The search is name-based, and it answers one question: is this person in custody? For the bond figure and release date, you must phone the jail.

1. Go to the jail search using a phone, tablet or desktop.
2. Type the surname into the box. Add a given name only if the results run long.
3. Check any detail shown, such as age, against what you know.
4. Write down any booking or ID number the page gives. It lets staff find the exact file quickly.
5. Nothing came up? Read the next answer, then call 601-545-6148.

A blank screen has plain causes, and many clear up within a day.

• Paperwork is still running. Fingerprints and forms take hours.
• City police have the person first. Hattiesburg and Petal each run a police department, and a person can sit in a city station before the move to the county building.
• A bond was posted. Or a judge sent the person home.
• Another agency has them. A neighboring county or a state or federal office may hold custody.
• Spelling. The record may use a maiden name, a hyphen or a formal first name.

Calling 601-545-6148 is quicker than guessing. Ask whether they are booked in and which agency brought them.

Most adults land in one building. Work through this list in order:

• Forrest County Adult Detention Center, 55 Arena Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-545-6148. The main adult jail.
• Forrest County Community Work Center, 112 Alcorn Avenue, Hattiesburg, MS 39401. The state runs this one, and it is not where people wait on a bond. If you think a loved one was sent there, ask the Sheriff's dispatch line, 601-544-7800.
• A city police station. Hattiesburg or Petal officers can keep someone briefly before a transfer.
• Another place entirely. If the arrest was outside the county, find that jail on JE's list of Mississippi jails.

Children are kept apart from adults. See the under-18 answer further down.

Possibly, possibly not. JE could not confirm that photos appear, so do not plan around finding one. JE found no Mississippi statute that obliges anyone to give out a booking photo when asked.

One record is public, though. Mississippi's open records chapter (Title 25, Chapter 61 of the state code) makes a police incident report open to anyone. The names of those arrested and charged appear in it. Look at § 25-61-12(2) for that rule and § 25-61-7 for the copy fees.

• To request a mugshot or a report, contact the arresting agency. For deputies, use dispatch at 601-544-7800. If a city officer made the arrest, reach that department instead.
• Mugshots that ICE holds are requested on ICE's records page.
• The federal government generally does not release booking photos. Only the U.S. Marshals Service may do so at times, in a case where a runaway suspect is wanted.

Yes. There are two routes, and the first costs nothing.

• VINE. Mississippi's SAVIN service sends a text, call or email about inmates of county jails and state prisons whenever one of them changes location, walks out, flees or is brought back. Someone moved from a county jail to MDOC keeps the same registration. Search at VINELink or phone 888-967-7284 at any hour, in English or Spanish. JE cannot tell you which jails feed the system, so use the second route too.
• The jail. Call 601-545-6148 each day to confirm the person has not been moved.

Register early. A notice may reach you before anyone else does.

Without unnecessary delay, and within 48 hours of an arrest, a held person must see a judge. When deputies made the arrest, that judge is usually in Justice Court. If a city's officers made the arrest, the case starts in that city's Municipal Court. Miss the two-day mark, and a person who may be bailed is let go on an appearance bond at the lowest scheduled figure (Rule 5.1(b)). A video hearing needs the person's consent.

The judge also reads out the charge, mentions a lawyer, and explains that the person may stay quiet. Then the judge picks release terms. The first choice is a written promise to appear, or an appearance bond, unless the person seems dangerous or unlikely to return. Terms may include a curfew, no contact or testing (Rules 8.2 and 8.4).

• Cash with the clerk: the larger of $250 or a tenth of the bond. It is closed to anyone with an old forfeiture or an escape charge.
• Property: a sworn paper that lists Mississippi land.
• A bail agent: the charge is a tenth of the bail, at least $100, plus a $50 processing charge. The fee is kept for good. To confirm an agent is licensed, phone the Mississippi Insurance Department at 601-359-3582.

Judges may set more or less than the guides. A one-year misdemeanor is guided at $500 to $2,000, and a felony topping out at 10 years at $5,000 to $50,000. A domestic violence arrest carries a rule of its own: release comes only after the person stands before a judge. For more detail, see our bail guide or the rules for the whole state.

Three offices can help. Choose by where the case stands.

• The jail: call 601-545-6148 and ask for each count.
• Justice Court, for misdemeanors: 700 Main Street, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-544-3136.
• Circuit Clerk, for felonies: 630 Main Street, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-582-3213. Bring the legal name and the birth date.

Some courts are in Mississippi Electronic Courts, a single login for those that take part. Do not assume this one is in. The District Attorney for this area has a mailing address at P.O. Box 166, Hattiesburg, MS 39403, 601-545-1551. That listing is from a 2021 state directory, so confirm it with a clerk.

A judge settles the question of appointed counsel by the first appearance. Say out loud that you cannot pay. The judge picks a lawyer for those who qualify.

Ask the County Court office which lawyers take appointed cases: 110 Alcorn Avenue, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-545-6100. The Circuit Clerk, 601-582-3213, may also steer you. Hiring a private lawyer is allowed as well.

Felony appeals mostly go through the state defender's office in Jackson, 601-576-4290.

The jail writes the visiting rules and may change them without notice. Before you make the drive, phone 601-545-6148.

Ask when visits are held. Ask if you must book ahead. Ask if visitors sit in a room or use a video screen. Find out which photo ID is needed, what to wear, and whether children may come.

Our visitation guide has tips that suit most jails.

An inmate account pays for commissary orders, personal-care items and, at some jails, phone time. Call 601-545-6148 and ask which ways of paying are open now, how much you can send and what fees apply. Know the person's legal name and booking number before you call.

Our money guide and commissary guide give general background. Mailing cash is risky, and a caller who demands gift cards is running a scam.

The jail picks the calling setup. In most jails the person inside places the calls. Ring 601-545-6148 and ask which company runs calls, what each costs and if the jail offers texting, email or tablets.

Jail calls are usually taped, so leave details of the case for the lawyer. The basics are in our guide to jail phones and guide to jail email.

Start with a call to 601-545-6148 for the exact mailing address. Does the envelope need an inmate number? Which items come back to sender, such as photos or books? Those are the two questions to ask the jail.

Use the legal name and your own return address. Leave off stickers, glitter and money. Our mail guide lists the mistakes that get letters bounced.

Whatever the person carried in is stored by the jail and returned at release. To bring clothes or collect belongings, call 601-545-6148 and ask about the property rules. Ask if the person must sign anything before you take items, and what photo ID to bring. The building is at 55 Arena Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39401.

Call 601-545-6148 and ask for the jail nurse or medical unit. List every drug, how much is taken and who prescribes it. Also have the person send a request to the nurse from inside.

In a life-threatening emergency, call 911. If you are afraid the person may hurt themselves, say so first thing.

Sheriff's deputies carry out county arrest warrants. Ask dispatch at 601-544-7800 whether one exists. The state also keeps Mississippi's Most Wanted, a public list run by the Department of Public Safety. To ask a court, supply the clerk with the birth date and legal name. The Circuit Clerk is at 630 Main Street, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-582-3213, or the Justice Court, 700 Main Street, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-544-3136. Clearing one starts with legal advice. Next, contact the issuing court to learn how a surrender works.

Court calendars are separate, so ask the office that has the case:

• Justice Court (county misdemeanors, bonds, early felony hearings): 700 Main Street, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-544-3136.
• County Court: 110 Alcorn Avenue, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-545-6100.
• Circuit Court (felonies after an indictment): 630 Main Street, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-582-3213.
• Hattiesburg Municipal Court: 701 James Street, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-545-4933.
• Petal Municipal Court: 127 W. 8th Avenue, Petal, MS 39465, 601-582-5351.

A felony trial is supposed to be held no more than 270 days following arraignment, barring a good reason to wait. The court guide explains how a case moves from first appearance to ruling.

The federal court that serves the county sits in Hattiesburg, in the Southern District's Eastern Division, at the William M. Colmer Federal Building, 701 North Main Street, Suite 200, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-255-6400.

1. A federal judge picks between pretrial custody and release at a detention hearing (18 U.S.C. 3142).
2. Until trial, the U.S. Marshals Service keeps custody. It has an office at the same address, Suite 331, 601-582-8464.
3. Once sentenced, use the federal Bureau of Prisons locator.

Typical steps:

1. A detainer is a written request, Form I-247A, that comes from ICE to the jail.
2. A jail can hold the person for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Then ICE collects the person. Mississippi falls under ICE's New Orleans Field Office.
4. Look for the person with the ICE Online Detainee Locator, entering a full name and country of birth. When it shows nothing, a lawyer can contact ICE for you.

When a judge orders a state sentence, the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) starts at an intake site, where staff decide the person's housing. That step takes anywhere from two weeks to 45 days. Plan on no visits and very few calls during it. The drive there is done by county deputies.

• The MDOC inmate search lists state prisoners only. People in county jails are not in it.
• JE's state prisons page covers visit and mail details.
• Parole is a call made by the State Parole Board.

A child's case normally goes to Youth Court, not adult court. Any hold past 24 hours needs a judge's signature, and a detention hearing is mandatory in 48 hours (Miss. Code §§ 43-21-303, -307, -309). Placing a child in an adult jail is generally off limits.

• Forrest County Juvenile Detention Center, 110 Alcorn Avenue, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-545-6183.
• Youth Court meets at that same address. For intake questions, call the County Court office, 601-545-6100.

A defendant aged 13 to 17 accused of a deadly-weapon crime, or one that can bring life or death, may go to adult court under § 43-21-151.

The incident report names the arresting agency. These work here:

• Forrest County Sheriff's Office, 55 Arena Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, dispatch 601-544-7800. Deputies cover the areas outside city limits.
• Hattiesburg Police Department. Its court is Hattiesburg Municipal Court, 701 James Street, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-545-4933. Ask the court clerk for the department's desk number.
• Petal Police Department. Its court is Petal Municipal Court, 127 W. 8th Avenue, Petal, MS 39465, 601-582-5351.
• Mississippi Highway Patrol, Troop J, 35 J.M. Tatum Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-582-3529.

For a smaller town, call dispatch and ask who made the arrest.