Franklin County Inmate Population Snapshot
The current local custody point is the Franklin County Sheriff's Office and Franklin County Jail in Ozark. The live roster is branded for the sheriff's office and showed 72 current inmates when researched on May 29, 2026. That number is a roster snapshot. It is not an average daily population, a formal capacity rating, or an annual booking total. It does show the practical size of the local jail list a reader must search on a given day.
Franklin County inmate population counts can move for several reasons. New arrests by the sheriff, Ozark Police Department, probation and parole authorities, or other local agencies add people to the jail. Bond orders, releases, short sentences, holds for another agency, and transfers to the Arkansas Division of Correction remove or shift people from the county roster. Recent-release entries using phrases such as "Sentenced to ADC" show why a person may leave the jail roster and later require the state locator.
Franklin County Jail Population Statistics
The strongest population record combines the live jail roster, Vera/BJS-derived county jail data, state capacity exhibits, and Arkansas DOC fiscal reporting. Those sources do not measure the same thing. The live roster is a custody list. Vera's county file gives processed jail population and capacity figures for past years. The Arkansas legislative exhibit says Franklin County added jail beds during 2015-2021, but it does not publish a current rated capacity. The DOC fiscal summary shows invoice/workload categories tied to state custody, not a daily headcount.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Date |
|---|---|---|
| Live current roster count | 72 current inmates | Franklin County roster, May 29, 2026 |
| New inmates tab | 3 booked in last 48 hours | New Inmates roster tab, May 29, 2026 |
| Recent releases tab | 15 released in last 48 hours | Recent Releases roster tab, May 29, 2026 |
| Total jail population | 73 | Vera/BJS-derived county file, 2021 |
| Rated capacity | 40 | Vera/BJS-derived county file, 2019 |
| County population | 17,097 | U.S. Census QuickFacts, 2020 Census |
The Census QuickFacts page for Franklin County gives countywide population context, not jail custody totals. Its value is denominator context: a jail roster count in the low 70s has a different local meaning in a county of about seventeen thousand residents than it would in a large metro county.
The Census screenshot supports the county context only; custody status still comes from the jail roster, the sheriff, courts, DOC, BOP, ICE, or VINELink.
Franklin County Inmate Population Trends
Historical jail population figures show a small county jail system that has grown and fluctuated over time. Vera/BJS-derived data lists 5 people in 1970, 30 in 2005, 40 in 2019, and 73 in 2021. The 2026 live roster snapshot of 72 current inmates sits close to the 2021 processed total, but the two figures should not be treated as identical measures. One is live custody on a specific day. The other is historical county jail data.
| Year | Total Jail Population | Rated Capacity | Pretrial / Sentenced | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 5 | 11 | 4 / 1 | Vera/BJS-derived county file |
| 1999 | 17 | 23 | 13 / 4 | Vera/BJS-derived county file |
| 2010 | 38 | 24.88 | 21.57 / 16.43 | Vera/BJS-derived county file |
| 2015 | 55 | 30.67 | 34.38 / 20.62 | Vera/BJS-derived county file |
| 2019 | 40 | 40 | 25 / 15 | Vera/BJS-derived county file |
| 2021 | 73 | Not located | Not located | Vera/BJS-derived county file |
| 2026 | 72 current roster inmates | Current official capacity not located | Not broken out | Franklin County roster snapshot |
Franklin County Jail Population Makeup
The most complete demographic breakdown in the research is the 2019 Vera/BJS-derived line. It lists 40 people in the Franklin County jail population, with 25 pretrial and 15 sentenced. It also lists 32 male and 8 female inmates. Race and ethnicity fields show 34 White, 3 Black, 1 Latinx, 2 other, and zero Native American or Asian American/Pacific Islander entries. Current 2026 roster demographics were not aggregated during research, so those older data points should be read as historical county jail data.
| 2019 Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Pretrial custody | 25 |
| Sentenced custody | 15 |
| Male | 32 |
| Female | 8 |
| White / Black / Latinx / Other | 34 / 3 / 1 / 2 |
The roster itself can show race, sex, and age beside each current entry, but the public cards are person-by-person records. They are not a current demographic dashboard.
Franklin County Jail Capacity
Capacity is one of the most important caveats in the Franklin County inmate population research. The current county sheriff page does not publish a rated bed count. The Vera/BJS-derived 2019 county file lists rated capacity at 40, and an Arkansas legislative exhibit says Franklin County added 104 beds through a new jail during 2015-2021. The exhibit does not state the final current rated capacity. It would be inaccurate to add 104 to the 2019 number or call 104 the current capacity without a direct source.
Arkansas state pressure still matters locally. The Arkansas DOC county-jail fiscal summary lists Franklin County invoice categories for Act 309, backup, and Act 570 through June 5, 2025. Those are workload and billing counts, not an average jail population. They do show that state custody can affect a county jail list even when the jail is run by the county sheriff.
Capacity note: Current official Franklin County rated capacity was not located. Treat the 2026 roster count as a dated custody snapshot, not a capacity measure.
Laws Governing Franklin County Jail Data
Arkansas public-record and jail-standard rules shape how Franklin County inmate population records are created, kept, and requested. The live roster is the first place to search, but Arkansas FOIA is the fallback when booking records, jail records, or older records are not online. The detention standards also matter because they govern intake legality, records, staffing, health, mail, visitation, safety, and facility conditions.
Key statutes and rules:
Arkansas Code § 25-19-105 gives Arkansas citizens inspection and copying rights for public records unless an exemption applies.
Arkansas FOIA definitions explain why many records kept by public offices can qualify as public records.
Arkansas minimum jail standards govern adult detention operations, including intake, records, safety, mail, medical access, and visitation.
Arkansas Code § 12-12-315 requires notice for certain deaths, including deaths in police custody or jail.
Franklin County State Prison Context
No operating Arkansas DOC state prison in Franklin County was found on the DOC facilities list during research. State documents and AP reporting describe a planned 3,000-bed correctional facility near Charleston and Arkansas Highway 215, but it is not a current place to search, visit, or send mail for an inmate. Sentenced Arkansas prisoners from Franklin County should be searched through the Arkansas Division of Correction inmate locator after transfer.
The AP report on the approved Franklin County prison site is useful background because state officials tied the project to prison overcrowding and county-jail backup. That news belongs in population context, not the current facility list. The current facility page set remains one page: Franklin County Jail.
The prison-site image helps separate a planned state project from the active county jail roster used for today's Franklin County inmate search.
Search the Franklin County Jail Roster
The Franklin County jail roster is the primary online lookup for current local custody. It is not a keyword search box. It is a list-first roster with Current Inmates, New Inmates, and Recent Releases tabs, plus Sort By, Select Name, and Select Page Size controls. Start with Current Inmates for a person who may still be in jail. Use New Inmates for a recent booking and Recent Releases when a person may have been released or transferred in the last 48 hours.
The roster should be read as a county jail tool. It can include people arrested by the Franklin County Sheriff's Department, Ozark Police Department, Arkansas Probation Parole, and other agencies. It is not the state prison locator, a federal BOP locator, or an ICE detainee search. A person with a state sentence, federal sentence, immigration detention, sealed juvenile matter, or no completed booking may not appear on the Franklin County roster.
- Open the current inmate roster and scan the visible list before changing filters.
- Switch Sort By to Name when a longer list makes date order hard to scan.
- Use Select Name only after the person's name appears in the roster's current choices.
- Change Select Page Size to 20 or 30 before deciding the person is absent.
- Check New Inmates and Recent Releases if the arrest or release was recent.
- Call the jail at 479-667-4127 when custody, bond, or transfer status is unclear.
Franklin County Inmate Lookup Fields
The roster controls are important because many jail-search pages train users to expect a name search box. Franklin County's public roster works differently. It offers roster tabs and page controls. On May 29, 2026, the current list showed 10 inmates displayed out of 72 total, so page size and scrolling matter.
| Control | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Inmates | Tab/link | No | Shows the current jail roster. |
| New Inmates | Tab/link | No | Shows people booked in the last 48 hours. |
| Recent Releases | Tab/link | No | Shows people released in the last 48 hours. |
| Sort By | Control | No | Observed choices include Arrested Date and Name. |
| Select Name | Dropdown | No | Names change as inmates enter or leave the roster. |
| Select Page Size | Dropdown | No | Observed choices are 10, 20, and 30. |
The current-inmates screenshot source shows the roster layout, mugshots, sort controls, and page-size tools used for Franklin County custody lookup.
That visual is most useful for explaining the roster's list-first design and why a user may need to sort or enlarge the page size.
Franklin County Inmate Record Details
A Franklin County roster card is strongest for booking facts. It commonly shows the mugshot, name, race, sex, age, city and state address field, arrest date and time, arresting agency, and charge text. The sampled public entries did not visibly show booking number, housing unit, bond amount, bond type, court date, or case number. Those gaps matter. Use Search ARCourts and the jail phone line for court and bond questions rather than assuming the roster card has them.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Mugshot / booking photo | Public photo displayed beside the roster entry. |
| Name | Full inmate name as the entry heading. |
| Race / sex / age | Combined demographic line. |
| Arrested | Arrest date and time listed by the roster. |
| Arrested By | Agency such as sheriff, Ozark Police, or Arkansas Probation Parole. |
| Charges | Booking charge text, holds, or sentence-status phrases. |
| Released | Release timestamp when listed on new or recent-release records. |
Franklin County Jail vs Prison Search
Franklin County inmate population searches often fail when the wrong system is used. The county roster is for local jail custody. The Arkansas DOC locator is for sentenced state prisoners. The BOP locator is for federal prisoners, mainly sentenced federal custody and historical records from 1982 forward. ICE ODLS is for immigration custody and certain CBP custody, not for routine county criminal bookings.
| Custody Type | Where to Search | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| County jail | Franklin County roster | Pretrial detainees, short local sentences, holds, recent bookings. |
| State prison | Arkansas DOC inmate locator | Sentenced Arkansas prisoners after transfer or ADC processing. |
| Federal prison | BOP Inmate Locator | Federal sentenced prisoners and federal custody history. |
| Immigration detention | ICE ODLS | Adults in ICE custody or CBP custody over 48 hours. |
| Custody notifications | VINELink | Custody and notification alerts for jail, DOC, and some court updates. |
Franklin County Detention Facilities
The facility map resolves to one current local detention facility. No separate Ozark, Charleston, Altus, regional jail, ICE center, federal detention center, or operating state prison in Franklin County was located. City arrests can still appear in the county jail roster because municipal agencies may book into the sheriff's jail.
- Franklin County Jail holds local pretrial detainees, short county sentences, probation/parole holds, holds for other agencies, and state/DOC backup or Act 309-related inmates when reflected by custody records.
Charleston Police routes after-hours law-enforcement contact to the sheriff's number, and roster samples showed Ozark Police arrests in the county jail. Those local details support the same lookup rule: city custody questions usually start with the Franklin County roster and the sheriff/jail phone line.
Franklin County Inmate Population FAQ
How big is the Franklin County inmate population? The live roster showed 72 current inmates on May 29, 2026. Vera/BJS-derived data listed 73 people in 2021 and 40 people in 2019. Those figures come from different sources and dates, so they should not be blended into one official average.
How do I search the Franklin County inmate population? Start with the current inmate roster, then check the New Inmates and Recent Releases tabs. If the person was sentenced to ADC, transferred, or never fully booked into the county jail, use the Arkansas DOC locator, VINELink, BOP, ICE, or the jail phone line.
Does Franklin County publish mugshots? Yes. The roster displays booking photos beside entries in the current, new-inmate, and recent-release tabs. The roster does not publish a separate long-term retention rule for photos beyond the visible tabs found during research.
Is the planned Charleston prison searchable? No. State documents and news describe a planned Franklin County prison project, but no operating prison in the county was found on the DOC facilities list. Search sentenced state prisoners through Arkansas DOC.
Franklin County Custody Terms
Short custody labels can change how a search should proceed. These terms appear in jail, court, and DOC contexts.
- Pretrial
- Custody before a conviction or final case outcome.
- Detainer
- A hold from another agency or jurisdiction that may prevent local release.
- Sentenced to ADC
- A roster phrase showing movement toward Arkansas Division of Correction custody.
- First appearance
- An early court event after arrest when bond and next steps may be addressed.
- VINELink
- A custody notification system, also reachable through Arkansas VINE at 1-800-510-0415.