Another type of genealogy record that provides tremendous value is criminal records. Some of our ancestors unfortunately got in trouble with the law. And records were kept from arrests through court cases to prison documents. Now, more and more of these records are being digitized or transcribed and are being made available online.
Types of Records
- Criminal court proceedings
- Police reports
- Prison and jail admission registers
- Arrest records
- Mug books
- Pardon and discharge information
- Hospital record books
- Workhouse records
Types of Information
- Name
- Age
- Birth date
- Height
- Weight
- Complexion
- Eye color
- Hair color
- Nationality
- Occupation
- Education
- Habits (alcohol use)
- Relations (parents living)
- Date incarcerated
- Court where charged
- Recommitments
- How and when discharged
Note: Some of the links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage, please make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
Listed below are links to criminal records that are available for free online for the state; the first list is for multi-state collections:
(Updated October 2023)
Arkansas Criminal Records
United States
- Before the Needles, Executions in America Database
- Death Penalty USA, Executions 1607-1976 (by state)
- Federal Bureau of Prisons, Inmate Search 1982-
- Freedmen’s Bureau Records Relating to Murders and Outrages
Arkansas
- Arkansas Department of Corrections, Inmate search
- Arkansas State Convict Farm #1, 1930 Index of Prisoners
- Arkansas State Convict Farm #2, 1930 Index of Prisoners
- Arkansas State Convict Farm #3, 1930 Index of Prisoners
- Arkansas State Convict Farm #8, 1930 Index of Prisoners
- Arkansas State Penitentiary – 1930 Census
- Arkansas State Penitentiary 1880 Index of Prisoners (A – J)
- Arkansas State Penitentiary 1880 Index of Prisoners (K – Z)
- Arkansas, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918 – 1920
- Arkansas, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920, Indexed by County
- Arkansas, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, Prisoners, Insane, In Hospitals, 1917-1918
- Ashley County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Baxter County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Benton County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Boone County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Bradley County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Calhoun County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Carroll County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Chicot County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Clark County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Clay County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records
- Clay County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Cleburne County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Cleveland County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Cleveland County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records For Cleveland County and Surrounding Counties 1918 – 1920
- Columbia County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Conway County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Craighead County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Craighead County, Circuit Court Records, 1883-1902
- Crawford County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Crittenden County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Cross County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Cross County, Circuit Court Records, 1872-1888
- Dallas County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Desha County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Dorsey County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Drew County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Executions in Arkansas
- Faulkner County, Sheriff’s Pauper Book, 1880-1897
- Faulkner County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Franklin County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Fulton County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Garland County, State Penitentiary Index
- Garland County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Grant County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Greene County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records, 1918-1920
- Greene County, Indictment Record, 1888
- Greene County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Hempstead County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Hot Spring County, Arkansas State Penitentiary List of Inmates 1918-1920
- Hot Spring County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Howard County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Independence County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Izard County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Jackson County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Jefferson County Penitentiary Records for 1936 thru 1938
- Jefferson County, Arkansas State Convict Farm #1 1930 Index of Convicts
- Jefferson County, Arkansas State Convict Farm #2 1930 Index of Prisoners
- Jefferson County, Penitentiary Records for 1936 thru 1938
- Jefferson County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Johnson County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Lafayette County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Lawrence County, Arkansas State Penitentiary List of Inmates 1918-1920
- Lawrence County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Lawrence County, Criminal Court Records, 1876-1883
- Lee County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Lincoln County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Little River County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Logan County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Lonoke County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Lovely County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Madison County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Marion County Index to Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Marion County Index to Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Marion County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Men Executed at Fort Smith: 1873 to 1896
- Miller County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Mississippi County, Arkansas State Penitentiary List of Inmates 1918-1920
- Mississippi County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records, 1918-1920
- Mississippi County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Monroe County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Montgomery County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Nevada County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Newton County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Ouachita County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Ouachita County, Chancery Court Records, *1874-1959
- Ouachita County, Criminal Record, Book *Y, 1941-1953
- Perry County, Convict Camp 1910 Census
- Perry County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Phillips County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Pike County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Poinsett County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Polk County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Pope County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Prairie County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Pulaski County, Arkansas State Penitentiary – 1930 Census
- Pulaski County, Arkansas State Penitentiary 1880 Index of Prisoners (A – J)
- Pulaski County, Arkansas State Penitentiary 1880 Index of Prisoners (K – Z)
- Pulaski County, Arkansas State Penitentiary List of Inmates 1918-1920
- Pulaski County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records 1936-1938
- Pulaski County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records, 1918-1920
- Pulaski County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records, 1936-1938
- Pulaski County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Randolph County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Saline County, Benton Cemetery #1 AKA Arkansas State Hospital Cemetery
- Saline County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Scott County, Arkansas State Penitentiary Records, 1918-1920
- Scott County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Searcy County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Sebastian County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Sevier County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Sharp County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- St. Francis County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Stone County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Union County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Van Buren County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Washington County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- White County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Woodruff County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
- Woodruff County, Circuit Court Records, 1865-1954
- Yell County, Penitentiary Records
- Yell County, State Penitentiary Records 1918-1920
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For all Free Arkansas Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Coroner Records
Criminal Records
Digital Archives
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Institutional Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records
For all Free Arkansas Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Coroner Records
Criminal Records
Digital Archives
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Institutional Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records
