Difference Between Arkansas Prison and Federal Prison

What is the Difference between Federal Prison and Arkansas State Prison?

Arkansas state prisons are incarceration facilities under the Arkansas Department of Corrections responsible for holding persons undergoing penal servitude for violating the state's criminal code. State prisons are for prisoners sentenced in Arkansas State Courts. On the other hand, federal prisons hold persons serving time for violating federal laws. State prisons often have more violent inmates than federal prisons due to the disparities in federal and state crimes and statutes.

Arkansas Prison System

According to a Statistical report published by the U.S. Department of Justice 17,700 persons were incarcerated within the Arkansas detention system in 2018. This value included those in private detention centers and local jails. 69% of the inmates were within the state prison system.

How to Look Up an Inmate in Arkansas

Interested members of the public may look up any inmate in the Arkansas Department of Corrections or request relevant Arkansas inmate records for sentencing or prison information. To find an inmate using the Inmate Lookup Tool on the ADC website, requestors must have ready the following:

Arkansas Department of Corrections Registration Number of the inmates
First and last names
Gender and age

If race, county, facility address, and offense categories are not available, click the 'all' option to get the required info. On the page, interested parties can request to see photos or otherwise. Be sure to check the 'read and agree' disclaimer declaration before hitting the search button.

There are also instructions on how to send the money to an inmate on the Department of Corrections website. One method is to send the amount through money order via mail to:

Arkansas Division of Correction
Trust Fund Centralized Banking
P.O. Box 8908
Pine Bluff, AR 71611

Checks must be made payable to the inmate using their name and Inmate ID. The sender is required to complete a Money Order Deposit Slip and send it along with the money order.

Alternatively, interested persons may send the money through an online inmate deposit service or call (1866)-250–7697. Both options will require the use of a credit card and a small service charge. The Arkansas Department of Corrections, Visitation Updates Page contains further information on contacting, visiting or sending items to inmates. The following are the names and locations of Arkansas state prison facilities across the state:

Administrative Annex
(South of Pine Bluff on Harding Avenue)
2403 East Harding
Pine Bluff, AR 71601
Phone: (870) 850-8510
Fax: (870) 850-8550

Barbara Ester Unit
(West of Pine Bluff, off West 7th St. (Pine Bluff Complex) in Jefferson County)
7500 Corrections Circle
Pine Bluff, AR 71603
Phone: ( 870) 267-6240

Benton Unit
(5 miles south of Benton, off Hwy 67. in Saline Co.
6701 Highway 67, Benton, AR 72015
Phone: (501) 315-2252
Fax: (501) 315-3736

Central Office
(West of Pine Bluff (Princeton Pike Road in Jefferson Country)
6814 Princeton Pike
Pine Bluff, AR 71602
Phone: (870) 267-6999

Cummins Unit
(28 miles south of Pine Bluff, off Highway 65 in Lincoln Co.)
P.O. Box 500
Grady, AR 71644
Phone: (870) 850-8899
Fax: (870) 850-8861

Delta Regional Unit
(50 miles southeast of Pine Bluff in Chicot Co.)
880 East Gaines
Dermott, AR 71638
Phone: (870) 538-2000
Fax: (870) 538-2027

East Arkansas Regional Unit
(Approximately 17 miles southeast of Forrest City in Lee County)
P.O. Box 970
Marianna, AR 72360
Phone: (870) 295-4700
Fax: (870) 295-6564

Grimes Unit
(Four miles northeast of Newport, off Highway 384 in Jackson County)
300 Corrections Drive
Newport, AR 72112
Phone: (870) 523-5877

J. Aaron Hawkins Sr. Center
(10 miles south of Little Rock, off Highway 365 in Wrightsville (Pulaski Co.))
P.O. Box 1010
Wrightsville, AR 72183
Phone: (501) 897-2256
Fax: (501) 897-2262

Maximum Security Unit
(25 miles northeast of Pine Bluff, off Hwy. 15 in Jefferson County)
2501 State Farm Rd
Tucker, AR 72168
Phone: (501) 842-3800
Fax: (501) 842-1977

McPherson Unit
(Four miles northeast of Newport, off Highway 384 in Jackson County.)
McPherson Unit 302
Corrections Drive
Newport, AR 72112
Phone: (870) 523-2639
Fax: (870) 523-6202

Mississippi County Work Release Center
(1 mile west of Luxora, off Meadow Road in Mississippi Co.)
P.O. Box 10
Luxora, AR 72358
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
(2.3 miles south of downtown Malvern, off Highway 67 South.)
100 Walco Lane
Malvern, AR 72104
Phone: (501) 467-3400
Fax: (501) 467-3430

Pine Bluff Re-Entry Center
(West of Pine Bluff, off West 13th Ave., in Jefferson County)
6841 West 13th Ave. (second driveway)
Pine Bluff, AR 71602
Phone: (870) 730-0381

Pine Bluff Unit
(West of Pine Bluff, off West 7th Ave. (Pine Bluff Complex) in Jefferson Co.)
890 Free Line Drive,
Pine Bluff, AR 71603
Phone: (870) 267-6510
Fax: (870) 267-6523

Randall L. Williams Correctional Facility
(West of Pine Bluff, off West 7th Ave., (Pine Bluff Complex) in Jefferson Co.)
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 of Pine Bluff, off Highway 15 in Jefferson Co.)
P.O. Box 240
Tucker, AR 72168
Phone: (501) 842-2519
Fax: (501) 842-3958

Varner/Varner Supermax Unit
(28 miles south of Pine Bluff off Highway 65 in Lincoln County.)
P.O. Box 600
Grady, AR 71644
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 of Little Rock, off Highway 365 in Wrightsville (Pulaski Co.))
P.O. Box 1000
Wrightsville, AR 72183
Phone: (501) 897-5806
Fax: (501) 897-5716

Arkansas County Jails

Arkansas county jails refer to confinement facilities that house persons serving sentences below one year, usually misdemeanors. By law, county jails receive federal prisoners in transit as the occasion arises. The same applies to state prisoners awaiting trial. Essentially, Arkansas county jails are for short-term confinement. County jails are under the management of the county sheriff's department or jail administrator. In Arkansas, jails of broader coverage, such as regional jails, also exist. The following is a list of county jails in the state:

Baxter County Jail
Benton County Jail
Cobb County Jail
Columbia County Jail
Cross County Jail
Independence County Jail
Madison County Jail
Poinsett County Jail
Saint Francis County Jail
Union County Jail
Washington County Jail

2018 data reports showed that 20.4% of persons incarcerated across Arkansas were in county jails. This value translated to over 5000 inmates. Each county jail has a set of rules and regulations guiding the visitation and welfare of inmates. Interested persons may contact the relevant jail facility for information.

How Does the Federal Prison System Work?

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) confines federal offenders apprehended or sentenced for violating federal crimes. The Federal Bureau of Prisons maintains facilities in every state, including Arkansas, to hold federal convicts. They have established online visibility that allows interested parties access necessary information about their facilities, including the location of a federal prison facility or locating an inmate. Prison facilities are stratified by region, type, and levels of security. In Arkansas, the federal prison facility is the Forrest City Federal Correctional Complex. It is located at:

1400 Dale Bumpers Road
Forrest City, AR 72335
Phone: (870) 630-6000
Fax: (870) 494-4496

The low-security facility currently houses 1505 inmates, while the medium-security houses 1089 inmates. Federal prisons in Arkansas are under the South-Central Region of the Federation.