Dougherty County Jail Roster

The Dougherty County jail roster records all inmates held at the county detention facility in Albany, Georgia. Dougherty County is the main county in southwest Georgia and Albany is the largest city in the region. The sheriff's office manages the jail and keeps the roster current with every booking and release. You can search the Dougherty County jail roster online through public tools, call the jail for phone lookups, or submit formal records requests. This page walks you through every option for finding inmates in the Dougherty County system.

Dougherty County Sheriff's Office

The Dougherty County Sheriff's Office handles the jail roster and all detention operations for the county. Albany is the county seat and where the jail is located. This is one of the busier sheriff offices in southwest Georgia because Albany is the largest city in the area. The sheriff's office handles patrol, investigations, court operations, and the county jail from one central location.

Dougherty County has a population of about 87,900. The jail sees a steady flow of bookings from multiple agencies. Arrests made by the Dougherty County Sheriff's Office, Albany Police Department, and Georgia State Patrol all go through the same detention facility. Everyone picked up in Dougherty County ends up on the same jail roster. Staff at the sheriff's office can check the Dougherty County jail roster by phone during business hours if you call with an inmate's name.

The jail runs 24 hours a day. Bookings happen at all hours. Once someone is processed, their name and charges go on the public roster. Bond amounts show up as well once a magistrate or judge sets them.

Search the Dougherty County Jail Roster

There are several ways to search the Dougherty County jail roster. The simplest is to call the sheriff's office and ask. If you prefer an online search, third-party inmate lookup sites pull data from Georgia county jails and make it searchable. You enter a name and the results show matching inmates across the state or in a specific county.

You can use VINELink to track an inmate's custody status in Dougherty County. VINE is free and alerts you when an inmate is moved or released. Sign up online or call 1-800-398-2892. You set a PIN and choose how to get your alerts. The service runs at all hours and keeps your identity private. It works for the Dougherty County jail and most other county jails in Georgia.

Dougherty County Jail Records and Law

Georgia's Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. Section 50-18-70, makes most Dougherty County jail roster data available to the public. You can request booking records, arrest info, and inmate details from the sheriff's office. They must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of search time are free. After that, the county can charge based on the hourly rate of the lowest paid staff member who can find the records. Copies run $0.10 per page.

Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, certain Dougherty County jail records get restricted over time. Misdemeanor arrests with no conviction are restricted after two years. Non-violent felony arrests without a final outcome get restricted after four years. Violent felony arrests wait seven years. Once the Georgia Crime Information Center at the GBI restricts a record, the Dougherty County jail has 30 days to restrict its local copy after a written request from the person involved.

People who complete a sentence under the First Offender Act, O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-66, can have their records sealed. They will not appear in state offender searches. Under O.C.G.A. Section 50-18-74, agencies that wrongly deny open records requests face fines up to $1,000 for the first offense and $2,500 for repeat violations within 12 months. This applies to the Dougherty County Sheriff's Office and all other agencies in the state.

State Resources for Dougherty County

If someone has been moved from the Dougherty County jail to a state prison, the local roster will no longer show them. The GDC offender search tool is what you use to check state facilities. The Georgia Department of Corrections runs this free search. You look up inmates by name or ID number. Results show current location, charges, and parole dates. This tool does not cover county jail inmates.

The GDC facility directory lists state prisons, county facilities, and transitional centers across Georgia. Use it to find details on specific facilities in or near Dougherty County. For state open records, submit through the GDC open records request page. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association can help you find contact info for any sheriff's office in the state, including Dougherty County.

Note: The GDC offender search requires you to use the first four letters of the last name for best results.

Albany and Dougherty County Jail Roster

Albany is the county seat and main city in Dougherty County. Arrests made by the Albany Police Department go to the Dougherty County jail for processing. If you are looking for someone who was arrested in Albany, they will be on the Dougherty County jail roster. The city does not run its own jail. All bookings flow through the county system, which means one roster covers the whole area.

Dougherty County is the hub of southwest Georgia. People from surrounding rural counties often come to Albany for work, shopping, and services. That means the jail sometimes holds people from nearby counties who were picked up while in the Dougherty County area. Their booking records still show up on the Dougherty County jail roster.

Nearby County Jail Rosters

Dougherty County is in southwest Georgia. Check the neighboring county jail rosters below if you need to expand your search.