Search Louisville Metro Department of Corrections Inmates

Louisville Metro Corrections Overview

Louisville Metro Department of Corrections operates Jefferson County's local jail function under Louisville Metro Government. That structure is a key local point. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is a separate agency focused on tax collection, civil process, court security, and public-safety functions, while LMDC runs jail booking, custody records, visits, inmate accounts, and public arrest record access. The official corrections landing page is at Louisville Metro Corrections, with the main public address at 400 S. Sixth Street, Louisville, KY 40202.

The facility holds pretrial detainees, people serving short local sentences, individuals awaiting court events, people arrested by Louisville Metro Police, JCSO, and other local agencies, and some people held for other agencies when accepted. It also connects eligible people to alternatives such as Home Incarceration and Day Reporting. The downtown jail function includes the Main Jail Complex and Hall of Justice jail space. Older references may show a larger total capacity because they counted the former Community Correctional Center, but current capacity materials treat that site as closed.

LMDC Capacity and Population

The official 2024 LMDC fact sheet reports 1,353 rated detention beds for the Main Jail Complex and Hall of Justice. It also reports an in-bed average daily population of 1,271, plus 663 Home Incarceration Program participants and 28 Day Reporting participants. Those figures show why Jefferson County custody counts can be confusing: the in-bed jail population is not the same as the broader supervised population connected to LMDC alternatives. The same fact sheet lists 17,421 annual bookings and 17,195 annual releases for 2024.

Classification also affects how those beds can be used. The 2024 fact sheet listed the LMDC custody population as 82 percent minimum security, 10 percent medium security, and 8 percent maximum security. A 2025 CGL assessment found the downtown jail outdated, landlocked, and constrained by poor sightlines and inadequate modern space for housing, medical, intake, program, and support functions. CGL projected that Jefferson County could need 1,563 beds by 2035 if current practices continue.

Look Up LMDC Inmates

The correct lookup channel depends on where the person is in the custody process. For current local jail custody, start with the LMDC inmate search page and the official Louisville public arrest records portal. These channels are for local jail and public arrest record information. If the person was sentenced and transferred to Kentucky state custody, use Kentucky Online Offender Lookup instead. Federal sentenced custody belongs in the BOP Inmate Locator, and immigration custody belongs in ICE ODLS.

1. Search the official LMDC inmate search or Louisville public arrest record portal by name.
2. Compare the booking date, charges, and custody details to confirm the record belongs to the right person.
3. Call LMDC general information at (502) 574-8477 if the booking is new or the online result is unclear.
4. Use VINE at 1-800-511-1670 or VINELink for custody-status notifications rather than one-time roster searching.
5. Submit an LMDC Corrections open-records request when a released person's record is no longer online.

LMDC and KOOL should not be mixed up. LMDC covers Jefferson County local jail custody and recent booking records. KOOL covers Kentucky state-prison custody and state supervision after a person moves beyond the local jail system.

LMDC Address and Contact

The LMDC public contact point is downtown near the Hall of Justice, Jefferson County Judicial Center, Jefferson Circuit Court Clerk, and prosecutor offices. Visitors and record seekers should confirm the correct entrance, appointment rules, and current public access instructions before travel because court, jail, and downtown event traffic can affect access. The official corrections materials say the agency operates every day and around the clock, but public counters, visits, and records functions can have narrower rules.

Visit Louisville Metro Corrections

Visitation details should be checked through the official LMDC visits page or the main LMDC phone line before going to the jail. Automated research could not capture a full visit schedule from the official page, so a specific day-by-day schedule should not be assumed. Visitors should expect identification rules, security screening, dress standards, limits on personal property, and separate rules for in-person and video options if both are active. Emergency visit situations may require contacting Classification at (502) 574-2120.

Do not bring contraband, weapons, drugs, or unnecessary personal items into the jail or court complex. If a person was just booked, wait for the booking and classification process to settle before expecting a normal visit option.

LMDC Mail, Phone, and Money

LMDC uses official corrections pages for mail, calls, and inmate accounts. The official MailGuard notice says postal mail shifted to MailGuard scanning effective August 24, 2023, and the inmate information materials reference MailGuard tracking. Phone research states that current LMDC inmates receive two free 15-minute phone calls per day. For money deposits, the official add-money page says deposits require the inmate's name and CIN, and it lists a toll-free deposit phone number.

The official LMDC add-money account page is shown in this captured image from the manifest.

That account process depends on accurate inmate identification, so verify the name and CIN before trying a deposit.

LMDC's MailGuard notice is also available as a captured source image.

Mail rules can change quickly, so use the official notice and LMDC inmate information page before sending letters, photos, or documents.

Bond and LMDC Records

Bond questions in Jefferson County are not handled only by the jail counter. The official LMDC bond page directs bond questions to the Jefferson District Court Clerk at (502) 595-4428 or (502) 595-3060. A person may have cash bond, surety bond, personal recognizance release, no-bond status, or another agency hold. A hold can prevent release even when a local bond amount appears payable, so custody confirmation and court confirmation should both be checked.

For records that are not online, use the LMDC Corrections open-records request form or Louisville Metro's open-records portal. Ask for the specific record type, such as booking record, booking photograph, release record, jail policy, or account-related record. For state-prison records after transfer, use KDOC open records. For court filings, use the Jefferson Circuit Court Clerk and Kentucky Court of Justice systems.

LMDC Booking and Intake

Booking at Louisville Metro Department of Corrections begins after arrest, remand, or transport to the jail. Intake can include identification, property inventory, search, medical and mental-health screening, booking photograph, fingerprints, charge entry, and initial classification. The 2024 LMDC fact sheet listed Louisville Metro Police Department as the top arresting agency and Jefferson County Sheriff's Department as the second. Common booking charges that year included Failure to Appear, Assault 4, and Probation Violation.

Classification decides where a person can safely be housed, not just whether a bed is open. Gender, security level, medical needs, mental-health needs, court status, and special-population factors can limit placement choices. A new arrestee may be released quickly by court order, bond, or personal recognizance, while a person with a serious felony case, detainer, probation matter, or no-bond hold may stay longer.

About Louisville Metro Corrections

LMDC is central to Jefferson County's court and custody system because the jail sits in the downtown government and court cluster. The Commonwealth's Attorney, Jefferson Circuit Court Clerk, Hall of Justice, and Judicial Center are nearby. That proximity matters after arrest because booking, first appearance, bond, prosecutor decisions, and clerk records can involve different offices in the same downtown area.

The facility itself has drawn detailed planning attention. CGL's 2025 assessment described the main jail as aging, space-constrained, and not aligned with modern benchmarks. One unusual finding was that the Main Jail was constructed around a pre-existing sewer department office, contributing to awkward layout and sightline issues. CGL also reported inadequate dedicated medical, program, intake, and support space compared with modern jail planning standards.