Buffalo County Jail Overview
Buffalo County Jail is operated by the Buffalo County Sheriff's Office. Official county pages and the jail handbook use the same facility name, courthouse-area address, and jail phone number. The jail holds local pretrial detainees, people serving county jail sentences, Huber or work-release inmates when court documents allow that privilege, and people held pending court, release, or transfer.
Sheriff Michael Osmond is listed by the county as the sheriff in the research source set. The Sheriff's Office page places the jail under the same law-enforcement office that handles records requests, VINE links, jail policies, release privileges, health care, commissary, funds, and family communication links. No separate jail annex, city jail, work-release building, state prison, federal prison, or ICE detention facility was found in Buffalo County official facility sources.
The official jail page is the main local source for the facility and its custody-support links: Buffalo County Jail page.
The county page points users toward court case lookup, funds, communication services, and the jail handbook rather than a public roster.
Buffalo County Jail Population
The strongest capacity source is the 2024 Buffalo/Pepin correctional facilities RFP, which states that Buffalo County has a 26-bed jail facility. CJCC minutes give population snapshots: 13 inmates in March 2021, 15 inmates and a 14-person average daily count in June 2021, and 12 inmates in July 2024. These figures are not a live roster and should not be used as today's custody count.
Those data points place Buffalo County Jail in the small rural jail category. A July 2024 count of 12 was below the 26-bed rated capacity, and a June 2021 count of 15 was also below that capacity. The 2024 facility-planning record says both Buffalo and Pepin jail facilities needed attention, but it does not say Buffalo County Jail was overcrowded.
Search Buffalo County Jail Custody
No official Buffalo County online jail roster or current-inmate search form was located. That makes the jail information line and Wisconsin VINE the correct first steps for current custody. Use WCCA for filed charges and court dates, and use the sheriff's NextRequest portal for booking records, police reports, or other sheriff records that are not posted online. The Buffalo County jail inmate records page explains the full channel split.
- Call Buffalo County Jail or the Sheriff's Office at 608-685-4433 to ask about local custody routing.
- Use Buffalo County's VINE information or Wisconsin VINELink for custody status and notification.
- Search Wisconsin Circuit Court Access for charges, case numbers, next court actions, and court dates after charges are filed.
- File a request through Buffalo County Sheriff's NextRequest portal for sheriff records or booking records not available through VINE or WCCA.
- Use the Wisconsin DOC locator only after a person is sentenced to DOC custody or supervision.
| Lookup Need | Best Channel | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Current jail custody | Jail phone line or VINE | No official county web roster was found. |
| Charges and court dates | WCCA | The county jail page points to WCCA for case action. |
| Booking sheet or police report | NextRequest | The sheriff records page routes non-crash reports to the portal. |
| State prison sentence | Wisconsin DOC locator | DOC covers sentenced state custody, not county jail sentences. |
Buffalo County Jail Contact
The jail and Sheriff's Office share the courthouse-area law-enforcement address in Alma. Use the jail phone for custody routing, visit confirmation, records direction, and family-rule questions. Use emergency 911 only for emergencies, and use the non-urgent tip line or email only for tips. The Sheriff's Office warns that the tip email is not monitored around the clock.
Buffalo County Jail
407 S. 2nd St.
Alma, WI 54610
608-685-4433
Jail and sheriff information line
Buffalo County Sheriff's Office
P.O. Box 396
Alma, WI 54610
Fax: 608-685-3379
Non-urgent tip line: 608-685-2847
Visit Buffalo County Jail
The jail handbook gives regular visiting periods and approval rules. Regular visits are limited to immediate family over age 18, and visitors must present photo ID each visit. Minor-child visits are not part of the regular visiting period; the inmate must make a written request to the Jail Lieutenant. Non-immediate visitors also require an inmate written request and Jail Lieutenant approval, with up to four additional visitors potentially allowed.
Visitor conduct rules are direct. Unruly visitors or visitors under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be denied. Provocative dress is not allowed. Clergy visits are welcome, but clergy must be approved and scheduled by the Jail Lieutenant because of security and time limits. Confirm the schedule before travel because staffing, court movement, lockdowns, weather, or emergencies can change jail visiting operations.
| Visit Type | Schedule / Method | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Regular in-person visit | Thursday 7:00-9:00 PM; Sunday 1:00-3:00 PM | 20 minutes unless changed by jailer discretion; photo ID required. |
| Immediate family | Regular visiting periods | Parents, spouse, children, grandparents, and siblings over 18. |
| Minor children | Specially scheduled | Inmate must make a written request to the Jail Lieutenant. |
| Other visitors | By written inmate request | Jail Lieutenant may approve up to four additional visitors. |
| Video communication | CIDNET setup | Create account, upload government ID, add inmate, and wait for jail approval. |
Buffalo County Jail Mail
Incoming and outgoing mail is screened. Legal mail is screened in the inmate's presence. The sender must include a complete return address and full name. Limited photos are allowed, but nudity, sexual content, or pornographic images are prohibited. The handbook gives the inmate-mail format as Buffalo County Jail, inmate name, 407 S. 2nd Street, Alma, WI 54610.
Phone service in the handbook is through Securus. Only outgoing calls are permitted, calls may be monitored or recorded, and inmates call collect or use Debit Time. Jail staff will not take incoming personal messages unless there is a verifiable emergency. The county jail page also points to CIDNET for video and text setup, with approval by jail staff after an account and inmate link request are submitted.
| Service | Provider / Detail |
|---|---|
| Mail address | Buffalo County Jail, inmate name, 407 S. 2nd Street, Alma, WI 54610 |
| Phone | Securus outgoing calls; collect or Debit Time; calls may be monitored or recorded |
| Video/text | CIDNET account, ID upload, inmate link request, and jail approval |
| Commissary | Beverages, clothing, Debit Time, hygiene, mail kits, snacks, and stationery |
| Money deposit | Stellar kiosk and JailATM; search Buffalo County Jail and the inmate's name |
The official deposit page documents the kiosk location and online-deposit context: Buffalo County depositing funds page.
The county source says the kiosk lets users search by inmate name and deposit funds without entering the Sheriff's Office.
Buffalo County Jail Deposits
The jail handbook gives concrete deposit rules. The kiosk accepts cash or credit and debit cards. Credit or debit deposits have a 10 percent transaction or processing fee, and cash deposits have a flat $2.00 fee. If an inmate has pre-existing debt, one-half of the deposited amount applies to that debt and one-half remains available.
Property is limited. The handbook says the only items accepted into the jail are medications and medical equipment prescribed by a doctor. Books, magazines, puzzles, games, and similar personal items generally are not permitted. An inmate may release property to a family member or friend after signing a property release form.
| Deposit or Property Item | Official Detail |
|---|---|
| Cash kiosk deposit | $2.00 flat fee |
| Credit or debit deposit | 10 percent transaction or processing fee |
| Pre-existing debt | Half of deposited money goes to debt and half remains available |
| Accepted property | Prescribed medications and medical equipment |
| Property release | Inmate must sign a property release form |
Buffalo County Jail Booking
Official county sources do not publish a full booking workflow or booking timing. They do document parts of intake and jail life. The handbook says commissary service is explained to the inmate on arrival. Health-care rules say the jail provides necessary medical treatment and emergency dental care, medications are distributed under doctor and nurse supervision, and no medication or treatment is given unless prescribed by a physician.
People entering jail are also subject to property control, communication setup, and possible court movement. Family members should not assume a booking appears online because no official public roster was found. Use the jail phone line and VINE for current status, and use WCCA after a criminal case has been filed. Use the Buffalo County Sheriff's records request page for sheriff records that are not visible through those public systems.
Buffalo County Jail Health
The Buffalo County jail health-care page says necessary medical treatment and emergency dental care are provided. It also says inmates are responsible for medical costs, but care is not denied because a person cannot pay. Meals are nutritionally balanced, and special diets are provided only by physician order.
The release-privileges page explains that work release and other approved releases must be permitted in court documents. Work release allows direct travel to and from work. Other stops, including home, stores, meeting places, or unrelated errands, are not allowed unless the court documents permit them. Medical, counseling, treatment, homemaking, child-care, education, or other releases must also match the court order.
About Buffalo County Jail
Buffalo County Jail sits in the small county-seat setting of Alma, with sheriff, jail, and court functions close together. The Clerk of Courts is also at the county government address, which makes the arrest-to-court path local: jail custody starts with the Sheriff's Office, charges move through the District Attorney and Circuit Court, and court records are maintained by the Clerk and WCCA.
The jail's family handbook is unusually local. It came from the Buffalo and Pepin Counties Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Family Building Workgroup and speaks to the costs and stress families face when someone is jailed. It also emphasizes that healthy contact with family and friends can support return to home, work, and community.
Note: Confirm custody status, visit approval, money-deposit rules, and communication access with Buffalo County Jail before travel or payment.