The Matagorda County Inmate Population
The Matagorda County inmate population is centered on one local detention facility, the Matagorda County Jail. The jail is operated by the Matagorda County Sheriff's Office and serves the county-jail stage of custody. That means the count can include people arrested locally, people booked on warrants, people held before trial, people with jail sentences, and people who have been sentenced but have not yet moved to a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards is the best official source for the current county jail count and rated capacity.
The population changes for practical reasons. New arrests and bench warrants can raise the total. Bond, case dismissal, release orders, and transfers can lower it. Sentencing can move a person from the Matagorda County jail system into the TDCJ state-prison system, and federal or immigration custody is searched through separate national locators. A county jail roster is therefore a current local custody tool, not a complete life cycle record for every person arrested in Matagorda County.
The TCJS population reports page is the official statewide source for county jail population workbooks. TCJS notes that county jails submit the data and that the submitting agencies are responsible for data quality. That caveat matters for any Matagorda County inmate population figure. The numbers are strong official snapshots, but they are not a live booking screen.
Matagorda County Inmate Population Statistics
The current researched TCJS row dated 2026-06-01 reports 122 people in the Matagorda County Jail against a rated capacity of 192 beds. The same row reports the jail at 63.54% of capacity. A related TCJS incarceration-rate workbook uses a countywide population of 36,391, reports an ADP of 122, and gives an incarceration rate of 3.35 for Matagorda County on the same date. No official annual booking total or average length of stay was located in the inspected county or TCJS sources, so those figures should not be estimated.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Date |
|---|---|---|
| Total jail population | 122 | TCJS County Jail Population workbook, Matagorda row dated 2026-06-01 |
| Average daily population | 122 | TCJS Incarceration Rate workbook, 2026-06-01 |
| Rated bed capacity | 192 beds | TCJS County Jail Population workbook, 2026-06-01 |
| Percent of capacity | 63.54% | TCJS County Jail Population workbook, 2026-06-01 |
| Countywide population used for rate | 36,391 | TCJS Incarceration Rate workbook, 2026-06-01 |
| Incarceration rate | 3.35 | TCJS Incarceration Rate workbook, 2026-06-01 |
The TCJS population report page shows the workbooks used for current population, incarceration rate, paper-ready status, and related county jail categories.
Those TCJS workbooks are the right source for population and capacity, while the county jail records route is the right source for a person-level custody search.
Matagorda County Inmate Population Trends
Recent TCJS rows show a narrow 2026 range for Matagorda County. The ADP moved from 116 in February to 126 in March, then eased to 124 in April and 122 in both May and June. The research did not identify an official local explanation for those shifts. They should not be tied to bond policy, court backlog, policing patterns, weather, or jail programs without a source. The useful point is simpler: the current inspected count remained below the 192-bed capacity.
| Date | Total / ADP | Incarceration Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-01 | 116 ADP | 3.19 | TCJS incarceration-rate workbook |
| 2026-03-01 | 126 ADP | 3.46 | Highest point in the researched five-month snapshot |
| 2026-04-01 | 124 ADP | 3.41 | Slight drop from March |
| 2026-05-01 | 122 ADP | 3.35 | Same rate reported in June |
| 2026-06-01 | 122 ADP | 3.35 | Current inspected row |
Selected longer TCJS rows also show Matagorda County below rated capacity. The researched snapshot includes 150 people in January 2023, 131 in January 2024, 113 in May 2024, 132 in July 2025, and 122 in June 2026. That is not a straight line. It is a set of official data points showing how the jail count can move while remaining under the published bed count.
Who Makes Up Matagorda County Inmates
The June 1, 2026 TCJS category breakdown shows a county jail population led by local pretrial felony categories. The largest nonzero entry was local male pretrial felons at 63. Local male pretrial state-jail felons made up 20 more, and local male Class A and B misdemeanor pretrial detainees accounted for 12. Female pretrial felony detainees accounted for 9. Smaller categories included bench-warrant detainees, parole violators, parole violators with new charges, one female convicted felon sentenced to county jail time, and one local female "other" entry.
- Pretrial felony custody is the largest visible part of the current TCJS row.
- State-jail-felony detainees are still county jail inmates before transfer or case resolution.
- Bench warrants and parole holds can keep a person in custody even when another charge has a bond amount.
- Annual bookings and length of stay were not found in official Matagorda County sources.
Matagorda County Jail Capacity
The researched TCJS population row places Matagorda County at 63.54% of its 192-bed rated capacity on 2026-06-01. Selected earlier rows in the research also stayed below capacity, including January 2023 at 78.13% and May 2024 at 58.85%. The TCJS non-compliant jails page was checked on June 30, 2026, and Matagorda County was not listed on the inspected current non-compliance page. That is not a broad certification of every jail condition, but it is the official current statewide compliance-list check found during research.
The TCJS non-compliant jails page is useful for understanding whether a county is listed in the current statewide jail standards process.
Historical TCJS material includes a September 2022 Matagorda non-compliance letter, but the research notes that the scanned file should be reviewed visually before quoting its exact findings.
Laws Governing Matagorda County Inmates
Texas law shapes both the Matagorda County inmate population data and public access to related records. The Texas Public Information Act is the broad access law for government records. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards framework controls county jail standards and population reporting. Texas bail law explains why a person may be released, held, or listed with a bond condition after booking. Death-in-custody reporting law also sits in the background as a jail accountability rule.
Key Statutes:
Texas Government Code Chapter 552 sets the Public Information Act rule for access to government information unless an exception applies.
Texas Government Code Section 511.0101 supports county jail population information reporting.
Texas Government Code Chapter 511 creates the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 49.18 governs death-in-custody reporting.
Matagorda County and State Prison
No TDCJ prison was identified as physically located in Matagorda County. TDCJ still matters because a Matagorda County jail inmate can later be sentenced and transferred to state custody. Once that happens, the county roster may stop being the best lookup tool. The TDCJ inmate search covers current TDCJ inmates and is separate from county jail records, jail bond records, and court records.
TDCJ search records use state identifiers such as TDCJ number or SID number, plus name, gender, and race filters. The research notes that TDCJ information is updated on working days and is at least 24 hours old. Bond does not appear in the same way because TDCJ is state custody after sentencing or transfer, not local pretrial jail custody.
Search Matagorda County Jail Records
Matagorda County's official online jail-record path begins at the county Public Record Search page. That page links to civil, family and probate records, judicial records, and jail records. The Tyler/Odyssey public access portal also shows Jail Records, Jail Bond Records, Incident Records, Criminal Records, Civil/Family/Probate Case Records, and Court Calendar categories. The direct jail-records route is official, but the research environment met AWS human verification, so exact search fields and profile fields could not be captured.
- Open the county Public Record Search page and choose Jail Records, or open the Tyler/Odyssey jail records route if it loads in the browser.
- Use the visible search controls in the portal. If name fields are shown, search by full name and narrow carefully.
- Use Jail Bond Records when the question is bond-specific instead of general custody status.
- If the portal shows human verification, downtime, or incomplete results, call the jail line with the person's full name and date of birth.
- If the person was sentenced, transferred, or moved to another agency, check TDCJ, IVSS, VINELink, BOP, or ICE as appropriate.
Official screenshots show the county public-record hub and the Tyler landing page that routes users to the record categories.
The county public-record page is the practical starting point because it points to both jail and court systems without making the user guess which portal handles the record.
Current Matagorda County Inmate Lookup
The current inmate lookup path is best treated as a chain. First use the official county jail records route. Then use the jail phone if the route is blocked or if the person was booked very recently. Next, submit a written Public Information Act request for booking records, mugshots, arrest reports, or incident records not available online. If the person is no longer in local jail custody, move to the state or federal custody locator that matches the case.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matagorda jail search fields | Not inspectable | Not inspectable | The official Tyler jail-records route returned AWS human verification during research. |
| Inmate name | Text identifier | Needed for calls and deposits | The county commissary instructions require the inmate's name. |
| SO number | Local jail identifier | Helpful when known | The county requires this number for commissary deposits. |
| Date of birth | Date identifier | Helpful when known | Required by the county for commissary deposits and useful for similar names. |
Note: The official portal is verified as a county route, but field labels should not be invented when human verification blocks inspection.
Past Matagorda County Jail Records
Past and released inmate records may need a different route from current custody search. The research did not locate a Matagorda County archive of released booking records or a daily booking report. When a person is not listed through the current jail route, the next local step is a written Public Information Act request to Matagorda County. The county PIA page says all public-information requests must be in writing and may be sent to mcpir@co.matagorda.tx.us, by mail or hand delivery to the County Attorney PIA address, by fax, or through the county page-submission option.
The PIA page adds a local caution: requests are not needed for public court records maintained by the clerks and should not be used for information already available on the county website. That means jail booking material and incident records may go through PIA when not online, while filed court cases should usually be searched through Tyler/Odyssey judicial records or requested from the appropriate clerk.
What Matagorda County Jail Records Show
The public profile fields on the Matagorda County Tyler jail detail page could not be inspected. The safe field inventory is therefore limited to fields proved by related official routes and county procedures. The county has official Jail Records and Jail Bond Records categories. The sheriff page also proves that the jail uses inmate name, SO number, and date of birth for commissary deposits. Formal charges, case numbers, and later case status should be checked in court records because booking charges can change after prosecutor review.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Inmate name | Required for jail money deposits and useful for online, phone, and PIA searches. |
| SO number | Local sheriff-office identifier used by the jail for commissary deposits. |
| Date of birth | Required for deposits and useful when two people have similar names. |
| Jail record | Official Tyler category exists, but profile fields were not inspectable. |
| Jail bond record | Separate official Tyler category exists for bond-specific jail data. |
| Mugshot | Not confirmed from official Matagorda jail records during research. |
| Charges | Not confirmed in the public jail profile; formal charges should be checked in court records. |
Matagorda County Jail vs State Prison
County jail custody and state prison custody answer different questions. The Matagorda County Jail is the local detention point for pretrial custody, warrants, local sentences, jail bond status, and people in transition after court action. TDCJ covers sentenced state custody after a person moves into the state system. BOP and ICE are separate again. The right locator depends on where the person is in the custody path.
| County Jail | State Prison | Federal or ICE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who is held | Pretrial detainees, warrants, local sentences, some transfer categories | Sentenced state prisoners | Federal sentenced prisoners or immigration detainees |
| Run by | Matagorda County Sheriff's Office | Texas Department of Criminal Justice | BOP or ICE |
| Where to look | County Public Record Search and Tyler jail records | TDCJ inmate search | BOP inmate locator or ICE ODLS |
| Best use | Current local custody and jail bond questions | Sentenced custody, unit assignment, release dates | Non-county custody after federal or immigration transfer |
State and Federal Inmate Search
The TDCJ inmate search is the statewide route for sentenced Texas custody. The Texas IVSS portal and VINELink Texas are notification and custody-status channels. The Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator covers federal sentenced inmates, while the ICE Online Detainee Locator System covers immigration detention searches. No TDCJ prison, BOP facility, or ICE detention center was identified inside Matagorda County, so these are fallback locators rather than local facility pages.
- TDCJ
- Texas state prison agency for sentenced state custody.
- IVSS
- Texas custody notification and offender search portal.
- BOP
- Federal Bureau of Prisons locator for federal sentenced custody.
- ICE ODLS
- Immigration detainee locator using A-number or biographical search.
Matagorda County Detention Facilities
The researched facility map identified one local detention facility for this site: Matagorda County Jail. No official evidence was found for a separate county jail annex, work-release center, state prison, federal prison, or ICE detention facility physically located in Matagorda County. People can still move from the county jail into outside systems after sentencing, federal action, immigration custody, or other transfer.
- Matagorda County Jail - county jail operated by the Matagorda County Sheriff's Office for local pretrial, warrant, bond, sentenced local, and transfer-related custody categories.
Matagorda County Inmate Population FAQ
How big is the Matagorda County inmate population?
TCJS reported 122 people in the Matagorda County Jail on the 2026-06-01 current population row. The rated capacity was 192 beds, so the reported count was 63.54% of capacity on that date.
How do I search Matagorda County inmates?
Start with the county Public Record Search page and choose Jail Records. If the Tyler/Odyssey route asks for verification or does not show the person, call the jail line or use the written PIA process for records not online.
Are booking photos confirmed online?
No. The official jail-records route exists, but public mugshot display could not be confirmed because the direct Tyler route returned human verification during research.
Where do sentenced inmates go?
Sentenced state-prison custody is searched through TDCJ. Federal and immigration custody use BOP and ICE locators, not the Matagorda County jail roster.