Owen County, Indiana Inmate Search

To find an inmate in Owen County, start with the Owen County Security Center jail and inmate services page, which is the county’s primary custody resource. For a phone-based check, call the Owen County Sheriff’s Office at (812) 829-5000. Owen County operates its jail through the Security Center, and booking records are public under Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act (Ind. Code § 5-14-3).

Looking for someone booked tonight? See Owen County section 3 — If someone was booked tonight for phone-first contact info.

Searching the Owen County jail roster

Right now, the county’s main inmate-services page is the Owen County Security Center. The Security Center page is the county’s official hub for jail and inmate information. If the online roster is unavailable or you cannot locate the person there, call the Owen County Jail directly at (812) 829-5000 to request a custody check by name.

1. Go to the Owen County Security Center page.
2. Look for the inmate or jail roster link on that page.
3. Search by the person’s last name, then first name.
4. If no result appears online, call (812) 829-5000 for a live custody check.

The Owen County Sheriff’s Office general office hours run Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Phone inquiries about custody status are handled separately from office-hours transactions — see section 3 below for after-hours contact.

What the roster does (and doesn’t) show

The Owen County jail roster does not display every person in custody. Juveniles held in the facility are excluded by law. Records that have been sealed or expunged under Indiana’s Second Chance Law (Ind. Code § 35-38-9) will not appear. People held on federal charges at a federal facility are not listed on the county roster at all — federal detainees require a separate search through the federal Bureau of Prisons.

The roster also reflects only current Owen County Jail custody. A person transferred to an Indiana Department of Correction facility after sentencing will drop off the local roster and appear instead in the IDOC offender search. Booking photos are generally public under Indiana law, but the county controls what fields it publishes online. Name, booking date, and charge information are the most commonly available fields. Confirm numbers and hours before visiting or calling the facility for records beyond basic custody status.

If you’re reading this because someone was just booked tonight, the section below is for you.

If someone was just booked tonight

Is your family member at the Owen County Jail right now? Call (812) 829-5000 — that’s the number for the Owen County Jail. The line is staffed around the clock for custody questions, so calling at midnight gets you the same custody check as calling at noon. That’s the fastest path to confirming whether someone is in the building. That part is hard, but it’s the right first step.

When you call, have the person’s full legal name ready. The jail can confirm custody and tell you whether a booking is complete. What they cannot tell you tonight is the bond amount — that’s set at first appearance, which in Indiana typically happens within 24 to 72 hours of booking. Calling now confirms timing, not bond amount. It’s a long night, and knowing where things stand helps.

Visitation is not available on the night of booking. The Owen County Security Center page lists visitation information, and the jail also uses HomeWAV for video visitation and messaging once a person is processed. Check that page the next morning for current visit hours. For licensed bail bondsmen, the Security Center page also lists the Owen County Bail Bond Board. That’s worth checking once bond is set.

Your next-morning checklist: call the Owen County Clerk’s Office for case information once a case number is assigned, attend or track the first appearance hearing, and consult an attorney if needed. The Indiana Public Defender Council locator can help identify appointed counsel options. That’s a lot to hold at once — take it one step at a time.

If someone isn’t on the Owen County County roster

Why might someone not appear right away? The most common reason is a booking that hasn’t yet cleared into the public-facing roster. Processing takes time after an arrest, and the online display may lag behind the physical booking record at the Owen County Jail.

• Released after booking: Indiana allows cite-and-release for some offenses, and a judge may authorize a signature bond or personal recognizance release shortly after booking. The person may have been processed and released before the roster updated.
• Transferred to IDOC: Search the Indiana Department of Correction offender lookup at Indiana DOC Offender / Incarcerated Locator if the person was sentenced or transferred to a state facility.
• Held in a neighboring county: Arrests by Indiana State Police or on a warrant from another jurisdiction may result in booking at a different county jail. Check Monroe, Morgan, Greene, or Putnam County rosters if the arrest occurred near a county line.
• Federal custody: Federal charges route to federal detention facilities, which the Owen County roster never displays. Search the federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator separately.
• Custody status notification: Sign up for alerts through VINELink at Vinelink to receive automatic notification when a person’s custody status changes in Owen County.

Call the Owen County Sheriff’s Office at (812) 829-5000 if none of the above resolves the question — a live inquiry is the fastest way to rule out a booking-lag issue.

If you can’t find them in Owen County

A nationwide records search may help fill gaps that local portals often leave — particularly if the person may be held in another Indiana county, a neighboring state, or federal custody that Owen County’s roster cannot display. This third-party tool is designed to search across multiple jurisdictions and may surface records not visible here.

Sponsored: Nationwide Records Search (we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

This tool is not a consumer reporting agency under the FCRA and may not be used to screen anyone for employment, housing, credit, or any other purpose covered by that law.