St. Charles Parish Inmate Population
The St. Charles Parish inmate population is concentrated at Nelson Coleman Correctional Center, the Sheriff's correctional center in Killona. The research found no city jail network inside the parish because St. Charles Parish has no municipal governments. That matters for search work. Destrehan, Luling, Norco, Hahnville, St. Rose, Boutte, and other communities do not have separate municipal jail pages to search. Local arrests, warrants, holds, and jail bookings route through the Sheriff-operated correctional center unless a state, federal, or immigration agency controls the custody.
People counted in the St. Charles Parish inmate population may be pretrial detainees, local sentenced inmates, state Department of Corrections holds, federal marshal holds, immigration holds, or people housed for nearby agencies. The public roster's agency dropdown includes St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office, DOC, DOC work release, USMS, BOP, ICE, FBI, State Police, the District Attorney, and several parish agencies. A roster result should therefore be read as a custody record first, not as a final statement about the agency that will prosecute the case.
St. Charles Parish Inmate Statistics
Official sources give more than one population figure because each source measures a different point in time. The Sheriff's corrections page says Nelson Coleman has capacity for 600 inmates and averages 550 inmates. The 2023 PREA final audit gave a designed capacity of 628, listed 19 housing units, and reported lower audit-period population fields. The public Zuercher roster returned 186 current public records when inspected on June 16, 2026. Those figures should not be merged into one trend line, but together they show the range between bed capacity, average operations, audit snapshots, and the public roster count.
| Measure | Figure | Source and Date |
|---|---|---|
| Public roster current count | 186 current records | Zuercher load endpoint inspected June 16, 2026 |
| Sheriff page capacity | 600 inmates | St. Charles Sheriff corrections page, accessed June 2026 |
| Sheriff page average | 550 inmates | St. Charles Sheriff corrections page, accessed June 2026 |
| PREA designed capacity | 628 beds | Nelson Coleman PREA Final Audit Report, final report February 12, 2023 |
| Parish population estimate | 50,600 residents | St. Charles Parish demographics page, July 2025 estimate |
St. Charles Parish Jail Trends
The local trend record is a set of sourced snapshots rather than a clean annual series. Nelson Coleman opened on June 15, 2001. The PREA audit reported 206 people on audit day one, a 270 current-population field, a 370 average daily population field, and a separate 273 audited-facility ADP field. A June 2024 Nelson Coleman slide listed 476 current inmates and 80 percent capacity. The June 16, 2026 public roster inspection returned 186 current public records. The research file did not locate an official annual booking count or a three-year Sheriff ADP table, so those values should not be invented.
| Year or Date | Population or ADP | Local Note |
|---|---|---|
| June 15, 2001 | Facility opened | Sheriff corrections page |
| 2022 audit day one | 206 | PREA audit snapshot |
| 2022/2023 PREA field | 270 current, 370 ADP | Facility-characteristics field |
| June 2024 | 476 current | Incarceration Transparency Nelson Coleman slide |
| June 16, 2026 | 186 current public records | Zuercher roster endpoint inspection |
Who Makes Up St. Charles Parish Custody
The 2023 PREA audit states that Nelson Coleman holds adult males and females, with custody levels of minimum, medium, and maximum and an adult age range of 18 to 65. The public roster uses age rather than date of birth, and it offers race and sex filters. It does not show juveniles as a routine public roster group. The June 2024 slide reported a population that was 70 percent African American, 29 percent White, 0.4 percent Not Specified, and 0.2 percent Asian, but that slide is not the same as a Sheriff-published annual demographic report.
- Pretrial
- A person held after arrest while the court case is pending.
- DOC hold
- State corrections custody or parole authority may affect release even when the person is physically in the parish jail.
- USMS hold
- The U.S. Marshals Service may house a federal pretrial defendant in a parish jail.
- ICE hold
- Immigration enforcement may be involved, but the parish roster is not the same as the ICE detainee locator.
St. Charles Parish Jail Capacity
Capacity should be read with source labels. The Sheriff page gives 600 as the public facility capacity. The PREA audit gives 628 as designed capacity and states the facility had not been over capacity during the prior 12 months at that audit point. The June 2024 slide gave 476 current inmates and described 80 percent capacity. These figures suggest the jail was not shown as over capacity in the located official audit, but they do not prove the same status on every later day.
The Sheriff's corrections page also says the facility operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and uses video arraignment and video visitation to reduce transport and contraband risks. That operational detail is part of the population story because court appearances, classification, transports, and transfers can change how many people are housed locally.
St. Charles Parish Inmate Laws
Louisiana law explains why much of the St. Charles Parish inmate population can be searched or requested, while some records remain limited. Booking information is public, but pending investigative material, juvenile suspect records, sexual-offense victim identifiers, confidential sources, and pending prosecution work product can be withheld. Court, jail, sheriff, and District Attorney offices also keep separate records, so the right request route depends on which office has the file.
Key Statutes:
Louisiana R.S. 44:1 defines public bodies and public records under state law.
Louisiana R.S. 44:32 requires custodians to provide copies or reproductions of public records, subject to fees and exemptions.
Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure art. 228 makes booking books and booking information summaries open for public inspection.
Louisiana R.S. 15:824 explains commitment to DPS&C and local parish jail housing for certain state-sentenced people.
St. Charles Parish State Prison Custody
No Louisiana DPS&C state prison was found physically inside St. Charles Parish. The state site lists Nelson Coleman and the St. Charles Parish Transitional Work Program as local jails and programs. A person sentenced to DPS&C custody may still appear at Nelson Coleman for a time under local housing or reimbursement rules, which is why the roster may say "Housed for DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS." After transfer, the county roster is no longer the best tool.
For sentenced state custody, use Louisiana DPS&C imprisoned-person information, Louisiana VINE, or the DPS&C phone locator at (225) 383-4580. DPS&C says online imprisoned-person information is updated every 24 hours, while LA VINE can support custody notifications.
Search St. Charles Parish Inmates
The current county jail search begins with the public Zuercher roster linked by the Sheriff's Jail Roster page. The roster covers current Nelson Coleman custody and public rows showed mugshot, name, race, sex, age, arrest date, release date if any, and hold reasons. Use the county roster for local jail custody. Use state or federal systems when the person is no longer in local custody or is held under a different authority.
- Open the St. Charles Parish Zuercher jail roster.
- Leave the default in-custody date in place for current inmates.
- Type a full or partial name when known.
- Use race, sex, arrest date, held-for agency, or release date filters only when needed.
- Read hold reasons for agency, bond, no-bond, DOC, USMS, ICE, or other hold notes.
- If the person is sentenced or transferred, switch to VINE, DPS&C, BOP, or ICE as appropriate.
St. Charles Parish Roster Fields
The roster does not require a booking number in the inspected public path. Its strongest filters are name, race, sex, arrest date, held-for agency, release date, and the current in-custody setting. The cell-block filter exists in the template model, but it was not active in the page configuration filters found during research.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Text | Optional | Free-text name search. |
| Race | Dropdown | Optional | Includes All, Black or African American, White, Unknown, Not Specified, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. |
| Sex | Dropdown | Optional | Includes All, Female, Male, Not Specified, and Unknown. |
| In Custody On | Date | Effectively fixed | Page configuration uses current inmates. |
| Held For Agency | Dropdown | Optional | Useful for separating local, DOC, USMS, ICE, BOP, FBI, fugitive, and other agency holds. |
| Cell Block | Dropdown | Optional in template | NCCC housing options exist, but public sample rows often left cell block blank. |
The public Zuercher roster interface shows the current inmate search filters and result table used for St. Charles Parish jail lookup.
The screenshot reinforces the main lookup rule: start with the live roster for current Nelson Coleman custody, then use the other locator systems only when the roster does not match the custody type.
St. Charles Parish Inmate Records
A public St. Charles Parish inmate record is a roster row, not a full case file. It may include booking photo, name, race, sex, age, arrest date, release date, and hold reasons. Hold reasons can carry the most important release details, including the holding agency and bond text. A blank release date usually means current custody in the public table, while a null arrest date can appear for some federal marshal samples.
| Roster Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Mugshot | Embedded public booking image when available, or a generic icon when absent. |
| Name | Last, first, middle or suffix format. |
| Age | The public configuration uses age, not date of birth. |
| Arrest Date | Booking or arrest date when present. |
| Held For Agency | May be blank in table fields while agency details appear in hold reasons. |
| Hold Reasons | May show DOC, USMS, bond amount, no-bond status, or another agency hold. |
Past St. Charles Parish Inmate Records
The public roster is built for current custody, not a complete history of released inmates. If a person is no longer listed, call Nelson Coleman at (985) 783-1164 or use the Sheriff's written public-records process. The Sheriff Public Records and Legal Affairs page says requests go by mail or in person and are not deemed received if sent by unlisted methods. Documents cost $1 per page, photos cost $10, and audio or video costs $1 per minute plus $10 per computer disk.
For court outcomes after a booking, use the Clerk of Court, 29th Judicial District Court, or District Attorney records channel. Jail booking charges can differ from what the prosecutor files, amends, dismisses, or proves in court.
County Jail vs State Prison
Custody type controls the right search. Nelson Coleman is the parish jail. Louisiana DPS&C and VINE cover sentenced state custody and notifications. BOP covers federal inmates from 1982 to present, and ICE ODLS covers immigration detainees. A person can move between these systems, and some state or federal holds can still be housed at the parish jail.
| Question | Parish Jail | State, Federal, or ICE |
|---|---|---|
| Who is held | Pretrial, local sentenced, holds, DOC local housing, USMS or ICE holds | Sentenced state prisoners, federal prisoners, immigration detainees |
| Primary search | Zuercher jail roster | VINE/DPS&C, BOP locator, or ICE ODLS |
| Main record | Booking, age, photo, arrest date, hold reasons | Custody status, location, release date, or federal register number |
| When to call | Roster fails, bond or visit needs verification | Transferred, sentenced, federal, immigration, or no county roster match |
St. Charles Parish Detention Facilities
The facility map has two local entries, both tied to the Killona correctional campus. No state prison, BOP prison, or ICE detention center was found inside St. Charles Parish.
- Nelson Coleman Correctional Center holds adult local jail inmates, pretrial detainees, sentenced inmates, DOC holds, USMS holds, ICE holds, and other agency holds shown in roster data.
- St. Charles Parish Transitional Work Program (NC) is listed by Louisiana DPS&C as a local jail and program entry tied to Nelson Coleman, with work-release or transitional participants.
St. Charles Parish Inmate FAQ
How large is the St. Charles Parish inmate population?
The answer depends on the source date. The Sheriff's corrections page says the facility averages 550 inmates, while the public roster returned 186 current records on June 16, 2026. Use the source label with the number.
Where does a St. Charles Parish inmate search start?
Start with the Zuercher jail roster for current Nelson Coleman custody. If the person is sentenced to state custody, transferred, federal, or immigration-related, use VINE/DPS&C, BOP, or ICE.
Does the roster show mugshots?
Yes, current public roster rows can display booking photos. For photo copies or older booking records, use the Sheriff's public-records process and the photo-copy fee listed by the Sheriff's records page.
Are court charges the same as jail charges?
No. Jail booking and hold text is intake information. The District Attorney decides what charges to file, and the 29th Judicial District Court or Clerk record shows the court case path.