercer County courthouse and Fiscal Court complex. That office handles transport to and from jail and court, booking and bond paperwork, and reports. It is not the jail where the public should expect to find a housing roster.
Because of that arrangement, the Mercer County inmate population is best understood as a contracted housed population inside two regional jail systems. The public can measure Boyle and Woodford facility population and capacity through Kentucky Department of Corrections weekly jail reports, but the research did not locate a daily Mercer-only inmate count. A person arrested in Mercer County may be held in Danville or Versailles, appear in Mercer court records in Harrodsburg, then later move to Kentucky DOC custody or another system.
Mercer County Inmate Population Statistics
KDOC's June 4, 2026 weekly jail report is the current official population snapshot used in the research. It lists Boyle County Detention Center with 140 secure jail beds and a secure reported population of 76. It also lists Boyle JRC with 80 jail restricted custody beds and 55 reported population. Woodford County Detention Center is listed with 63 secure beds and a secure reported population of 75, plus Woodford JRC with 32 beds and 24 reported population. These figures describe the full facilities serving Mercer, not a Mercer-only subset.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Date |
|---|---|---|
| Boyle secure jail beds | 140 | KDOC Weekly Jail, June 4, 2026 |
| Boyle secure reported population | 76 | KDOC Weekly Jail, June 4, 2026 |
| Boyle JRC beds / population | 80 / 55 | KDOC Weekly Jail, June 4, 2026 |
| Woodford secure jail beds | 63 | KDOC Weekly Jail, June 4, 2026 |
| Woodford secure reported population | 75 | KDOC Weekly Jail, June 4, 2026 |
| Woodford JRC beds / population | 32 / 24 | KDOC Weekly Jail, June 4, 2026 |
| Mercer-only housed inmates | Not published in sources reviewed | Mercer housed in Boyle/Woodford |
KDOC's Weekly Jail archive is the source for county-by-county jail reports and dated capacity snapshots.
Mercer County Population Trends
The trend data shows why Mercer searches should include both regional jails. Boyle's secure population declined across the three selected KDOC snapshots, while Woodford remained over secure capacity. That does not prove a Mercer-only trend, but it does show the regional jail environment where Mercer County inmates are housed. Local news context in the research also reported 2025 movement of Mercer inmates between Boyle and Woodford, which reinforces the need to check both facilities.
| Date | Boyle Secure | Boyle JRC | Woodford Secure | Woodford JRC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 9, 2025 | 107 / 140, 76% | 49 / 80, 61% | 64 / 63, 102% | 21 / 32, 66% | KDOC weekly report. |
| June 5, 2025 | 100 / 140, 71% | 52 / 80, 65% | 72 / 63, 114% | 25 / 32, 78% | Woodford over secure capacity. |
| June 4, 2026 | 76 / 140, 54% | 55 / 80, 69% | 75 / 63, 119% | 24 / 32, 75% | Boyle lower, Woodford still over capacity. |
Mercer County Jail Population Makeup
The June 4, 2026 KDOC detail rows show the mix inside the two housing systems. Boyle secure jail listed 53 secure male, 17 secure female, 5 non-secure male, and 1 non-secure female. The same report listed 12 Class D inmates, 6 controlled intake inmates, 2 parole violators, and no federal inmates in Boyle secure custody. Boyle JRC held 55 non-secure male inmates, including 23 Class D inmates and 32 community-custody eligible inmates.
Woodford secure jail listed 69 secure male and 6 secure female inmates. It also listed 1 Class D inmate, 8 controlled intake inmates, 3 parole violators, and 31 federal inmates. Woodford JRC held 24 non-secure male inmates, including 15 Class D inmates and 9 community-custody eligible inmates. A JRC is a Jail Restricted Custody section used for community or minimum custody housing.
- Pretrial detainee
- A person held before the court case is resolved.
- Class D inmate
- A Kentucky DOC report category for certain lower-level felony sentences.
- Controlled intake
- A state inmate waiting for DOC classification or placement.
- Detainer
- A hold or request from another agency that may block release.
Mercer County Jail Population Law
Several Kentucky laws explain why records, custody, and jail standards are split across offices. Kentucky's Open Records Act, KRS 61.870-61.884, is the general public-records framework for agency records, subject to exemptions. KRS Chapter 71 covers jailer duties, including custody and transportation-related provisions. KRS Chapter 441 covers local correctional facilities and county responsibility for incarceration arrangements, which matters in Mercer County because prisoners are housed in Boyle and Woodford.
Key Statutes:
KRS 61.870-61.884 provides the Kentucky open-records framework, with exemptions for some protected records.
KRS Chapter 71 includes jailer duties, prisoner treatment, and transportation officers in counties without a jail.
KRS Chapter 441 addresses county incarceration responsibility, local jail rules, screening, standards, inspections, and reporting.
501 KAR 3:050 sets physical plant standards for full-service jails that house state prisoners.
Search Mercer County Inmates
The search workflow follows the same split as the population data. Start with Boyle County Detention Center and Woodford County Detention Center because Mercer County uses both. Then move to KOOL, KCOJ, VINELink, BOP, or ICE if the person is not in a county jail profile. A recently arrested person may not appear online before intake, charge entry, and bond processing are complete. Boyle's official bond text says Pretrial Services interviews each inmate within 24 hours of booking before bond is set.
- Search Boyle County Detention Center for current inmate information.
- Search the Woodford County Detention Center roster.
- Call the housing jail if a new booking does not show online.
- Use Kentucky KOOL after sentencing or DOC transfer.
- Use KCOJ court tools for filed charges and court dates.
- Use BOP, ICE ODLS, or VINELink when those custody systems fit.
Mercer County Roster Fields
The exact rendered JailTracker field labels for Boyle and Woodford were not captured in static text, so the field table sticks to confirmed public facts. Boyle's official detention page says inmate information includes bond information and amounts, current charges, and photographs. Woodford's official county page links to a Public Safety Cloud/JailTracker inmate list, while the jail site lists a current inmate list. KOOL fields were captured from official search text and URL patterns.
| System | Fields or Controls | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Boyle roster | Current inmate list; profile details include bond, charges, and photographs. | Mercer inmates housed at Boyle. |
| Woodford roster | Public Safety Cloud/JailTracker roster app; rendered field labels not captured. | Mercer inmates housed at Woodford. |
| KDOC KOOL | Last name, first name, middle name, offender type, photo-only, aliases, sort, page size. | Sentenced Kentucky offenders. |
| BOP locator | Register number, DCDC, FBI, INS number, name, race, age, sex. | Federal sentenced custody. |
| ICE ODLS | A-Number/country or biographical search. | Immigration detention. |
Mercer County Inmate Records
A Mercer County inmate record can show custody and booking facts before the court record catches up. Boyle's confirmed public inventory includes current charges, bond information and amounts, and photographs. Woodford's roster confirms an official inmate list, but exact profile fields need rendered inspection. The difference matters because jail charges are not final convictions. The prosecutor may file different charges, amend the case, seek an indictment, or dismiss the charge in court.
| Record Field | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Name | The person listed in the jail or locator record. |
| Photograph | Boyle confirms photographs through inmate information; Woodford photo display was not confirmed in text. |
| Current charges | Booking or jail charges, not necessarily final court charges. |
| Bond | Release information and amounts if the jail publishes them. |
| Custody location | Boyle, Woodford, DOC, federal, immigration, release, or transfer status. |
Mercer County Detention Facilities
The facility list is short but crucial. The primary facility for this build is Boyle County Detention Center in Danville. Woodford County Detention Center in Versailles is the second Mercer-serving facility. Neither is physically in Mercer County, but both are part of the Mercer County inmate population search because official Mercer sources identify Boyle and Woodford as the housing path.
- Boyle County Detention Center holds Mercer and Boyle prisoners, pretrial detainees, local sentenced inmates, state Class D or community-custody inmates, and Boyle JRC non-secure custody.
- Woodford County Detention Center holds Woodford and contracted Mercer prisoners, state inmates, federal inmates, male and female inmates, and Woodford JRC non-secure custody.
Mercer County Court Records
Jail population and court records overlap, but they are not the same. A Mercer arrest can lead to booking in Boyle or Woodford, followed by Mercer District or Circuit Court activity in Harrodsburg. The official KCOJ Mercer page lists the Mercer County Judicial Center and the Circuit Court Clerk as the starting point for case records. The KCOJ request page says AOC does not maintain court case records and that requests begin with the clerk of the court that heard the case.
KCOJ docket search can show court dates with fields for division, date, courtroom, and subdivision, but the portal states that the docket is not official and is subject to change. CourtNet 2.0 is the case-search portal. Certified copies, older files, and case-file locator numbers require the clerk.
State Federal ICE Search
When the Mercer County inmate population search leaves the local jail stage, the correct tool changes. KOOL is for sentenced Kentucky offenders, DOC supervision, and state custody. BOP is for federal inmates incarcerated from 1982 to present. ICE ODLS is for immigration detainees and requires JavaScript. VINELink is a notification portal for custody and release alerts where Kentucky data is available.
| Tool | Use It For | Do Not Use It For |
|---|---|---|
| KOOL | Sentenced Kentucky offenders and DOC status. | Fresh Mercer arrests still in jail intake. |
| BOP locator | Federal sentenced inmates. | County jail bond, mugshots, or local court dates. |
| ICE ODLS | Immigration detainee location. | County booking-photo lookup. |
| VINELink | Custody and release notifications. | Official case copies or full roster profiles. |
Mercer County Inmate FAQ
Does Mercer County have its own jail roster?
No current Mercer-branded housing jail roster was found in official sources. The Mercer jailer page says inmates are housed in Boyle County and Woodford County, so those two rosters and jail phone lines are the local starting points.
How big is the Mercer County inmate population?
No official Mercer-only daily housed count was found. KDOC's June 4, 2026 report lists the Mercer-serving facilities with 151 secure inmates across Boyle and Woodford, plus 79 JRC inmates across their JRC sections.
Which jail should be searched first?
Start with Boyle County Detention Center because it is the primary facility for this build and confirms public inmate information with bond, charges, and photographs. Then search Woodford County Detention Center.
Where are Mercer County court charges found?
Use KCOJ CourtNet, the KCOJ docket search, and the Mercer Circuit Court Clerk. Jail booking charges can differ from charges filed in court.
Are Mercer County mugshots online?
Boyle County confirms photographs as part of inmate information. Woodford roster photos were not confirmed in static text, so verify the profile or call the jail.