Jackson County, Mississippi Arrest Records

Jackson County arrest records are official files/dossiers of individuals apprehended and booked into custody by the county’s law enforcement. They provide information about the arrested individual, the alleged criminal offense that led to the arrest, the apprehension date, and other information recorded during the individual's booking into custody. 

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department is the custodian of the county’s arrest records. It creates and maintains these records for persons apprehended and detained within the county. In addition to the sheriff’s department, city police departments may also maintain arrest records or some sort of report for individuals apprehended within their jurisdiction. The Pascagoula Police Department and the Ocean Springs Police Department are the two biggest city police departments in Jackson County. 

Jackson County arrest records are, under the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983, considered public records. As a result, the act requires law enforcement agencies to make these records available to the public or provide them upon request to a requesting party. The act, however,  does not govern the creation and release of statewide “Criminal History Record Information (CHRI).” Mississippi criminal history records, which may be obtained through a DPS background check, are governed by Miss. Code Ann. § 45-27-1 et seq. 

In Jackson County, arrest records provide insight into law enforcement activities and help people conduct local background checks.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Jackson County, Mississippi?

Yes, arrest records are public information in Jackson County under the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983. According to this act, any record created, used, received, or maintained by public bodies (i.e., government agencies) is considered a public record, and any person shall have the right to inspect or copy such a record, unless the record is exempt by law or restricted by court order. 

Since Jackson County arrest records fall within the scope of public records under the Public Records Act, they are subject to disclosure by the county sheriff’s department and city police departments within the county. However, while any interested person can inspect or copy these records, they shall be subject to the cost, time, place, and method of access adopted by the custodian agency (Miss. Code Ann. § 25-61-5 (1)(a)).

What Do Public Jackson County Arrest Records Contain?

A public Jackson County arrest record contains the following:

• The arrestee’s full name
• The arrestee’s age
• The arrestee’s height, weight, and eye color
• The arrestee’s booking number
• The booking date
• The charges against the arrestee
• The offense level (e.g., misdemeanor)
• The arrest date
• The arrest agency
• Bond amount
• The arrestee’s mug shot

The types of data exempt from disclosure in arrest records include juvenile-related information, medical data, sealed or expunged records, law enforcement personnel details, information protected by privacy laws, and any information whose disclosure would reveal the identity of confidential sources, pose a public safety risk, or constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Exempt/restricted records and information are withheld from public disclosure to protect individual privacy, public safety, and, in certain cases, the integrity of an ongoing law enforcement activity.

Jackson County,  Mississippi Arrest Search

Interested persons seeking to locate arrest and booking records at the state and federal levels may do so with these resources: 

• DPS Name-Based Background Check: The Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS), through the Criminal Information Center (CIC), allows individuals to conduct name-based background checks for criminal history record information in the state. A criminal history record includes arrest data, charges, and case disposition information. The fee is $32 per name check. While the process is restricted to individuals checking their own records, they can authorize the CIC to release their criminal record to a third party (through the 'Release Background Authorization Form').
• MDOC Inmate Search: Individuals can use the MDOC inmate search tool to locate arrest/inmate records of persons in state custody. The tool allows searches for an inmate’s arrest and booking records by name or MDOC ID number.
• BOP Inmate Locator: For persons apprehended by the FBI or being held in federal facilities, one can find their record using the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmate locator. The search criteria include name or number (such as BOP number, DCDC number, and FBI number).

Jackson County Inmate Locator

Jackson County maintains an inmate locator through which any person can look up the arrest records of individuals in the county’s adult detention center. The tool is provided by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, which operates the detention center. The lookup criteria include most recent inmates, least recent inmates, last name A-Z, last name Z-A, first name A-Z, and first name Z-A. The inmate locator provides the following information about inmates: full name, booking number & date, photograph, arrest date, age, arrest agency, bond amount, charges, weight, height, and eye color.

To obtain physical copies of the records, interested persons should contact the sheriff’s department Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the address below.

Jackson County Sheriff's Department

3104 Magnolia Street

Pascagoula, MS 39567

Phone: (228) 769-3063

Fax: (228) 769-6168

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 998

Pascagoula, MS 39568

Active Warrant Search in Jackson County

An arrest warrant is a legal document authorizing law enforcement to apprehend an individual for a crime. Mississippi Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.1 provides that a judge may issue an arrest warrant when the judge finds probable cause based upon a charging affidavit and supporting evidence. Those who can submit a charging affidavit and evidence to establish probable cause for the court to issue an arrest warrant against a person include law enforcement officers, district attorneys, and private citizens.

Per Rule 3.2(a), an arrest warrant issued upon a charging affidavit must be signed by the issuing judge and contain the following:

• The complete name of the individual against whom the warrant is issued, or if the name is unknown, any alias or description by which the defendant can be certainly identified
• The location of the defendant (if known)
• The offense for which the defendant is being charged
•  A command for the defendant to be arrested and brought before the issuing judge, or if unavailable, before the nearest or most accessible judge with jurisdiction

The sheriff's department and city/municipal police departments in Jackson County, such as the Pascagoula PD and the Ocean Springs PD, execute warrants issued within the county. As public information under the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983, warrants may be inspected or copied through the sheriff’s department, city/municipal police departments, the clerk of the issuing court, etc., by phone, mail, or in person.

Agency / Resource	Purpose	Search Methods	Notes
Jackson County Sheriff’s Department	Maintains and serves warrants	In person, phone, or mail	Online warrant lookup is unavailable
City/Municipal Police Departments	Maintains and serves warrants	In person, phone, or mail	Some may provide an online lookup portal
Jackson County Circuit Court Clerk	Maintains Circuit Court records	In person, phone, or mail	Handles inquiries about warrants related to circuit court matters
Jackson County Justice Court	Issues and maintains warrant information	In person, phone	Handles inquiries for warrants associated with cases filed in the court
Mississippi Most Wanted	List individuals wanted for different crimes in the state	Online	Individuals on wanted lists typically have a warrant for their arrest

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Jackson County

To find arrest records for free in Jackson County, interested persons should use the county’s inmate lookup tool. It allows arrest records lookup by most recent inmates, least recent inmates, last name A-Z, last name Z-A, first name A-Z, and first name Z-A. However, the tool only allows inspection and may not include older records.

Alternatively, interested persons can visit the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department in person to inspect arrest records under the public records act. Inspections are typically free. Third-party sites may also be used to find free arrest records in Jackson County. However, they should be used with caution.

Jackson County Arrest Report

Per section § 25-61-3(e) of the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983, a Jackson County arrest report (or incident report) is a narrative description that the arresting officer prepares after an arrest. It describes the alleged offense and includes the name and identification of the person(s) charged with and arrested for the offense, the time, date, and location of the alleged offense, and the property involved. This report is quite different from an arrest record, which is a summary entry of apprehended individuals in custodial/case systems or a summary of a person's interactions with law enforcement. While an arrest report is specific to an individual incident, an arrest record encompasses multiple arrests and/or individuals.

An arrest report is a public record under the public record law. An interested person may obtain it from the arresting law enforcement agency. 

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Jackson County

Certain arrest records can be removed from public view in Jackson County under Mississippi expungement laws. These laws allow courts to seal or order the removal of certain arrest records from public records. The types of records that can be expunged include arrests related to first-time non-traffic misdemeanor convictions, certain non-violent felony convictions after a five-year waiting period, and arrests that resulted in no charges, dismissed charges, dropped charges, acquittals, no disposition, or a not-guilty verdict at trial (Miss. Code § 99-15-59; Miss. Code § 99-15-26(5); Miss. Code § 99-19-71).

To expunge eligible records, file a petition with the relevant court in Jackson County with jurisdiction over the matter or where the case was filed. These include the justice, county, circuit, or municipal courts in Jackson County.

How Do You Remove Jackson County Arrest Records From the Internet?

Individuals should follow these steps to remove Jackson County arrest records from the internet:

• Determine if the record in question is eligible to be removed from public view
• If eligible, petition the relevant court to issue an expungement order
• If the court orders expungement, law enforcement agencies, including the Mississippi DPS, will remove the record from the public domain and restrict access to only authorized entities.
• If a government agency or third-party site still has the record publicly available even after expungement, contact them with a copy of the expungement order and request that it be removed.