Access Cleveland County 24 Hour Booking

Cleveland County 24 hour booking records track the people held in the county jail in Rison, Arkansas each day. The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office runs the jail and is the lead contact for public records in the county. You can look up a name, a charge, or a booking date by phone, office visit, or written request. This page lays out how to find 24 hour booking records in Cleveland County and the rules that keep them open.

Cleveland County Sheriff and Booking Records

The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office is at 20 Magnolia Street in Rison, Arkansas. The main phone line is (870) 325-6521. The fax is (870) 325-6525. Office hours run Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The sheriff runs the county jail and holds every 24 hour booking record for the county. The jail takes phone calls at any hour. Staff can confirm if someone is in custody over the phone during office hours.

Cleveland County is a small rural county in south central Arkansas. Rison is the county seat. The county does not have a big city. Most of the county is farmland and timber. The sheriff handles most of the law enforcement work in the county, along with small town police forces and state troopers. Arrests from all sources end up at the sheriff's jail for booking.

Arkansas FOIA law at Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101 et seq. gives the public the right to see booking records. A booking sheet is a public record under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-103. The sheriff has three business days to answer a written request under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105. Basic booking facts like name, charge, booking date, and bond amount stay open even during an active case.

Search 24 Hour Booking in Cleveland County

The fastest way to check on a Cleveland County booking is to call the sheriff at (870) 325-6521. Give the full name and date of birth if you have it. Staff can tell you if the person is in custody, what charge they face, and the bond amount. For a paper copy of the booking sheet or a mugshot, you need to file a written FOIA request.

Cleveland County may not have a full online roster. Many small rural Arkansas counties do not. But the state runs a few tools that can back up a local search. The Arkansas CourtConnect site shows case filings once a charge has been filed with the court. A name search pulls up every case in the counties that take part.

CourtConnect shows the case style, the filing date, the charge code, and the next hearing date. It does not post booking sheets or mugshots. For those, you go back to the Cleveland County Sheriff.

VINELink is a free custody tracking tool. It covers most Arkansas county jails. You can sign up for free alerts when a person is moved or released. VINE tracks custody status, not booking details. But it is a useful way to know the moment a Cleveland County inmate walks out of jail.

Cleveland County Jail and Booking Process

The Cleveland County jail is in Rison. The sheriff holds every person booked in the county there. The booking process takes about an hour. Staff take prints, a photo, and a medical screen. They log the charge with an Arkansas Code cite. They search the person and store their property. A bond is then set by the local court.

Bond types are cash, surety, property, and own recognizance. Minor charges may have a fixed bond under a local bond schedule. A felony charge needs a judge to set bond at a first appearance hearing. Most first appearance hearings in Cleveland County happen the next weekday after the booking. Those who post bond are released right away. Those who cannot stay at the jail until the case moves.

After a charge is filed, the case goes to the Cleveland County Circuit Clerk. The clerk's office is in the courthouse in Rison. The circuit court handles felonies and most civil cases. District court handles minor misdemeanors and traffic. Each court has its own docket and clerk. Case records are open to the public under FOIA and under court rule.

Rison Police and Other Agencies

The Rison Police Department at (870) 325-6522 handles arrests inside city limits. Rison PD does not run its own jail. Every arrest in the city ends up at the Cleveland County Sheriff's jail for booking. The city police hold their own arrest reports. The booking record stays with the sheriff. That means two separate files for one event.

Smaller towns in the county like Kingsland may have their own town marshal or a small police force. Each writes its own arrest reports and sends the person to the sheriff for booking. The mix of small town forces means the sheriff's jail is the one central place where every 24 hour booking for the county is logged.

State troopers from the Arkansas State Police cover U.S. Highway 63 and other state roads through Cleveland County. Trooper arrests book at the sheriff's jail. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission makes arrests for hunting and fishing rule violations in the county. Those bookings also end up at the sheriff.

The Arkansas Counties Association directory lists every sheriff and clerk in the state. Below is a look at the directory home page. It is useful to find a nearby sheriff fast.

From that directory, you can pick any Arkansas county and go right to its sheriff's main page. The site also lists clerks, treasurers, and other county officers.

Request Cleveland County Booking Records

A written FOIA letter is the clean way to get paper copies. Send it to the Custodian of Records at the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, 20 Magnolia Street, Rison, AR 71665. State the full name, the date of birth, and the approximate booking date. Ask for the booking sheet, the mugshot, and the charge list. The sheriff has three business days to answer under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105.

You can drop the letter off in person during office hours. You can fax it to (870) 325-6525. Or you can send it by mail. Some agencies take email requests. Call first to check. Only Arkansas citizens may use the FOIA under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105(a)(1)(A). A friend or family member in the state can make a request on your behalf if you live elsewhere.

Fees are capped by state law at 25 cents per page under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105(d). The sheriff cannot bill for staff time. If the total cost goes over $25, the sheriff may ask for payment up front. A certified copy with the sheriff's seal costs more. Use a certified copy for court or for out of state use.

If the sheriff denies the request, you can sue. Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-107 lets you file suit in circuit court to force release. The judge can rule quickly. The court can also order the agency to pay your attorney fees if you win. The Arkansas Attorney General FOIA page runs a free hotline at (501) 682-2007.

Arkansas Statewide Tools for Booking Info

A few state tools back up a Cleveland County booking search. The Arkansas Crime Information Center runs a name based online check for $22 per name. It shows arrests and charges statewide. ACIC is held by the Arkansas Department of Public Safety. The tool is not a jail roster. It does not post mugshots.

The Arkansas Department of Corrections inmate search covers state prisons. A Cleveland County 24 hour booking does not show up on ADC unless the person is later sent to state prison. The Arkansas Division of Community Correction has a free parolee and probation search.

The Arkansas Sex Offender Registry is open to the public. It shows photos, current address, and prior offenses for people who must register. The Arkansas FOIA Handbook is put out by the Attorney General. It has sample letters and clear rules for a booking record request.