Worcester County Inmate Population
The Worcester County inmate population is reported through county financial records and is housed locally at Worcester County Detention Center. The official jail mission describes a local adult detention facility for people committed by a judicial system. That includes people sentenced by courts, people in pretrial status who cannot post bond, and people held without bond by court order. Those categories matter because a person may be in the Worcester County jail before trial, then move out of the local count if a sentence sends the person to the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.
For public use, the most important local fact is the lack of an official county online jail roster. The county jail page publishes the facility address, phone, PREA information, directions, visitation, and commissary links, but the research did not locate a public inmate-search database or booking list on the county or sheriff sites. That makes the Worcester County inmate population page different from a roster-only county site. The better path is a chain: jail phone for current custody, Maryland Judiciary Case Search for filed charges, DPSCS for state custody, VINE for notifications, and PIA requests for records that are not posted.
The official Worcester County Jail page is the county source for the detention center's mission, contacts, and service links.
The screenshot reflects the local jail's public-facing role: it gives facility and service information, but it does not provide a searchable public roster.
Worcester County Population Statistics
Worcester County's strongest inmate-population data comes from the county's Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports. The FY2024 ACFR reports a detention-center capacity of 507 and an average daily population of 148. The same research notes FY2023 ADP of 135 and FY2022 ADP of 120. Those figures show that the local jail was operating well below its reported capacity in the most recent years reviewed. The capacity figure used here is the county ACFR capacity, not older immigration-detention capacity references.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Average daily population | 148 | Worcester County FY2024 ACFR |
| Rated detention capacity | 507 | Worcester County FY2024 and FY2022 ACFR materials |
| FY2024 utilization | About 29% | Derived from 148 ADP divided by 507 capacity |
| National jail bed occupancy | 73% | BJS Jail Inmates in 2023 |
Worcester County Jail Trends
The Worcester County inmate population fell sharply from the higher pre-pandemic years and then rose modestly after FY2022. The county's FY2022 ACFR ten-year table showed ADP in the mid-300s from FY2015 through FY2018, then a drop to 310 in FY2019, 222 in FY2020, 163 in FY2021, and 120 in FY2022. The FY2024 research shows a rebound to 135 in FY2023 and 148 in FY2024. That still leaves the local jail far below the 507 capacity reported for the detention center.
Statewide local jail trends help explain the shape, but they should not be treated as a county-specific cause for each year. Maryland's FY2025 capital budget analysis for local jails says statewide detained ADP fell during the pandemic and grew again from FY2022 to FY2023 as courts reopened and processing backlogs eased. Worcester County fits that broad pattern, with a steep decline through FY2022 and a smaller rebound afterward.
| Fiscal Year | Average Daily Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 338 | Pre-pandemic ACFR trend table |
| 2016 | 344 | Stable high-300s level |
| 2017 | 345 | Stable high-300s level |
| 2018 | 351 | Highest listed recent table figure |
| 2019 | 310 | Still above 300 before the major decline |
| 2020 | 222 | Large decline begins |
| 2021 | 163 | Continued decline |
| 2022 | 120 | Lowest listed figure |
| 2023 | 135 | Modest rebound |
| 2024 | 148 | Still far below capacity |
Who Worcester County Counts
The county research did not locate a Worcester County demographic table by race, age, gender, charge level, or pretrial status. The local source that defines the population is the jail mission. It identifies three practical groups: people sentenced by courts, pretrial detainees who cannot post bond, and no-bond court holds. It also shows why the local jail is not the same as the state prison system. A person can be booked locally after an Ocean City, Berlin, Pocomoke City, Snow Hill, or county arrest, then later move to state custody if the court case ends in a qualifying sentence.
- Pretrial detainee
- A person held before the case is resolved, often because bond has not been posted or release was denied.
- No-bond hold
- A court order that prevents release on bond until the court changes the order.
- Detainer
- A hold or notice from another agency that may block release even after local bond is addressed.
- Classification
- A jail decision about housing, security, program access, and separation needs.
Worcester County Jail Capacity
With FY2024 ADP of 148 against reported capacity of 507, the Worcester County inmate population was not near reported capacity in the most recent local ACFR figure reviewed. No recent official DOJ consent decree, local overcrowding litigation, facility closure, or new-jail project was located in the official sources summarized in the research. The best supported conclusion is narrow: recent county financial records show the detention center well under reported capacity, while the county still maintains the full facility for local court commitments, pretrial detention, short sentences, and jail operations.
Capacity does not answer whether a specific person is currently in custody. Daily admissions, releases, bond changes, transfers, and court orders can move the local count. For a live status check, call Worcester County Detention Center or use the appropriate court and locator tools listed below. Note: an average daily population is a financial-reporting measure, not a live roster.
Worcester County Inmate Laws
Maryland public-access law shapes how Worcester County inmate population data, booking records, court cases, and mugshot requests are handled. The law does not require Worcester County to publish an online jail roster, and the research found no public county roster. Instead, records access depends on the agency that owns the record and the exemptions that apply. Jail records, sheriff records, court records, and state prison records each have a different route.
Key access rules:
Maryland Public Information Act definitions set the framework for requesting disclosable public records from Maryland agencies.
Maryland Attorney General PIA Manual explains request procedures, fees, denials, and exemptions for agencies and requesters.
COMAR 12.14 houses Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards rules for adult detention centers.
Correctional Services Article Section 8-106 establishes the commission's role in correctional standards and oversight.
Search Worcester County Inmates
Because no official Worcester County public jail roster was located, a current inmate search should not start with a missing roster page. Start with the detention center phone line for local custody. Then use Maryland Judiciary Case Search for charges filed after the arrest, DPSCS for sentenced state custody, Maryland VINE for custody notifications, BOP for federal sentenced inmates, ICE ODLS for immigration detention, and PIA routes for records that are not posted online. Each channel answers a different question.
- Call Worcester County Detention Center at (410) 632-1300 for current local custody, bond, release, housing, and visitation eligibility questions.
- Search Maryland Judiciary Case Search for the court case that follows the arrest.
- Use the DPSCS Incarcerated Individual Locator if the person was sentenced or committed to state custody.
- Register with Maryland VINE for custody-status alerts when the system supports the record.
- Use BOP or ICE ODLS only for federal or immigration custody.
Worcester County Roster Fields
The county roster field table is brief because the official county and sheriff pages did not expose a roster form. That absence is useful information. It prevents false promises about booking photos, bond fields, housing units, or a public profile page. When a current custody question involves Worcester County Detention Center, use the jail phone first. For filed charges, use Case Search. For state custody, use DPSCS.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official county jail roster | n/a | n/a | No official public Worcester County jail roster or search form was located. |
| First or last name search | n/a | n/a | Not available from the county jail site. |
| Booking number search | n/a | n/a | Not available from the county jail site. |
| Booking photo profile | n/a | n/a | No public county profile inventory could be inspected. |
Worcester County Inmate Records
A Worcester County inmate record can exist in several offices even when it is not posted online. The jail may have custody, classification, housing, release, and visitation information. The sheriff or arresting agency may have incident or arrest records. The court file may show formal charges, bond, hearing dates, and disposition. A state locator may show prison housing after commitment. The safest way to read a record is to match the field to the source that controls it.
| Field | Where to Check |
|---|---|
| Custody status | Call Worcester County Detention Center, subject to jail policy. |
| Booking number | Not posted in an official public roster; request if disclosable. |
| Charges | Use Case Search for formal court charges after filing. |
| Bond | Check court records and confirm posting procedure with the jail or court. |
| Housing location | Not publicly posted; the jail may give limited visitation information. |
| Release status | Use the jail, VINE, court docket, or DPSCS depending on custody level. |
State and Federal Lookup
Worcester County has no state prison within the county and no BOP prison in the county. State-sentenced people from Worcester County are searched through the Maryland DPSCS locator, not through the county jail. DPSCS says its locator covers people committed to the Commissioner of Correction and housed at Division of Correction facilities, Patuxent Institution, and some short-sentenced offenders at Division of Pretrial and Detention Services facilities. It does not list everyone in DPSCS custody, and it does not list people who are no longer in custody because of release or escape.
Federal and immigration custody are separate. The BOP locator covers federal inmates incarcerated from 1982 to the present and shows fields such as name, register number, age, race, sex, release date, and location. U.S. Marshals pretrial custody does not have a public locator like a jail roster. ICE ODLS is the detainee locator for immigration custody. Current local official pages do not present Worcester County Detention Center as an active ICE detention facility, so ICE custody should be confirmed through ODLS or a current official source.
| Custody Type | Where to Look | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| County jail | Worcester County Detention Center phone line | Current local custody and jail logistics |
| State prison | DPSCS Incarcerated Individual Locator | Committed Maryland correctional custody |
| Federal sentence | BOP Inmate Locator | Federal inmates from 1982 to present |
| Immigration detention | ICE ODLS | Search by A-number/country or biographical information |
Worcester County Detention Facility
The Worcester County inmate population has one public local detention facility in the facility map. Worcester County Detention Center is the county jail in Snow Hill. It holds local adult detainees and sentenced persons committed by courts. Municipal police departments in Berlin, Ocean City, Pocomoke City, and Snow Hill may have short-term holding before transfer, but no separate official municipal jail page was located.
- Worcester County Detention Center - the local county jail for pretrial detainees, no-bond holds, and people sentenced by courts.
Worcester County Inmate FAQ
How large is the Worcester County inmate population? The FY2024 county ACFR reports 148 average daily population at Worcester County Detention Center, with reported capacity of 507. That is an annual average, not a live head count.
Is there a public Worcester County jail roster? No official public online jail roster was located on the county jail or sheriff sites. Current custody checks should start with the detention center phone line.
Where are court charges searched after an arrest? Maryland Judiciary Case Search is the public court-summary portal for District and Circuit Court records. It is not a jail roster and may lag booking.
Where are state prisoners searched? Use the Maryland DPSCS Incarcerated Individual Locator for people committed to state correctional custody. It is separate from Worcester County jail custody.
Can VINE replace a jail call? No. VINE can provide custody-status notifications when available, but a current local custody question should still be checked with the jail.
Are mugshots posted online by Worcester County? The research did not locate an official county mugshot roster or recent-bookings gallery. Booking-photo requests go through the agency and PIA process.