Kent County, Delaware Jail & Detention Facility Guide
Confirm the current jail or detention location through the responsible Kent County agency before mailing, paying, visiting, calling, or traveling. This page combines county-specific geography, official-source routing, state corrections guidance, and transfer checks without inventing an unverified facility list.
Facility search: quick answer
James T. Vaughn Correctional Center snapshot
| Operator | Delaware Department of Correction |
|---|---|
| Published address or location context | 1181 Paddock Road, Smyrna, DE 19977 |
| Custody coverage | People in Delaware DOC custody returned through the state-endorsed VINELink service; Delaware has no separate Kent County jail system |
| Search method | Delaware DOC Locate an Inmate page, which directs users to VINELink for statewide custody information |
| Release/history limitation | The lookup is statewide rather than county-only; location and release information can change and it is not a complete criminal history |
| Public phone | 302-653-9261 |
County profile for facility verification
The Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate for Kent County is 194,786 residents, compared with 182,322 in 2020. The estimated change was +12,464 people (6.8%). It ranks #3 among 3 county equivalents in Delaware.
| Jurisdiction fact | Value | Facility-search relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Official Census name | Kent County | Confirms the county-equivalent connected to the facility search |
| GEOID | 10001 | Distinguishes same-named counties and cities |
| County-equivalent type | County | Explains the jurisdiction model |
| 2025 resident population | 194,786 | Provides jurisdiction scale; it is not jail population or capacity |
| Adjacent jurisdictions | 8 | Supports nearby checks during regional or cross-county housing |
How to confirm the current facility
- Open the parent Kent County inmate-search guide and identify the responsible sheriff, corrections department, detention center, regional jail, state agency, or other custodian.
- Use the verified custody method linked above.
- Confirm the exact facility name, booking or inmate number, current status, and jurisdiction.
- Open the official facility or agency page before sending mail, money, documents, or planning a visit.
- Reconfirm the location after court, medical transport, classification, contract placement, or transfer.
Why a jurisdiction can use more than one detention location
Delaware operates a unified state correctional system rather than separate county jail systems. Use the Delaware Department of Correction or its designated VINE pathway for custody information. A jurisdiction may use an intake center, main jail, annex, work-release center, city jail, regional authority, juvenile facility, medical unit, courthouse holding area, or contracted beds. The public agency result or official information line is the best current source for where an adult is housed.
Facility details to verify
| Detail | Why it matters | Where to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Official facility name | Prevents confusion with an old, renamed, closed, or informal jail name | Responsible agency or current inmate result |
| Operating agency | Identifies the correct locator, phone, mail, money, and visitation rules | Sheriff, corrections, regional authority, state, or contracted public portal |
| Street and mailing address | Physical location and inmate-mail address can differ | Current official facility page |
| Public information phone | Confirms urgent transfer or release questions when published | Official contact page |
| Custody population served | A building may handle intake, pretrial, sentenced, work-release, medical, or another group | Agency facility description |
| Search relationship | Shows whether the county search covers the facility or another system must be used | Locator coverage statement |
Mail, money, visitation, and phone services
Do not use a facility address or vendor from an old third-party page. Open the current official sheriff, corrections, jail, regional authority, or facility page and confirm the recipient format, inmate number, permitted items, vendor, visitation approval process, schedule, identification requirements, and communication rules. Transfers can invalidate previously correct instructions.
When the facility shown online changes
A location can change after court, classification, sentence, disciplinary action, medical care, protective placement, overcrowding, regional placement, contract housing, state transfer, federal hold, or release processing. A changed location does not by itself explain the person’s legal status.
State and federal alternatives
If the person has entered state custody, use the Delaware state inmate-search guide. The state agency is Delaware Department of Correction and the published state tool is Locate an Inmate. If federal custody is confirmed, use the federal BOP guide.
Nearby county searches
New Castle County inmate search
Delaware · GEOID 10003
Sussex County inmate search
Delaware · GEOID 10005
Caroline County inmate search
Maryland · GEOID 24011
Kent County inmate search
Maryland · GEOID 24029
Queen Anne's County inmate search
Maryland · GEOID 24035
Cape May County inmate search
New Jersey · GEOID 34009
Cumberland County inmate search
New Jersey · GEOID 34011
Salem County inmate search
New Jersey · GEOID 34033
How this guide avoids stale facility data
The parent county has a verified official custody pathway, but current facility details still must be reconfirmed before action.