Clay County Jail

The Clay County Jail is located in Piggott, Arkansas and is operated by the Clay 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 Clay 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 Clay County Jail, click here. 

All Jailers at the Clay County Jail are required to know the booking process -- the responsibility for the receiving and intake process for all prisoners. This includes computer book-in, fingerprinting, photographing, searching, change-out, and housing cell block assignment. 

The jailers are responsible for dispensing prescription and non-prescription medications, as well as handling commissary. They also deal personally with inmates in the housing areas.

Posting Bond

The purpose of a bond is to make sure that an arrested person will appear at their scheduled court date after their release from jail. 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. 

Cash Bond: 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 Bond: 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. 

OR Bond: Releasing someone on their “own recognizance” is simply 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

This information is not publicly available. Please contact the Clay County Jail directly for visiting hours and rules.

All inmate mail must be sent through the postal system, and will be opened and inspected for contraband. Any mail that is dirty or stained will be considered contaminated and returned to the sender.

Photographs may be sent to an inmate through the mail, but may not exceed four by six inches in size. Larger pictures will be returned. A maximum of five photographs is allowed per inmate. The pictures may not contain violence, nudity, sexual acts, or gang-related activities including hand signs.

Prohibited mail items include: Mail with lipstick imprinted on it, Odor-causing substances like perfume or cologne that permeate the mail, Stickers, labels, or anything with adhesive, Torn-out book, magazine or newspaper clippings or pages, Flowers, candy, food, or any perishables, Blank stationery, envelopes, Post-it Notes, Staples, Paper Clips, Glitter, Tape, Plastic, or Metal.

Items Considered Contraband:

• Narcotics, marijuana, handcuff keys, blades, postage stamps, stickers, etc.
• Pictures or photographs may not contain violence, nudity, sexual acts, or gang-related activities including hand signs, decorative stickers, etc.
• Mail tainted with perfume, cologne, or any other type of substance, including correction fluid, gel ink, or written in crayon etc.

Contraband that is illegal will result in criminal charges being filed. Anything that's not of a criminal nature will be returned to the sender.

How to Call an Inmate

You can't call an inmate who is housed at the Clay County Jail, but they do have access to phones and can make outgoing collect calls.

How to Send Money

Anyone may add funds to an inmate’s commissary account at the Clay County Jail using one of the following methods

• You may visit the lobby of the Clay County Jail. 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. Or, click here. You can either send money, or you can place an order for commissary items that are delivered to your inmate.

Programs For Inmates

The inmates at the Clay County Jail do not have access to television or radio, but they are allowed to purchase e-cigarettes from the commissary. 

This facility has a full kitchen where all meals are prepared by the "Act 309" inmates, who are state prisoners assigned to work duties in local detention facilities. 

With rare exception, the meals at the Clay County Jail are: oatmeal for breakfast, bologna for lunch, and beans and cornbread for dinner. Meals are also supplemented with fresh produce from a vegetable garden area that is located outside the facility. The veggies are grown and tended to by inmates.

Pictures of Clay County Jail

Careers at Clay County Jail

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