Clay County Recent Arrests Search
Clay County recent arrests are handled by the Clay County Sheriff's Office in Piggott. The sheriff runs the Clay County Detention Center at 268 South 2nd Street, which reopened in May 2023 after a one-year renovation. The current sheriff is Ronnie Cole, elected in 2023. The jail posts a public inmate roster online at claycountysheriffar.org. Use this page to find the roster link, the sheriff phone, and state court tools for Clay County bookings. You can also check DOC and VINE for state custody updates.
Clay County Recent Arrests Overview
Clay County Sheriff and Recent Arrests
The Clay County Sheriff's Office is at 220 Court Square and 268 South 2nd Street in Piggott, AR 72454. The main office phone is (870) 598-2570. The administration line is (870) 598-3156. The fax is (870) 598-3068. Sheriff Ronnie Cole can be reached at rcole@claycountysheriffar.org. Chief Deputy Larry Jones oversees daily ops.
The sheriff staff includes 10 Dispatcher/Matrons and 14 Jailers. The office runs patrol, civil process, court security, and jail ops. Jail Administrator L.N. Hagler (Luther Hagler) oversees detention work, with Candy Fry listed as a named admin in some records. The office website posts the inmate roster, a most wanted list, and press releases about Clay County recent arrests.
The Piggott jail takes arrests from deputies and from the Piggott and Corning city police. Piggott is the county seat and the largest town. Corning is the other co-seat. City arrests still get booked at the county detention center in Piggott. Call (870) 598-2270 for jail admission questions at any hour.
Clay County Detention Center Roster
The Clay County Detention Center is at 268 South 2nd Street in Piggott. The jail phone is (870) 598-2270 and it runs 24 hours. The fax is (870) 598-3146. The jail reopened in May 2023 after a full renovation. During the closure, Clay County inmates were housed in other county jails. The facility has a 75-inmate capacity and holds male inmates only in most cases.
Housing blocks at the jail cover low and medium security males, high security males, female inmates, isolation cells, and short-term holding. The Clay County Sheriff posts an online inmate roster at claycountysheriffar.org/inmate_roster. Search by name to see current holds, charges, and bond. The roster is the main way to check Clay County recent arrests online.
The Arkansas DOC search shown above covers Clay County inmates sent to state prison after sentencing. County pretrial holds only show up on the Piggott jail roster. For state-level inmate status, search by last name or ADC number on the DOC portal.
Jail services include Tiger Commissary for deposits and CitiTeleCoin for video visitation. Deposits can go through the website or the lobby kiosk. To set up a video call, create an account at CitiTeleCoin, add Clay County AR as a new contact, and pick the inmate from the roster list.
Note: The Clay County online roster shows only current holds. Past bookings roll off as inmates are released or move to state custody.
Clay County FOIA and Record Requests
Clay County arrest records are public under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act at Arkansas Code § 25-19-101. The sheriff has three business days to respond to a written request. Send requests to 220 Court Square, Piggott, AR 72454, or bring them in during office hours. A small copy fee may apply.
A Clay County arrest record will usually show the name, date of birth, arresting agency, charges, bond, and mugshot. Under Arkansas Code § 16-81-106 an officer can arrest with a warrant or on probable cause. Booking data stays on file for at least five years under Arkansas Code § 13-4-404.
For court cases that follow an arrest, use the Arkansas CourtConnect portal. It covers circuit and most district courts across the state. Clay County cases are in the 2nd Judicial Circuit. The portal shows charges, hearing dates, and dispositions. For document images, visit the circuit clerk.
For a full state criminal history check, use the Arkansas Online Criminal Background Check run by State Police. Fees for a search sit under Arkansas Code § 12-12-1009. Request forms are covered by Arkansas Code § 12-12-1008.
Clay County Circuit Clerk
The Clay County Circuit Clerk is at 151 South Second Avenue in Piggott. Phone and fax share the line (870) 598-2813. The email is clay123@centurytel.net. The clerk keeps files for circuit, district, and juvenile court. Felony cases follow most Clay County recent arrests into circuit court. Misdemeanors and traffic go through district court.
Certified copies cost a set fee per page. Some filings are viewable on CourtConnect, while others are only at the clerk office. Under Arkansas Code § 16-90-1401, record sealing may be an option for some non-violent cases after a waiting period. Class Y felonies and most violent crimes cannot be sealed.
Sealed records come off public view but remain with law enforcement. ACIC holds the state rap sheet and updates sealed status when the court grants the order. Victims and select agencies may still see sealed data in some cases.
More Clay County Recent Arrests Tools
There are more ways to track a Clay County recent arrest. The sheriff office keeps an active Facebook page with monthly reports, arrest notices, and hiring posts. Weekly arrest recaps with offender names show up there too. Social media can give a faster public look than a written FOIA.
The VINE notification system sends alerts when a Clay County inmate is moved or released. Sign-up is free and open to victims and the public. VINE covers most county jails and all state prisons. For the state prison side, use DOC Inmate Search. The Arkansas Sheriff's Association also lists current sheriff contacts if the direct line is busy.
Note: A Clay County arrest record does not mean a conviction. Charges can be dropped, reduced, or dismissed by the court as the case moves forward.
Cities in Clay County
Clay County has two county seats: Corning and Piggott. Piggott is the larger of the two and is where the sheriff and jail are based. Corning sits on the west side of the county. Other towns in the county include Rector and Greenway. Each has its own small police force.
City police in Clay County handle the first stop and report writing, then bring arrests to the Piggott jail for booking. City arrest logs are also public under state FOIA. Call the local police for a city-only log, or contact the sheriff for the county-wide view. No city in Clay County meets the size for a dedicated city page here.
Nearby Arkansas Counties
Clay County sits in the far northeast corner of the state. Border counties each run their own jails and post their own Clay County Sheriff recent arrests data. Check nearby counties if you are not sure where a person was booked. The border counties are Greene, Randolph, and Dunklin (MO).