Reviewed and updated October 7, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 1, 2026.
Houston, Texas, in Harris County, has about 2.4 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Houston is held at the county jail, run by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, and the jail's record of each person held is a public record. This guide says where to look for someone in custody, what the jail holds and who books people into it.
This guide covers the search, the jail, who books people, state prison and common questions.
Related guides: Houston public records, Harris County public records, Houston warrants, Houston criminal records, Houston court records, Houston police reports, Texas arrest records and Texas inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Houston
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Houston is held at the county jail, run by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the Harris County Sheriff's Office at harriscountyso.org/JailInfo/Default (page title: Jail Information-Harris County Texas Sheriff's Office), phone 866-268-8959, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
That page is the office's jail information page rather than a roster, so a search for a particular person goes through the office at 866-268-8959.
The Harris County Jail by the Numbers
So far in 2026 the jail has held about 7,050 people on an average day, down from about 8,980 in 2019. Its rated capacity is 10,466 beds, and it is running at 67 percent of it. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Harris County has about 5.0 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 14 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Harris County Jail
The Harris County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Houston (filed by the FBI as Houston Police Department) make the arrests that end in a booking in and around Houston.
The FBI's agency list also places 30 other agencies and 11 campus police departments in Harris County.
The Waller Police Department, the Stafford Police Department, the Missouri City Police Department and three more are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Harris County, so their arrests are not broken out for Harris County here.
From the Jail to State Prison
A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison, not the jail; the Texas Department of Criminal Justice lists its inmates at inmate.tdcj.texas.gov/InmateSearch/start.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Houston?
Ask the Harris County Sheriff's Office at 866-268-8959; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at harriscountyso.org/JailInfo/Default.
How many people are in the Harris County jail?
About 7,050 on an average day so far in 2026, against a rated capacity of 10,466 beds.
What is the phone number for the Harris County jail?
866-268-8959, the number on the page of the Harris County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Harris County go?
To a facility of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice; its inmate locator is at inmate.tdcj.texas.gov/InmateSearch/start.
Is this the official Houston website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.