Chatham County Jail Roster Lookup

The Chatham County jail roster tracks all inmates held at the county detention facility in Savannah, Georgia. Chatham County is one of the most populated counties in the state, home to Savannah and the growing city of Pooler. The sheriff's office manages the jail and posts booking records that are open to the public. You can search the Chatham County jail roster online or contact the sheriff's office directly for inmate info. The roster shows current inmates, charges, booking dates, and bond amounts.

Chatham County Sheriff and Jail Roster

The Chatham County Sheriff's Office runs the county detention center and keeps the jail roster current. The office is based in Savannah, which serves as the county seat. The sheriff handles all booking, custody, and release operations for inmates in the Chatham County jail. This is a large operation. Chatham County has close to 300,000 residents and multiple law enforcement agencies that bring people in for booking. The Savannah Police Department, Pooler Police, and other local agencies all route arrests through the county jail.

The Chatham County jail sees a high volume of bookings compared to smaller counties in the state. That means the jail roster changes often. People bond out, get transferred, or go to court throughout the day. If you are checking the roster for a specific person, it may help to check more than once if you don't see them right away. Booking can take a few hours before the record shows up on the public roster.

The sheriff's office staff can answer questions about the Chatham County jail roster by phone. They keep the most current data and can confirm if someone is still in custody.

Search Chatham County Inmates Online

There are several ways to look up inmates on the Chatham County jail roster. The sheriff's office website is a good starting point. Many larger Georgia counties like Chatham have online search portals where you type in a name and get back a list of matching records. These tools usually show the inmate's booking date, charges, bond info, and custody status. You can access these tools from any computer or phone with web access.

For people who have moved from the Chatham County jail to a state prison, the GDC offender search is the tool to use. The Georgia Department of Corrections tracks state inmates separately from county jails. If someone was in the Chatham County jail but has since been sentenced and transferred, they will appear in the GDC system instead of the local jail roster.

Chatham County VINE Inmate Tracking

VINE is a free system that lets you track inmates in the Chatham County jail. It stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday. You can sign up at VINELink or call 1-800-398-2892 to register. The system works around the clock. Once you set up an account with a phone number and PIN, you choose how you want to be told about changes. Options include phone, text, and email alerts.

VINE is especially useful for crime victims who want to know when someone gets out of the Chatham County jail. The system is fully confidential. Your identity stays private when you track an inmate. Many Georgia counties use VINE, and Chatham County is in the network. If the person you are tracking gets moved or released, you get a notification right away.

Chatham County Jail Records and Georgia Law

Georgia's Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. Section 50-18-70, gives the public access to most jail roster data. You can file a request with the Chatham County Sheriff's Office for booking records. The law requires a response within three business days. The first 15 minutes of search work are free. After that, fees depend on staff time. Copies of documents run $0.10 per page. This applies to Chatham County jail records just like any other county in the state.

O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37 covers criminal history records and their restriction. Misdemeanor arrests in Chatham County with no case outcome get restricted after two years. Non-violent felonies without a result are restricted after four years. Serious violent offenses wait seven years. If the Georgia Crime Information Center at the GBI restricts a record, the Chatham County jail must do the same within 30 days of a written request. People whose charges were dismissed, dropped, or ended with a not guilty verdict can also ask for restriction.

Under O.C.G.A. Section 50-18-74, agencies that wrongly deny valid open records requests face fines. The first offense carries a penalty of up to $1,000. Additional violations within 12 months can result in fines of $2,500 each. This gives the public some leverage when agencies are slow to release Chatham County jail roster data.

Note: Medical records and security procedures at the Chatham County jail are not available through open records requests.

Chatham County Jail Booking Details

Chatham County handles a lot of bookings each year. People arrested in Savannah, Pooler, and other parts of the county all go through the same jail for processing. The booking process includes photos, fingerprinting, and a full record of charges. Bond amounts get set based on a schedule or through a judge. Once processing is done, the person's info appears on the Chatham County jail roster. The GDC facility directory lists Chatham County's jail along with other detention centers across Georgia.

Visitors and family members often check the jail roster to find out about bond, charges, and court dates. The Chatham County Sheriff's Office can also provide this info by phone. For formal records, file an open records request under O.C.G.A. Section 50-18-71. Be specific about the person and the dates you are asking about. This speeds up the process and keeps your costs down.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association lists all 159 county sheriffs. You can use their site to find contact details for the Chatham County Sheriff's Office if you need them.

Chatham County Cities Jail Roster

Chatham County includes the city of Savannah and the growing city of Pooler. Neither city runs its own jail. Arrests made by the Savannah Police Department or Pooler police go to the Chatham County jail for booking. That means the county jail roster is the place to look for anyone arrested in these cities. Pick a city below for more info on how jail roster searches work in that area.

Nearby County Jail Rosters

Chatham County is on the Georgia coast. Several counties border it on the west and south. Check these neighbors if you need jail roster info from surrounding areas.