Access Savannah Inmate Population Records
Savannah's inmate population is housed at the Chatham County Jail on Carl Griffin Drive. The jail held 1,363 inmates at last count, with a large capacity of 2,433 beds. That means the facility runs at about 56% of its designed capacity, which is better than many Georgia jails. However, the pre-trial rate is striking. Roughly 93.8% of the inmates at the Chatham County Jail are awaiting trial. This page covers the main tools you can use to search for someone held in the Savannah-area jail system.
Savannah Quick Facts
Savannah Inmate Population in Chatham County
People arrested in Savannah are booked at the Chatham County Jail. The facility is located at 1050 Carl Griffin Drive, Savannah, GA 31405. The Chatham County Sheriff's Office runs all jail operations, from booking and housing to meals and medical care. Savannah does not have its own city jail. Instead, the county handles detention for the entire area.
The Chatham County Jail has a large designed capacity of 2,433 beds, making it one of the bigger facilities in coastal Georgia. At last report, 1,363 inmates were held there. That puts the jail at about 56% of its capacity, which is lower than many other jails across the state. But the pre-trial numbers tell a different story. Of those 1,363 inmates, 1,279 are awaiting trial. That is 93.8% of the jail population. Almost everyone in the facility has not been convicted yet. They are being held because they could not post bond, or their charges do not allow for release.
The high pre-trial rate puts pressure on the courts to move cases faster. For families trying to find someone who was recently arrested in Savannah, the jail is the first place to check. Staff process bookings around the clock.
| Facility | Chatham County Jail |
|---|---|
| Address | 1050 Carl Griffin Drive, Savannah, GA 31405 |
| Inmates | 1,363 (capacity: 2,433) |
| Awaiting Trial | 1,279 (93.8%) |
Search Savannah Inmate Population Records Online
VINELink is the best starting point for finding someone at the Chatham County Jail. Go to the Georgia page, enter the person's name, and the system will show you their current custody status. VINELink updates about every 15 minutes for county jails. If the person was just arrested, it might take a short time before they appear in the system. VINELink is free and open to anyone.
The GDC Offender Query covers inmates serving state sentences. If someone was arrested in Savannah and has since been convicted and transferred to a state prison, this tool shows their current facility, sentence details, and projected release date. It does not include people being held at the county level who have not been sentenced yet.
You can also check the Georgia Sheriffs' Association Jail Report for aggregate data on the Chatham County Jail. The monthly report shows inmate totals, capacity, and pre-trial percentages. It does not name individuals, but it helps you understand the state of the facility at any point in time.
A phone call to the Chatham County Jail works too. Staff can confirm custody status and share basic booking information.
Savannah Inmate Lookup Tools
The GDC offender search page is the main statewide database for looking up people in Georgia state prisons. Below is the search form.
Enter a name or GDC ID to find inmates in state custody. For people still at the Chatham County Jail who have not been sentenced, use VINELink or call the jail directly.
Open Records Requests in Savannah
Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, anyone can request public records from the Chatham County Sheriff's Office. This includes booking logs, arrest reports, and jail records tied to the Savannah inmate population. The agency must respond within three business days. Copies cost ten cents per page for standard documents.
Some records fall outside the Open Records Act. Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-72, active investigation files, records that could compromise safety, and medical records are exempt. You need written consent from the inmate to access medical records. For records about someone who has been moved to a state prison, use the GDC Open Records Portal instead. The portal tracks your request and sends updates as it moves through the review process.
Probation records are confidential under O.C.G.A. 42-8-40. Parole records are restricted under O.C.G.A. 42-9-53.
Savannah Inmates Inmate Population Alerts
VINELink provides free custody alerts for people held at the Chatham County Jail. After you locate the inmate in the system, register a phone number and a four-digit PIN. VINELink then contacts you whenever the person's custody status changes. You can choose phone calls, text messages, or email notifications. The inmate will not be told about your registration.
If you miss a VINELink call, the system retries for 24 hours. After that, you have to register again. The data updates roughly every 15 minutes. Support is available at (833) 216-6670. Given the high pre-trial rate at the Chatham County Jail, many people use VINELink to monitor bond hearings and release decisions without needing to call the jail every day.
Savannah Police Department and Arrests
The Savannah Police Department handles law enforcement within city limits. When officers make an arrest, the person is transported to the Chatham County Jail for booking. The police department does not run its own jail. This is standard in Georgia, where county sheriffs are responsible for detention facilities.
The Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department covers the city and parts of unincorporated Chatham County. All arrests from the metro police end up at the same county jail. You do not need to search separate databases for city versus county arrests. Everything flows through the Chatham County system. For arrest reports generated by Savannah police, you can submit an open records request to the police department. For booking records, contact the sheriff's office.
Savannah also has a dedicated drug enforcement unit and a violent crimes task force. Arrests from these units go through the same booking process at the Chatham County Jail.
Savannah Inmate Population Resources
The Georgia Department of Community Supervision manages probation and parole statewide. If someone from Savannah is out of custody but under supervision, DCS handles their case. For people still incarcerated at a state facility, the Georgia Department of Corrections is the right contact.
To visit an inmate at a state prison, submit a GDC visitation form. It must be notarized and mailed to the facility. Allow several weeks for processing. For visits at the Chatham County Jail, call the sheriff's office to learn the current schedule and requirements. Dress codes and visitor rules are set by the jail and can vary from one facility to the next. Bring a valid photo ID to every visit.
Nearby Cities in Georgia
Pooler is the closest qualifying city to Savannah. Both cities fall within Chatham County.