Adults arrested in Craighead County on felony or misdemeanor charges are booked at this facility:
901 Willett Road
Jonesboro, AR 72401
The sheriff runs the detention center. Sheriff’s deputies bring in their arrests, and police departments from towns in the county that do not keep their own jail bring theirs here too. Each person is fingerprinted and photographed, property is inventoried, warrant checks are run, and a medical screening is completed before housing is assigned.
Troopers with the Arkansas State Police and federal agencies, such as the U.S. Marshals, may also use this jail.
Arkansas law prohibits cities and counties from adopting sanctuary policies, including any rule that limits cooperation with ICE detainers or requires ICE to obtain a warrant before a hold is honored. A 2025 state law goes further and requires sheriffs to cooperate with ICE, either through a 287(g) agreement or by serving ICE warrants. Expect an immigration check on people booked here, and a detainer where ICE requests one.
The public roster comes from the sheriff’s official booking list (opens in a new tab). It may include a mugshot, the charges and the arresting agency for each one. To fill in a gap, call the Craighead County Juvenile Detention Center at 870-933-4526 (opens in a new tab).
Processing a new arrival, from the door to a cell or to release, can take as little as two hours or as long as a full day when intake is backed up.
Arkansas court rules require that an arrested person who is not released be taken before a judge without unnecessary delay, and someone arrested without a warrant cannot be held more than 48 hours without a judicial finding of probable cause. Release may be on the person’s own recognizance, on conditions, or on a cash or surety bond. Commercial bail bondsmen operate in Arkansas and are licensed by the Arkansas Professional Bail Bond Company and Professional Bail Bondsman Licensing Board. For release steps, visit our Bail page.
Phone the Craighead County Juvenile Detention Center at 870-933-4526 and ask whether the person is in custody.
You may reach a recording that lets you search by name, or a jailer who looks the person up for you. Have a date of birth handy, since staff often ask for one before confirming anything.
It can be several hours after an arrest before the booking shows up.
Online, the Craighead County Juvenile Detention Center Booking Roster lists people who were recently booked.
Following an arrest in Craighead County, the person is taken to the sheriff’s detention center, or briefly to a city police station first, to be booked. Miranda warnings are given before any custodial questioning.
Booking happens in stages. Most defense attorneys advise saying nothing about the charges while in custody, because statements, including those on recorded jail phones, can come up in court.
Booking covers fingerprints, a mugshot and a detailed questionnaire about background and health. Arkansas law requires DNA samples from people arrested for certain serious violent and sexual felonies. Warrant checks are run for Craighead County, the rest of Arkansas and other states.
In a DWI case, refusing a chemical test leads to license penalties in Arkansas. If officers want blood, they generally need consent or a search warrant, and a nurse or medical technician draws the sample.
The person will be patted down and screened with a metal detector or scanner, and a strip search may be required before entering the general population.
Staff ask about illnesses and injuries, medications, allergies, drug and alcohol use, thoughts of self-harm, tattoos and gang connections. The answers help the jail separate rival groups, flag medical needs and pick a safe housing assignment.
Jail staff take and list all personal belongings. They are kept until release, or, if the person signs off, some property can be handed to a family member or friend.
This includes clothing, money, billfolds, purses, phones, rings and other jewelry, piercings and watches. Eyeglasses can be held if considered a hazard, and shoelaces are removed from any shoes the person keeps.
Next, the person is allowed a phone call to reach someone about the arrest or to begin setting up bail or a bond.
Those who stay in custody until their court appearance are issued jail clothing, slip-on shoes, a blanket and sheets, a towel and basic toiletries.
Before housing, the person may need to shower and be treated for lice or other parasites.
Booking may wrap up in about an hour or run a day or more, depending on the line at intake, the number of jailers on duty and how cooperative the person is.
Anyone who is very intoxicated or combative can be placed in a holding cell for several hours before booking resumes.