Forrest County Jail & Inmate Roster
Arrests in Forrest County, Mississippi are booked into the county jail, which is run by the sheriff's office. The county publishes its own roster, and it is separate from the state prison system.
Forrest County jail and sheriff
| County | Forrest County |
|---|---|
| Population | 78,435 (2024) |
Where a field is blank, the county does not publish that detail on an official source we can cite.
How to find someone in the county jail
- Search the county's official roster for the person's full legal name.
- If the person has already been sentenced, search the Mississippi Department of Corrections offender locator instead.
- Have their date of birth ready — it is the detail that separates people with common names.
- If the charge is federal, search the Bureau of Prisons system, which is separate from both.
- Call the jail directly if the name does not appear; online rosters lag behind actual bookings.
Cities in Forrest County
1 city in Forrest County is covered, each with its own inmate search and bail information.
The Mississippi state prison system
Sentenced prisoners in Mississippi are held by the Mississippi Department of Corrections, not by Forrest County. A person stops appearing on the county roster once transferred.
How the Forrest County jail system works
A county jail holds people from the moment of arrest until the case is resolved or a sentence is served. It is run by the county sheriff, funded by the county, and is entirely separate from the state prison system. Anyone sentenced to more than a short term will eventually be transferred out of it.
The sequence is normally booking, a first appearance, then either release on conditions or continued detention. Bail is decided at that appearance, and it can be revisited later if circumstances change.
What to ask when you call
A single call to the jail or the sheriff's office can answer most of what a family needs to know in the first days. Having the questions ready makes the call much shorter.
- The booking number and the facility housing unit.
- The next court date and the courtroom.
- The bail amount and the accepted payment method.
- Whether the person has already been assigned counsel.
- What identification you need to visit, and the visiting hours.
- Whether there are any restrictions on calls or visits in this case.
Bail in Mississippi
Bail for arrests in Forrest County is set under Mississippi law. The governing provisions are listed below.
-
Miss. Code § 21-23-8
Bail; purpose; forfeiture; judgment nisi and bench warrant; revocation of authority of surety to write bail bonds upon final judgment; setting of bail.
The purpose of bail is to guarantee appearance and a bail bond shall not be forfeited for any other reason.
Public.Resource.Org / UniCourt structured HTML (opens in a new tab) -
Miss. Code § 99-5-27
Bail agent may arrest and surrender principal; return of defendant out on bond.
“Surrender” means the delivery of the defendant, principal on bond, physically to the sheriff or chief of police or in his absence, his jailer, and it is the duty of the sheriff or chief of police, or his jailer, to accept the surrender of the principal when presented and such act is complete upon…
Public.Resource.Org / UniCourt structured HTML (opens in a new tab)
Bail in Mississippi
-
Miss. Code § 21-23-8
Bail; purpose; forfeiture; judgment nisi and bench warrant; revocation of authority of surety to write bail bonds upon final judgment; setting of bail.
The purpose of bail is to guarantee appearance and a bail bond shall not be forfeited for any other reason.
Public.Resource.Org / UniCourt structured HTML (opens in a new tab) -
Miss. Code § 99-5-27
Bail agent may arrest and surrender principal; return of defendant out on bond.
“Surrender” means the delivery of the defendant, principal on bond, physically to the sheriff or chief of police or in his absence, his jailer, and it is the duty of the sheriff or chief of police, or his jailer, to accept the surrender of the principal when presented and such act is complete upon…
Public.Resource.Org / UniCourt structured HTML (opens in a new tab)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · retrieved 2026-09-16
Frequently asked questions
Where are people arrested in Forrest County held?
At the county jail, operated by the county. Cities within the county generally do not run their own long-term jails, so bookings are transferred to the county facility.
How do I find someone in Forrest County jail?
Contact the Forrest County sheriff's office directly. Where no public online roster is published, a phone call is the only reliable route.
What is the county seat of Forrest County?
Forrest County publishes its county seat, as does the U.S. Census Bureau.
How do I post bail in Forrest County?
Bail is set by a judge under Mississippi law and is normally paid to the court or the county, not to the jail. Confirm the accepted payment method and the exact amount with the court before travelling.
Does Forrest County publish mugshots?
Some sheriffs publish booking photographs and some do not. Where a roster is published, the sheriff's own site governs what is shown and for how long. We do not republish individual records.
How long are people held in Forrest County jail?
That depends on the case. People awaiting trial are held until bail is posted or the case concludes; people serving a sentence are held for its duration, then transferred or released.
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