Clarke County Jail Roster

Clarke County jail roster records cover all inmates held at the detention facility in Athens, Georgia. Clarke County has a consolidated city-county government with Athens, making it Athens-Clarke County. The sheriff's office runs the jail and keeps the inmate roster updated with booking records. You can search the Clarke County jail roster online, by phone, or through third-party tools that pull inmate data from Georgia jails. Athens is a college town with a population near 130,000, so the jail handles a steady stream of bookings year round.

Clarke County Sheriff and Jail Roster

The Clarke County Sheriff's Office manages the local jail and all inmate records. Because Athens and Clarke County are a unified government, the sheriff handles law enforcement for the entire county. There is no separate city jail. All arrests go to the Clarke County detention facility. The jail roster lists every person in custody, with their charges, booking date, and bond amount. Staff at the sheriff's office can answer questions about the jail roster during regular business hours.

Clarke County is part of the Western Judicial Circuit, which also includes Oconee County. Court cases from the county get handled in this circuit. The sheriff's office works with the courts to keep booking records and case info in sync. When someone posts bond or gets released, the jail roster gets updated. The sheriff is the elected official in charge of the jail, the courts security, and civil process in Clarke County.

Search Clarke County Jail Inmates

There are a few ways to find someone on the Clarke County jail roster. The sheriff's office may have an online search portal on its website. Type in a name and the system pulls up matching inmates. You can see their charges, bond info, and booking date. This is the quickest way to check who is in the Clarke County jail from your computer or phone.

Calling the sheriff's office is always an option. Staff can confirm if someone is in custody and tell you about their charges and bond. This is the most reliable method because you get real-time info straight from the source.

State Inmate Search for Clarke County

The Clarke County jail roster covers local inmates only. For people who have been sent to a Georgia state prison, use the GDC offender search. The Georgia Department of Corrections runs this free tool for all state facility inmates. It shows where they are held, what they were convicted of, and their parole dates. County jail inmates do not appear in the GDC system. The two databases are separate.

The GDC facility directory covers prisons, transitional centers, and other state sites. You can search by name, location, or facility type. It gives detailed profiles for state-run places but limited data on county jails like the one in Clarke County. If you need info on the county jail itself, the sheriff's office is the better source.

VINELink lets you track inmates in Clarke County for free. Sign up with a phone number and a four-digit PIN. Choose whether you want phone, text, or email alerts when an inmate's status changes. The system runs 24 hours a day and is confidential. Call 1-800-398-2892 to register by phone. VINE is useful for anyone who needs to know when someone gets out of the Clarke County jail.

Clarke County Jail Records and the Law

Georgia's Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. Section 50-18-70, gives the public access to most Clarke County jail roster records. You file a request with the sheriff's office. They have three business days to respond. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. After that, fees match the hourly pay of the lowest-paid employee who can do the work. Copies cost $0.10 per page. Most booking data is open, but security plans, employee personal details, and medical files are exempt.

Criminal records from the Clarke County jail can get restricted under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37. Misdemeanor arrests with no case outcome get restricted after two years. Non-violent felonies with no resolution are restricted after four years. Serious violent offenses wait seven years. The Georgia Crime Information Center at the GBI handles restrictions first. Then the Clarke County jail must restrict its copy within 30 days of a written request. Cases that were dismissed, resulted in acquittal, or where a grand jury returned no bill also qualify.

Under O.C.G.A. Section 50-18-74, agencies that wrongly deny open records requests face fines. The first violation is up to $1,000. Repeat violations within 12 months can result in fines of $2,500 per occurrence. This gives the public a way to hold agencies accountable.

Clarke County Booking and Custody

Athens-Clarke County handles a steady flow of arrests because of its population and the University of Georgia campus. When someone gets picked up, they go to the county jail for booking. Staff take a photo, fingerprints, and log the charges. Bond is set by a judge or a schedule. The inmate then shows up on the Clarke County jail roster. Family members and anyone else can search for the person once booking is complete.

The jail roster is a snapshot of who is in custody at any given moment. It changes throughout the day as people bond out, get transferred, or go to court. If you check the Clarke County jail roster and don't see someone you expected, try again later or call the jail directly. Booking can take a few hours, especially during busy times like game weekends or holiday breaks.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association can help you find the contact info for any sheriff in the state, including Clarke County. They list phone numbers and addresses for all 159 offices.

Clarke County Cities Jail Roster

Athens is the main city in Clarke County and the only qualifying city with a population over 25,000. Because of the consolidated government, there is no separate Athens jail. All arrests go to the Clarke County jail. Check the link below for more on how jail roster searches work in Athens.

Nearby County Jail Rosters

Clarke County sits in northeast Georgia. Several counties border it and run their own jails. Check these neighbors if the arrest may have happened outside Clarke County.