What to Expect When Someone Is Booked at Cross County Jail

After someone is arrested and taken into custody in Cross County, they’re transported to the Cross County Detention Center for booking and incarceration. That means the initial processing - getting entered into the jail system - happens at the detention center, not at the roadside or in a separate “holding” location.

1. Computer booking - Staff enter the person’s information into the jail’s system to start the official booking record.
2. Fingerprinting - Fingerprints are taken as part of identification and recordkeeping.
3. Photographing - A booking photo is taken.
4. Searching - The person is searched as part of the intake process.
5. Change-out (clothing exchange) - They’re changed into jail-issued clothing.
6. Housing cell block assignment - Once intake is complete, staff assign a housing cell block.

Housing at the Cross County Detention Center is separated by classification and gender. The facility has separate housing areas for low/medium security risk males, high security risk males, and female inmates. In practice, this means someone’s housing depends on how they’re classified during intake, and they’re placed in the unit that matches that classification.

Along with the regular housing units, the detention center also maintains isolation and temporary holding cells. These areas are separate from standard housing and are used in situations where someone needs to be held temporarily or kept apart from the main units.

Cross County Detention Center holds a mix of people at different stages of a case. Some are pre-trial detainees, meaning they haven’t been convicted and are being held while their case moves through court. Others are post-conviction inmates who are serving sentences, and some may be there while awaiting transport to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.

• ✓ Call the Cross County Sheriff’s Office (24 hours) at 870-238-5700 to ask about booking status, where the person is housed, and what the next steps are for your situation.