Search the Ellis County Inmate Population

Ellis County Inmate Population Snapshot

The Ellis County inmate population is centered at the Wayne McCollum Detention Center in Waxahachie. It is operated by the Ellis County Sheriff's Office and serves as the county jail for pretrial detainees, short county sentences, state-jail felony cases, warrant prisoners, parole holds, people waiting for transfer, and some immigration-detainer cases reported to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.

TCJS current population reports show a June 1, 2026 total jail population of 600 for Ellis County. The same TCJS workbook lists 859 beds, while the sheriff's WMDC page describes a maximum population of 856 prisoners. Those figures come from different official sources, so both are useful. The TCJS number is the statewide reporting figure used for capacity and percent-capacity analysis; the sheriff number describes the facility in local jail materials.

Ellis County Inmate Population Statistics

TCJS data is a point-in-time jail report, not a count of every person booked during the month. The population report counts local, contract, and federal inmates in the facility on the first day of the month. It excludes people housed elsewhere from the total jail population, and TCJS notes that each county or facility is responsible for the data it submits.

The TCJS page shown in the site screenshot is the best source for current statewide jail-population files. The TCJS population reports page publishes the current workbooks used for capacity, population, and rate comparisons.

That source matters because Ellis County jail numbers should be tied to the same statewide report format used for other Texas counties.

Ellis County Jail Population Trend

The first-half 2026 TCJS rows show the Ellis County inmate population staying below rated capacity while moving above 600 in April and May. The average daily population rose each month in the extracted rows, even when the first-day count fell from May to June. That difference is normal because a first-day count and an average daily population measure different things.

Ellis County Custody Types

Ellis County's June 2026 jail population was heavily pretrial and felony-weighted. The largest single category was local male pretrial felons, followed by local male pretrial state-jail felons and local female pretrial felons. These categories help explain why a current jail roster is not the same as a conviction record. Many people in the county jail are waiting for case filing, bond action, court hearings, transfer, or final disposition.

• Pretrial felonies: TCJS listed 313 local male and 60 local female pretrial felons.
• State-jail felonies: TCJS listed 76 local male and 18 local female pretrial state-jail felons.
• Class A/B misdemeanors: TCJS listed 42 local male and 10 local female pretrial Class A/B misdemeanants.
• TDCJ-sentenced holds: TCJS listed 34 local male and 1 local female convicted felons or parole violators sentenced to TDCJ divisions.
• Immigration detainers: TCJS April 2026 reporting listed 60 immigration-detainer inmates, which is a detainer count, not a separate ICE facility.

Ellis County Jail Capacity

The Wayne McCollum Detention Center is a phased jail. The sheriff's facility page says Phase 1 opened in 1990, Phase 2 opened in 2002, and Phase 3 opened in 2010 with direct supervision. Direct supervision means detention officers work inside housing areas to manage conduct, lower tension, and reduce excess inmate movement. Master control monitors access points, fire and smoke detection, mechanical systems, and emergency power systems around the clock.

The June 2026 TCJS count was below rated capacity, but population pressure still affects daily jail use. Visitation depends on housing assignment. The sheriff visitation rules say assignment can take up to 24 hours after arrest, and visits must be scheduled in advance. That means an Ellis County inmate may be in custody before all practical visitation or roster details are ready.

Ellis County Jail Record Laws

Texas law separates public access from automatic online release. The Ellis County Sheriff's Office uses a public roster for current custody, but written requests are still the route for booking records, incident records, jail records, and mugshot requests that are not posted online. The sheriff open-records page says written requests are gathered by ECSO and sent to the District Attorney's Office to decide what can be released.

Search the Ellis County Inmate Population

Current county custody starts with the official Ellis County inmate roster. The roster is hosted by LockupLists for the Ellis County Sheriff's Office. Its page is public, does not show a login requirement in the inspected source, and is configured for pagination at 50 rows per page. The roster notice says the service is for public convenience and safety, forbids unauthorized use, and gives no warranty for accuracy, timeliness, or completeness.

The screenshot from the LockupLists-hosted Ellis County roster shows the public roster interface used for current county custody searches.

Use the roster as a current-custody tool. Released people and transferred prisoners may require a records request, TDCJ search, BOP search, ICE search, or VINELink notification search.

1. Open the official roster from the sheriff inmate-search link or the direct LockupLists roster URL.
2. Use the name or search controls shown by the roster. The exact field labels were not exposed in static HTML.
3. Check pagination if the person does not appear at first; the roster is configured for 50 rows per page.
4. Compare booking date, age, charges, bond, housing, or status details if the roster profile displays them.
5. Call Jail Information if the arrest is recent or if housing assignment is not complete.

Ellis County Roster Search Limits

The roster is useful, but the research did not confirm every public field in a profile because the roster is a React app and the static source did not expose all card data. That limits what should be promised. It is accurate to say the roster is public, paginated, and focused on current custody. It is not accurate to promise a full historic archive, a mugshot for every booking, or a specific refresh interval.

Past Ellis County Inmate Records

When a person is not on the current roster, the fallback is a written request to the Ellis County Sheriff's Office. The ECSO open-records page says requests must be in writing and can be made in person, by mail, by fax, or by email. Valid contact information is required, and records go to the District Attorney's Office for release review.

The sheriff's open-records instructions are shown in the captured page below.

For older booking details, include the person's full name, date of incident or booking if known, report or service number if known, and the exact record requested.

County Jail and Prison Search

Ellis County has no confirmed state prison, BOP prison, or ICE detention facility inside the county. A reader may still need those systems because custody can move. TDCJ handles sentenced state prisoners after transfer. BOP handles sentenced federal prisoners. ICE ODLS handles immigration detainee lookup. VINELink is useful for custody notifications rather than one-time roster checks.

Ellis County Detention Facility

The local facility list has one confirmed public detention facility. The TDCJ unit directory includes an "Ellis Unit," but it is in Huntsville, Walker County, not Ellis County. No separate county annex, local work-release center, BOP prison, or ICE detention facility was confirmed inside Ellis County from official sources.

• Wayne McCollum Detention Center - county jail operated by the Ellis County Sheriff's Office for pretrial detainees, county sentences, holds, transfer cases, and reported detainer cases.

Ellis County Custody Terms

Jail records use short terms that can be easy to misread. A charge is not a conviction. A hold may keep someone in custody after a local bond is posted. Classification affects housing and visitation, but it is not a court sentence.

Booking

Administrative jail intake after arrest, including identity, property, records checks, and account setup.

Classification

Jail review of criminal history, behavior, and physical, mental, and social conditions to decide housing.

Bond

Money or conditions set to secure release while the case is pending.

Detainer

A notice or hold from another agency, such as immigration, parole, or another jurisdiction.

TDCJ

Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the state prison system for sentenced prisoners.

Ellis County Inmate Population FAQ

How large is the Ellis County inmate population? TCJS reported 600 people in the Ellis County jail population on June 1, 2026, with 859 rated beds and a 557 average daily population in the rate workbook.

Where does an Ellis County inmate search start? Start with the official county roster for current WMDC custody. If the person was sentenced to state prison, use TDCJ instead of the county roster.

Does Ellis County have more than one jail facility page? No official source confirmed a separate county annex, state prison, federal prison, or ICE detention center inside Ellis County. The facility page is for Wayne McCollum Detention Center.

Can a released inmate still be searched online? The roster's release retention period was not published in the inspected source. Use a written ECSO public-information request for older booking or jail records.

Is there an Ellis County Sheriff's app for inmate lookup? No official Ellis County Sheriff's Office app with an inmate roster was confirmed in the official source review.