Hempstead County Detention Center Inmate Bail & Bonds

For a prisoner's status, the jail desk is 870-777-7850. The sheriff's non-emergency line, 870-777-6727, takes calls around the clock, while the administrative office keeps weekday hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Everything sits in one building on South Washington Street. Before calling, jot down the legal name and birth date.

Slightly. State listings put Hope Police, 870-777-3434, and the sheriff at the same address, 312 South Washington Street, so city and county arrests lead to one door. Ask the jail desk who arrested the person; the arresting agency affects which court gets the case.

The Arkansas Sheriffs' Association puts the capacity at 100; another listing says 110. It is a small jail either way, so a prisoner may be moved. Confirm with the desk that your relative hasn't been moved out of Hope.

Judges do. Hope District Court takes misdemeanors and first appearances, and its clerk, Sherri Rateliff, is at 870-777-2525; felonies belong to circuit court. Rule 8.1 calls for a prompt appearance before the judge, and Rule 9.2 allows money bail only when gentler terms wouldn't get the person back to court.

The state court directory gives only a mailing address for Hope district court, P.O. Box 1420, Hope 71802, and the phone 870-777-2525. Its street location isn't part of that listing, so phone first and ask where to go.

Bond hours and a payment window don't appear on the sheriff's website. Ask the jail desk, 870-777-7850, if bond money is accepted at the detention center or the courthouse. The circuit clerk is on East 3rd Street, 870-777-2384. Bring a photo ID, and know the inmate's complete name.

Cash is the least risky. Ask first about a cashier's check or money order. No card or online option is posted for the jail. Never pay through a link from a text or social media post.

State law (Code 17-19-301) makes the bondsman's premium one-tenth of the bond, moved up to an even $5, with $10 for the state and $15 for processing. On a $2,500 bond the total is about $275, none returned. Code 14-52-111 lets a city police department charge $20 to enter a bond, so ask whether Hope does.

Sometimes. A judge may take 10 percent of the bond as a deposit with the court (Rule 9.2), and 90 percent of that is returned if the person never misses court. It is optional for the judge. Ask at the first appearance.

That is the judge's decision. Property owners living in Arkansas may qualify if their equity tops the legal exemptions (Code 16-84-103), and the owner must swear to a list valuing the property (16-84-105). Ask the circuit clerk what the judge wants and whether property outside Hempstead County counts.

Jail staff can't. The sheriff's staff do what the judge ordered. Only a judge can set a new amount, on an attorney's request at a hearing. The district clerk, 870-777-2525, can say which court has the case.

The Eighth Judicial District North public defender office is in Hope, 870-777-7835, and Nevada County shares it. The accused asks the judge for appointed counsel at the first appearance.

Two common reasons: a judge hasn't set the amount, or parole, probation or a separate county wants the person held. The Arkansas Constitution (Article 2, Section 8) guarantees bail on every charge but one: a capital offense where the proof is strong. The jail desk can name the type of hold.

Juveniles don't go through the adult jail; their cases belong to circuit court's juvenile division. A youth detention center in Hempstead County could not be confirmed. Ring the circuit clerk, 870-777-2384, to reach juvenile intake and learn which center is holding the youth. Cash bail does not apply.

An arrest warrant and bond forfeiture can follow, under Code 16-84-201 (district court) and 16-84-207 (circuit court) provide. A bondsman gets 120 or 75 days respectively to bring the person back. The clerk should hear from you the same day.

When the case closes, the court sends back cash it holds, minus fines, costs, or restitution. What a bondsman charged is never refunded. Save the receipt.

Be wary of anyone demanding payment by gift card, crypto or a money app. Instead of paying, phone the jail on your own at 870-777-7850.

It depends on the charge and how far the case has gone. Here are the Hempstead County courts:

• Hempstead County Circuit Court (felonies, juvenile delinquency, appeals): Hempstead County Courthouse, 200 East 3rd Street, Hope, AR 71801 · circuit clerk 870-777-2384
• Hempstead County District Court (misdemeanors, traffic, jail first appearances, opening felony bond): mailing address P.O. Box 1420, Hope, AR 71802 · 870-777-2525
• Prosecuting Attorney, 8th Judicial District North: courthouse office, 870-777-0900

Hempstead and Nevada counties form the 8th North Circuit, and one of its two judges works out of Hope. A felony usually gets its first bond in district court. The circuit judge takes over after the prosecutor files the charges.

Federal cases from Hope go to Texarkana instead, about 35 miles southwest. Its federal court is the Texarkana Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, which meets at the federal courthouse in Texarkana, 500 North State Line Avenue, Texarkana, AR 71854, 833-853-0345. The building straddles the Arkansas and Texas line. Because the office isn't fully staffed, it's wise to phone ahead. The steps usually run like this:

• A complaint or indictment brings the federal charge.
• A magistrate judge in Texarkana handles the first appearance.
• Pretrial services collects background on the accused.
• If the government argues against release, a detention hearing follows.
• Release, if allowed, carries federal conditions.

Federal bond isn't something Hope bondsmen write, and the Washington Street jail won't take money for it. The U.S. Marshals hold federal prisoners and decide where: U.S. Marshals Service, 30 South 6th Street, Fort Smith, AR 72901, 479-289-7470 or 479-424-5000 (call either).

An ICE detainer under 8 CFR 287.7 asks the jail to warn ICE before letting the person go. It may also ask the jail to hold the person for no more than 48 hours longer, and weekends and holidays count. Arkansas permits jails to follow these requests.

Southwest Arkansas is part of the ICE New Orleans Field Office, 181 James Drive W, St. Rose, LA 70087, 504-318-2360. People held from this area are usually moved to Louisiana. Common stops include:

• LaSalle ICE Processing Center: 830 Pinehill Road, Jena, LA 71342 · 318-992-1600
• Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center: 1133 Hampton Dupre Road, Pine Prairie, LA 70576 · 337-599-2400

An ICE transfer doesn't cancel the Hope case, and missed dates still have consequences. The ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/) works best with an A-number and birth country; if you lack the A-number, type the full name and pick the birth country.

Names drop off after a move to a different county or a state or federal facility, and new bookings can lag. These are the main searches:

• Hempstead County Detention Center: Hempstead County Inmate Search. Enter last and first names. The matching booking lists charges and any bond.
• VINE: VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/). Choose Arkansas and enter a name. VINE confirms custody, names the facility, and offers a free release alert.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons: Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/). Searching with a register number is quickest. A name search can be narrowed with race, age and sex. A defendant whose federal case is still open might not show; ask the Marshals at 479-289-7470 or 479-424-5000 (call either).
• Arkansas Division of Correction: Arkansas Division of Correction Inmate Search (https://apps.ark.org/inmate_info/). An ADC number or surname turns up the unit, a mug shot and parole timing.

Hope's offices don't publish bonding rules, and procedures can change. The jail desk, 870-777-7850, can confirm custody and how bond is paid. The sheriff's 24-hour line is 870-777-6727. Call 870-777-2384, the circuit clerk, about felony settings. District court, 870-777-2525, has misdemeanor and traffic dates and can tell you where to go.