Donley County Inmate Population
The Donley County inmate population is centered on one local facility, the Donley County Jail in Clarendon. The jail is operated by the Donley County Sheriff's Office, and official county material lists Sheriff Charles "Butch" Blackburn and Jail Administrator Cheryl Phillips as the local custody contacts. No state prison, federal Bureau of Prisons facility, ICE detention center, U.S. Marshals detention facility, or regional contract jail was found inside Donley County during the research. That makes the Donley County jail count easier to define than in larger counties, but it also means readers must use different systems once a person leaves local custody.
The most useful population source is the Texas Commission on Jail Standards population-reports page. TCJS reports are not live inmate profiles. They are official state reporting files that show capacity, total jail population, average daily population, incarceration rate, and custody categories. The Donley County inmate population can rise after arrests, bench warrants, parole holds, and short jail sentences. It can fall after release, bond, dismissal, transfer, or movement to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Donley County Inmate Statistics
Donley County is a small rural jail system by TCJS standards. The June 2026 TCJS files list a 20-bed capacity for Donley County Jail. The June 1, 2026 current population row reported 6 people in the jail, which TCJS showed as 30 percent of capacity. The separate incarceration-rate file listed an average daily population of 4 for June 2026, a countywide population base of 3,193, and an incarceration rate of 1.25. These numbers describe the jail population, not an online roster.
| Measure | Figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Rated capacity | 20 beds | TCJS PopRptCurrent.xlsx, June 1, 2026 |
| Total jail population | 6 | TCJS current population row, June 1, 2026 |
| Percent of capacity | 30% | TCJS current population row, June 1, 2026 |
| Average daily population | 4 | TCJS IncarcerationRateCurrent.xlsx, June 2026 |
| Countywide population used for rate | 3,193 | TCJS incarceration-rate row, June 2026 |
| Incarceration rate | 1.25 | TCJS incarceration-rate row, June 2026 |
Donley County Jail Trends
TCJS trend data shows a small jail population that moved down from 2024 into 2026. The research did not locate an official Donley County explanation tying that decline to a local reform, construction project, consent decree, or court order. The safer reading is numerical: the reported average daily population was 6.42 in 2024, 4.33 in 2025, and 4.00 for January through June 2026. Small changes in a county this size can shift the rate quickly because the total jail count is low.
| Period | Average daily population | Incarceration rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 average | 6.42 | 2.00 | TCJS rate spreadsheet used a countywide population of 3,214. |
| 2025 average | 4.33 | 1.35 | Countywide population changed to 3,193 in later 2025 rows. |
| 2026 Jan-June | 4.00 | 1.25 | Each January through June 2026 row listed ADP 4. |
| June 2026 point in time | 4 ADP, 6 total jail population | 1.25 | Capacity was 20 beds, with the jail at 30 percent of capacity. |
The TCJS files separate the jail population from countywide census context. The U.S. Census QuickFacts page for Donley County can help explain the county base, but TCJS remains the better source for jail capacity, ADP, and custody counts.
Donley County Jail Makeup
The Donley County inmate population includes local pretrial detainees, local sentenced misdemeanants, bench-warrant prisoners, parole violators, state-jail-felony prisoners, and TDCJ-ready prisoners when those categories appear in TCJS reporting. The county website does not publish a live roster, housing-unit labels, gender-specific housing rules, or individual classification levels. TCJS does publish category columns for local and contract counts, male and female counts, state-ready prisoners, federal inmates, housed-elsewhere inmates, and total population.
- Pretrial
- A person held after arrest while the charge is pending and before final court disposition.
- Bench warrant
- A warrant issued by a court, often after a missed court date or violation of a court order.
- TDCJ-ready
- A county prisoner who has been sentenced and is waiting for transfer to Texas state custody.
- Detainer
- A hold or request from another agency, such as a parole, federal, or immigration authority.
For Donley County, many recent TCJS fields were zero because the jail population is small. The June 2026 research noted counts in local male misdemeanor, felony, parole-violator or blue-warrant, and TDCJ-ready related categories, but it also warned that exact category interpretation should be checked against the spreadsheet header. That caveat matters. A TCJS population row is a statistical report, not a full jail booking profile.
Donley County Jail Capacity
Donley County Jail had 20 beds in the June 2026 TCJS current population file. With 6 total inmates reported on June 1, 2026, the facility was listed at 30 percent of capacity. No official overcrowding lawsuit, jail construction bond, consent decree, release order, or recent jail-reform notice was located in the official county sources reviewed. The Donley County news page and county public-notice material did not show a jail-specific reform or construction item in the research.
Population note: TCJS population reports are official state jail data, but they do not replace a current custody check with the sheriff or VINELink.
Donley County Jail Laws
Several Texas laws shape Donley County inmate records and the jail population data. The Texas Public Information Act gives the public a right to government information unless a confidentiality law or exception applies. Donley County's open-records page follows that framework and tells requesters to submit written requests to the proper department with enough detail to locate the record. For jail records, the sheriff is the likely owner of booking material, while the County Clerk is the county's general routing contact if a requester is unsure.
Key statutes:
Government Code Section 552.108(c) keeps basic information about an arrested person, an arrest, or a crime outside the main law-enforcement exception.
Government Code Chapter 511 creates the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and supports state oversight of county jails.
Local Government Code Chapter 351 is the county jail and sheriff framework for Texas counties.
Code of Criminal Procedure Article 49.18 governs death-in-custody investigations and reporting.
Search Donley County Inmates
No official Donley County jail roster, inmate search portal, current-inmates page, booking report, recent-release page, or mugshot gallery was located on the county website. The Donley County inmate population search is therefore a fallback chain. The county sheriff page gives the official office contact and tells users to visit VINELink to check offender custody status. VINELink can be useful for custody status and notifications, but it is not a full booking packet.
- Check the Donley County Sheriff page for local jail contact details and VINELink routing.
- Search VINELink for Texas and Donley custody status if the agency feed is active at the time of search.
- Call the Donley County Sheriff's Office at (806) 874-3533 for current custody, bond, release, or visit questions.
- Submit a written public-information request for booking records that are not available by phone.
- Use TDCJ, BOP, or ICE locators when the person is no longer in Donley County local custody.
For a deeper custody workflow, the Donley County jail inmate records page separates local custody calls, VINELink checks, written requests, and state or federal locator searches.
Donley County Search Fields
Because no official Donley County roster form was found, there is no local online search-field set to enter. A phone call or records request should still include the details that help the sheriff or clerk identify the person and event. Name spelling matters. So do the arrest date, booking date, date of birth if known, arresting agency, and the type of record sought.
| Field or detail | Use | Donley County status |
|---|---|---|
| Last name and first name | Basic identity check | Use for sheriff calls, VINELink checks, and records requests. |
| Booking or arrest date | Narrows the event | Not searchable in a county roster because no roster was found. |
| Booking number | Jail record identifier | Not published online; ask the sheriff if needed. |
| Charge or court case number | Connects jail event to court records | Use the clerk or re:SearchTX after filing. |
| Custody status | Shows whether a person is still held | Check VINELink or call the sheriff. |
Donley County Inmate Records
Donley County does not publish an official online inmate profile. A releasable booking record may still exist through the sheriff or a public-information request. The most useful request is narrow and plain: ask for the booking record, booking photograph if sought, charge information, bond or release status, and arresting agency for a named person and date. Do not assume that housing-unit detail, medical details, juvenile records, investigation notes, or security information will be released.
| Field | Donley County public status |
|---|---|
| Name | Not available through an official online roster; provide it in the request or phone call. |
| Booking date and number | Not published online; request it from the sheriff if needed. |
| Mugshot | No official public roster photo was located; request a booking photo under the public-information process. |
| Charges | Booking charges may come from the sheriff; filed charges should be checked with the clerk or court. |
| Bond | No county online bond field was found; call the sheriff or check the court docket. |
| Release or status | VINELink may provide custody status; the sheriff can confirm current custody. |
County Jail or Prison
Donley County Jail is a local jail, not a state prison. It holds local pretrial detainees, short-sentence local prisoners, warrant prisoners, and people waiting on transfer when reported to TCJS. A person sentenced to Texas prison moves into the Texas Department of Criminal Justice inmate search, not a Donley County roster. A federal sentence uses the BOP inmate locator. Immigration custody uses the ICE Online Detainee Locator System.
| Custody type | Who it covers | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Donley County Jail | Local arrest, pretrial, local sentence, warrant, or hold | Sheriff phone, VINELink, written records request |
| TDCJ state prison | Sentenced Texas prisoners after transfer | TDCJ public inmate search and offender resources |
| Federal custody | Sentenced federal inmates and some federal custody questions | BOP locator or U.S. Marshals/federal court channels for pretrial matters |
| Immigration custody | ICE detainees | ICE ODLS by A-Number or biographical information |
Donley County Records Requests
The Donley County Open Records Request page says written requests may be submitted by mail, fax, or in person to the appropriate department. For sheriff booking records, address the request to the sheriff at the Donley County Sheriff's Office. If routing is unclear, the county page lists Vicky Tunnell, Donley County Clerk, Drawer U, Clarendon, TX 79226, telephone 806-874-3436, as a general county contact. The request should describe the record well enough for county staff to locate it.
The county may release public basic information, ask for clarification, send a cost estimate, require payment of agreed charges, redact confidential information, or seek an Attorney General ruling if an exception is asserted. A good Donley County jail records request names the person, date of arrest or booking, record type, preferred delivery method, and requester contact information.
The county open-records page is the matching source for the screenshot below, and it is the official Donley County process page for written requests under Texas public-information law.
The open-records process matters more in Donley County than in counties with a public jail roster because official online booking profiles were not located.
Donley Jail Court Links
Custody and court records are related, but they are not the same record. Jail booking happens first. Court records begin when a complaint, information, indictment, or other charging document is filed. The Donley County/District Clerk is the local source for filed records and older files, while re:SearchTX can be checked for statewide court-record search where access is available. The county attorney and 100th Judicial District Attorney handle charging roles, not jail custody.
Bond questions also cross the jail and court line. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 17.15 sets general bail factors, including appearance, safety, offense circumstances, and ability to make bail. Donley County does not publish an online bond payment portal or jail bond schedule in the official sources reviewed. Call the sheriff before traveling, then check the clerk or court if a case has been filed.
Booking photos are another separate issue. No official Donley County mugshot gallery was found. The Donley County jail mugshots page explains how booking-photo requests work when the county does not post photos online.
Donley County Detention Facility
Only one local detention facility was resolved from the Donley County facility map. Donley County Jail is the local sheriff-operated jail for county custody. It is the place to start for current local custody questions, but not for sentenced state-prison, federal, or ICE detainee searches.
- Donley County Jail - sheriff-operated county jail for local pretrial detainees, local sentenced misdemeanants, bench-warrant prisoners, parole violators, state-jail-felony prisoners, and TDCJ-ready prisoners when reported by TCJS.
Donley County Inmate FAQ
How big is the Donley County inmate population? TCJS reported 6 total jail inmates on the June 1, 2026 current population row. The June 2026 incarceration-rate spreadsheet listed an average daily population of 4 and a rated jail capacity of 20 beds.
Is there an official Donley County jail roster? No official county-hosted roster, current-inmates page, booking report, or mugshot gallery was located. Use VINELink, the sheriff phone number, or a written public-information request.
Where are sentenced Donley County prisoners listed? Once a person is transferred into Texas state prison, use the TDCJ inmate search. Donley County Jail channels are for local jail custody, not state prison custody.
Does Donley County publish visitation rules? No official jail visitation schedule, mail format, commissary vendor, or video-visit platform was located. Call the sheriff before visiting, mailing items, or sending money.
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