Are Arkansas Inmate Records Public Information?
Yes. In Arkansas, inmate records are accessible to the public under the Freedom of Information Act. Members of the State of Arkansas are permitted to copy and request inmate records for public inspection unless the inmate is specifically exempted from disclosure for the safety of the inmate or juvenile. Notwithstanding, the public can request inmate records from corrections departments (such as a local sheriff's office).
Arkansas Division of Corrections and other agencies provide citizens with Arkansas inmate locators for online searches to promote the safety of its citizens and disseminate details of incarcerated individuals serving short/long-term or life sentences in the state.
However, certain information classified as confidential Arkansas inmate records by court order or law is prohibited for public release or inspection except to law enforcement agencies or attorneys who have the permission of the inmate. This includes the inmate's health records per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g.
The Arkansas Department of Corrections provides an inmate’s public record site for further research.
Arkansas Inmate Search
Arkansas inmate records are documents that describe an inmate’s personal information, such as the name, birth date, gender, aliases, criminal histories, sentencing details, and release dates. Per the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, inmate records are available to interest parties.
In Arkansas inmate records, record seekers may likely find details such as the names, birth dates, genders, and nationalities of inmates, an inmate's criminal history, Arkansas inmate mugshots, current charges and sentences, relevant court information, and release date.
Per the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), inmate records may be provided to interested persons who want to find out who's in custody or find someone in jail.
Inmate records are considered public in the United States and, therefore, are made available by both traditional governmental agencies as well as third-party websites and organizations. Third-party websites may offer an easier means to search, as these services do not face geographical limitations. However, because third-party sites are not government-sponsored, the information obtained through them may vary from official channels. To find inmate records using third-party aggregate sites, requesting parties must provide:
- The location of the sought-after record, including state, county, and city where the inmate resides.
- The name of the person listed in the record, unless it is a juvenile.
How to Perform an Arkansas Jail Inmate Search
The Sheriff’s Office is the administrative head of county jails in Arkansas. These local law enforcement agencies typically have inmate rosters that are publicly available to interested persons. Still, the inmate lookup tool featured on the ADOC website allows interested persons to retrieve information regarding the housing facilities of inmates by conducting an online search. To find a person in jail using the tool, the user must furnish the engine with the required parameters, such as the first/last name of the inmate, their designated ADOC number, gender, and race. Interested persons may also use the tool to obtain details of an inmate’s incarceration and mugshots. In addition, the offense description tool provides descriptive details of the crime(s) the inmate was charged with.
Facilities Operated by the Arkansas Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
The Arkansas State Corrections System comprises all jails, detention centers, prisons, penitentiaries, and penal institutions managed by local and state agencies. The DOC maintains a public database of the location and contact information of prisons in the state. These facilities typically house persons incarcerated for felony offenses.
Administrative Annex East
2403 East Harding,
Pine Bluff, AR 71601
Phone: (870) 850-8510
Fax: (870) 850-8550
Barbara Ester Unit
7500 Corrections Circle,
Pine Bluff, AR 71603
Phone: (870) 267-6240
Benton Unit
6701 Highway 67,
Benton, AR 72015-8488
Phone: (501) 315-2252
Fax: (501) 315-3736
Central Office
Princeton Pike Road
P.O. Box 8707,
Pine Bluff, AR 71611-8707
Phone: (870) 267-6999
Cummins Unit
Off-Highway 65
Lincoln Co.
P.O. Box 500,
Grady, AR 71644-0500
Phone: (870) 850-8899
Fax: (870) 850-8861
Delta Regional Unit
880 East Gaines,
Dermott, AR 71638-9505
Phone: (870) 538-2000
Fax: (870) 538-2027
East Arkansas Regional Unit
17 Miles (Approx.) Southeast Forrest City
Lee County
P.O. Box 970,
Marianna, AR 72360
Phone: (870) 295-4700
Fax: (870) 295-6564
Grimes Unit
300 Corrections Drive,
Newport, AR 72112
Phone: (870) 523-5877
Fax: (870) 523-8302
J.Aaron Hawkins Sr. Center
Off-Highway 365 Wrightsville
P.O. Box 1010,
Wrightsville, AR 72183
Phone: (501) 897-2256
Fax: (501) 897-2262
Maximum Security Unit
2501 State Farm Rd.,
Tucker, AR 72168-8713
Phone: (501) 842-3800
Fax: (501) 842-1977
McPherson Unit
302 Corrections Drive,
Newport, AR 72112
Phone: (870) 523-2639
Fax: (870) 523-6202
Mississippi County Work Release Center
Off Meadow Road, Mississippi County
P.O. Box 10
Luxora, AR 72358-0010
Phone: (870) 658-2214
Fax: (870) 658-2678
North Central Unit
10 Prison Circle,
Calico Rock, AR 72519
Phone: (870) 297-4311
Fax: (870) 297-4322
Northwest Arkansas Work Release Center
600 West Sunset Avenue,
Springdale, AR 72764
Phone: (479) 756-2037
Fax: (479) 756-0445
Ouachita River Unit
Off-Highway 67 South.
100 Walco Lane,
Malvern, AR 72104
Phone: (501) 467-3400
Fax: (501) 467-3430
Pine Bluff Re-Entry Center
6841 West 13th Ave. (second driveway),
Pine Bluff, AR 71602
Phone: (870) 730-0381
Pine Bluff Unit
890 Free Line Drive,
Pine Bluff, AR 71603-1498
Phone: (870) 267-6510
Fax: (870) 267-6523
Randall L. Williams Correctional Facility
7206 West 7th Avenue,
Pine Bluff, AR 71603
Phone: (870) 267-6800
Fax: (870) 267-6808
Texarkana Regional Correction Center
305 East 5th Street,
Texarkana, AR 71854
Phone: (870) 779-3939
Fax: (870) 779-1616
Tucker Unit
25 miles Northeast Pine Bluff
P.O. Box 240,
Tucker, AR 72168-0240
Phone: (501) 842-2519
Fax: (501) 842-3958
Varner/Varner Supermax Unit
28 miles South Pine Bluff
P.O. Box 600,
Grady, AR 71644-0600
Phone: (870) 575-1800
Fax: (870) 479-3803
Willis H. Sargent Training Academy
1500 NE 1st St.,
England, AR 72046
Phone: (501) 842-8580
Wrightsville Unit
10 miles South Little Rock
Off Wrightsville Highway 365
P.O. Box 1000,
Wrightsville, AR 72183-1000
Phone: (501) 897-5806
Fax: (501) 897-5716
How to Send Money to an Inmate in Arkansas Prisons or Jails?
Friends, family, and charitable organizations may send money to Arkansas state inmates by mail, online, or phone orders. To send funds via mail, the sender must download and fill out a money order deposit slip legibly. Each slip must indicate the name and ADC number of the receiving inmate. The order must then be accompanied by the money order and delivered to:
Arkansas Department of Correction
Trust Fund Centralized Banking
P.O. Box 8908
Pine Bluff, AR 71611
On the other hand, Individuals who wish to make online deposits may do so through the online inmate deposit service. Similarly, they can make phone deposits by calling (866) 250-7697.
How to Get Approved to Visit an Inmate in Arkansas Prisons and Jails
The ADC visitation page details Arkansas state correctional facilities’ visitation guidelines, procedures, and requirements. Visitors who need to find out why someone is in jail or what jail someone is in may use the Arkansas inmate search or Arkansas lookup provided by the Department of Corrections to do so. Suffice it to say that inmates are entitled to visits from persons named on their approved visitation list. Getting on an inmate’s visitation list involves completing a visitation application and submitting it to the admin office at the facility. Once approved, visitors may schedule their visits on any of the designated visitation days of the family.
The number of allowable visits that an inmate is entitled to will depend on their criminal classification. A maximum of four visitors is allowed per visit. Still, all the children of the inmate, along with two adults, may be allowed unless the facility warden objects to space-related concerns. All visitors to Arkansas visitors must have a valid, government-issued photo ID.
How to Find a County Inmate Roster in Arkansas
A county inmate roster is a list of all individuals confined in a county jail facility. Due to the large population of inmates, the inmate jail or jail inmate roster is used for keeping track of the entire county inmates in prison, usually created and managed by the sheriff. Per the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), members of the public can request a public inspection of the county inmate roster. Such public inspection requests must be sent to the office of the county sheriff. Most Arkansas sheriffs like Faulkner County also publish these inmate rosters on their websites and frequently update this list to provide current information to the public.
It is worth mentioning here that a county inmate roster does contain the information or details of inmates in correctional facilities across the state or federal system. Such information is often made available via the inmate locator provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
How to Perform an Arkansas Prison Inmate Search
All information regarding persons incarcerated and housed in Arkansas state prisons and correctional institutions is typically managed and disseminated by individual facilities and made available by an Arkansas inmate search. However, the Division of Correction is the central custodian for inmate records in Arkansas. To this effect, the state agency maintains an Arkansas inmate lookup tool for inspecting and obtaining information regarding current inmates. Using this free inmate search by name is possible, but using the inmate’s unique ID makes the search for inmate records faster.
Arkansas State Prisons and County Jails: Understanding the Difference
The Arkansas state prison and county jail system are one of the largest in the United States, with over 23,000 inmates incarcerated in more than 100 facilities. Most of these inmates are housed in state prisons, with the remainder in county jails. The largest state prison is the Cummins unit run by the Arkansas Department of Correction, which holds over 1,000 male and female inmates. Cummins is known as the location for administering the death penalty in Arkansas.
The Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) oversees the state prison system, while each county sheriff's office is responsible for operating its county jail. ADC operates 21 state prisons, which are located across the state. The majority of inmates in ADC custody are male (approximately 85%), and most are between 18 and 35.
Approximately 60% of all inmates in ADC custody are serving sentences for non-violent offenses, such as drug crimes or property crimes. The remaining 40% are incarcerated for violent crimes, such as murder, rape, or robbery. The average length of stay in an ADC prison is approximately 2.5 years, though some inmates are serving sentences of 20 years or more. The average cost of housing an inmate in an ADC prison is $50 per day.
In addition to the state prison system, there are also 101 county jails in Arkansas. These jails are operated by the sheriff's office in each county, and they typically house inmates who are awaiting trial or sentencing or who have been sentenced to terms of one year or less. The average daily population of a county jail in Arkansas is approximately 300 inmates. The average cost of housing an inmate in a county jail is $35 per day.
How Do I Find Out an Inmate Release Date?
Inmates’ release dates are typically available to the public on the inmate records. However, the correctional facility may restrict access to an inmate’s release date if the information puts the inmate at a safety risk. Still, persons with legitimate, tangible interests may contact the correctional facility admin directly for the release date.
How Do I Contact Inmates in Arkansas Prisons and Jails?
Arkansas inmates may talk to persons outside the facility via phone calls and regular mail. Per state laws, respondents to inmate letters must write the letters with black ink on no more than two sheets of 8½ x 11 inches of copy paper. Senders may include only cards the size of the paper, and senders must mail all readable material, such as books, magazines, and newspapers, directly from a traceable outlet. However, respondents may not include care packages or edible foods. All mail that does not fit the above-stated descriptions will be treated as contraband and mailed back to the sender or destroyed. Correspondence should be addressed thus:
- Inmate’s Name and ADC Number
- Name of Unit
- P.O. Box Number or Street Address
- City, State, and Zip Code
Return Address
- Full Name of Individual or Business
- Street Address or P.O. Box Number
- City, State, and Zip Code
How Do I Find Out Where Someone is Incarcerated in Arkansas?
The prison lookup tool will show information on current inmates, including the present facility. Concerned persons may also visit the Sheriff’s website in the county where the arrest or court trial happened, especially if the crime is a misdemeanor. Lastly, checking local newspaper publications or obtaining court records from the clerk’s office will provide information on an offender’s sentencing, including the facility and sentence length.
