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 October 1, 2026.
Carthage, Texas, in Panola County, has about 6,700 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Carthage is held at the county jail, run by the Panola 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: Carthage public records, Panola County inmate search, Carthage arrest records, Carthage warrants, Carthage criminal records, Carthage court records, Texas arrest records and Texas inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Carthage
The county jail, run by the Panola County Sheriff's Office, holds everyone kept in custody after an arrest in Carthage, from every agency.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the Panola County Sheriff's Office at co.panola.tx.us/1204/Sheriffs-Office (page title: Sheriff's Office | Panola County, TX), phone 903-693-0333, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 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 903-693-0333.
The Panola County Jail by the Numbers
So far in 2026 the jail has held about 74 people on an average day, up from about 39 in 2019. Its rated capacity is 160 beds, and it is running at 46 percent of it. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Panola County has about 23,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 32 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Panola County Jail
The Panola County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Carthage (filed by the FBI as Carthage Police Department) make the arrests that end in a booking in and around Carthage.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Panola County: Panola College (campus police); Panola County Constable at Precinct 2 & 3 and Panola County Constable at Precinct 1 & 4 (other agency).
The Tatum Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Panola County, so its arrests are not broken out for Panola County here.
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were the Panola County Sheriff's Office's 174 for 2025 and Carthage's 126 for 2025.
Together, the two agencies in Panola County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 300 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 Carthage arrest records.
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 Carthage?
Ask the Panola County Sheriff's Office at 903-693-0333; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at co.panola.tx.us/1204/Sheriffs-Office.
How many people are in the Panola County jail?
About 74 on an average day so far in 2026, against a rated capacity of 160 beds.
What is the phone number for the Panola County jail?
903-693-0333, the number on the page of the Panola County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Panola 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 Carthage 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.