Smith County Inmate Search Overview
The Smith County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and the public inmate lookup that goes with it. Sheriff Joel Houston oversees the Smith County Detention Center, which holds both pre-trial and sentenced adult inmates. The roster lives on a jail portal called BlueHorse, linked straight from the official sheriff page. It lists people in custody right now. It shows a booking photo when one is on file, and it ties each person to their charges. The county does not post a fixed refresh time, so the list can lag a fresh arrest by a few hours. Checking back later, or calling the jail, clears up the gaps.
The county roster only covers people held in the local Smith County jail. It does not track inmates who have moved into state prison, federal custody, or another county's jail. Someone sentenced to a Mississippi prison term drops off the county list once corrections staff transfer them. A statewide search picks the person back up at that point. Immigration holds and federal cases are handled by other agencies. They will not show up here. For anyone not found on the county list, the right next move depends on where they were taken, so the alternatives below cover state custody, supervision, and a direct call to the jail.
How to Use the Smith County Inmate Roster
The current-inmate search runs on the BlueHorse jail portal that the Sheriff's Office links for Smith County. It is free. It needs no account, and it works from a phone or a computer. A last name is enough to start.
The BlueHorse Smith County inmate portal opens on a Current Inmates tab with two simple name boxes.
From there a short list of matches loads, and each name opens a fuller profile. These steps walk through a basic lookup.
- Open the BlueHorse Smith County portal from the Sheriff's Office inmate-search link.
- Stay on the Current Inmates tab and type the last name in the Last Name box. Add a first name to narrow a common surname.
- Run the search and scan the result list, which shows each inmate's full name and booking number.
- Click a name to open the profile, then review the booking photo, charges, bond, and court tabs.
BlueHorse Roster Search Fields
BlueHorse keeps the public search lean. The Current Inmates tab asks for just a first and last name, both plain text boxes. A Past Inmate tab can appear when the jail turns it on, and it adds ID and date fields for older bookings. Some tabs and login boxes belong to staff and stay locked for public users.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Name | Text | Optional | Current Inmates tab field, id=fname. |
| Last Name | Text | Optional | Current Inmates tab field, id=lname. |
| Past Inmate tab | Tab | Optional | Shows only when the public setting allows; may be disabled. |
| First Name (past) | Text | Optional | Past Inmate field, id=txtPFirstName. |
| Last Name (past) | Text | Optional | Past Inmate field, id=txtPLastName. |
| Perm Id | Text | Optional | Permanent ID for a past inmate, id=txtPPermId. |
| State Id | Text | Optional | State ID for a past inmate, id=txtPStateId. |
| Start Date / End Date | Datepicker | Optional | Past-inmate date range, mm/dd/yy format. |
| Search / Clear / Books 24hr | Buttons | N/A | Run a past search, clear fields, or list the last 24 hours of bookings. |
| User Name / Password | Login | Staff only | Login panel gates secure tabs; public view reads NOT LOGGED IN. |
Smith County Detention Center Services
The Smith County Detention Center houses both pre-trial and sentenced adult inmates under the Sheriff's Office. The official sheriff page lists the core services it provides: basic medical care, non-contact visitation, commissary access, and phone service. Deputies also handle security for court proceedings and county government buildings. There is no separate 24-hour inmate-information line posted, so general questions route through the main Sheriff's Office number.
When the roster does not show a name, or a relative needs the current rotating visit schedule, a direct call is the next step. Booking paperwork that is not posted online can be requested from the Sheriff's Office under the Mississippi Public Records Act, subject to law-enforcement limits. The contact card below has the office and jail details on Courthouse Square in Raleigh.
Smith County Sheriff's Office and Detention Center
Sheriff Joel Houston
206 Courthouse Square
Raleigh, MS 39153
601-782-4531
Fax 601-782-4003
jhouston@smithcountyms.gov
Visitation: each Saturday, valid ID required
What a Smith County Inmate Profile Shows
Clicking an inmate's name opens a profile built from several tabs. The portal HTML reveals fields for the booking record, charges, holds, bonds, and court dates. Some fields stay blank or hidden for public users, but the layout below shows what a full profile can display.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Booking Number | The jail's case number for that admission; ties the charges, bond, and court data together. |
| Booking Photo | The mug shot loaded when one is on file; a default image appears otherwise. |
| Personal Description | Sex, address, and physical details such as hair, eyes, build, and complexion. |
| Incarceration Info | Jacket number, place of birth, FBI and State ID numbers, and release date. |
| Charges | A table with columns for Code, Description, Charge Type, Disposition, Case No., OTN, and Offense Date. |
| Detainers / Holds | Description, agency, bond amount, and bond method for any hold from another agency. |
| Bonds | Agency, bond type, bond amount, and bond status tied to release. |
| Court History | Court, date, room, and hearing type for scheduled appearances. |
Booking Into the Smith County Jail
After an arrest in Smith County, deputies bring the person to the detention center for booking. Intake creates the record that feeds the roster. A booking photo is taken when possible. The charges that prompted the arrest are entered, and the new entry usually appears on BlueHorse once the system updates.
The detention center holds two broad groups. Pre-trial inmates wait for a court date and may be released on bond. Sentenced inmates serve short county terms before any transfer to state custody. Both groups appear on the same public roster, so the list alone does not say which is which. The profile's court and charge tabs give the clearer picture.
Bond and first-appearance details are set by the court, not the jail. The charges as filed, along with how they may change, are tracked through the Smith County arrest and court charge records. A person held on an active warrant stays in custody until that matter is addressed. Anyone unsure whether a warrant is the reason for a hold can review the county warrant search process. Bond amounts on a profile reflect what the court has set for release.
When to Use MDOC for Smith County Inmates
The county roster stops being useful once an inmate leaves local custody. A person sentenced to a Mississippi prison term is transferred to the Department of Corrections. After that move, the statewide search is the right tool, and it covers sentenced offenders across the state.
The MDOC statewide inmate search looks up state inmates by first and last name or by MDOC ID number.
That search returns the assigned facility and basic sentence data once the transfer is processed. For time served, jail credit, or release-date questions, the MDOC Records Department in Jackson handles written requests. It can be reached by mail at P.O. Box 24388, Jackson, MS 39225, and by phone at 601-933-2889. State data does not update the moment a sentence is handed down, so a recently sentenced person may still appear on the county roster for a short window before the transfer is logged.
Probation and Parole Office in Raleigh
Not everyone under correctional supervision sits in a cell. People on probation or parole report to a field office instead. Smith County is served by a local MDOC office in the county seat.
The MDOC Smith Probation and Parole Office lists its Raleigh address and phone for supervision matters.
The office sits at 230 Magnolia Drive in Raleigh and answers at 601-782-9512. It is the right contact for supervision questions, not for current jail custody. Someone reporting to this office is not held at the detention center.
Visitation at the Smith County Detention Center
The Sheriff's Office posts only the core visitation rules. Visits are held each Saturday on a rotating schedule for male and female inmates. Visitors must bring valid ID and follow all jail rules. Visitation is non-contact. Exact rotation times, dress code, and age limits are not posted online, so a quick call to the jail confirms the current window before anyone drives in.
| Visit Rule | Smith County Detention Center |
|---|---|
| Visitation day | Each Saturday |
| Schedule structure | Rotating between male and female inmates |
| Visitor ID | Valid ID required |
| Visit type | Non-contact visitation |
| Exact times | Not posted; call the Sheriff's Office |
| Attorney and holiday visits | Not posted; confirm before arrival |
Note: Smith County does not publish a full jail handbook online, so confirm dress code, child-visitor rules, and any lockdown changes with the Sheriff's Office before a visit.
Inmate Mail, Phone, and Commissary
Inmates at the Smith County jail may send and receive mail. They can also make limited collect phone calls. The provider, rates, and exact mailing format with a booking number are not posted on the official page, so the Sheriff's Office is the place to confirm current mail rules.
Friends and family can also add money for commissary, which the jail uses for snacks, hygiene products, and writing supplies. Deposits can be made online or by phone through the vendor the county links.
The county routes deposits through the commissary deposit vendor named on the sheriff page.
Pricing and deposit limits are set by the vendor, not the county, so check current fees at the time of deposit. Funds posted there are spent on commissary inside the detention center.
Sex Offender Registry vs Smith County Custody
People sometimes use the jail roster to check on a registered sex offender, but those are two different records. The inmate roster shows current custody. The registry shows where a registered offender lives, whether or not they are locked up. A person can be on the registry and free, or in jail and not on it.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety runs the public sex offender registry, which is searched by name, address, or zip code. For criminal case details behind a charge, the county criminal court records hold the filings, pleas, and disposition. Use the registry for offender status and the roster for who is in the jail today. The registry is a public safety tool, while the roster is a custody tool, and mixing the two leads to the wrong answer.
App check: No official Smith County, Mississippi sheriff or jail app has been verified. Search results for a "Smith County Sheriff's Office" app point to Smith County, Texas, not Mississippi, so no county app should be relied on for a local inmate lookup. Use the BlueHorse portal and the Sheriff's Office instead.