West Carroll Parish Arrest Records
West Carroll Parish arrest records are maintained by the West Carroll Parish Sheriff's Office in Oak Grove, Louisiana. Sheriff Jerry Demoss leads the office, which handles all arrests and bookings in the parish. A public inmate roster is available through the Louisiana Victim Notification System, letting anyone search for current inmates. Booking records and initial arrest reports are open under Louisiana law. This page covers how to find West Carroll Parish arrest records online, how to request documents, and what state rules govern access.
West Carroll Parish Quick Facts
West Carroll Parish Sheriff's Office
The West Carroll Parish Sheriff's Office is at 305 East Main Street, Oak Grove, LA 71263. The parish jail is at the same address. Sheriff Jerry Demoss oversees law enforcement for the parish. You can reach the office at (318) 428-2331 or by fax at (318) 428-8889. The email for the office is sheriff@westcarrollps.com. West Carroll is a small, rural parish in northeast Louisiana, and the sheriff's office is the primary law enforcement agency for the unincorporated areas.
| Sheriff | Jerry Demoss |
|---|---|
| Address | 305 East Main Street, Oak Grove, LA 71263 |
| Phone | (318) 428-2331 |
| Fax | (318) 428-8889 |
| sheriff@westcarrollps.com |
Louisiana's Public Records Act at LRS 44:1 gives any adult the right to inspect and copy public records. The West Carroll Parish Sheriff's Office must follow this law. If you need records not available online, submit a written request to the office at 305 East Main Street in Oak Grove. The agency must respond within three business days. Fees for paper copies may apply, but you cannot be charged just to view a public record.
Booking records and initial arrest reports are specifically public under LRS 44:3. These documents are open even before a case reaches trial and regardless of whether a conviction results. You don't need to give a reason for requesting them. Any adult may ask for these records from the agency that holds them.
Search West Carroll Parish Inmate Roster Online
The West Carroll Parish Sheriff's Office posts a public inmate roster through the Louisiana Victim Notification System. The direct link for West Carroll Parish is westcarroll.lavns.org. This free tool lets you browse the current jail population by the first letter of the last name. Each entry shows the inmate's name, date of birth, race, gender, and arrest date. This is the fastest way to check whether someone is currently held at the parish jail.
The West Carroll Parish inmate roster at westcarroll.lavns.org shows current inmates at the jail in Oak Grove and is updated as bookings and releases happen.
The roster is provided by the sheriff's office through the LAVNS network and lists each inmate with basic booking details.
The VINE system is part of the LAVNS platform. You can sign up for free, anonymous alerts tied to any specific inmate. VINE will contact you by phone, text, or email when that person's status changes in the system. This is useful if you need to know when someone is released from the West Carroll Parish Jail. You don't need to give your name to register.
West Carroll Parish Jail
The West Carroll Parish Jail is at 305 East Main Street, Oak Grove, the same address as the main sheriff's office. The phone is (318) 428-2331. Anyone arrested in West Carroll Parish and taken into custody is booked at this facility. The booking record created at intake documents the charges, the date of arrest, and the person's identifying information. This document is public under LRS 44:3.
West Carroll Parish is one of the smaller parishes in Louisiana in terms of population. The jail is a smaller facility. If you call to ask about an inmate or request a record, staff at the main number (318) 428-2331 handle both jail and records questions. Calling ahead is always a good idea before making a trip to Oak Grove.
Note: For questions about visitation or inmate services, contact the same number. The sheriff's office handles both the jail and records requests.
Statewide Arrest Record Resources
If the local LAVNS roster doesn't show the result you need, the statewide VINE portal at vinelink.vineapps.com covers all Louisiana parishes. You can search by name there across the entire state system. This is useful if you are not sure which parish jail a person is being held in or if a recent booking hasn't appeared on the local roster yet.
The statewide VINE system at vinelink.vineapps.com gives you a broader search across all Louisiana parish jails, including West Carroll.
VINE is free to use and does not require registration to search, though you do need to register to receive custody status alerts.
The Louisiana State Police maintain the Louisiana Criminal History database, which is restricted from general public access under LRS 15:587. This is different from a public jail roster. The LSP handles certified criminal history requests under LRS 15:588. If you need your own record from the state system, the fee is about $46 and the process runs through state police.
How to Request West Carroll Parish Arrest Records
Call (318) 428-2331 or email sheriff@westcarrollps.com. You can also visit 305 East Main Street, Oak Grove, LA 71263, during business hours. For a formal records request, put it in writing. List the person's name, the approximate arrest date, and the type of record you need. The office will let you know the copy fee. Most routine booking records don't take long to process.
Under LRS 44:1, the sheriff's office must respond to a written records request within three business days. If they need more time, they must say so in writing. A denial also requires a written explanation. Booking records and initial arrest reports are public under LRS 44:3 and are straightforward to request.
For your own criminal history record from the state, submit a request to the Louisiana State Police under LRS 15:588. The fee is about $46. That process is separate from a local booking record request and goes through a different state agency.
Arrest Record Laws in West Carroll Parish
LRS 44:3 sets the standard for public arrest records in Louisiana. Initial arrest reports, booking records, summons, and citations are all public. These are open to any adult before a case goes to court and do not require a conviction to be accessible. The law is direct: these documents are public by default.
Criminal history data compiled by the state under LRS 15:587 is restricted. There is a meaningful difference between a local booking record and a full statewide background check. The booking record is public. The state criminal history database is not a general public resource. Keep that distinction in mind when deciding what to request and from which agency.
If a records request is wrongly denied, LRS 44:35 gives you the right to seek a court order through a mandamus action. That remedy is rarely needed for standard arrest records but is available. Legal aid organizations serving northeast Louisiana can help with any records disputes.
Cities in West Carroll Parish
There are no major cities in West Carroll Parish with dedicated arrest records pages on this site. Records for all communities in the parish, including Oak Grove, Epps, and Kilbourne, are handled through the West Carroll Parish Sheriff's Office at 305 East Main Street in Oak Grove. Call (318) 428-2331 for records help anywhere in the parish.
Nearby Parishes
West Carroll Parish is in northeast Louisiana near the Arkansas border. These parishes are close by and each has a separate sheriff and records system.