Northumberland County Inmate Population
Northumberland County has two detention systems inside county lines, but they count different people. Northumberland County Jail in Coal Township is the local jail for people booked after arrest, held before a hearing, serving county sentences, waiting on release papers, or waiting on transfer. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections also operates State Correctional Institution Coal Township, a medium-security male state prison. SCI Coal Township is not the county jail, and its population should not be added to the jail count when the question is local pretrial custody.
The county jail count moves with arrests, bail decisions, court hearings, and transfers. A person can be booked into the jail after an arrest, released after preliminary arraignment, held for court, or later moved to a state prison if sentenced to DOC custody. Older web references can add confusion because Northumberland County once used a former Sunbury prison site. Current jail operations for the local inmate population are tied to the Coal Township jail and the jail records process.
Northumberland County Inmate Statistics
The official county jail figures come from the Pennsylvania DOC Office of County Inspections and Services county prison statistics workbook using 2024 data. That source listed 284 county jail beds, 171 average in-house daily population, and 7 average housed elsewhere daily population. The same workbook reported 1,295 admissions and 1,270 discharges during the year. Those numbers describe Northumberland County Jail, not SCI Coal Township.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Average in-house daily population | 171 | PA DOC OCIS, 2024 data |
| Rated county jail capacity | 284 beds | PA DOC OCIS, 2024 data |
| Annual admissions | 1,295 | PA DOC OCIS, 2024 data |
| Approximate jail ADP rate | 188.8 per 100,000 residents | Calculated from PA DOC OCIS ADP and 2024 Census/FRED population estimate |
| SCI Coal Township population | 2,179 | PA DOC monthly population report, May 31, 2026 |
Northumberland County Jail Trends
The official workbook data shows that the Northumberland County inmate population at the jail fell from 2022 to 2023, then rose in 2024 while staying below rated capacity. The 2024 average of 171 in-house inmates was higher than the 2023 average of 151, but lower than the 2022 average of 201. The Jan. 31, 2025 demographic snapshot listed 168 total people in the county jail, which was still below the 284-bed rating.
| Year / Snapshot | Population Measure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 201 ADP | PA DOC OCIS; 1,272 admissions and 1,304 discharges |
| 2023 | 151 ADP | PA DOC OCIS; 1,346 admissions and 1,353 discharges |
| 2024 | 171 ADP | PA DOC OCIS; 1,295 admissions and 1,270 discharges |
| Jan. 31, 2025 | 168 total | PA DOC OCIS demographic snapshot |
Northumberland County Jail Makeup
The Jan. 31, 2025 snapshot from the PA DOC OCIS 2024 workbook gives a point-in-time view of the county jail. It listed 149 men and 19 women, for 168 total inmates. Race and ethnicity fields in that snapshot listed 123 White inmates, 23 Black inmates, 22 Hispanic inmates, and 0 in the Other category. Age data showed the largest male groups between ages 25 and 44, while the female count was small across all bands.
- Sex snapshot: 149 male inmates and 19 female inmates were listed on Jan. 31, 2025.
- Race and ethnicity snapshot: the workbook listed 123 White, 23 Black, and 22 Hispanic inmates.
- Pre-sentenced population: quarterly 2024 pre-sentenced counts were 176, 182, 182, and 178.
- Alternatives: the same workbook listed people on electronic monitoring, GPS monitoring, house arrest, work release, Mental Health Court, Drug Court, and Veterans Court.
Northumberland County Jail Capacity
Northumberland County Jail was not shown as operating over rated capacity in the official figures used for this build. The 2024 in-house ADP of 171 was about 60.2 percent of the 284-bed rated capacity. The workbook also listed 178 hard-cell beds and 106 dorm or day-room beds, with no separate work-release or community-corrections beds reported. A county budget line in the same source listed an approved prison budget of $7,075,696 and spending of $8,135,264.24 for 2024.
Capacity is still useful for a custody search because it explains why one person may be moved, housed elsewhere, or transferred after sentencing. Northumberland's 2024 data listed an average of 7 people housed elsewhere each day. For sentenced state prisoners, SCI Coal Township used a different capacity source: the PA DOC monthly population report listed 2,179 institution population against 2,434 capacity as of May 31, 2026.
Northumberland County Records Law
Jail data, booking records, court dockets, and criminal-history data do not all follow the same public-access rule. The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law creates the request and appeal path for local agency records, but exemptions, court orders, privileges, juvenile limits, medical privacy, and criminal-history restrictions can block or narrow release. Court dockets are usually searched through the Unified Judicial System, while DOC records use state corrections channels.
Key Statutes and Rules:
Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, Act 3 of 2008 creates the request framework for local agency records unless an exemption or other law applies.
18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 91, the Criminal History Record Information Act, limits dissemination of criminal-history record information.
234 Pa. Code Rule 540 covers preliminary arraignment, bail opportunity, and commitment if bail is not posted.
PA DOC OCIS inspections and statistics is the official source used for county jail capacity, ADP, admissions, and program data.
Search Northumberland County Inmates
Northumberland County does not publish an official county-hosted current-inmate roster or mugshot gallery in the reviewed source set. That changes the search order. Start with Northumberland County Jail for live local custody questions, then use PA SAVIN/VINELink for custody notification, UJS Case Search for charges, and the PA DOC locator for sentenced state prisoners. Federal and immigration cases use separate federal tools.
- Call Northumberland County Jail at 570-509-2701 for immediate local custody questions, using the full name, date of birth if known, and arrest date or arresting agency.
- Use Northumberland County PA SAVIN or VINELink to search and register for release, transfer, or escape notifications.
- Search Pennsylvania UJS Case Search for docket, charge, bail, hearing, disposition, and sentencing entries.
- Use the PA DOC Inmate/Parolee Locator if the person has moved to state custody or parole supervision.
- Use the BOP locator or ICE ODLS when the case is federal or immigration-related.
Northumberland County Search Fields
Because no official county roster fields were located, the most useful local search table is the PA SAVIN/VINELink field set published by the county. PA SAVIN is not a full booking sheet. It is a custody search and notification tool that can alert registered users when an inmate is released, transferred, or escapes.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offender full last name | Text | Yes for name search | County instructions require the full last name. |
| First initial | Text | Yes for name search | At least the first initial is needed. |
| Inmate identification number | Text | Alternative | Can be used instead of a name search. |
| Date of birth or age range | Date / range | No | Optional fields help narrow similar names. |
| Register / Details | Result action | After result | The county describes a magnifying glass icon for registration details. |
Northumberland County Inmate Records
A county jail record may contain booking and custody fields, but Northumberland County does not publish a county-hosted online profile layout in the official source set reviewed. If staff release booking details by phone or through a Right-to-Know response, the available fields may not match a full court docket. Court charges, bail entries, and dispositions are better checked in UJS Case Search.
| Field | Where to Check | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Booking or intake date | Jail call or RTKL request | Date the jail processed the person after arrest. |
| Charge or hold | Jail record and UJS docket | Initial hold can differ from the final court charge. |
| Bail or release status | UJS docket and jail records | Court order controls release; the jail waits for signed paperwork. |
| Release or transfer | PA SAVIN/VINELink | Notification event for custody status change. |
| State prison status | PA DOC locator | Applies after transfer to DOC custody or parole supervision. |
County Jail vs State Prison
The most common search error is using the wrong custody level. Northumberland County Jail handles local booking and county custody. SCI Coal Township is a Pennsylvania DOC prison for state-sentenced male inmates and parole violators. A Northumberland County defendant sentenced to state prison may be sent to SCI Coal Township or another DOC institution, depending on classification and assignment.
| Custody Level | Who It Covers | Where to Search |
|---|---|---|
| County jail | Pretrial detainees, county sentences, court transports, release paperwork, local transfers | Call the jail, use PA SAVIN/VINELink, and file county RTKL requests when needed |
| State prison | State-sentenced inmates and parolees under PA DOC custody | PA DOC Inmate/Parolee Locator |
| Federal custody | Federal sentenced inmates and some Marshals detainees | BOP locator or U.S. Marshals Middle District contacts |
| Immigration custody | ICE detainees | ICE Online Detainee Locator System |
Northumberland County Detention Facilities
The county detention map is compact but important. One facility is the county jail for immediate post-arrest custody. The other is a state prison with a much larger DOC population. For a current local arrest, do not assume SCI Coal Township is the search target just because it is also in Coal Township.
- Northumberland County Jail holds local pretrial detainees, county-sentenced inmates, court transports, and people waiting on release paperwork or transfer.
- State Correctional Institution Coal Township is a PA DOC medium-security male state prison for sentenced inmates and parole violators.
Northumberland County Inmate FAQ
How large is the Northumberland County inmate population?
For the county jail alone, PA DOC OCIS 2024 data listed 171 average in-house inmates and 284 rated beds. SCI Coal Township is separate; PA DOC listed 2,179 institution population there as of May 31, 2026.
Is there a Northumberland County jail roster online?
No official county-hosted public roster or current mugshot gallery was located in the reviewed official sources. Use the jail phone, PA SAVIN/VINELink, UJS Case Search, and Right-to-Know process instead.
Where are charges found after arrest?
Use UJS Case Search. Jail intake information may show a hold or arrest reason, but court records show the complaint, docket, hearings, bail entries, dispositions, and sentencing events.
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