Cochran County Jail Mugshots

Cochran County jail mugshots and booking records are managed by the Cochran County Sheriff's Office in Morton, Texas. This page covers how to find inmate records for this small South Plains county, how to make a public records request, and what Texas state tools can help when local search options are limited.

Cochran County Sheriff's Office

The Cochran County Sheriff's Office in Morton covers one of the smaller counties in Texas by population. The county sits on the South Plains near the New Mexico border. The sheriff's office handles all law enforcement for the county and runs the Cochran County Jail. With a small population of roughly 2,800 people, booking volume is relatively low compared to larger Texas counties.

Cochran County does not offer a public online inmate roster. To check on an inmate's current status, call the sheriff's office at (806) 266-5211. Staff can verify custody, charges, and bond information over the phone. For written records requests including booking photos, the address is 100 N. Main St. in Morton.

Because the county is small, the jail has limited capacity. In some cases, inmates may be housed at a neighboring county jail under contract. If you cannot find someone at the Cochran County Jail, try calling to ask if they were transferred. Nearby Hockley County is sometimes used for overflow in this part of Texas.

Cochran County Jail Mugshots and Records Requests

Booking photos from the Cochran County Jail are public records under Texas law. The Texas Public Information Act, Government Code Chapter 552, gives any person the right to request government records in writing. This includes mugshots, booking sheets, and arrest reports held by the sheriff's office.

To request records, write to the Cochran County Sheriff's Office at 100 N. Main St. in Morton. Include the person's full name, date of birth, and approximate date of arrest. State what records you want. The office has 10 business days to respond. Fees for paper copies run about $0.10 per page. If the search is time-consuming, the agency may charge for research hours beyond one hour of staff time.

If the office believes records should be withheld, they must either cite a recognized legal exception or ask the Texas Attorney General for an opinion. You can learn more about your rights at texasattorneygeneral.gov/open-government.

The Texas DPS statewide criminal history system is a useful backup. Texas DPS Crime Records covers data from agencies across the entire state.

The DPS system provides statewide coverage that goes beyond any single county's records and can help fill gaps in local searches.

Texas Statewide Resources

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice runs a free state prison search at inmate.tdcj.texas.gov. Use this to find someone who has been convicted of a felony and sent to state prison. County jail detainees will not appear there, but anyone who moved from local to state custody will.

VINELink at vinelink.com lets you track an inmate's custody status and get alerts when they are released. The service is free and available across most of Texas including Cochran County. Registration takes only a few minutes.

The Texas Commission on Jail Standards inspects every county jail in Texas on a regular basis. Visit tcjs.state.tx.us to see how the Cochran County Jail is rated and to review past inspection reports. The site does not show individual inmates but provides useful context about jail operations.

Note: Arrest records for people under 17 are sealed by Texas Family Code. Expunged records under Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55 are not publicly available.

Nearby Counties

Cochran County is on the far South Plains of Texas, near the New Mexico state line. These counties border it.