No Decatur County Roster
No official online Decatur County Jail roster, inmate search form, booking report, mugshot gallery, warrant search, or sheriff mobile app was located in official Decatur County sources. The county sheriff page publishes jail and visitation information, but it does not publish a current public inmate list. That changes the lookup order. A current Decatur County inmate record should start with the sheriff and dispatch phone, then move to an in-person check or written Kansas Open Records Act request when a record cannot be confirmed informally.
The Decatur County Jail is operated by the Decatur County Sheriff's Office and is housed in the Decatur County Courthouse in Oberlin. The official Decatur County Sheriff page identifies the sheriff, undersheriff, jail administrator, visiting rules, phone, fax, and 24-hour contact note. The Decatur County Dispatch page confirms that the same number reaches dispatch around the clock. The Kansas Sheriffs' Association Decatur listing also gives the jail size and staff context. These official channels matter because a third-party search result may lag behind a release, transfer, court order, or hold.
County jail custody is not the same as state prison custody. Decatur County inmate records for a new arrest, short local sentence, or pretrial hold belong with the sheriff. A sentenced felony prisoner who has moved to the Kansas Department of Corrections is searched in KASPER. A federal inmate is searched through the Bureau of Prisons. Immigration detention uses ICE. VINELink may help with custody and release notifications where Decatur or Kansas data is available, but it should not replace a direct call when time matters.
Note: Treat any unofficial Decatur County inmate list as a lead, not proof of current custody.
Decatur County Search Fields
Because no public Decatur County Jail search form was located, there are no official county roster fields to enter online. The missing field table is still useful because it prevents a common mistake: readers may expect a name box, booking-number box, and profile link that Decatur County has not published. A direct custody check should use the details a jailer or records custodian can use to distinguish one person from another, such as full legal name, date of birth, booking or arrest date, and arresting agency if known.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online county roster field | Not available | Not available | No official Decatur County online jail roster form was located. |
| Name for phone or counter check | Verbal or written identifier | Recommended | Use full first, middle, and last name when possible. |
| Date of birth | Identifier | Recommended | Helps avoid confusion when names are similar. |
| Booking or arrest date | Date | Helpful | Useful for KORA requests and older booking-record searches. |
| Arresting agency | Agency name | Helpful | May be the sheriff, Oberlin Police Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, or another agency. |
The practical Decatur County jail roster search is therefore a request process, not a web query. Ask whether the person is currently held, whether a bond or hold exists, whether the person was released, and whether a court case has been filed. If the answer is limited, ask who is the custodian for the booking record and what written request format should be used.
Use Decatur County Jail Lookup
A Decatur County inmate records search should move through the official channels in a set order. The goal is to confirm current custody first, then find the public record source that fits the person's status. This matters in a small courthouse jail because a person may be booked, released, transferred, held for another agency, or sent to court before a web source has any useful trace.
- Call Decatur County Sheriff's Office or Dispatch at 785-475-8100. Ask whether the person is in custody, whether bond has been set, whether a transfer occurred, and whether visitation can be scheduled.
- Go in person to the sheriff and jail counter on the 4th floor of the Decatur County Courthouse when a phone answer is not enough. Bring full name, date of birth, and arrest date if known.
- Submit a written KORA request when a booking sheet, custody-status record, bond note, or booking photo is not released at the counter. K.S.A. 45-218 gives the public-record request framework, while K.S.A. 45-221 explains exemptions that may limit release.
- Search Kansas Case Search or contact Decatur County District Court after charges are filed. Booking allegations and prosecutor-filed charges can differ.
- Use KASPER when the person has moved into KDOC custody or KDOC-funded supervision. KASPER is not a live Decatur County Jail roster.
- Use the BOP inmate locator for sentenced federal prisoners and the ICE detainee locator for immigration detention. Federal pretrial custody may involve U.S. Marshals Service and a contract facility outside Decatur County.
- Check VINELink for custody or release notifications where Kansas and Decatur data is available, then verify urgent information with the agency that holds the person.
The official sheriff source for Decatur County jail information is shown on the county website screenshot from the Decatur County Sheriff page.
The image reinforces why the custody search starts with the sheriff: the official county material gives jail contact and visitation details, not a searchable inmate-profile database.
Decatur County Jail Contact
The main local facility for Decatur County inmate records is the courthouse jail operated by the sheriff. The jail is not a separate prison campus. It is the local detention point for people arrested by Decatur County agencies, Oberlin police when routed to the county jail, Kansas Highway Patrol, and other agencies when accepted by the sheriff. State prisoners, federal inmates, and immigration detainees are searched elsewhere unless they are being held locally for a specific reason.
Decatur County Jail
Decatur County Sheriff's Office
4th Floor, Decatur County Courthouse
120 E. Hall Street
Oberlin, KS 67749
Mailing: P.O. Box 89
Oberlin, KS 67749
785-475-8100
Fax: 785-475-8160
24-hour sheriff and dispatch contact
Jail Staff
Sheriff David Wachendorfer
Undersheriff Ed Temmel
Jail Administrator/Deputy Amber Carfield
Capacity: 12 beds
Female bed note: 2 dedicated beds, with 2 more possible depending on male population count
The single local facility list is important. No separate Decatur County work-release annex, regional jail, Kansas state prison, federal BOP prison, or ICE detention center was identified in the county. For facility-level details, see the Decatur County Jail profile.
Decatur County Inmate Record Fields
No official Decatur County online inmate profile was available to inventory, so the fields below should be treated as request targets rather than promised web-display fields. A jailer or records custodian may release some booking facts, withhold others, or route the requester to a written KORA process. Kansas public-record law can allow access to non-exempt jail facts while still protecting criminal-investigation material, medical details, security-sensitive records, sealed records, and private identifiers.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Name and identifiers | Full name, date of birth, and details used to distinguish people with similar names, subject to release limits. |
| Booking date and time | When the person was booked into the Decatur County Jail, if that fact is releasable. |
| Arresting agency | The sheriff, Oberlin Police Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, or another agency if listed on the booking record. |
| Booking charges | Initial arrest or booking allegations. These may change after the county attorney files charges. |
| Bond | Court-set or officer-set release amount, bond type, or hold status when available. |
| Custody status | In custody, released, transferred, held for another agency, or sent to KDOC or federal custody. |
| Booking photo | Not published online in official Decatur sources. Request under KORA and expect review or redaction. |
A booking charge is not the same as a conviction. It is an intake label tied to an arrest. The court record begins when a complaint, citation, information, or other charging paper is filed. For questions about booking photos rather than custody status, the Decatur County jail mugshot discussion belongs on the jail roster mugshots page.
Decatur County Custody Systems
Decatur County inmate records often split into more than one system after arrest. The county jail handles local detention and first-stage custody. The Decatur County District Court handles court filings and bond orders after a case opens. KDOC handles sentenced state-prison custody and many supervision records. Federal and immigration custody have separate locators, and a person from Decatur County may be outside the county by the time a family member starts searching.
County jail: Use sheriff and dispatch contact for pretrial custody, short local sentences, fresh bookings, releases, transfers, and jail visitation.
KDOC KASPER: Use KASPER for Kansas Department of Corrections custody or KDOC-funded supervision after sentencing or transfer. It is updated each working day, but status can change between updates.
BOP and ICE: Use BOP for sentenced federal inmates from 1982 to present. Use ICE ODLS for immigration detention, and confirm federal pretrial custody through attorney, court, or U.S. Marshals channels when needed.
KASPER is useful, but it is not a full criminal-history database. KDOC states that its data is tied to KDOC-operated or KDOC-funded programs and that it should not be used to arrest someone. The KASPER public entry screen from the KDOC offender search repository shows the state-level disclaimer that applies before a search.
That state locator is best used after the Decatur County Jail confirms a transfer or after court records show a sentence to Kansas corrections custody.
Decatur County Booking Process
Official Decatur sources do not publish a step-by-step booking policy, so the safest description is the normal custody path supported by the research. A person may be arrested by the sheriff, Oberlin Police Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, or another agency. The person is transported to the courthouse jail if accepted for local detention. Jail staff may complete identity checks, property inventory, booking entry, fingerprinting, booking photo, medical or security screening, and a housing or hold review.
The jail's small capacity affects custody checks. A 12-bed courthouse jail has less room to manage sex separation, medical needs, security concerns, and outside holds than a large regional facility. If the jail cannot house a person, a transfer or other housing arrangement may occur, but no specific contract facility was located in official sources. That is why the phone check should ask whether the person is in custody at Decatur County Jail, released, transferred, held for another agency, or sent to KDOC or federal custody.
- Booking
- Jail intake after arrest, including administrative entry and identity steps.
- First appearance
- An early court hearing where rights, bond, and next court dates may be addressed.
- Detainer
- A hold request from another agency, such as another county, KDOC, federal authorities, or immigration officials.
- PR bond
- Release on a promise to appear, usually with court-ordered conditions.
Decatur County Jail Visitation
Decatur County publishes specific visiting rules but does not publish a full family handbook online. The official sheriff material says visiting takes place during a published afternoon window, that visits must be scheduled before the visit, and that the lobby kiosk on the 4th floor gives a free option. Remote visits are listed with a cost per 15-minute visit. Visitors should confirm the active schedule before travel because custody status, court transport, staffing, or jail availability can affect a visit.
| Item | Official Decatur Rule Located | Practical Note |
|---|---|---|
| Visiting hours | 12:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Confirm availability before arriving at the courthouse. |
| Scheduling | Inmate or visitor may schedule 24 hours before the visit. | Ask the jail how to schedule the kiosk or remote visit. |
| Login time | Allow 5 minutes before the visit for kiosk login. | Arrive early enough to reach the 4th-floor lobby. |
| Visit length | 15 minutes maximum. | Remote and lobby visits use the same listed duration. |
| Visit frequency | Two visits per visitation day depending on availability, with 4 total visits per week. | Availability may depend on jail operations. |
| Lobby kiosk | Free from the 4th-floor lobby kiosk. | Use direct jail contact for current entry and ID rules. |
| Remote visit | $5.50 per 15-minute visit. | Confirm vendor and payment details before scheduling. |
Mail, commissary, phone-call vendor, tablet provider, attorney-visit rules, dress code, child rules, ID rules, and banned-property lists were not located in official Decatur County jail sources. Use the jail phone before mailing property, sending funds, arranging a remote visit, or assuming a family handbook rule from another Kansas county applies in Oberlin.
Request Decatur County Records
A written KORA request is the cleanest path when Decatur County inmate records are not released by phone or at the jail counter. The request should name the person, give any known date of birth, identify the booking or arrest date, name the arresting agency if known, and list the record sought. Examples include a booking sheet, custody-status record, bond information, jail roster entry, release date, transfer note, or booking photo if releasable.
K.S.A. 45-218 requires action on a public-record request as soon as possible and not later than the end of the third business day after receipt. That deadline is a response rule, not a promise that every requested record will be released. K.S.A. 45-221 allows Kansas agencies to withhold or redact certain records, including criminal-investigation material, privacy-sensitive details, security information, and records limited by other laws. If the record is really a court filing rather than a jail record, the request may need to go to the Decatur County District Court clerk.
Note: Ask for the records custodian when a phone answer does not resolve a Decatur County inmate records request.