Booking Releases explains how to confirm when someone left custody at the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center. A jail release record is a county document, not a court order. It shows a booking number, a release date, and the reason staff recorded at discharge. Families, employers, and attorneys ask about these files every day. This page covers the search steps, the records request process, and the fixes that apply when an entry looks wrong.
Two systems hold the answer. The Detention Center keeps the custody log, and the Clerk of Court keeps the criminal case file. A release entry can change after a bond hearing or a transfer, so a printout from last week may no longer match the live page. Call the agency before you rely on any single date. Bring the booking number to every call, because names repeat across a county this large.
How to Search Charleston County SC Booking Releases
Start with the county portal, then confirm the release date with the Detention Center.
- Official search portal: https://inmatesearch.charlestoncounty.gov/
- Search by name, booking number, or release date range.
- Booking number is the fastest identifier for one release.
- Detention Center: 3841 Leeds Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29405.
- Records staff answer status questions at (843) 529-7300.
Obtaining Official Booking Release Files & Documents
A release record leaves the jail system in three forms: a portal entry, a printed status sheet, and a certified letter. Only the last one carries a signature that other agencies accept. South Carolina’s public records law covers county jail files, and the Sheriff’s Office is the custodian for this facility. Ask for the form you need, since a portal printout will not satisfy a landlord or an employer.
The portal opens on a single search box with a name field beside it. Enter a last name first, then narrow with a first name or initial. A booking number skips the list and opens one intake record. Date filters sort releases by day, which helps when you know the week but not the exact hour. Each result row shows the release time, the charge list, and the facility name.
| Search field | What it returns | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Rows for every matching intake | First attempt |
| Booking number | One custody record | Confirming a known release |
| Release date | All releases on that day | Checking a recent discharge |
| Booking date | Intakes from one day | Finding an older file |
Release dates shift when a person returns to custody on a new charge. Run the search again after a few days if the first result looks stale. Write down the booking number, the release time, and the name of the staff member you speak with. That note settles most disputes later. The Detention Center lobby can print a status slip during business hours. Ask for the printed copy rather than a verbal answer.
Requesting Public Records from the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office
Send a written request to the Sheriff’s Office records division and name the facility in the first line. Include the full name used at booking, the booking number, and the dates you believe the person was held. State the purpose in one sentence. A request that names the document moves faster than one asking for everything on a person. Keep a copy of the letter and note the date you sent it.
Copy Fees, Request Requirements & Processing Timelines
South Carolina lets an agency charge for copies, staff time, and postage. The Sheriff’s Office sets its own schedule, so ask for the figure before you mail a payment. Requests are handled in the order they arrive, and a search across several years takes longer than a single booking. Bring a photo ID if you plan to pick up the file in person at Leeds Avenue.
| Item to include | Detail | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Full name at booking | As typed on the jail record | Add a middle name |
| Booking number | From a portal row | Speeds the search |
| Hold dates | Start and end of custody | One range per request |
| Photo ID | Copy for a certified letter | Required in person |
| Copy of the letter | Your own file copy | Keep it dated |
Counters at Leeds Avenue handle records questions during posted hours, and the phone line is often faster. Ask the clerk to confirm the fee before any copy is made, since a long search can raise the total. A certified letter may take a week or more to prepare. Follow up by phone once that window passes, and give the clerk the date you mailed the request.
| Location | Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center, 3841 Leeds Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29405 |
|---|---|
| Contact Number | (843) 529-7300 (Detention Center); (843) 202-1700 (Sheriff’s Office non-emergency) |
| Office Hours | Contact the Detention Center or relevant division to confirm public counter hours |
| Official Website Search Portal | https://inmatesearch.charlestoncounty.gov/ |
The Detention Center sits on Leeds Avenue near the Interstate 526 exchange, with a public lobby at the front entrance. Records staff can confirm a release date and hand you a status sheet the same day. They cannot answer questions about court dates or bond conditions. Route those to the Clerk of Court. Call the lobby before a long drive, since counter staffing changes on holidays.
Record Accuracy & Resolution
Errors in a release record usually trace back to the moment of discharge. A clerk marks a person released, then a transfer or a new hold arrives and the entry splits in two. Names get typed as they sound. Booking numbers get reused after a system migration. None of that means the file is fake. It means the field you read was built by hand, under time pressure, and can be corrected.
System Processing Delays for Recent Custody Changes
A discharge clears in stages. The housing officer closes the cell assignment, the property desk returns belongings, and a records clerk posts the release. Each handoff adds time. Weekend releases often post on the next business day, and a holiday can push the entry two days out. Wait one full business day before you treat a missing release as an error. Call the lobby if the delay runs longer.
Resolving Name Misspellings or Mismatched Booking Numbers
Ask the Detention Center to compare the file against the name on the arrest paperwork. A hyphen, an apostrophe, or a suffix such as Jr. can split one person into two rows. For a booking number that points to the wrong person, request a records review in writing and attach a photo ID. The clerk can merge duplicate entries. Ask for the corrected booking number in the reply.
What to Do If a Booking Release Record Cannot Be Found
Start with a wider search. Try the surname alone, then a maiden name, then a variant spelling. Check whether the person was held by a city police department, by a neighboring county, or by federal marshals. Ask the Detention Center to search its archive by hand, since older files may sit outside the portal. If the file still does not appear, request a written statement that no record exists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Readers send the same four questions after a first search. Timing, status labels, transfers, and contact points cause most of the confusion. Each answer below reflects how Charleston County handles jail files in daily practice at the Leeds Avenue facility. Confirm anything tied to a court date with the Clerk of Court, and confirm custody details with the Detention Center at (843) 529-7300 before you rely on them.
How long after an inmate leaves custody does the online record update?
Most releases post within a few hours during weekday business time. A discharge after 5 p.m. or on a weekend usually waits for the next business day. Large court dockets and holiday closures stretch that window. The public portal refreshes in batches, so a release can appear later than the paperwork shows. Call (843) 529-7300 when you need the date confirmed the same day. Ask the clerk to read the custody line to you.
What is the difference between a jail release record and a court disposition?
A release record tracks custody. It shows when a person entered the Detention Center, when they left, and why staff logged the discharge. A disposition is the final ruling on a charge, entered by a judge and kept by the Clerk of Court. One can exist without the other. A dropped charge still has a release date, and a conviction can follow a release by months. Read both before you judge a case.
Why might an inmate be listed as released if they were transferred to another facility?
A transfer closes the local custody entry, and the jail logs it as a release. The person may now sit in a state prison intake unit, a federal holding facility, or another county jail. The receiving agency keeps its own record, and that file may take days to appear. Ask the Detention Center where the person was sent. A transfer is not the same as freedom from custody.
Who do I contact to verify an official booking release date in Charleston County ?
Call the Detention Center at (843) 529-7300 and give the booking number. A clerk can read the release date and time from the live custody log. For a certified copy, send a written request to the Sheriff’s Office records division at 3841 Leeds Avenue. The Clerk of Court answers questions about charges and court dates, not about discharge times. Keep the name of the person who helps you.