Mesquite Jail

The Mesquite Jail serves as a temporary holding facility, where inmates typically stay for less than 72 hours before being transferred to the Kaufman County Detention Center.

The process for releasing a person from jail varies depending on the charges brought against the arrested individual. To obtain information about release methods, you can contact the Mesquite Jail by phone at 972-216-6243. However, please note that visitation is currently suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is recommended to call for updates regarding visitation policies.

Upon completing the booking process, prisoners are allowed one free telephone call. Additionally, they have the opportunity to make collect phone calls from within their cell block. However, personal items of convenience and money cannot be contributed to the prisoner's property. Prescription medication prescribed to the inmate will be accepted and dispensed according to the proper procedures. The medication must be appropriately packaged in a prescription bottle with the inmate's name clearly listed.

For information regarding prisoners transferred into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), you can contact ICE directly at (214)-905-5829. The personnel at the Mesquite Jail will not have access to information about individuals transferred to ICE's custody. Please note that the release of prisoner property requires written permission from the prisoner, and the person receiving the property must present valid identification in accordance with visitation rules.

How do I find out if someone has been arrested and booked into the Mesquite Jail?

To find out if someone you know has been recently arrested and booked into the Mesquite Jail, call the jail’s booking line at 972.216.6243.

There may be an automated method of looking them up by their name over the phone, or you may be directed to speak to someone at the jail. Sometimes the jail staff may ask you the offender’s date of birth to ensure privacy of the offender’s status.

Keep in mind that after an arrest, the information on an offender may not be publicly available for several hours.

If you don’t want to check up on an offender by calling the jail, you can also try looking up people recently booked online.

Mesquite Jail Booking Roster

What happens during booking in Kaufman County?

After being arrested and taken into custody, and after being read their Miranda Rights, an offender will next be transported to the local police or department or the Sheriff’s Department in Kaufman County for booking.

Booking is very involved and requires multiple steps in the process, however, keep in mind that most attorneys will advise that an offender remain silent and not offer any additional information about the crime they have been arrested for because anything they do say may be recorded and may very well be used against them in court.

What is the booking process like at the Mesquite Jail?

Booking includes having their photo (mugshot) and fingerprints taken, as well as being asked a lot of questions about their personal history and state of mind. If it’s a serious felony, their DNA may also be taken. They will also be checked for warrants in Kaufman County and other Texas and USA jurisdictions.

If the offender was arrested for a DUI offense, and has refused a breathalyzer test, they may also be forced to have blood drawn by a doctor or nurse.

It is also very likely that the offender will undergo a humiliating full body search while in the nude. This includes bending over, spreading their cheeks in the direction of an officer, and coughing. They will also be walked through a metal detector or x-ray machine, like those used at an airport.

What kind of questions are asked during booking?

The arresting jurisdiction will ask about gang affiliations, tattoos, medical conditions, prescribed medication they are taking, recreational drugs they are on or addicted to, allergies, if they are suicidal, and other relevant information that will help with determining their cell assignment and special needs.

What happens to an offender’s personal property during booking?

During the arrest and booking process an offender will also have all their personal property confiscated and held for either their release from jail, or with the offender’s approval, released to a friend or family member.

Personal property includes the clothing they are wearing, money, wallets, purses, cell phones, jewelry, body rings, earrings, watches, and even glasses if they are deemed a security risk. If they are allowed to keep their shoes or sneakers, the laces are removed.

What happens after booking?

At this point the offender will be allowed to make a free phone call to a person of their choice to notify them of their arrest, and/or arrange a bond or bail for their release.

If the offender is being detained and housed while awaiting arraignment, the Mesquite Jail will provide a jail garment and slip-on shoes, a blanket, sheets, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a towel.

Often, before they are dressed in the jail outfit and brought to their housing location, they will be forced to take a shower and undergo a disinfectant treatment for body and hair lice, scabies or other pests that may be residing on their person.

How long does the Mesquite Jail Booking process take?

Booking can take anywhere from an hour to 24 hours or more. It all depends on the number of people that are awaiting processing, the number of staff on duty at the time, and the behavior of the offender.

If the offender is heavily intoxicated and/or violent, the Booking Officer may decide to stick the offender in a holding cell for several hours until they become more manageable.