Lewis and Clark County Jail Roster: Check Custody, Then Follow the Right Record
The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office publishes the current inmate roster for the county Detention Center at 221 Breckenridge Avenue in Helena. Start with the Sheriff’s current roster link, check the PDF’s printed date, then use the correct court, warrant, visitation, mail, money or transfer source for the next question.
Quick Answer: Where Is the Official Lewis and Clark County Inmate Roster?
Use the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Detention Center page and open its Current inmate roster PDF. This route is safer than bookmarking an individual PDF file because the county can publish a new version under a different file path.
The official roster format reviewed during this audit includes Name, Age, Sex, Booking Date & Time, Booking # and Hold Reasons. Before relying on any entry, check the roster’s “Printed on” timestamp and confirm the person with more than a matching name.
What the Roster Can Answer
- Whether a person appears in the county’s current public custody list.
- When the listed booking occurred.
- The booking number.
- Publicly listed hold reasons, charges or warrants.
What It Cannot Settle Alone
- Final guilt or conviction.
- The newest court ruling.
- A guaranteed release time.
- Whether a monetary bond will clear every hold.
Custody is not conviction. A roster charge, warrant, probation/parole hold or court hold describes why the person is being held or what is associated with the booking; it does not establish the final outcome of the case.
Record Compass: Use the Source That Owns the Answer
Use the Current inmate roster PDF linked by the county.
Misdemeanors, many initial felony proceedings and county-court questions.
First Judicial District felony and other District Court matters.
City misdemeanor, traffic, ordinance and municipal-court matters.
Separate portals for District Court and courts of limited jurisdiction.
Use when the person may have transferred into state corrections.
How to Check the Lewis and Clark County Jail Roster
Start on the County Detention Center Page
Use the Sheriff’s official Detention Center page and select the current inmate roster. Do not begin with a copied booking page or an old search-engine PDF when present custody matters.
Check the PDF’s Printed Date First
The roster is published as a dated PDF. A search engine can keep an older copy indexed, so the visible “Printed on” date matters before you search a name.
Search the Legal Name
Use the PDF viewer’s Find function and start with the surname. If needed, try a known former surname, hyphenated form or alternate spelling rather than treating one failed search as proof the person is not in custody.
Match Multiple Fields
Compare age, sex, booking date and time, booking number and hold reasons. Similar names can appear in public records, and a single matching name is not enough for a high-stakes decision.
Identify the Controlling Court or Agency
A hold reason can point to Justice Court, District Court, probation/parole, another Montana county or another agency. The jail can hold the person even when another authority controls the case or release decision.
Refresh Before Paying or Traveling
Custody can change after a hearing, bond, transport, sentence action or release processing. Reopen the current county roster and call the Detention Center when timing matters.
Useful details to save privately: the exact booked name, booking number, booking date/time, the hold-reason wording, any visible court or warrant number, and the time you checked the roster.
How to Read the Roster Fields
| Official PDF field | What it helps confirm | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Name | A possible identity match. | That two people with the same or similar name are the same person. |
| Age | Another identity check. | A complete date-of-birth match. |
| Sex | A roster identity field when displayed. | Anything about the legal outcome. |
| Booking Date & Time | When the jail recorded the booking. | The exact arrest time, offense time or hearing time. |
| Booking # | The county detention booking record. | That it is the District Court or Justice Court case number. |
| Hold Reasons | Publicly listed charges, warrants, detainers, probation/parole or other custody reasons. | Conviction, final charging decision or the current court disposition. |
The official roster PDF format reviewed for this update did not use a separate public mugshot column. If a third-party site shows a booking photograph, do not assume that image came from the current county roster or proves the person’s present custody status.
Do Not Confuse the Jail Roster With the County Custody Dashboard
Lewis and Clark County also publishes a Detention Center Daily Custody Population dashboard. It is an analytics tool, not a person-by-person inmate lookup.
Current Inmate Roster
Use it to look for a named person in the Sheriff’s public custody list. The roster PDF shows individual booking and hold information and includes a printed timestamp.
Custody Population Dashboard
The county says this dashboard is updated each weekday, excluding holidays, from the custody population at 5:00 a.m.. It summarizes population characteristics, charges and hold types rather than replacing the roster.
The county’s August 2026 criminal-justice data reported an average daily Detention Center population of 160 against a stated capacity of 166. That population statistic describes system conditions; it does not tell you whether a specific person is currently incarcerated.
Useful Hold-Type Language
The county’s dashboard distinguishes holding types such as Pretrial, Convicted and Probation/Parole Hold. It also uses confinement reasons such as a District Court Hold or a commit to serve a custodial sentence. Read those labels as custody categories, not as substitutes for the actual court docket.
Person Missing From the Roster? Check These Paths in Order
Recent Booking Is Still Being Processed
Transport, identification, medical screening and booking can occur before a public roster is useful. The county does not publish a guaranteed roster-update interval, so call 406-447-8232 when current custody is time-sensitive.
The Person Was Booked and Released
The county lists book-and-release operations 24 hours a day. A person can therefore have a booking record without remaining on the current roster. Move to the court or jail for confirmation.
Another Agency or Court Controls the Hold
The roster’s Hold Reasons may identify another court, county, warrant or probation/parole authority. Follow that exact clue rather than searching Montana counties at random.
State Custody
If sentencing or transport suggests Montana Department of Corrections custody, use Montana Offender Search.
Federal Custody
If the matter is federal, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator. A federal hold at a local jail does not necessarily mean the person will immediately appear in BOP search.
Court Case Without Current Custody
An open criminal case, summons or warrant can exist while the person is not currently jailed. Use the appropriate court portal instead of reading “not found” as “no case.”
Warrant Search Is Separate From Current Jail Custody
Lewis and Clark County Justice Court publishes an Arrest Warrant List. Helena Municipal Court separately publishes its own active-warrant information for municipal cases. Neither list should be treated as a substitute for the Sheriff’s current inmate roster.
| Question | Correct source | What to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Is the person currently in the county jail? | Sheriff current roster | Custody can change quickly. |
| Is a Lewis and Clark Justice Court warrant publicly listed? | Justice Court warrant list | A warrant does not prove current incarceration. |
| Is it a Helena Municipal Court warrant? | Helena Municipal Court | City-court warrants and county Justice Court warrants are different records. |
Do not confront someone because of an online warrant record. Confirm status with the responsible court or law-enforcement agency.
Helena Court Router: Justice Court, District Court or Municipal Court?
The jail name does not tell you which court controls the case. Lewis and Clark County uses several courts, and the correct route depends on the charge and where the case was filed.
Lewis and Clark Justice Court
Justice Court handles county misdemeanor matters and is where nearly all county felony cases are initially filed before many felony matters move to District Court.
Criminal: 406-447-8202
Address: 228 Broadway, Room 102, Helena, MT 59601
People in Lewis and Clark Detention Center make Justice Court initial appearances by closed-circuit video at 1:00 p.m. Monday–Friday.
First Judicial District Court
Felony cases commonly proceed to District Court. The Clerk of District Court maintains the court record and links a public-access portal for case and calendar information.
Phone: 406-447-8216
Address: 228 Broadway, Room 104, Helena, MT 59601
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Helena Municipal Court
Use Municipal Court for City of Helena misdemeanor traffic, criminal, animal-control and ordinance matters.
Phone: 406-447-8466
Address: 406 Fuller Ave, Helena, MT 59601
Current city pages contain differing descriptions of in-custody appearance timing, so confirm the day and time directly with Municipal Court before attending.
Montana separates online access into a District Court Public Access Portal and a Courts of Limited Jurisdiction Public Access Portal. Choose the correct court rather than assuming one statewide name search covers every Lewis and Clark County matter.
Bond and Release: Verify the Court Order Before Sending Money
The accessible official Detention Center material reviewed for this update does not publish one universal public bond-payment method that safely applies to every Lewis and Clark County booking. That matters because warrants, court holds, probation/parole holds and other-agency matters can change who controls release.
Before Trying to Post Bond
- Confirm the person is still in custody.
- Read every listed Hold Reason.
- Identify the Justice, District or Municipal Court involved.
- Confirm the current bond amount and bond type with the controlling court or Detention Center.
- Ask whether another warrant, detainer or probation/parole hold prevents release.
- Confirm the accepted payment location and method before sending funds.
Do Not Confuse Court Payments With Bond
Lewis and Clark Justice Court publishes online and in-person methods for court obligations such as fines. Those payment instructions should not automatically be treated as a jail-bond method.
The county also operates a Bond Review Roundtable that reviews some people held on unaffordable cash bonds and can make recommendations to a judge. It is not a public bond-payment service and does not guarantee release.
No release-time promise: the county lists book-and-release operations 24 hours a day but does not publish a guaranteed time from bond or court order to physical release. Confirm processing before arranging pickup.
Visitation: Three Different Modes Can Be Easy to Mix Up
The Sheriff’s current Detention Center page describes normal visitation, free lobby video visitation and paid remote/pod video service. Confirm which mode you are arranging because the timing and limits differ.
Normal Visitation
Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 8:00 a.m.–9:30 p.m., with meal closures from 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
The Sheriff states one 20-minute visit per inmate per day, picture ID required. Visitors must be 18 or older; an immediate-family visitor under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Lobby Video Visitation
Friends and family can request video visitation through NCIC. The Sheriff says free lobby video is available seven days a week except during housing-unit lockdown periods.
Lobby visits are limited to one 30-minute call in a 12-hour period.
Remote / Pod Video
The county says paid pod video visits through NCIC are limited to 15 minutes and cannot occur during lockdown hours. Its published current rate is $0.25 per minute.
For visits requiring the jail visitor request process, the inmate must provide the visitor’s complete name, address and date of birth. The county warns that a no-contact order remains legally binding even if a communication service is technically available.
Special or extended visits require Detention Captain or Sergeant approval. Attorney-client communication is treated separately, with the county requesting attorney visits during 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. when possible.
Phone Calls, Voicemail, Messages and NCIC
Lewis and Clark County uses NCIC Inmate Communications for prepaid calling, video visits and messaging. Inmates receive telephone access after the booking process is completed.
| Service | Current official guidance |
|---|---|
| Incoming calls | Regular incoming calls are not received; voicemail may be available to approved inmates. |
| Three-way calls | Prohibited. |
| Remote video | $0.25 per minute. |
| Text message | $0.25 per message. |
| Picture / video message | $0.35 each. |
| NCIC support | 800-943-2189 |
The county’s Detention Center page displays voice-call rates as an image rather than crawlable text. Check the live county/NCIC information before funding a phone account instead of relying on an old third-party per-minute price.
Inmate Money and Commissary: Know Which Funding Route You Are Using
The county’s Detention Center page currently describes more than one funding route. Treat them as separate service channels and verify the intended account before paying.
CorrectPay / Lobby Kiosk
The Inmate Accounting section links CorrectPay for credit-card deposits to an inmate commissary account. The county currently publishes a $4 deposit fee plus 4% of the funded amount for credit-card deposits.
The detention-center lobby kiosk accepts cash or credit card. The county lists a $4 transaction fee for cash and $4 plus 4% for credit card.
NCIC Funding
The visitation section also says money can be added using NCIC, with a fee, and warns that those funds cannot be accessed immediately. The county says you will need the inmate’s 5-digit permanent ID number when using its listed inmate services.
Mailing a Cashier’s/Bank Check or Money Order
For the county’s mailed inmate-account route, make the cashier’s/bank check or money order payable to LCSO, put the inmate’s first and last name on the memo line, and mail only the payment instrument—no personal letter—to:
406 Fuller Ave.
Helena, MT 59601
Put your complete name and return address on the envelope. The county states that personal checks are not accepted. Its page separately says payroll and government checks are the only checks that can be mailed into the detention facility itself.
Do not mix account types. Commissary/trust money, NCIC communication funds and legal bond payments are not automatically interchangeable.
Personal Mail Goes to Texas; Legal and Medical Mail Go to Helena
Lewis and Clark County uses a scanning system for ordinary inmate mail. Since July 1, 2023, personal documents, photos and letters—other than legal or medical mail—must go to the county’s processing address in Longview, Texas.
Regular Personal Mail
Inmate NameInmate Number
Lewis and Clark County Detention Center
PO Box 591
Longview, TX 75606
- Include inmate name, identifying/booking number and return address.
- Maximum paper size: 8.5 × 11 inches.
- No more than 5 pages per mailing.
- Write only on the front side; back-side writing is not scanned.
- Maximum 1 photo per mailing.
Legal and Medical Mail
Lewis and Clark County Detention Center221 Breckenridge Ave.
Helena, MT 59601
Legal and medical mail must be sent directly to the facility, not to the Texas scanning address.
Magazines, newspapers, bulk mail and books are also not accepted at the Texas processing address; follow the facility’s current publication rules.
Important mail consequence: the county says items sent to the Texas processing address are scanned for electronic delivery and then destroyed. They are not returned or reimbursed after processing.
NCIC messaging is another option for ordinary messages, pictures and document images. Use the live county page before sending irreplaceable documents or photographs.
Medication, Medical Information and Mental-Health Concerns
The Sheriff’s current contact page lists Detention Center Medical Services at 406-447-8256. The Detention Center page also says medication is one of the limited items that may be brought to the facility.
Call Medical Services or the Detention Center before bringing medication so staff can tell you the current verification, packaging and handoff procedure. Do not assume a prescription bottle can simply be passed directly to an inmate.
The county’s current detention procurement material confirms that incarcerated patients require medical, dental, mental-health and prescription services, but it does not support inventing a treatment schedule or promising what a particular person will receive.
For an urgent health or suicide-risk concern, give staff the person’s full legal name and concise facts needed to identify the issue. Emergency threats to life should be treated as emergencies, not as ordinary inmate-message requests.
Prisoner Property Is Different From Police Evidence
The Sheriff says most personal property on a person at booking is held by Detention Center staff for safekeeping. Property can instead be seized by a deputy when it has evidentiary value in a case.
If property is entered into the Sheriff’s Property and Evidence office for safekeeping and is not held as evidence, the county says it is stored until the owner/arrestee is released. That property must be retrieved within 10 days after release or it may be disposed of under the cited Montana statutes.
For property questions, the Sheriff lists 406-447-8250 for property claims. Ask whether the item is detention property, safekeeping property or evidence before traveling to an office.
Transfers and Extraditions: The County Jail May Not Be the Final Stop
Lewis and Clark County has a dedicated transport function for movement in and out of the Detention Center. The county specifically describes transports involving Montana State Prison, Montana State Women’s Prison, Montana State Hospital, Department of Corrections facilities, other detention facilities, medical appointments and out-of-state extraditions.
Montana DOC
If the roster disappears after sentencing or a transfer, check Montana Offender Search. State correctional custody is separate from the county’s current jail roster.
Federal Bureau of Prisons
For a federal sentence or Bureau of Prisons placement, use the BOP Inmate Locator. A recent federal transfer may involve a delay before the federal locator becomes useful.
The county publishes Transportation Officer Jacob Charles at 406-438-1974 for its transport division. For a routine custody check, start with the Detention Center rather than calling transport staff unnecessarily.
Court Records, Jail Records and Booking Photos Are Different Requests
For the legal case, use the appropriate Montana court portal or clerk. Justice Court says its records are public, but it does not have a public-access terminal; it publishes a record-search charge of $2 per year, per name and copy charges of $0.25 per page, plus possible postage.
District Court provides a separate public-access portal and accepts copy/search requests through the Clerk of District Court. Use the court record for final charging, pleas, dismissals, judgments and sentencing.
The official Detention Center material reviewed for this update did not establish a separate public “free mugshot search” service. A third-party mugshot or booking image should not be treated as proof of current custody or case outcome.
Lewis and Clark County Jail, Sheriff and Court Contacts
| Office | Use it for | Current contact |
|---|---|---|
| Detention Center | Current custody, release, visits and jail procedures | 406-447-8232 |
| Sheriff non-emergency | General law-enforcement / Sheriff routing | 406-447-8235 |
| Medical Services | Detention medical concerns and medication routing | 406-447-8256 |
| Justice Court criminal | County misdemeanor and initial criminal proceedings | 406-447-8202 |
| Clerk of District Court | District Court cases and records | 406-447-8216 |
| Helena Municipal Court | City misdemeanor, traffic and municipal cases | 406-447-8466 |
| NCIC support | Calling, messaging and video-account support | 800-943-2189 |
Detention Center
Lewis and Clark County Detention Center221 Breckenridge Ave.
Helena, MT 59601
This is also the address the county publishes for direct legal and medical inmate mail.
Sheriff / Law & Justice Center
Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office406 Fuller Ave.
Helena, MT 59601
The Law & Justice Center also houses Helena Police Department, Helena Municipal Court, Pretrial Services and the 24×7 Program.
Use Roster and Warrant Information Responsibly
- An arrest or booking is not a conviction.
- A charge or Hold Reason can later change, be dismissed or be resolved differently in court.
- A warrant does not by itself prove the person is currently incarcerated.
- A current court case can exist while the person is out of custody.
- A displayed or discussed bond does not guarantee release after payment.
- A screenshot can become stale after a release, transfer or new court order.
- Do not use public custody information to harass, threaten, shame or stalk a person.
- Use the responsible court for legal outcomes and a licensed attorney for legal advice.
Lewis and Clark County Jail Roster FAQs
Where is the official Lewis and Clark County jail roster?
Use the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Detention Center page and open its Current inmate roster PDF. Check the PDF’s printed date because older roster copies can remain indexed by search engines.
What information is shown on the roster?
The official roster PDF format reviewed for this update includes name, age, sex, booking date and time, booking number and hold reasons. The layout can change, so interpret only fields shown in the current county PDF.
What does it mean if someone is not listed?
A missing result can involve recent booking processing, a quick release, transfer, another agency or court hold, Montana DOC custody, federal custody or a name variation. Call the Detention Center at 406-447-8232 when current status is time-sensitive.
Is the county custody dashboard the same as the jail roster?
No. The inmate roster is the individual custody list. The county’s custody dashboard is an analytical snapshot updated on weekdays, excluding holidays, using the population at 5:00 a.m. and is designed to analyze population, charges and holds.
How do I check a Lewis and Clark County warrant?
Lewis and Clark Justice Court publishes a separate arrest-warrant list. Helena Municipal Court has its own active-warrant process for municipal cases. A warrant result does not prove the person is currently in the county jail.
Which court handles a case after a Lewis and Clark County booking?
It depends on the case. County misdemeanors and many initial felony proceedings go through Justice Court; felony matters commonly proceed to First Judicial District Court. Helena city cases may belong to Helena Municipal Court. Use the roster’s hold information and the Montana court portals to identify the correct court.
When can I visit someone at the Detention Center?
The Sheriff currently lists normal visitation on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., with meal closures from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The county also offers separate lobby and remote video-visitation options through NCIC.
How do I add money to an inmate account?
The county currently lists CorrectPay and a lobby kiosk for commissary deposits and also references NCIC funding in its inmate-services guidance. Because the services can fund different account functions, verify the intended account and current route before paying. The county says a 5-digit permanent inmate ID is needed for its listed inmate services.
Where do I send inmate mail?
Ordinary personal mail goes to the scanning address at PO Box 591, Longview, TX 75606 with the inmate’s name and number. Legal and medical mail go directly to Lewis and Clark County Detention Center, 221 Breckenridge Ave., Helena, MT 59601. Do not interchange those addresses.
What if the person was transferred out of Lewis and Clark County?
The county transports people to Montana DOC facilities, other detention facilities, Montana State Hospital and other destinations. Check Montana Offender Search after a possible state transfer and the federal BOP locator when federal custody is involved.
Official Sources Reviewed
These sources were reviewed on October 3, 2026. Current county, court and provider information controls if a rule changes after this review.
- Lewis and Clark County Sheriff — Detention Center
- Lewis and Clark County Sheriff — Contact Us
- Detention Center Custody Population
- Lewis and Clark County Justice Court
- Justice Court — Prisoners
- Justice Court — Arrest Warrant List
- Justice Court — Record Searches
- Lewis and Clark County Clerk of District Court
- Montana Judicial Branch Public Access Portals
- Helena Municipal Court
- Montana Offender Search
- Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator