Charleston County keeps people in custody at the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center on Leeds Avenue in North Charleston. The Sheriff’s Office runs the jail and publishes a roster that anyone can read from a phone or a computer. This page explains how the roster works, what each entry means, and where to call when a name does not appear. Visitation, phone accounts, mail, and release records each get a section of their own.
Names on a jail list change by the hour, so one lookup rarely tells the whole story. Booking numbers, charges, and housing units shift as a case moves through court. Families need three facts: where the person sits, what the bond is, and when the next hearing falls. Each section below names the office that holds the answer and the identifier to bring. Confirm details by phone before making the drive to Leeds Avenue.
How to Search for an Inmate
The county roster is public and free to search by name, booking number, or booking date.
- Official search portal: https://inmatesearch.charlestoncounty.gov/
- Covered here: custody status, charges, bond, housing unit, release dates, visits, and mail.
- Key identifiers: full legal name, booking number, and date of birth.
- Office in charge: Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Detention Bureau.
- Main jail: Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center, 3841 Leeds Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29405.
- Non-emergency sheriff line: (843) 202-1700.
Reading Inmate Search Results
A result set shows every record that matches the text typed into the search box on the portal. Each row stands for one booking, not one person, so a repeat guest may fill several lines. Open a row to see the full file and the charge list. Read the name, birth year, and booking number together before assuming a match. Common surnames often return a dozen entries from different age groups and towns.
| Search field | Format | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Full legal name | Last name first, then first name | First attempt for a new search |
| Booking number | Digits from a jail wristband or a court paper | Fastest route to one stay |
| Date of birth | Month, day, and year | Narrows a common surname |
| Booking date | One calendar date or a short range | Finds a recent arrest without a name |
Each field answers a different question, and no single column settles identity on its own. Compare the booking number against any court paper in hand. A birth date narrows a list far better than a name alone. Housing and cell data change without notice, so treat that line as a snapshot. Charges listed at booking may be amended, reduced, or dropped long before a trial date. Ring the detention center when two rows look alike.
Identification & Mugshot Details
A booking photo, a full name, and a date of birth form the core of an identity check. The record may add a race, a sex, a height, and a weight. Scars, tattoos, and marks appear on some entries and sit blank on others. mugshots come from the intake camera, so hair length and weight can differ from an older photo. Use the booking number, not the image, as the firm link between records.
Current Custody Status & Facility Location
Custody status tells a reader whether the person is still inside, out on bond, or held for another agency. Most entries carry a status label such as in custody, released, or sentenced. The facility line names the building that holds the person. Charleston County runs one main jail, yet a detainee may sit in a state prison or a federal facility under a different contract. Check the status on the day of a visit.
Charges, Bail Amounts & Case Information
The charge list names each offense and cites the statute behind it. Bond amounts show what a judge set for release, and they can change at a hearing. A zero bond may mean a personal recognizance release or a hold with no bail at all. Case numbers connect a jail entry to a file at the county courthouse. Read the newest line first, since early charges often get consolidated.
Booking Dates & Projected Release Information
A booking date marks the hour a person entered custody. A projected release date comes from a sentence calculation or a bond term, and it moves when a judge changes either one. Treat any projected date as an estimate. Courts add time for new charges and subtract it for credit already served. Ask the records staff to confirm the current calculation before you arrange a ride home.
| Date or term | What it shows | Where to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Booking date | Hour and day the person entered custody | Jail roster entry |
| Bond amount | Money or conditions set for release | Clerk of Court in the county that filed the charge |
| Projected release date | Estimate from a sentence or a bond term | Detention center records desk |
| Court date | Next scheduled appearance | Clerk of Court docket |
| Release date | Day custody ended | Detention center records desk |
A date carries weight only when its source is clear. A jail screen and a court docket update on separate schedules, so one can trail the other by days. Write the source and the time beside each date you record. Ask for a case number when a court date appears, since the clerk needs it to pull the file. Keep every old note until the case closes.
Find Jail Facilities & Inmate Locations
Charleston County books most arrests into one detention center, and that single site serves the whole county. City police, the sheriff, and state troopers all deliver people to the same intake door. A person may still sit elsewhere under a state or federal sentence. The roster names the holding site for each entry. Confirm the building before a visit, since travel times across the county vary widely.
Locating the Correct County Facility
Start with the facility line on the booking record. It gives the street address and the unit that holds the person. A record may name a central booking area for someone who just arrived. Others show a named housing wing after classification. Call the detention center when a record shows no site. Staff can trace a transfer and confirm the right building in a few minutes.
Main Jail Addresses & Contact Information
The main jail sits at 3841 Leeds Avenue in North Charleston, close to the interstate and the airport. Public counters handle visitation questions, records requests, and property drop-offs during posted weekday hours. Call ahead, since a counter may close early on a holiday or a training day. The sheriff’s non-emergency line reaches staff who answer custody questions. Keep the booking number and the full legal name ready before you dial.
| Office detail | Verified information |
|---|---|
| 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/ |
Phone and counter service follow the same schedule, and both depend on staff being free. A records clerk can read a status, a release date, or a housing unit from the screen. Questions about a bond belong to the clerk of court that set it. Direct a legal question to a defense lawyer rather than to jail staff. Write down the name of the person who helped you.
Check Current Housing & Unit Details
Housing data places a person in a wing, a floor, or a cell block. Staff assign a unit after intake screening, and a transfer can happen for safety or medical reasons. Visits depend on the unit, so check the housing line the day before you go. A blank field means the person just arrived or already left. Ask the front desk for the current assignment.
How to Visit & Contact an Inmate
Visit rules protect safety and order inside the jail, and staff enforce them without much warning. Each visitor needs a valid photo identification and a confirmed place on the approved list. Sessions run on a set schedule by housing unit. phone accounts, mail, and property drop-offs follow separate procedures from visits. The sections below cover each path, plus the limits a family should plan around.
Inmate Visitation Rules & Requirements
Bring a government photo identification, arrive early, and dress to the posted code. Every adult on the visit list must be approved in advance, and a background check may apply. Sessions last a fixed block of time, often behind glass or on a video terminal. Children stay with a guardian at all times. Cancel or reschedule by phone, and leave bags, phones, and food in the car.
Phone Calls & Communication Options
The jail runs a contract phone system, and a call usually bills the receiver, not the person inside. Set up an account before the first call so the line does not reject it. Rates and connection fees come from the vendor, not from the county. Video visits cost extra on some plans. A detainee cannot take a personal mobile phone, so put money on the account instead.
Sending Mail, Money, & Property
Mail goes to the facility address with the person’s full name and booking number on the envelope. Letters get screened, and cash, stamps, or contraband inside will stop delivery. Money normally moves through the commissary vendor rather than through an envelope. Property rules limit what the jail will accept, and many items must come from an approved seller. Ask the front desk for the current list.
Finding Recently Released Inmates
Release records close a custody stay, and they answer the question families ask most often: is the person still inside? The roster drops a name once staff complete the release paperwork, and that step can lag by hours. A release may come with conditions such as electronic monitoring, a court date, or a treatment program. Keep the booking number handy when you call for a status.
Checking Release Status & Dates
Call the detention center for a live status, since the public page can trail the booking desk. Staff confirm whether a person left on bond, finished a sentence, or transferred to another agency. Ask for the time of release and the releasing officer’s name. A release time can slip past midnight when paperwork runs late. Plan a pickup for the following morning rather than the same evening.
Historical Custody Records
Old bookings stay in a jail archive after the person leaves. A request needs the full name, a birth date, and an approximate year. Earlier stays may sit on paper or in a database that staff search by hand. Some files go to the state after a set period. Ask what the archive charges for a copy, and expect a wait of several days for older material.
Inmate Search Troubleshooting & Issues
A blank result does not prove that a person sits outside the jail. Spelling, middle names, and booking gaps explain most misses. The roster covers current custody, and a released person drops off it within a day or two. The system may pause for maintenance on some nights. Start with the spelling of the surname and the arrest year. Work through the checks below before you assume the data is wrong.
Why an Inmate Might Not Appear Online
A name may sit in the system under a legal spelling that differs from the one family uses. Hyphens, suffixes, and nicknames cause most failed matches. Someone held for another county or a federal agency may not show on this roster. So can a person in a hospital ward or a transport hold. Try a short last name alone before you decide the record is missing.
Delayed Records for Recent Bookings & Releases
Intake takes time, and a booking made after midnight may not post until the next business day. Weekends and holidays slow the update. A release clears from the page on a similar delay, so a person who left this morning can still appear. Allow a full day or two before you treat an entry as current. Call the jail front desk for the live answer.
What to Do If Online Records Are Unavailable
When the portal fails, call the detention center at (843) 529-7300 and ask for the booking desk. Give the full name, a birth date, and any booking number you hold. Ask when the system last refreshed. A deputy can confirm custody from an internal screen even when the public page sits down. Save a screenshot of any error message and the exact time it appeared for the records staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
Readers send the same four questions to the detention center each week, and the answers stay fairly steady. This section covers posting delays, public view of photographs, update timing, and the right office to call about an error. Each reply stays short and points to a source. Rules change, so confirm any detail by phone before you rely on it for a visit, a court date, or a bond payment.
How long does it take for a new booking to appear online?
Most entries land on the public roster within a few hours of intake. A busy Friday night can push that to the following afternoon. Staff must finish fingerprints, photographs, and a charge review before a record publishes. Holidays add another delay. If two days pass and the name still does not show, ring the booking desk and ask a deputy to check the internal list. Call early in the day.
Are mugshots and booking records public information?
A booking photograph and the related entry sit in the public file for the detention center. South Carolina releases these images under department policy, and no reason is required to view a current record. Limits cover juvenile files and anything a judge has sealed. A photo shows an arrest, not a conviction. Ask the records desk to review a picture or a charge that looks wrong. Ask for a supervisor.
How often is the inmate roster updated?
Deputies refresh the public list through the day as intake and release work finishes. A quiet weekday may show changes within an hour. Overnight shifts can leave a gap until morning. The county does not promise a fixed posting time. When a name matters for a visit or a ride, call the jail rather than refreshing the page every few minutes. A quick call settles the question faster than a refresh loop.
Who do I contact if search information is incorrect?
Call the detention center records desk at (843) 529-7300 with the booking number and the item that looks wrong. A misspelled name or a stale housing unit usually gets fixed on the spot. A charge dispute belongs to the Clerk of Court, since the jail copies court data. Bring a document that shows the correct detail. Note the date and the name of the person who helped. Keep that note.