Find Screven County Jail Roster

Screven County jail roster records are maintained by the sheriff's office in Sylvania, Georgia. This east-central Georgia county has a population of about 13,900 people spread across a large rural area. The sheriff's office is the main law enforcement agency and runs the county jail. Booking records for the Screven County jail roster are public under Georgia law and available to anyone who asks. You can check who is in custody by calling the sheriff's office, visiting in person, or using online tools that collect booking data from Georgia counties.

Screven County Sheriff Jail Operations

The Screven County Sheriff's Office in Sylvania manages the county jail and maintains all booking records. The sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer for the county. Arrests made anywhere in Screven County go through the jail for processing. The Sylvania Police Department also operates in the area, and people they arrest get booked into the county jail as well. That means the Screven County jail roster captures all local bookings regardless of which agency made the arrest.

Screven County sits in the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit along with Bulloch, Effingham, and Jenkins counties. The superior court covers felony cases across the circuit. Magistrate court in Sylvania handles bond hearings and minor offenses. Someone on the Screven County jail roster with a felony charge will have their case heard in superior court. The circuit court schedule can affect how long an inmate stays in the county jail before going to trial.

The jail holds pre-trial detainees and people serving short sentences. Inmates with sentences over 12 months get transferred to a state prison facility run by the Georgia Department of Corrections.

Search Screven County Inmates

You can check the Screven County jail roster through several methods. The sheriff's office in Sylvania can give you information by phone during business hours. Staff will tell you if someone is in custody, what their charges are, and what bond has been set. For a more detailed request, put it in writing.

The GDC offender search is a free tool from the Georgia Department of Corrections. It only covers state prison inmates, not the Screven County jail. If someone was booked into the county jail and later sentenced to state time, they will show up in the GDC system. Use the first four letters of the last name and set the query to return all offenders for broader results.

Screven County Booking and Custody

Booking at the Screven County jail involves fingerprinting, photos, and a log of all charges. Bond gets set based on the charge and local guidelines. Once the booking process is done, the inmate's info goes on the Screven County jail roster. The jail in Sylvania is a smaller facility that serves the rural county. Capacity is limited compared to metro-area jails in Georgia. People with longer sentences move to the state system after going through the courts.

If you need to visit someone at the Screven County jail, call the sheriff's office first. Visit schedules at small Georgia county jails can be limited. Some jails only allow visits on certain days. Others have switched to video visits. Ask about dress code rules, how many people can visit at one time, and whether you need to schedule in advance. Bring a valid photo ID when you go.

Screven County Jail Records Access

Georgia's Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. Section 50-18-70, makes most jail records in Screven County open to the public. You can file a request with the sheriff's office for booking logs, inmate lists, and other detention data. The law requires a response within three business days. The first 15 minutes of search work are free. After that, fees are based on the hourly rate of the lowest-paid employee who can handle the task. Copies cost $0.10 per page.

Some records stay sealed. Medical data, security procedures, and employee personal info are exempt under state law. Investigation files from internal affairs are also off limits. Under O.C.G.A. Section 50-18-74, agencies that wrongly deny valid records requests can face fines of up to $1,000 for the first offense. Additional violations within 12 months carry penalties of $2,500 each. This applies to the Screven County Sheriff's Office the same as any other public agency in Georgia.

Note: Include specific names and dates in your open records request to get a faster response from the Screven County Sheriff's Office.

Criminal Records in Screven County

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs the Georgia Crime Information Center. Arrest data from Screven County feeds into this statewide criminal history database. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, you can review your own criminal history for a fee of up to $15. Fingerprinting costs are not included. If you spot errors in your record, you can request a correction through the GCIC.

Georgia law provides for record restriction based on case outcomes and time limits. Misdemeanor arrests with no disposition get restricted after two years. Non-violent felonies without a result wait four years. Serious violent offenses take seven years. After the GCIC restricts a record, the Screven County jail must do the same within 30 days of a written request from the individual. This is important for people who were on the Screven County jail roster but whose charges were later dropped, dismissed, or ended with an acquittal. Under O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-66, first offenders who complete their sentence will not show up in the GDC offender search.

Screven County Inmate Tracking

The VINE notification system is free for crime victims in Screven County. It alerts you when an inmate's custody status changes. Sign up at VINELink.com or call 1-800-398-2892. You need the inmate's name or booking ID. Pick your alert method: phone, text, or email. The service runs around the clock and is completely confidential. If someone on the Screven County jail roster gets released, moved, or has a change in status, VINE lets you know right away.

The Georgia Department of Corrections tracks state prison inmates. The GDC facility directory lists all state prisons and county facilities across Georgia. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association represents all 159 county sheriffs and can help you find contact info for the Screven County office.

Nearby County Jail Rosters

Screven County is in east-central Georgia between Augusta and Savannah. These counties border it and each maintains its own jail roster through the sheriff's office.

Cities Near Screven County

Screven County does not have any cities over 25,000 in population. The nearest qualifying cities are Statesboro in Bulloch County and Savannah in Chatham County.