Find Dent County Jail Roster

The Dent County jail roster covers inmates held at the county jail in Salem, Missouri. Sheriff Bob Wells oversees the facility at 112 E. 5th Street. Dent County completed a new 85-bed jail in 2020, replacing an older building that was severely overcrowded. The jail roster can be searched online through VINElink or by calling the sheriff's office. Dent County sits in south-central Missouri and spans 755 square miles with a population of about 14,421. This guide covers how to search the Dent County jail roster, contact information, visitation rules, and the public records laws that apply.

Dent County Sheriff's Office and Jail

The Dent County Sheriff's Office is at 112 E. 5th Street, Suite 7, Salem, MO 65560. You can call 573-729-3241 or 573-729-6156. Fax is 573-729-3058. Email the sheriff at bwells@dentcountysheriff.org. Sheriff Bob Wells heads the department. Chris McElvy serves as jail administrator. Administrative hours are Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm.

The current jail facility opened in 2020 and holds 85 inmates. It replaced an older jail that had a capacity of just 21 beds but routinely housed 45 to 55 people. That overcrowding drove the decision to build a new facility. The new jail is a major improvement for Dent County and allows the sheriff to manage the jail roster with adequate space for the inmate population.

Dent County was founded on February 10, 1856. It covers 755 square miles in south-central Missouri. The county seat of Salem is where the jail and courthouse sit. The judicial building is at the same address as the sheriff's office.

Dent County Jail Roster Online Search

Search the Dent County jail roster through VINElink.com. Choose Missouri, then type in the person's name or ID number. VINE shows identifying details, the facility location, arrest and charge info, booking and bond data, release status, and mugshots. The system updates from county jail feeds every 15 minutes. You can register for free custody change alerts by phone, email, or text.

By phone, call 573-729-3241 to check on a specific inmate. Staff can tell you if someone is in custody, what their charges are, and the bond amount. You can also go in person to the jail at 112 E. 5th Street in Salem during business hours. The Dent County jail roster is also referenced on some third-party sites, but VINElink and direct contact with the sheriff are the most reliable sources.

Note: VINE is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which makes it useful when the sheriff's office is closed.

Visitation and Inmate Contact

The Dent County Jail uses video visitation only. There are no in-person visits. The system is run by CityTeleCoin. You need to register on the CityTeleCoin website to schedule a video visit and pay for the session. This is how most contact between inmates and families happens at this facility.

Commissary services at the Dent County jail are operated by Access Corrections. You can deposit funds through the Access Corrections website or by calling (866) 345-1884. These funds let inmates buy food, hygiene supplies, and other items from the commissary. The commissary schedule and item list are managed by the vendor.

Mail should be addressed to the inmate's first and last name at Dent County Jail, 112 E. 5th Street, Salem, MO 65560. Many nearby jails have gone to postcard-only mail, so call the jail first to check what is allowed before you send a letter or package. Money orders are the standard way to add funds through the mail. Do not send cash.

The new 85-bed jail built in 2020 was a major upgrade for Dent County. The old facility had only 21 beds but routinely packed in 45 to 55 inmates at a time. That kind of overcrowding created safety and health risks for inmates and staff alike. The current jail gives the county room to manage its jail roster properly and meet Missouri's standards for inmate care under Chapter 221.

Dent County Jail Records and Law

Jail roster records in Dent County are public under Missouri's Sunshine Law in Chapter 610. You can request records in person, by phone, email, mail, or fax. Written requests are the preferred method. The custodian of records at the sheriff's office processes these. Under Section 610.100, the arrest date, charges, and booking details are all open to the public.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety lists services for Dent County victims. Russell House provides domestic violence resources and serves Phelps, Crawford, Dent, and Maries counties. Kids' Harbor is the child advocacy center for the area. These groups can help victims track inmates on the jail roster and register for VINE notifications.

Dent County crime rates are mixed. Violent crime sits at 16.2, which is below the US average of 22.7. Property crime is higher at 51.6 compared to the national average of 35.4. Court records tied to jail roster bookings can be searched at Missouri Case.net. For state inmates, use the MODOC offender search.

The Dent County jail roster search page allows you to look up inmates held at the county facility in Salem.

VINElink provides the primary online search tool for checking who is in custody at the Dent County jail.

Missouri's Department of Public Safety lists victim services available to residents of Dent County and the surrounding area.

These resources can help victims sign up for custody status change alerts connected to Dent County jail roster entries.

Nearby County Jail Rosters

Dent County borders several counties in the south-central Missouri Ozarks. Each county maintains its own jail roster.