Baxter County Jail and Detention Center

The Baxter County Jail and Detention Center is located in Mountain Home, Arkansas and is operated by the Baxter County Sheriff's Office. The facility houses adult male and female inmates who have been arrested by local county or city law enforcement.

Inmates are incarcerated at the Baxter County Jail for crimes ranging from violations to misdemeanors to felonies. The facility also houses those who have been charged with a crime and are awaiting trial, as well as state inmates awaiting transfer to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. 

To see a roster of current inmates at the Baxter County Jail, click here. 

All persons who are arrested in Baxter County and taken into custody are transported to the Baxter County Jail and Detention Center for booking and incarceration. The Detention Center is divided into separate housing areas for low/medium security risk males, high security risk males, and female inmates, as well as isolation and temporary holding cells. 

During 2020, a total of 2,187 persons were booked into the Baxter County Jail and Detention Center. Sixty-six percent of those bookings were for misdemeanor offenses, while 35% were for felony crimes. The recidivism rate was 70% for the year. The daily population ranged between 63 and 132 inmates.

Posting Bond

The purpose of a bond requirement is to ensure that an arrested person will appear in court to answer his or her charges after release from custody. Judges usually determine the amount of bond, while the sheriff determines the sufficiency of the bond. If a person is arrested with a warrant, it will generally have the bond amount listed. 

There are several forms of bond that are authorized by law, including Cash, Surety, Own Recognizance (OR). 

CASH: The person who is arrested (or someone acting on their behalf) may post the entire bond amount in cash, which will be held by the sheriff or the court pending disposition of the criminal case.

SURETY: Secure release from jail through the utilization of a professional licensed bail bonding company, aka a “surety bond.” The bonding company will charge certain “fees” which are non-refundable and are not applied to any fines, costs, or restitution that may later be ordered by the court. 

OWN RECOGNIZANCE: A court will sometimes authorize a person in custody to be released on his or her “own recognizance,” which is just a promise to re-appear at a later date for further judicial proceedings. These are only used for very minor offenses.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting times at the Baxter County Jail and Detention Center are as follows:

• Wednesday:  Male inmates with last name beginning with A thru M -- 11:00 AM until 6:00 PM.
• Saturday:  Male inmates with last name beginning with N thru Z -- 11:00 AM until 6:00 PM.
• Friday:  Female inmates -- 11:00 AM thru 6:00 PM.

There is no visitation allowed on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday. Visitation at the Baxter County Jail and Detention Center is a privilege and may be revoked or suspended at time.

Visitors six years of age and younger are not permitted to visit. Visitors aged 7 to 17 years must be accompanied by an adult in order to visit.

Visitors awaiting court dates on felony charges are not permitted to visit. Visitors who have been convicted or sentenced on a felony charge will only be allowed to visit if the inmate is part of their immediate family (This must be approved in advance by the Jail Administrator Lieutenant or Jail Sergeant).

Visitors and inmates having active protection orders or no contact orders between them are not permitted to visit.

Anyone who does not possess a valid government issued driver license or photo identification card will not be permitted to visit.

Visitors who are deemed to present a safety or security issue to the facility, staff, or inmates will not be permitted to visit.

No cameras, cell phones, or any other electronic device will be allowed in the visitation room of the Baxter County Jail and Detention Center.  

Visitors must be dressed appropriately or will be directed to leave.

No more than two visitors will be permitted to see an inmate at the same time.

All visitors are subject to search when entering the Detention Center.  All unnecessary items should be left outside in your vehicle.

The use of profanity within the Detention Center or disruptive, disorderly, or argumentative behavior between the visitors and an inmate or others will not be tolerated. Violators will be removed and barred from the facility.

How to Call an Inmate

You can't call an inmate who is housed at the Baxter County Jail, but they do have access to phones in their housing units (after their initial appearance, within 24 hours of their arrest) and can make outgoing collect calls.

How to Send Money

Anyone may add funds to a jail inmate’s commissary account at the Baxter County Jail using one of the following methods

• You may come to the Detention Center and enter into the main lobby.  There is a commissary Kiosk machine in the lobby that is accessible at all times, including nights, weekends, and holidays. Just follow the touch screen prompts on the Kiosk to add funds to a particular inmate’s commissary account.
• Go online to www.tigercommissary.com and select “order commissary or send money online.” Follow the prompts by selecting the appropriate state, county, and jail facility. Then select “Web Deposit,” enter the inmate’s name, and follow the prompts to add money to that inmate’s commissary account.

Programs For Inmates

The inmates at the Baxter County Jail and Detention Center do not have access to television or radio, and they aren't allowed to smoke. 

The Detention Center has an in-house medical facility area used by the nurse practitioner, as well as a full kitchen where all meals are prepared. The kitchen is operated by the “Act 309” inmates, who are state prisoners assigned to work duties in local detention facilities. 

The meals at the Baxter County jail feature oatmeal for breakfast, bologna for lunch, and beans and cornbread for dinner. The daily inmate meals are supplemented with fresh produce grown by and tended to by inmates in a vegetable garden area located outside the facility. Vegetable plants and seeds are donated by local merchants.

Pictures of Baxter County Jail and Detention Center

Careers at Baxter County Jail and Detention Center

If you are interested in a career with the Sheriff's Department and would like more information about the job openings at the Baxter County Jail, click here.