Polk County Inmate Population Snapshot
The Polk County inmate population is centered on one local detention facility: Polk County Jail in Balsam Lake. Official county sources describe the jail as a 160-bed facility operated by the Polk County Sheriff's Office. It opened in 2003 and houses pre-sentence and sentenced county inmates in classifications from maximum through minimum. People may be held there on new arrests, local sentences, probation holds, municipal warrants, out-of-county warrants, and other court or agency holds.
Polk County does not publish a single daily population number at the top of its roster. The current roster PDF can be counted on the date it is used, but the county source reviewed does not state a summary head count. The strongest recurring population data found for Polk County comes from the Wisconsin DOC Office of Detention Facilities annual report, which lists county jail admissions by year and explains the statewide detention-facility reporting system.
Polk County Inmate Population Statistics
The official jail page supplies the hard local capacity figure: 160 beds. The Wisconsin DOC Office of Detention Facilities annual report supplies the most useful multi-year admission figures. Polk County jail admissions were 1,312 in 2025, down 0.8% from 1,322 in 2024. The same report listed statewide county jail admissions of 162,283 in 2025 and described a statewide county jail average daily population of 11,718.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Rated jail capacity | 160 beds | Polk County Corrections/Jail page, accessed July 3, 2026 |
| Facility opening year | 2003 | Polk County Corrections/Jail page |
| Current population summary | Not published as a top-line number | Current roster PDF can be counted at time of use |
| 2025 Polk County admissions | 1,312 | Wisconsin DOC ODF Annual Report |
| 2024-2025 admissions change | -0.8% | Wisconsin DOC ODF Annual Report |
| 2025 statewide county jail ADP | 11,718 | Wisconsin DOC ODF Annual Report |
Polk County Jail Admissions Trend
Admissions are not the same as average daily population, but they show booking volume over time. Polk County admissions declined from 1,505 in 2018 to 1,159 in 2020, then moved up and down in later years. The 2025 figure, 1,312 admissions, was slightly lower than 2024 but higher than the 2020 and 2022 totals. The research did not locate a Polk County-specific published average daily population row, so the trend should be read as admissions volume, not a daily head count.
| Year | Polk County Jail Admissions | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1,505 | Pre-pandemic baseline in the ODF table. |
| 2019 | 1,434 | Decrease from 2018. |
| 2020 | 1,159 | Lowest figure in the series reviewed. |
| 2021 | 1,326 | Rebound from 2020. |
| 2022 | 1,179 | Decrease after 2021. |
| 2023 | 1,201 | Small increase. |
| 2024 | 1,322 | Increase from 2023. |
| 2025 | 1,312 | Slight decrease from 2024. |
Who Is in Polk County Jail
Official county sources support a broad makeup description rather than a full demographic table. Polk County Jail houses pre-sentence and sentenced inmates, people held on warrants, probation holds, local criminal matters, and out-of-county matters. The public roster gives age and charge or hold descriptions for each listed person, but it does not publish a summary by gender, race, pretrial status, felony status, misdemeanor status, or average length of stay.
The Wisconsin ODF annual report provides statewide context: 2025 Wisconsin county jail admissions included 123,627 males, 38,566 females, and 90 non-gendered admissions. The same annual report says statewide county jail average daily population in 2025 was 76% male and 24% female. Those figures are statewide, not Polk County-specific. They should be used only as background because the Polk County jail page and roster do not publish a local demographic breakdown.
Polk County Jail Population Laws
Wisconsin law shapes both the public-records side and the jail-standards side of the Polk County inmate population. Wis. Stat. § 19.31 states Wisconsin's public policy favoring access to records. Wis. Stat. § 19.35 governs inspection, copying, responses, and fees. Wis. Stat. § 301.37 gives Wisconsin DOC authority over inspection and supervision of local detention facilities.
Jail operations are also shaped by Wis. Admin. Code ch. DOC 350, which sets minimum standards for jails and houses of correction. Wis. Stat. § 302.37 requires sheriffs or jail keepers to keep jails clean and healthful, and Wis. Stat. § 302.38 covers medical care for prisoners. The ODF report says it collects monthly data and reviews serious reportable events such as deaths, escapes, and hospitalizations.
Key point: Polk County publishes current jail records, but Wisconsin public-records law still allows redactions and agency review before some records are released.
Search Polk County Inmate Population
The live local lookup path is the Polk County Inmate Roster PDF. It is free and does not require login. The roster is a PDF list, not a search form, so the search fields are the PDF viewer's find tools. Search by last name first, then first name, partial name, ID Number, statute number, or charge text. Always check the "Current as of" timestamp before treating a result as current.
- Open the current inmate roster PDF from the sheriff's Corrections/Jail page.
- Check the timestamp printed in the PDF.
- Use the PDF find function to search by name, ID number, statute, or charge phrase.
- Read the entry for age, ID Number, booking date and time, and charge rows.
- If no match appears, check the booking report, call the jail, search WCCA, use DOC, or check BOP/ICE when another system may apply.
| PDF Field | Type | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Roster text | Primary current-custody identifier. |
| Age | Roster text | Helps distinguish similar names. |
| ID Number | Roster text | Local jail identifier. |
| Booking Date/Time | Roster text | Shows when the current booking entered jail records. |
| Charges | Text block | Statute and charge or hold descriptions. |
Polk County Sheriff's Records Source
The Polk County Sheriff's Office page identifies the sheriff, jail phone line, records phone line, dispatch, office hours, and Justice Center address used for local inmate population and jail records questions.
The sheriff page is the local contact source when the roster PDF, booking report, or records request form does not answer a current custody question.
Current and Past Polk County Inmates
Current Polk County inmates appear on the roster only while they are in custody at the county jail when the PDF is generated. The county does not publish how long a released person remains visible, and the roster is not an archive. The booking report gives recent intake history by date range and includes a city field, which the current roster does not show. For a past booking record, use the sheriff case-report request form or the county open-records process rather than assuming the roster will keep old entries online.
Once a person is sentenced to state prison or placed under Wisconsin DOC supervision, the Wisconsin DOC Offender Locator is the better search path. DOC records are not county booking records. They focus on state custody or supervision, DOC identity, status, and facility placement. The Polk County jail roster remains the local pretrial and county sentence source.
County Jail vs State Prison
Readers often mix Polk County Jail, Wisconsin DOC prisons, federal custody, and immigration detention. Each system answers a different question. Polk County Jail is the local facility for current local custody. Wisconsin DOC is for sentenced state prisoners and DOC-supervised people. BOP is for sentenced federal prisoners. ICE ODLS is for immigration detention. VINE provides custody and case notifications after registration.
| System | Best Use | Not Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Polk County Jail roster | Current county jail custody and local charge or hold rows. | Sentenced state prison custody or federal custody. |
| Polk County booking report | Recent booking date range and intake history. | Final court outcome or current custody after release. |
| WCCA/CCAP | Court records after arrest, hearings, charges, and dispositions. | Current jail housing or mugshots. |
| Wisconsin DOC locator | Sentenced state prisoners and DOC supervision. | County jail detainees. |
| BOP and ICE | Federal sentenced prisoners or immigration detainees. | Routine Polk County jail booking details. |
Polk County Detention Facility
The facility list for Polk County contains one detention facility: Polk County Jail. The jail is at the Polk County Justice Center, 1005 West Main Street, Suite 900, Balsam Lake, WI 54810. It is operated by the sheriff's office and houses pre-sentence and sentenced county inmates, people held on warrants, probation holds, out-of-county holds, and local criminal matters.
No Wisconsin DOC adult prison, BOP prison, ICE detention center, county work-release annex, or separate city jail page was located inside Polk County in the official source review. Municipal police may make arrests, but the sheriff-run jail roster is the official local custody list when a person remains in county custody.
- Polk County Jail - 160-bed county jail for current local custody, pretrial detainees, local sentences, warrants, and probation holds.
Polk County Jail Services
Polk County's jail page gives locally specific instructions for visits, phone, mail, deposits, bonds, medical care, VINE, and electronic monitoring. Video visitation is available remotely and on-site. Remote video visits are listed daily from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with a 6:00 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. blackout. On-site video visits are Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. There is no fee for on-site video visitation.
Bond posting during business hours starts with the Clerk of Courts in Suite 300, then the receipt goes to the jail. After hours, the jail lobby kiosk is used after corrections staff enter the bond into the inmate banking software. Online bond through JailATM also requires calling the jail first so staff can enter the bond information. A hold can still block release.
| Service | Channel | Local Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Video visits | ICSolutions / GettingOut | Remote and on-site video schedules. |
| Deposits | JailATM or jail lobby kiosk | Kiosk accepts cash and debit or credit cards. |
| Phone calls | ICSolutions | No incoming inmate calls. |
| Bond | Clerk, kiosk, or JailATM | Online and after-hours posting require jail staff setup. |
Polk County Inmate Population FAQ
How big is the Polk County inmate population? The county publishes a 160-bed capacity for Polk County Jail. It does not publish a top-line current population number on the roster. The 2025 ODF report lists 1,312 Polk County jail admissions for the year.
How do I search the Polk County inmate population? Open the current inmate roster PDF, check the timestamp, and search within the PDF by name, ID number, statute, or charge phrase. If no result appears, check the booking report and fallback systems.
Does Polk County publish mugshots? The official roster and booking report inspected for this project did not publish booking photos. Use the sheriff records request process for a narrow booking-photo request if a photo is legally releasable.
Where are court charges after jail arrest? Court records after a Polk County arrest are searched through WCCA/CCAP and the Polk County Clerk of Circuit Court, not the jail roster.
When should Wisconsin DOC be used? Use the DOC Offender Locator for sentenced state prisoners or DOC-supervised people after transfer from the county jail system.