Kent County Inmate Population

Kent County tracks its inmate population at the Kent County Detention Center in Chestertown, Maryland. The facility is small and serves one of the least populated counties on the Eastern Shore. There is no dedicated online roster for the jail, but you can search for Kent County inmates through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search, VINELink, and by calling the detention center directly. This page covers the ways to look up the Kent County inmate population, what services the facility provides, and how to request records through the county or state agencies that handle custody data on the Eastern Shore.

Kent County Detention Center

The Kent County Detention Center sits at 104 Vickers Drive, Unit A/B, in Chestertown, MD 21620. You can reach them at 410-778-2279. There is also a second line at 410-778-6025. The facility is one of the smaller jails in Maryland. It holds pretrial detainees and inmates serving sentences under one year, same as most county lockups in the state.

Kent County is on the upper Eastern Shore. The county has a small population, and the jail reflects that. The Kent County inmate population stays low compared to the larger counties in central Maryland. Still, the same state rules apply here. Under Correctional Services Article Section 8-101, the facility has to keep records on every person who comes in and goes out. That means name, charges, sentence length, and conduct notes all get logged.

The Sheriff's Office oversees the detention center. Sheriff Dennis Hickman runs the department. All records requests and inmate inquiries go through his office. If you need to reach someone about a specific matter at the jail, start with the main number at 410-778-2279.

The DPSCS website below shows the state agency that sets standards for all Maryland detention centers, including the Kent County facility.

DPSCS sets the baseline rules that county jails across the state must follow.

Search Kent County Inmate Population

Kent County does not run its own online inmate search tool. The jail is small and has limited web presence. But there are still good ways to find out if someone is in custody. The two main options are the Maryland Judiciary Case Search and VINELink.

The Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers court cases from every county in the state. You can search by name, case number, or filing date. For Kent County, results come from the Circuit Court and District Court in Chestertown. The system shows charges, court dates, case status, and what happened at each hearing. It does not show live custody status, but it tells you what cases a person has in the Kent County court system.

VINELink is the other key tool. This free service lets you search for inmates by name or ID across Maryland facilities, including the Kent County Detention Center. You can sign up for alerts that notify you when an inmate's status changes. Alerts come by phone, email, or text. The system runs 24 hours a day. Call 1-866-277-7477 for help.

You can also just call the jail. Dial 410-778-2279 and ask if a specific person is being held. Staff can confirm custody status over the phone. Have the person's full name ready when you call.

Below is the Maryland Case Search page where you can look up court records for people in the Kent County inmate population.

Search results show case numbers, charges, and hearing dates for Kent County courts.

Kent County Inmate Records Requests

Records requests for the Kent County inmate population go through the Sheriff's Office. The PIA representative is Captain Harry A. Kettner. You can email him at hkettner@kentgov.org or call 410-778-2279. All records requests route through Sheriff Dennis Hickman's office. Under General Provisions Article Section 4-301, any person can inspect public records at a reasonable time.

Section 4-305 defines what inmate data is public. You can always get the name of an inmate, the charges filed, conviction details, and sentence information. Medical records, social security numbers, and certain security-related data stay off limits. The first two hours of search and prep work are free under the PIA. After that, you pay the actual hourly rate. Copies run 50 cents per page. If your total bill is a dollar or less, there is no charge.

The county also charges fees for specific report types. A criminal investigation report costs $5. Incident reports are $5. Traffic accident reports cost $5. Civil process service runs $40 for in-state and $60 for out-of-state. Body camera footage fees get calculated after the Sheriff's Office gives you an estimate based on how much work it takes to pull and review the video.

Visiting Kent County Inmates

The Kent County Detention Center allows visits during set hours. Monday through Friday, visits run from 7:30 AM to 9:00 PM. On Saturday and Sunday, the window is 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM. All visits must be arranged in advance. You need to be on the inmate's approved visitor list before you can come in. A valid government-issued photo ID is required at every visit.

Getting on the approved list takes some planning. The inmate has to submit your name to the facility. Staff then run a background check. Once you are cleared, you can start scheduling visits. If you show up without being on the list, you will be turned away. The rules exist to keep the Kent County inmate population safe and to make sure visits run smooth without surprises for the staff.

The state visitation rules page below covers the general standards that Maryland detention centers follow, including Kent County.

Check with the detention center at 410-778-2279 to confirm current visit hours and any local rule changes.

Kent County Inmate Mail Rules

Mail sent to people in the Kent County inmate population must follow strict rules. Every piece of mail needs the sender's full name and return address on the envelope. No oversized postcards. No perfumed letters or scented paper. Staff inspect all incoming mail before it reaches the inmate. Anything that breaks the rules gets rejected.

Photos are allowed but limited. You can send up to 4 photos per envelope. Each photo must be 4x6 inches or smaller. No Polaroids. No photos printed on regular paper. No images that show nudity or anything the facility considers a security concern. Keep it simple and follow the size limits to avoid having your mail sent back.

Books and magazines may be sent from the publisher or an approved vendor only. You cannot ship them yourself. Cash, checks, and money orders should not be included in regular mail. Use the approved deposit methods instead.

Kent County Inmate Phone and Video Calls

Phone service at the Kent County Detention Center goes through Paytel and HomeWav. Inmates can make outgoing calls through the Paytel system. No incoming calls are allowed. To set up a phone account or add money, call Paytel at 1-800-729-8355 or visit paytel.com. Rates depend on call type and where the call is going.

Video visits use HomeWav. The inmate must start the video call from their end. You cannot call in. To use this service, set up an account at homewav.com. There is a fee for remote video visits. On-site video kiosks may be available at the facility as well. Video calling gives family members a way to connect with people in the Kent County inmate population without driving to Chestertown. This is helpful for families on the other side of the bridge or out of state.

State Level Resources for Kent County

If someone from Kent County gets sentenced to more than a year, they transfer to a state facility run by DPSCS. At that point, the Incarcerated Individual Locator is where you search for them. The locator is free and covers all state prisons. It does not show people held at the county level.

DPSCS publishes reports and statistics on the Maryland inmate population. The data includes facility counts, trends, and demographic breakdowns. While these focus on state facilities, they help you see where the Kent County inmate population fits in the larger system. The PIA page on the DPSCS site covers how to request state-level inmate records if the person you are looking for has moved out of the county jail and into state custody.

The DPSCS inmate locator search page is shown below for looking up state-level inmates from Kent County or anywhere else in Maryland.

This tool only shows people committed to the Commissioner of Correction, not those in county jails.

Nearby Counties

Kent County borders several other Maryland counties on the Eastern Shore. Each one runs its own detention center with separate inmate population records and search tools.