Search Atlanta Inmate Population Records
Atlanta's inmate population spans two main facilities run by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office: the Fulton County Jail on Rice Street and the City Detention Center on Peachtree Street. As Georgia's capital and most populous city, Atlanta processes a high volume of arrests each day. The Atlanta Police Department handles most arrests in the city, but all people taken into custody end up booked through the Fulton County jail system. Several free tools let you search for inmates tied to Atlanta, from county-level jail rosters to the statewide GDC offender database. This page explains each method step by step.
Atlanta Quick Facts
Fulton County Handles Atlanta Inmates
All inmates arrested in Atlanta go through the Fulton County jail system. Georgia does not use city-run jails in the traditional sense. Instead, county sheriffs run the detention facilities. For Atlanta, this means the Fulton County Sheriff's Office books, houses, and manages every person taken into custody within city limits. Even if the Atlanta Police Department makes the arrest, the booking happens at a Fulton County facility.
The Fulton County Jail sits at 901 Rice Street NW in Atlanta. This is the main intake point for new arrests. The jail has struggled with overcrowding for years, and conditions have drawn attention from state and federal oversight bodies. A second site, the City Detention Center at 254 Peachtree Street SW, is also operated by the Fulton County Sheriff. It sits closer to downtown and handles some of the overflow. The phone number for the main jail is 404-613-2000, and the detention center can be reached at 404-865-8001.
A small portion of Atlanta extends into DeKalb County. If someone is arrested in that part of the city, DeKalb County may handle the booking instead. Always check both counties if you cannot find a person in one system.
| Primary Facility | Fulton County Jail |
|---|---|
| Address | 901 Rice St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 |
| Phone | 404-613-2000 |
| Second Facility | City Detention Center, 254 Peachtree St SW, Atlanta, GA 30303 |
| Detention Center Phone | 404-865-8001 |
How to Search Atlanta Inmate Population Records
The Fulton County Sheriff's Office runs an online inmate search tool. Go to the Fulton County Inmate Search page and type in the person's name. The system returns results for people currently held at any Fulton County facility, including the main jail and the detention center. Each result shows the booking date, charges, bond amount, and a mugshot when one is on file. This is the best starting point for anyone looking for a recent arrest in Atlanta.
The GDC Offender Query covers people serving state sentences. If someone was arrested in Atlanta and later sentenced to a Georgia state prison, this tool shows their current facility, projected release date, and sentence details. It does not cover people sitting in the county jail awaiting trial. Use the Fulton County search for pre-trial detainees and the GDC tool for convicted offenders.
VINELink is another option. It pulls data from jails across Georgia and lets you search by name. VINELink is especially useful if you are not sure which county holds the person. It also lets you register for custody alerts, which we cover below.
The Georgia Sheriffs' Association Jail Report provides monthly data on the Fulton County Jail population. It tracks total inmates, capacity percentage, and the share of people who are pre-trial. This report does not list individual names, but it gives a snapshot of how full the jail is at any given time.
Atlanta Inmate Population Search Tools
The GDC offender search page is the main statewide tool for looking up inmates in Georgia state custody. Below is a look at the search form.
This search form lets you enter a name or GDC ID to find people in state prisons. For Atlanta-area inmates still held at the county level, use the Fulton County inmate search tool linked above instead.
Open Records Requests in Atlanta
Georgia's Open Records Act covers jail and arrest records held by the Fulton County Sheriff and the Atlanta Police Department. Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, any person can request public records from a government agency. The agency must respond within three business days. You can ask for booking logs, arrest reports, incident reports, and other documents tied to the Atlanta inmate population. Copies cost ten cents per page.
Some records are not available. Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-72, certain law enforcement records are exempt, including ongoing investigation files and records that could compromise safety. Medical records need written consent from the inmate. Disciplinary records from state facilities are not public either. If someone arrested in Atlanta has been transferred to a state prison, you would submit a records request through the GDC Open Records Portal for anything related to their time in state custody.
Probation records fall under O.C.G.A. 42-8-40 and are confidential. Parole records follow O.C.G.A. 42-9-53 with similar restrictions. These limits apply statewide, including to cases originating in Atlanta.
Atlanta Inmates Inmate Population Alerts
VINELink is a free notification service that covers the Fulton County Jail. Once you find an inmate through VINELink, you can register for alerts. The system will call you, text you, or send an email whenever that person's custody status changes. This includes releases, transfers, and escapes. The inmate will not know you signed up.
You need a phone number and a four-digit PIN to register. If VINELink calls and you do not answer, it keeps trying for 24 hours. After that, you will need to re-register if you still want updates. The support line for VINELink is (833) 216-6670. The system updates about every 15 minutes for county jails, so the data stays fairly current.
Atlanta Police Department and Arrests
The Atlanta Police Department handles law enforcement within city limits. Their headquarters is at 226 Peachtree Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303. The non-emergency line is 404-614-6544. For more about the department, visit the APD website.
When APD officers make an arrest, the person is transported to a Fulton County facility for booking. APD does not operate its own jail. This is standard across Georgia, where county sheriffs manage all jail operations. APD handles the arrest and paperwork, but the sheriff takes over once the person reaches the jail. This means that to search for someone APD arrested, you need to look in the Fulton County system, not an Atlanta city database.
APD is one of the largest police departments in the Southeast. The department covers all six zones within Atlanta and runs specialized units for narcotics, homicide, and gang activity. Arrests from any zone feed into the same Fulton County booking process.
Atlanta Inmate Population Resources and Legal Aid
The Georgia Department of Community Supervision handles people on probation or parole. If someone from Atlanta has been released from custody but is under community supervision, DCS is the agency that tracks them. They manage about 180,000 felony offenders across the state. DCS does not deal with people currently in jail, but they are the right contact for post-release oversight.
Atlanta has several legal aid organizations that help with inmate-related issues. The Atlanta Legal Aid Society provides free legal services to low-income residents, including help with bond hearings and appeals. The Georgia Justice Project works on criminal record issues and re-entry support. For people who want to visit an inmate at a state facility, the GDC visitation page explains the application process. Visitation forms must be notarized and mailed to the facility. Plan for several weeks of processing time.
For general questions about the jail, call the Fulton County Jail directly at 404-613-2000. Staff can confirm if someone is in custody and provide basic booking information over the phone.
Nearby Cities in Georgia
These cities are close to Atlanta. If you cannot find an inmate in the Fulton County system, they may have been booked in a neighboring jurisdiction instead.