Find 24 Hour Booking in St. Francis County
St. Francis County 24 hour booking data comes from the sheriff's office in Forrest City. The sheriff runs the county jail and logs all bookings that come from city police, the state police, and deputies. City arrests in Forrest City and Palestine end up at the county jail. The booking sheet lists the name, the charge, the bond, and the court date. This page shows how to find 24 hour booking info in St. Francis County, how to request a copy by FOIA, and which state tools to use after the booking is made.
St. Francis County 24 Hour Booking Overview
St. Francis County Sheriff and Booking Records
The St. Francis County Sheriff's Office is at 313 S Izard Street in Forrest City. The phone is (870) 261-1206 and the fax is (870) 261-1204. The main office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The jail runs around the clock. The sheriff keeps the booking log, mugshots, and bond sheets for every person brought in from city police or deputies in the field.
Every booking in the county starts the same way. The arresting officer brings the person in. Jail staff takes the mugshot, prints the person, and logs the basic facts. The charge list is tied to the booking number. Once the data is in the system, the core facts are public under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-103.
The Arkansas Counties Association keeps a full list of sheriff contacts, and St. Francis County is listed there. You can start at arcounties.org to find more county level data.
How to Search St. Francis County 24 Hour Booking
St. Francis County does not host a public online roster on its own site. For 24 hour booking info, call the sheriff at (870) 261-1206. Jail staff can tell you if a person is in custody and list the charges. If you need a paper copy, drop by the office during open hours or send a FOIA request by fax.
State tools help fill the gap. VINELink is the main statewide custody search. It pulls from the jail systems across Arkansas, including most mid size counties. Enter the name and it will show you if the person is held at a local jail or a state prison. VINE also sends free alerts when the status changes.
The image below shows the VINELink public search page, which is hosted by the VINELink victim notice service.
VINELink does not post booking sheets or mugshots. For the full 24 hour booking record, you will need to call the St. Francis County Sheriff or file a FOIA request.
After the booking, the case moves to St. Francis County Circuit Court. Many Arkansas courts feed case data into a statewide search tool run by the Arkansas court system. CourtConnect lets you search by name or case number. Charge data shows up the next business day in most counties.
Here is what the CourtConnect search looks like, hosted at the Arkansas CourtConnect site.
CourtConnect shows the case style, the filing date, the judge, and the next court date. It is a fast way to track a case once the booking has moved to court.
St. Francis County Booking Records Requests
Arkansas law gives citizens the right to ask for booking records. The main rule is the Arkansas FOIA, Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-101. You can ask by phone, in person, or in writing. You do not need to give a reason. You do need to be an Arkansas citizen. The custodian has three business days to respond under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105.
To request records from the St. Francis County Sheriff, write a short letter with the name of the person booked, the date of the booking, and the records you want. Ask for the booking sheet, the mugshot, and the charge sheet. Send it by fax to (870) 261-1204 or by mail to 313 S Izard Street, Forrest City, AR 72335.
The fee is capped at 25 cents per page under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105(d). The sheriff cannot charge for staff time to find the file. The Arkansas FOIA Handbook has a sample letter you can use. The Attorney General FOIA page runs a hotline at (501) 682-2007 for help with tricky cases.
If the sheriff says no, you can appeal in circuit court under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-107. The judge can hear the case fast. A win can force the agency to give up the record and cover your fees.
St. Francis County Jail Information
The St. Francis County jail sits at the sheriff's office in Forrest City. It is the main holding point for people booked in from across the county. Some are released on bond within hours. Others stay until the next court date. The jail runs on a staff rotation every day and night.
City police send most of their arrests to the county jail. For arrest reports from a city agency, you can call that agency too. The Forrest City Police Department handles calls inside the city. Their phone is (870) 633-3434. The Palestine Police Department covers the smaller town of Palestine at (870) 581-2333. Both departments keep their own arrest reports, but the booking sheet ends up at the county jail.
Bond types in St. Francis County include cash, surety, property, and own recognizance. A bond schedule covers most misdemeanor charges. Felony cases go before a judge who sets bond at a first appearance. Most low level bookings clear the jail in a day or two. People who cannot post bond stay until the next court date. The jail file for each person holds the booking sheet, the mugshot, the property log, and the bond sheet.
Note: Juvenile bookings are closed from public view under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309, so the sheriff will not confirm custody of anyone under 18 to a stranger.
Related Arkansas Tools for Records
The Arkansas Department of Corrections inmate search covers people sent to state prison. It does not include county jail rosters. If the person has moved from the St. Francis County jail to a state unit, the ADC search is the right tool.
The Arkansas Crime Information Center runs a name check for $22. It shows arrests, charges, and outcomes. There are no mugshots. The Arkansas Sex Offender Registry is public too and shows photos and addresses.
The Division of Community Correction parolee search lists people on probation or parole. If a St. Francis County booking ends with probation, the case may show up there. Each of these tools is a second step to the sheriff's own file.
The Arkansas Counties Association posts a full list of sheriff contacts for all 75 counties in the state. If you are not sure which agency made the arrest, that list is a good start. Sometimes an arrest made on a state highway will show up in a next door county. St. Francis County borders Lee County to the south and Cross County to the north, so check both if the booking does not turn up at home.
Nearby County Booking Records
Counties that border St. Francis include Cross, Lee, Monroe, Woodruff, and Crittenden. Each runs its own sheriff and jail.