Clarke County Booking Releases

Clarke County booking releases are managed by the Athens-Clarke County Sheriff's Office under a consolidated city-county government. Athens and Clarke County merged in 1991, so the sheriff handles all bookings for the entire county. The jail processes a significant number of arrests each year, given the area's college-town population and active nightlife. You can search for booking releases through the county's online tools or contact the jail for records that are not available on the web.

Sheriff's Office and Jail Records

The Athens-Clarke County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and keeps all booking release records. The main office is at 3015 Lexington Road in Athens. You can call (706) 613-3270 for questions about bookings and jail records. The jail operates around the clock, processing arrests from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, University of Georgia police, and other agencies.

Under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7, the sheriff must keep a detailed record of every person held in the jail. The record must include the person's name, the booking date, the charges, and the release date. Clarke County follows this law and stores all booking data in its jail management system. These records cover years of bookings and include every facility the county operates.

The consolidated government means there is no separate city jail. All arrests in Athens go through the county system. This makes it simpler to search for records since everything is in one place.

How to Search Booking Releases

Clarke County offers an online inmate search tool. You can look up current and recent inmates by name or booking number. Results show the inmate's name, charges, booking date, bond amount, and release status. The tool is free and works at any time.

To use it, visit the Athens-Clarke County Sheriff's website and find the inmate search link. Type in the name and hit search. The system pulls up matches from recent bookings. If the person you are looking for was booked months ago, the online tool may not show them. In that case, you need to contact the jail directly.

Call (706) 613-3270 or visit the jail at 3015 Lexington Road. Staff can search the full system, including older records that are not online. Give them the person's name and any other details you have. They can usually tell you what they find right away.

Georgia law requires jails to maintain records of all inmates, and this statute covers Clarke County's obligations.

This state law sets the standard for what jail records must include in Clarke County and across all of Georgia.

Open Records for Clarke County Booking Releases

Georgia's Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 gives you the right to request booking release records from Clarke County. The law says these are public records. You don't need to explain why you want them.

File your request with the Athens-Clarke County Sheriff's Office. Write it down and be specific. Include names, dates, and case numbers if you have them. The county must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of staff search time is free. Copies cost $0.10 per page.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the agency must make records available during normal business hours. If your request is denied, they must tell you why in writing. Most booking release records are fully available to the public.

What Booking Releases Show

Clarke County booking release records include the inmate's full name, date of birth, physical description, charges, booking date, arresting agency, warrant numbers, bond amount, and release date. The record tracks every step from arrest to release and is kept in the county's jail system.

Booking photos may be part of the record. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18, Georgia sets rules for how booking photographs can be shared. Clarke County follows these rules when processing photo requests.

Some records may be restricted. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 lists exemptions under the Open Records Act. Active investigations, juvenile records, and sealed cases may be off limits. The basic booking and release data for adult arrests, though, is almost always open to the public.

Statewide Booking Release Resources

Beyond Clarke County records, state-level tools can help you find people who moved through the Georgia corrections system. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search covers anyone serving a state sentence. Use it if someone left the Clarke County jail for state prison.

The VINE notification system lets you track inmate status changes for free. You sign up for alerts and get notified by phone or email when someone is released from custody. VINE covers Clarke County and every other county in Georgia.

For state-level open records requests, use the GDC Open Records portal or the GBI Open Records portal. These portals handle requests that involve state agencies or cross county lines.

Cities in Clarke County

Clarke County operates as a consolidated government with the city of Athens. All booking releases are handled through the single county system, making it easy to search records.

Other small communities within Clarke County include Winterville and Bogart. Arrests in these areas go through the Athens-Clarke County jail system.

Nearby Counties

Need booking releases from outside Clarke County? Each of these neighboring counties runs its own jail and keeps its own records.