The Chemung County Inmate Population
The local custody count begins with Chemung County Jail, the county detention facility run by the Chemung County Sheriff's Office Corrections Division. The jail holds people after recent local arrests, people awaiting arraignment or trial, sentenced local jail prisoners, civil holds, parole violators, and state-ready prisoners who have not yet transferred to DOCCS. State prisoners housed at Elmira Correctional Facility are a separate part of the broader Chemung County correctional picture, but they are not county jail detainees. That distinction controls which office can confirm custody.
Official population reporting comes from the New York DCJS and State Commission of Correction jail population reports, plus the county's own facility capacity page. For May 2026, the DCJS monthly report prepared June 1, 2026 listed Chemung County Jail with a census of 138 and 140 in-house people, including two people boarded in and none boarded out. The county Corrections page states the jail has a maximum capacity of 262 inmates. These figures show a local jail population well below the published maximum during that report month, while still showing a real mix of sentenced, unsentenced, parole, civil, and state-ready custody.
Chemung County Inmate Population Statistics
The most useful Chemung County inmate population numbers are the current monthly jail count, the annual average, and the published maximum capacity. The annual DCJS report prepared February 2, 2026 put the 2025 average daily census at 123 and the 2025 in-house average at 125. The monthly report prepared June 1, 2026 then showed a higher May 2026 in-house count of 140. Chemung County also has two adult detention facilities that matter for lookup routing: the county jail and Elmira Correctional Facility.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Date |
|---|---|---|
| Chemung County Jail maximum capacity | 262 inmates | Chemung County Corrections page, June 2026 research |
| May 2026 jail census | 138 | DCJS monthly jail population report, prepared June 1, 2026 |
| May 2026 in-house population | 140 | DCJS monthly jail population report, prepared June 1, 2026 |
| 2025 annual census average | 123 | DCJS annual jail population trends, prepared February 2, 2026 |
| 2025 annual in-house average | 125 | DCJS annual jail population trends, prepared February 2, 2026 |
| Elmira Correctional Facility audit capacity | 1,774 adult male inmates | 2021 PREA audit snippet in research |
Chemung County Inmate Population Trends
The annual trend report shows the Chemung County jail population falling sharply in 2020 and then settling below its 2016 to 2018 level. DCJS tied statewide 2020 drops to fewer arrests and arraignments during COVID, bail reforms that took effect January 1, 2020, and Raise the Age rules that keep many 16- and 17-year-olds out of county jails. Chemung's 2025 average rose from 2024, but it remained below 2016. That matters for a custody search because lower average counts do not mean fewer lookup channels. A person can move among jail, court, VINE, DOCCS, federal, and immigration systems depending on the legal stage.
| Year | Census ADP | In-House ADP | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 150 | 165 | Baseline in the annual report series. |
| 2017 | 164 | 171 | Highest year in the 2016 to 2025 series. |
| 2020 | 84 | 86 | COVID, bail reform, and Raise the Age context noted by DCJS. |
| 2023 | 117 | 118 | Lower post-pandemic count. |
| 2024 | 106 | 107 | Lowest post-2020 annual figure in the series. |
| 2025 | 123 | 125 | Up from 2024, still below 2016. |
Who Makes Up the Chemung County Inmate Population
The May 2026 monthly report gives the clearest official legal-status snapshot. Of the 140 in-house people, 82 were in the "other unsentenced" category. That category includes people awaiting arraignment, trial, sentencing, or held on new-crime parole matters. Another 49 were sentenced local jail prisoners. The same table listed five technical parole violators, three state readies, one civil prisoner, and no federal prisoners. In plain terms, the largest share of the Chemung County inmate population was not yet in a final sentenced county-jail posture.
| May 2026 Category | Count | Share of In-House Population |
|---|---|---|
| Other unsentenced | 82 | 58.6% |
| Sentenced | 49 | 35.0% |
| Technical parole violators | 5 | 3.6% |
| State readies | 3 | 2.1% |
| Civil | 1 | 0.7% |
| Federal | 0 | 0.0% |
Chemung County Jail Capacity
Chemung County's published jail capacity is 262 inmates. The May 2026 in-house count of 140 equals about 53 percent of that maximum. The 2025 annual in-house average of 125 equals about 48 percent of capacity. Based on those official numbers, the research does not support calling the county jail overcrowded. The local jail count still needs care when read with case status because a low capacity percentage can include many people with urgent needs: recent arrests waiting for first appearance, parole holds, people waiting for transfer, and local sentenced prisoners.
The county's Corrections page also adds context to the building rather than just the count. It says incarcerated people are housed according to classification status and that the jail is accredited through the New York State Sheriff's Association. The daily staffing structure includes correction officers, lieutenants, sergeants, a nurse administrator, and registered nurses. Those details tie the population number to housing classification, safety, medical care, and day-to-day jail operations.
Laws Governing Chemung County Inmate Records
New York law shapes both the Chemung County inmate population data and the records a person can request after an arrest. Public Officers Law Article 6 is New York's Freedom of Information Law. It gives the public a request path for agency records, subject to exemptions. Public Officers Law Section 87 requires agencies to make records available unless a statute allows denial or redaction. The county's own Sheriff's Records Division uses a FOIL form for non-accident reports and other record requests.
Key statutes:
Public Officers Law Section 89 sets FOIL procedure and treats many arrest or booking photographs as a privacy issue unless a lawful law-enforcement purpose supports release.
Correction Law Section 500-b governs county jail housing, safety classification, welfare factors, quarterly reporting, and State Commission of Correction monitoring.
9 NYCRR 7000.1 states the Commission of Correction's authority to set minimum standards for local correctional institutions.
Chemung County State Prison Population
Elmira Correctional Facility is in Chemung County, but it is not part of the county jail roster. It is a New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision maximum-security prison for sentenced adult males. A person arrested in Elmira, Horseheads, Big Flats, Southport, or another Chemung County community may begin in county custody, appear in local court, and later become state-ready if sentenced to a state prison term. The May 2026 jail report listed three state readies at the county jail, which means the sentence had moved beyond local pretrial status but transfer had not yet happened.
Once a person is accepted by DOCCS, the lookup path changes. Use the DOCCS incarcerated lookup for state custody, sentence, location, release, parole, and DIN or NYSID searches. Use the county jail phone and records process for county custody. The two systems can involve the same person at different points, but they are not interchangeable.
How to Search the Chemung County Inmate Population
No official Chemung County-hosted online current jail roster was located in the research. The county has an Incarcerated Individual Information hub, but that hub links to visitation, bail, commissary, deposits, phones, mail, and services rather than a searchable public roster. A Chemung County inmate population search should therefore start with custody level, not with one assumed database.
Use this order for a current local custody check when the person may have been booked at the county jail. Names can be misspelled during early intake, court records may lag, and a sentenced person may move out of local custody.
- Call Chemung County Jail at 607-737-2934 for a recent booking or local custody question.
- Search New York VINE online or call 1-888-VINE-4-NY for custody notification, release, escape, death, furlough, or temporary/work release alerts.
- Use New York WebCriminal for future criminal court appearances after the court case is active.
- Submit a Sheriff's Records Division FOIL request when a report or booking-related record is needed and not available by phone.
- Use DOCCS lookup after a state-prison transfer, BOP for federal sentenced custody, and ICE ODLS for immigration detention.
Current Chemung County Inmate Lookup
The absence of an official county roster changes what a reader should expect from a current lookup. The county jail information line is the first practical channel for a recent arrest, while VINE and court search can help confirm custody movement and future court dates. The Sheriff's Records Division is the public-records fallback for records that are not published online. The office is at 203 William Street in Elmira, with hours Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| County jail roster fields | Not available | Not available | No official Chemung County jail roster search form was located on the county site. |
| WebCriminal first and last name | Text | Yes for person search | Enter at least the first two characters of first and last name. |
| DOCCS last name | Text | Alternative | Can be used alone or with birth year for sentenced state prisoners. |
| DIN or NYSID | Text | Alternative | DOCCS says each identifier is meant to be used alone. |
Past Chemung County Inmate Records
Released or older Chemung County inmate records are not handled by a public county roster found in the research. For county records, the Sheriff's FOIL process is the main path. The form asks the requester to describe the records to inspect and provide full names, aliases, dates of birth, printed name, representative if any, address, signature, phone, and email. The form also lists denial categories such as records exempted by statute, investigatory files, active cases, sealed matters, confidential disclosure, and unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.
The Sheriff's Records Division page states that non-accident reports are requested through FOIL. Copy charges are $0.25 per printed page up to $15.00 for 60 pages. Larger records go on a $15.00 thumb drive, and video is also placed on a $15.00 thumb drive. Payment must be cash or money order payable to the Chemung County Sheriff's Office. Email delivery has no charge when the request does not involve many pages or video.
What a Chemung County Inmate Record Shows
Because no official Chemung County jail roster profile was located, the record fields below should be read as documented access points, not as a promise that a public county inmate profile will show a photo, bond, housing unit, or charge list online. The state DOCCS profile is more defined because the state publishes a data-definition page. County booking or jail records must be confirmed through the jail, VINE, court systems, or a records request.
| Record Element | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| FOIL request description | The requester must identify the records, names, aliases, dates of birth, and details needed for a search. |
| Denial category | The agency may cite privacy, active case, sealed record, investigatory, or other statutory grounds. |
| Copy cost | Printed copies, thumb drives, and video delivery charges are listed by the Sheriff's Records Division. |
| DOCCS custody status | State prison profiles identify current custody, release status, or the housing or releasing facility. |
| DOCCS sentence fields | State profiles may show crime information, aggregate sentence, earliest release, conditional release, and parole dates. |
Chemung County Jail vs State Prison
Many Chemung County inmate population searches fail because the person has moved from one custody stage to another. Chemung County Jail is for local custody. Elmira Correctional Facility is for sentenced state prisoners. A federal or immigration hold may add still another system. Start with the most recent known event: arrest, arraignment, sentencing, transfer, federal case, or immigration detention.
| County Jail | State Prison | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is held | Recent arrests, pretrial detainees, local sentences, civil holds, parole violators, state readies | Sentenced adult state prisoners |
| Run by | Chemung County Sheriff's Office Corrections Division | New York State DOCCS |
| Where to look | Jail phone, VINE, Records Division, WebCriminal, FOIL | DOCCS incarcerated lookup |
| Local facility | Chemung County Jail | Elmira Correctional Facility |
State and Federal Inmate Search
State, federal, and immigration lookups cover different slices of the Chemung County inmate population. DOCCS covers people in New York state prison custody or formerly in DOCCS custody. The Federal Bureau of Prisons locator covers federal inmates from 1982 to present. ICE's Online Detainee Locator System covers many adult ICE detainees or people in CBP custody for more than 48 hours, using either an A-number or biographical search inputs.
- DOCCS
- New York's state prison and parole agency, used after a person is sentenced into state custody.
- State ready
- A person sentenced to state prison but still waiting in county jail for transfer.
- Detainer
- A hold or request from another agency that may affect release even when one case changes status.
- VINE
- A custody notification system, not a complete county jail roster.
Chemung County Detention Facilities
Chemung County has two adult facilities that control most local search confusion. One is the local jail for county custody. The other is a state prison in the same city. No active BOP prison, ICE detention center, separate county work-release annex, or separate municipal jail with public long-term custody rules was located in official sources for Chemung County.
- Chemung County Jail - the county jail for recent arrests, pretrial detainees, local sentenced prisoners, civil holds, parole violators, and state-ready prisoners awaiting transfer.
- Elmira Correctional Facility - a New York DOCCS maximum-security state prison for sentenced adult males, searched through the statewide DOCCS locator.
Chemung County Inmate Population FAQ
How big is the Chemung County inmate population?
The May 2026 DCJS monthly report listed a Chemung County Jail census of 138 and an in-house population of 140. The 2025 annual report listed a 123 census average and 125 in-house average. Those numbers cover the county jail, not the sentenced state prisoners held at Elmira Correctional Facility.
Is there a Chemung County jail roster online?
The research did not locate an official Chemung County-hosted online current jail roster. Use the jail phone line, New York VINE, the Sheriff's Records Division, WebCriminal, and the correct state or federal locator based on the person's custody stage.
Where do sentenced state prisoners show up?
Sentenced state prisoners show in the DOCCS incarcerated lookup, not in a county jail roster. Elmira Correctional Facility is in Chemung County, but it is a state prison. County jail questions still go to the Sheriff's Office and jail records channels.
Can booking photos be found with inmate population data?
Not as a general rule in Chemung County. New York law treats many arrest or booking photographs as a privacy issue unless release serves a lawful law-enforcement purpose. Use official warrant pages or FOIL channels, not commercial mugshot sites.