Look Up Desha County 24 Hour Booking
Desha County 24 hour booking records cover each person booked into the county jail in Arkansas City over the last day. The Desha County Sheriff's Office runs the jail and holds the booking log. You can search by name, by charge, or by booking date. Arrests by the Dumas Police Department and McGehee Police Department also feed into the county jail and show up on the same 24 hour booking roster. This page shows how to look up booking info and how to get a copy under Arkansas FOIA.
Desha County 24 Hour Booking Overview
Desha County Sheriff and Booking Records
The Desha County Sheriff's Office is at 604 President Street, Arkansas City, AR 71630. Main line: (870) 877-2327. Fax: (870) 877-2431. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The sheriff runs the county jail and holds 24 hour booking records for every arrest made in Desha County. Deputy arrests and city police arrests from Dumas and McGehee all book into the same jail.
Jail staff log each arrest into the system. The log has the name, date of birth, charge, bond, and the arresting agency. Basic booking info is public under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-103. The sheriff must give access to any Arkansas citizen who asks. Call first for a quick custody check.
For a written booking sheet, send a short note with the name and booking date. The sheriff has three business days to reply under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105. Copy fees run 25 cents per page under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105(d). Staff time cannot be billed to the requester.
Note: Desha County is one of only a few Arkansas counties where the county seat is not the largest city. Dumas is the biggest city, but the courthouse and sheriff sit in Arkansas City.
Desha County 24 Hour Booking Records Online
Desha County is a small county and does not post a full online inmate roster at this time. Most 24 hour booking lookups run by phone. Call (870) 877-2327 and ask for the jail desk. Staff can confirm if a name is in custody, read off the charge, and share the bond amount.
For statewide custody tracking, use VINELink. The free service covers most Arkansas jails and state prisons. It sends free alerts by email or phone when the person is released or moved. Sign up with an email and VINELink runs in the background.
Once a case moves past booking, Arkansas CourtConnect may pick it up. A name search pulls results from the counties that take part. It shows case style, filing date, charges, judge, and next court date. It does not show mug shots or bond sheets.
Below is the CourtConnect search page.
CourtConnect is free and easy to use. A name search pulls statewide results, so it is worth trying even for a smaller county like Desha.
Dumas and McGehee Police Arrests
The Dumas Police Department covers the city of Dumas, which is the largest city in Desha County. Non emergency line: (870) 382-5511. Officers book arrests into the county jail in Arkansas City. So a Dumas PD arrest shows up on the same 24 hour booking roster as a sheriff arrest.
The McGehee Police Department covers the city of McGehee. Non emergency line: (870) 222-3111. McGehee PD arrests also book into the county jail. Deputies handle patrol in rural Desha County and the smaller towns. They all feed the same jail and the same 24 hour booking log.
Ask the city department for the arrest report. Ask the sheriff for the booking sheet. The arrest report has narrative detail. The booking sheet has data fields only. Both can be open under Arkansas FOIA. Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105(b) may shield parts of a report while a case is under investigation.
Request Desha County Booking Records
Arkansas FOIA is at Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101 et seq. It lets any Arkansas citizen ask for booking records. The Arkansas FOIA Handbook has sample letters and the full rules. It is issued by the state Attorney General.
The Handbook is plain: a citizen need only make a verbal or written request for access to public records. You do not need to say the word FOIA. You do not need to give a reason. Most sheriffs take requests by email, fax, or in person.
Send the sheriff the name of the person, the date of the booking, and what file you want. The sheriff has three business days to reply under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105. Copy fees run 25 cents per page under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105(d). Certified copies cost more.
The Attorney General FOIA page runs a hotline at (501) 682-2007. If a sheriff denies a request you think should be open, Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-107 lets you sue in circuit court. The judge can rule in a few days and can make the agency pay your fees if you win.
What a Desha County Booking Sheet Shows
A Desha County booking sheet has the same core fields as any Arkansas jail. Main data on a 24 hour booking sheet:
- Full name and date of birth
- Booking number, date, and time
- Sex, race, height, weight
- Address of record and arresting agency
- Charges with Arkansas Code cites
- Bond type and amount
- Court date if already set
Mug shots are public records under Arkansas FOIA. The Handbook says so plain: mug shots are public records. A written request may be needed for a print. Some sheriffs release them on the spot, others want it in writing first.
Juvenile records are closed under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309. A juvenile booking does not appear on a public roster. The jail will not confirm custody of a juvenile to a stranger. A parent or legal guardian can get that info. When a juvenile is charged as an adult, the record may open up later.
Bond types in Desha County include cash, surety, property, and own recognizance. The judge sets the bond at first appearance. Most people post bond within a day or two. Those who cannot stay in the jail until the case is heard.
Desha County Court Records
Desha County Circuit Court handles felony cases. District court takes traffic, misdemeanor, and small civil claims. The Circuit Clerk in Arkansas City holds the full case file. Clerk files have the charging document, the bond order, motions, and the final judgment.
Desha County also has a courthouse in Dumas that handles some court matters. That is a setup unique to a few Arkansas counties. Call the clerk's office to check which courthouse handles your case. For recent cases, try CourtConnect first. A name search is free and covers the counties that take part.
Copy fees at the clerk's office run 25 cents per page under the same FOIA rule. Certified copies cost a small extra fee.
Related State Agencies
The Arkansas Crime Information Center runs a $22 name based background check. It covers statewide arrests and outcomes but not daily jail rosters. The ADC inmate search covers state prison only.
The Division of Community Correction tracks parole and probation cases. The Arkansas Sex Offender Registry is a public search for people who must register under state law.
The Arkansas Counties Association has a full directory of county offices in the state. It links to sheriffs, clerks, assessors, and treasurers. Use it as a jump off point for any county lookup.