Search Chatham County Released Inmates

Chatham County released inmates records are managed by the Sheriff's Office in Savannah. With a population of about 276,434, Chatham County is one of the largest in Georgia and handles a heavy volume of bookings year-round. Sheriff John T. Wilcher runs the detention center at 1050 Carl Griffin Drive, which had an average daily population of about 1,739 inmates as of 2008. The facility operates 24 hours a day and offers video visitation. You can search for released inmates by contacting the sheriff's office or using state and third-party tools.

Chatham County Detention Center Records

The Chatham County Detention Center is a large facility at 1050 Carl Griffin Drive in Savannah, GA 31405. The main phone number for the sheriff's office is (912) 652-7609. The detention center line is (912) 652-7700. Booking operates around the clock at 912-651-3700. The front lobby can be reached at 912-652-7785. With close to 2,000 inmates on any given day, this is one of the busiest jails in the state of Georgia. Each person who comes through booking gets a record, and that record stays on file long after the person leaves.

Booking records from the Chatham County jail include the person's name, date of birth, charges, bond amount, booking date, and arresting agency. A booking number gets assigned to each person. For released inmates, the record also shows the release date and the reason for release. This data is public under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 and can be requested by anyone. The volume of released inmates records in Chatham County is high because of the jail's size and the number of arrests in the Savannah area.

The Chatham County Sheriff's Office website is the main portal for the department.

This site has contact details, jail information, and links to inmate search tools for Chatham County.

Searching Released Inmates in Chatham County

To find a specific released inmate from Chatham County, start with the sheriff's office. You can call the booking line at 912-651-3700 at any time. Staff there can check the system and tell you if someone is still in custody or has been released. Give them the person's name and date of birth. For more detailed records, file an open records request with the sheriff's office in writing.

Third-party sites also track Chatham County jail data. They pull from public records and post booking information online. These sites can be helpful when you want a quick look without calling the jail. But the data may lag behind what the sheriff's office has in real time. For the most up-to-date released inmates information from Chatham County, the sheriff's office is the best source.

VINELink is a free service that lets you track an offender's custody status in Georgia. You can sign up for alerts by phone, email, or text when an inmate is released or transferred.

VINELink covers jails and prisons across Georgia. You can search by name or offender ID to get current status info.

Video visitation is available at the Chatham County Detention Center. Family and friends can communicate with inmates through an on-site video system. While this does not directly relate to released inmates records, it is a service the facility provides that many people ask about.

Chatham County Jail Mail and Money Rules

The Chatham County jail has strict rules for mail and finances. General correspondence goes through JailATM.com. Money orders should be sent to Finance and Accounting at the detention center. Books and legal mail go directly to the jail. The facility has a policy that return mail received after February 22, 2021 will be destroyed if it cannot be delivered. That is an unusual policy, so keep it in mind if you are sending mail to someone at the Chatham County jail.

These rules matter for families and friends of people in the Chatham County system. If you are looking up a released inmate, you may also need information about how to handle belongings or financial accounts tied to the jail stay. The sheriff's office can answer those questions at (912) 652-7609.

Chatham County Open Records Process

For formal open records requests related to Chatham County released inmates, you have a couple of options. The sheriff's office handles requests for jail-specific data. The Chatham County Board of Commissioners also processes open records requests at 124 Bull Street, Suite 220, Savannah, GA 31401. The phone number there is (912) 652-7175. Either office can direct you to the right records.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, the county has three business days to respond. They must provide the records or give you a reason why they cannot. A small fee may apply for copies. The county has to tell you the estimated cost before charging you. For released inmates records from the Chatham County Detention Center, most requests are processed without much delay given the high volume of public inquiries the office gets.

State Resources for Chatham County

The Georgia Department of Corrections at gdc.georgia.gov covers state prison inmates. The offender search at gdc.georgia.gov/offender-info/find-offender lets you look up anyone in state custody for free. If a released inmate from the Chatham County jail moved to a state prison, their records shift to the GDC. You can file a state open records request at gdc.georgia.gov/contact-us/open-records-request.

The GBI at gbi.georgia.gov runs background checks under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles at pap.georgia.gov makes parole decisions. The Department of Community Supervision at dcs.georgia.gov monitors probation and parole across Georgia, including for people from Chatham County.

Cities in Chatham County

Savannah is the county seat and by far the largest city. Most arrests processed through the Chatham County Detention Center originate in Savannah.

Nearby Counties

These counties are near Chatham County along the Georgia coast. Each one runs its own jail and maintains separate released inmates records.