Monroe County Booking Release Records

Monroe County booking releases are maintained by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office in Forsyth, a city located along Interstate 75 in central Georgia. The sheriff operates the county jail and keeps records of all bookings and releases. Monroe County sees traffic from the busy I-75 corridor, which adds to the number of arrests and bookings the county processes. Forsyth is the county seat and the place where all booking release records are stored. You can contact the sheriff's office by phone, visit in person, or submit a written request to get booking release data.

Sheriff and Booking Records

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office handles all jail operations and booking release records. The office is in Forsyth. You can call during regular business hours to check on current inmates or ask about past bookings. The sheriff's staff logs every arrest into the jail management system, whether it comes from a traffic stop on I-75 or a local warrant served in one of the county's communities.

Under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7, the sheriff must keep a record of each person held in the county jail. That record includes the person's name, charges, booking date, and release date. Monroe County follows this law for all bookings. The I-75 corridor brings a mix of arrests, including travelers passing through the area, which gives the county a higher booking count than its population alone might suggest.

The GBI's GCIC division maintains criminal history records at the state level that may include booking data from Monroe County.

State-level criminal history data from the GCIC can include records from Monroe County bookings and arrests.

How to Search Booking Releases

Start with a call to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. Give staff the name of the person you are looking for. They can search the system and let you know if there is a match. For current inmates, they can share charges and bond information. For past bookings, they can confirm dates and release details.

Check the Monroe County Sheriff's Office website for an online jail roster. If the county posts one, it will show current inmates with their names, charges, and booking dates. Not every county offers this, so check before counting on it.

The GDC offender search is a statewide database that covers inmates in the Georgia prison system. If someone booked in Monroe County later went to a state prison, the GDC search will show their record. The VINE system covers Monroe County and lets you get free alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. Both are available around the clock.

For older records or when you need certified copies, file a written open records request. This creates a formal record of your request and the county's response.

Open Records for Monroe County Booking Releases

Georgia's Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 applies to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. You can request booking release records in writing. No reason is needed. Include the person's name and any other identifying details. Send the request to the sheriff's office in Forsyth.

Monroe County has three business days to respond. The first 15 minutes of search time is free. Copies cost $0.10 per page. Larger requests may carry fees for additional search time. For single booking records, the cost is usually minimal.

Some records are exempt under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72. Open investigations, juvenile cases, and sealed court orders are the most common exemptions. Adult booking releases in Monroe County are generally public records that you can get through a standard request.

What Booking Releases Contain

Each Monroe County booking release record includes the inmate's full name, date of birth, physical description, booking date, charges, arresting agency, and bond information. The release date and method are added when the person leaves custody. Release types include bond, time served, transfer, and dismissal of charges.

Booking photographs are governed by O.C.G.A. § 35-1-18. This law sets rules for when and how mugshots can be shared. Monroe County follows these rules for all photo requests. There may be restrictions based on the disposition of the case.

The records will note the arresting agency. In Monroe County, this could be the sheriff's office, the Forsyth Police Department, or the Georgia State Patrol, which is active on I-75. The arresting agency can provide more details about the arrest if you need them.

Statewide Booking Release Resources

State tools extend your search beyond Monroe County. The GDC offender search shows inmates in the state prison system. The GDC Open Records portal handles state corrections records requests. The GBI Open Records portal covers Georgia Bureau of Investigation records.

All three are free to search and accept online requests. If you need to trace someone from a Monroe County booking into the state system, these databases will fill in the gaps. Combining county and state sources is the best way to get a full picture.

Nearby Counties

Monroe County is in central Georgia along the I-75 corridor. If the arrest was in a different county, check that county's records. Booking releases stay with the county that processed the booking.