Felony and misdemeanor arrests of adults in Coffee County are processed at the Coffee County Jail, found at:
76 County Jail Lane
Manchester, TN 37355
The Coffee County Jail is run by the elected sheriff. Sheriff’s deputies bring in their arrests, and municipal police departments in the county bring theirs. Booking officers take fingerprints and a photo, record property, search for active warrants and screen each person’s health before a housing assignment is made.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) book arrests here as well, alongside federal agencies like the U.S. Marshals and ICE.
Tennessee law has banned sanctuary policies since 2018 and directs local jails to honor ICE detainers. A 2025 law passed in a special session created a state immigration enforcement office and made it a crime for local officials to vote for sanctuary policies. The Coffee County Sheriff participates in ICE’s 287(g) program, so a person with an immigration detainer can expect to be transferred to ICE after local charges are settled.
The online roster is pulled from the sheriff’s official booking list (opens in a new tab) or an official statewide jail list. Where available, it shows a booking photo, the charges and the arresting agency. Call the Coffee County Jail at 931-728-3591 if anything is unclear.
Moving someone from the booking counter to a housing unit, or to release, generally takes anywhere from two hours to a day based on the backlog in booking.
After arrest, a magistrate or judicial commissioner decides probable cause and sets bail or release on recognizance, and the person must be brought before a judge without unnecessary delay. Professional bail bondsmen, who must be approved by the local criminal courts, are widely used. In domestic abuse arrests, Tennessee law generally requires a 12-hour hold before release unless the magistrate finds the person is not a threat to the alleged victim. Our Bail page walks through the release process.
Start by calling the sheriff’s jail at 931-728-3591 to ask whether the person has been brought in.
You might hear an automated menu or be connected to booking staff. They may ask for the person’s date of birth to make sure they are discussing the right individual.
Records for a fresh arrest sometimes take hours to appear while booking is underway.
Another option is the Coffee County Jail Booking Roster, which lists recent bookings online.
Once a person has been arrested and advised of their Miranda rights, officers take them to the sheriff’s jail for Coffee County, where a magistrate reviews the charge and booking begins.
Booking is a multi-step process. Defense attorneys routinely advise staying silent about the charges, because statements made to officers or over jail phones can be recorded and used as evidence.
The person is photographed and fingerprinted and answers screening questions about health and history. Officers run warrant checks in Coffee County, throughout Tennessee and nationwide. For arrests on certain violent felonies, Tennessee law calls for a DNA sample to be taken and sent to the TBI.
In DUI cases, a blood sample generally requires consent or a warrant. Refusing a test under Tennessee’s implied consent law can result in loss of driving privileges.
Arrestees are searched, possibly including a strip search, and screened with a metal detector or body scanner.
Questions cover gang affiliation, tattoos, medical conditions, medications, drug and alcohol use, allergies and whether the person is thinking of harming themselves. Jail staff rely on the answers to classify the person and meet any medical or safety needs.
The jail takes custody of everything the person had on them and keeps it until release. If the person agrees, property can be released to a relative or friend.
This includes their clothing, cash, wallet or purse, cell phone, jewelry, piercings and watch. Glasses may be held when they present a security concern, and laces come out of any shoes the person is allowed to keep.
The person is usually given the chance to make a phone call to share news of the arrest and begin setting up bond or bail.
If they stay in jail awaiting court, the Coffee County Jail issues a uniform, slip-on shoes, bedding, a towel and hygiene basics such as soap, toothpaste and a toothbrush.
Before going to housing, arrestees are commonly told to shower and may be treated for lice, scabies or similar pests.
It can be as quick as an hour or take more than 24 hours. Volume at the booking desk, the number of officers working and the arrestee’s conduct all affect the pace, and a domestic abuse hold can add to the wait before release.
A person who is extremely intoxicated or aggressive may be held in a separate cell until they can safely be booked.