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 on September 23, 2026.
Houston County, Texas, has about 22,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Houston County is held at the county jail, run by the Houston 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 County public records, Houston County arrest records, Houston County warrants, Houston County criminal records, Houston County court records, Texas arrest records and Texas inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Houston County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Houston County is held at the county jail, run by the Houston County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the custody page of the Houston County Sheriff's Office at co.houston.tx.us/page/houston.InmateList (page title: Houston County, Texas), phone 866-268-8959, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
That page is the place to look for someone booked recently. A person cited and released at the scene, or held only a few hours by a city department, will not be on it.
The Houston County Jail by the Numbers
So far in 2026 the jail has held about 110 people on an average day, up from about 75 in 2019. Its rated capacity is 144 beds, and it is running at 79 percent of it. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Houston County has about 22,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 51 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Houston County Jail
The Houston County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Crockett and Grapeland make the arrests that end in a booking in Houston County.
The FBI's agency list also places nine other agencies in Houston County (the arrest records guide names each one).
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were Crockett's 245 for 2025, the Houston County Sheriff's Office's 61 for 2025 and Grapeland's 22 for 2025.
Together, the three agencies in Houston County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 328 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 Houston County arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
The jail holds people awaiting trial and people serving short sentences. A person sentenced to prison in Houston County serves the sentence in a facility of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, whose inmate locator is at inmate.tdcj.texas.gov/InmateSearch/start.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Houston County?
Look on the custody page of the Houston County Sheriff's Office at co.houston.tx.us/page/houston.InmateList, or call 866-268-8959. It covers people booked into the county jail.
How many people are in the Houston County jail?
About 110 on an average day so far in 2026, against a rated capacity of 144 beds.
What is the phone number for the Houston County jail?
866-268-8959, the number on the page of the Houston County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Houston 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 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.