Reviewed and updated October 9, 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 September 30, 2026.
McNairy County, Tennessee, has about 26,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in McNairy County is held at the county jail, run by the McNairy 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: McNairy County public records, McNairy County arrest records, McNairy County warrants, McNairy County criminal records, McNairy County court records, Tennessee arrest records and Tennessee inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in McNairy County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in McNairy County is held at the county jail, run by the McNairy County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the McNairy County Sheriff's Office at mcnairycountytn.org/sheriffs-office.html (page title: Sheriff's Office | McNairy County, Tennessee), phone 731-645-1000, 300 Industrial Drive Selmer, TN 38375, Monday - Friday 8AM - 4PM, 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 731-645-1000.
The McNairy County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2024 the jail held about 90 people, up from about 89 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2024 was 94 beds, and it ran at 95 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
McNairy County has about 26,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 34 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the McNairy County Jail
The McNairy County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Selmer and Adamsville make the arrests that end in a booking in McNairy County.
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were the McNairy County Sheriff's Office's 561 for 2025, Selmer's 241 for 2025 and Adamsville's 54 for 2025.
Together, the three agencies in McNairy County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 856 arrests to the FBI that year. Those kept in custody were booked into the county jail; a person cited and released at the scene was not.
The counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in McNairy County arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
A sentence of more than a year is served in state prison, not the jail; the Tennessee Department of Correction lists its inmates at foil.app.tn.gov/foil/search.jsp.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in McNairy County?
Ask the McNairy County Sheriff's Office at 731-645-1000; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at mcnairycountytn.org/sheriffs-office.html.
How many people are in the McNairy County jail?
About 90 on an average day in 2024, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 94 beds.
What is the phone number for the McNairy County jail?
731-645-1000, the number on the page of the McNairy County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in McNairy County go?
To a facility of the Tennessee Department of Correction; its inmate locator is at foil.app.tn.gov/foil/search.jsp.
Is this the official McNairy County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.