Charleston County, South Carolina Custody Guide
Search Charleston County Jail Bookings, Inmates & Prior Records
Use the Charleston County Sheriff’s official inmate database to search the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center by name, inmate number, booking date or arrest date, then connect the booking with Bond Court or General Sessions records.
Charleston County now intentionally delays some online booking information to reduce bail scams. This guide explains how to search around that delay, check past bookings, verify a criminal case, find someone transferred to South Carolina DOC, and safely handle visits, money, calls, mail and release questions.
SEARCH → VERIFY → COURT → STATUS
CHARLESTON INMATE SEARCH
Current / prior booking
Choose
Identity
Match
Bond / court case
Verify
Custody location
Confirm
DO NOT PAY A CALLER BEFORE VERIFYING
Facility
Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center
Address
3841 Leeds Ave., North Charleston
Published capacity
1,693
Current Sheriff
Carl Ritchie
Important 2026 Charleston County change
A New Arrest May Not Appear Online Immediately
Do not treat a blank search as proof that someone was not arrested. In February 2026, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office implemented a delay in publishing booking information online and through its mobile system as an anti-scam measure.
1
Person is booked
Intake, identification and custody processing begin at the detention center.
2
Online posting is delayed
Newly created booking information may not become searchable immediately.
3
Scammer window is reduced
The policy is intended to make it harder to scrape fresh bookings and immediately target relatives with fake bail demands.
4
Verify another way
For urgent confirmation, contact the detention center or check the court record instead of repeatedly assuming the search is broken.
Bail-scam rule: Charleston County Sheriff’s Office does not call families demanding money to release an inmate. Never send cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency or electronic transfers merely because a caller knows an arrested person’s name.
Choose the Exact Result You Need
Find someone currently jailed
Search current inmates by name or inmate number and carefully verify the record.
Check a very recent arrest
Remember the 2026 online-posting delay. Call the detention center when immediate confirmation matters.
Find an older booking
Select the past-bookings option and add booking or arrest date ranges to narrow the results.
Check bond or court status
Move from the jail booking to Charleston County Public Index for Bond Court and General Sessions activity.
Send money or communicate
Confirm the inmate number first, then use TouchPay, Securus or the approved care-package route.
Find someone after prison transfer
Search SCDC once a sentenced person has moved from county detention into state custody.
Jump to Your Charleston County Jail Task
How to Search Charleston County Jail Inmates
Complete the verification requirement.
The official search uses reCAPTCHA. Automated third-party searches may not show the same current results.
Start with the last name.
Add the first name only when too many matches appear.
Use “Sounds Like” for spelling problems.
This can help when the exact spelling entered does not match the booking database.
Use the inmate number when known.
An inmate number is more precise than a name and reduces same-name errors.
Add booking or arrest dates only when useful.
Narrow the range gradually rather than entering too many filters at once.
Enable past bookings when researching an older arrest.
Current inmate results and historical booking research are different tasks.
Open the matching result and compare identifiers.
Do not act on the first person with the same name.
Move to court records for the legal case.
The arrest search is a custody/booking source. Public Index is the better source for court activity.
Fast search sequence: inmate number → exact last name → last + first name → Sounds Like → date range → past bookings.
What Each Official Search Field Is For
Last Name
Best first search when you do not know the inmate number.
First Name
Add after the surname to reduce unrelated matches.
Booking Date From / To
Useful when you know approximately when the person entered the facility.
Arrest Date From / To
Narrows results according to the arrest date rather than booking date.
Sounds Like
Helps locate names despite spelling variations.
Inmate Number
The most precise search identifier when available.
Show Past Bookings
Adds historical booking records rather than limiting the search to current incarceration.
Current Inmate Search
Use when your primary question is whether the person is presently listed in the facility.
Do not over-filter: If a five-field search returns nothing, clear the form and start with only the surname or inmate number.
How to Find Prior Charleston County Jail Bookings
The Sheriff’s search includes a “Show Past Bookings” option, which makes this portal useful for more than current-custody checks.
Known arrest year
Turn on past bookings and add a broad arrest-date range around the event.
Several bookings under one name
Compare booking dates, arrest dates and related court cases rather than assuming every result involves the same incident.
Need the case outcome
Take the defendant identity and case information to Public Index. Historical booking data alone does not show the complete court disposition.
Context matters: A historical arrest record does not by itself tell you whether charges were dismissed, reduced, prosecuted or resulted in conviction.
Verify the Correct Person Before You Pay, Visit or Contact
- Full legal name and spelling
- Inmate number
- Age or birth-year information when available
- Booking date
- Arrest date
- Charge information
- Bond or court case
- Current custody location
Same-name warning: Never deposit money or create a paid communication account using only a first and last name. Verify the inmate number whenever possible.
How to Interpret an Inmate Search Result
Inmate Number
The facility identifier used to distinguish one incarcerated person from another.
Booking Date
When the person was entered into the detention-center booking system.
Arrest Date
The reported date connected with the arrest event.
Charges
Allegations or offenses associated with the booking. These are not findings of guilt.
Bond Information
May identify bond-related information connected with the charge or case.
Arresting Agency
Helps explain which local, state or other law-enforcement agency initiated the custody event.
Prior Booking
A historical custody event and not proof that the person is currently jailed.
Court Link
Use the related South Carolina case-record route to follow the matter beyond booking.
Why a Charleston County Inmate May Not Appear
| Situation |
What to Do |
Best Next Source |
| Arrest happened very recently |
Allow for Charleston County’s 2026 online-booking delay instead of assuming the arrest did not occur. |
Detention Center |
| Name may be misspelled |
Search surname only or enable “Sounds Like.” |
Official inmate search |
| Person was released quickly |
Enable past bookings and check the court case. |
Inmate search + Public Index |
| Person was transferred to SCDC |
Search South Carolina Department of Corrections. |
SCDC Inmate Search |
| Federal custody is involved |
Check the federal Bureau of Prisons or responsible federal agency when the court record indicates federal custody. |
Federal custody system |
| Juvenile case |
Adult inmate-search rules do not necessarily apply to juvenile detention records. |
Authorized juvenile/court source |
| Search remains inconclusive |
Call the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center with the legal name and identifying information. |
843-529-7300 |
“I am trying to verify whether __________ is currently being held at the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center. The legal name is __________ and the arrest may have occurred on __________. Can you tell me which public record I should check for current custody?”
Connect the Jail Record to Charleston County Court Records
The Sheriff’s booking page answers a custody question. Charleston County Public Index answers a court-case question.
1
Arrest
Law enforcement takes the person into custody.
2
Booking
Detention staff create the jail record.
3
Bond Court
Initial bond activity and related orders may appear.
4
General Sessions
More serious criminal cases can move into General Sessions.
5
Disposition
Court records show later filings, plea, dismissal, sentencing or other outcome.
Copy the defendant’s name from the jail record.
Also save any case, warrant, bond or charge information shown.
Search the defendant.
Match name, birth year when displayed, arrest date and case number.
Check associated cases.
A Bond Court case may later be associated with another court record.
Review actions chronologically.
Look for bond hearings, original bond orders, warrants, initial appearances, indictments, motions and future hearing dates.
Use the newest court entry.
An old booking page should not be used as the final source for a future court date.
Useful distinction: A person can be released from jail while the criminal case remains pending for months.
Understanding Bond Information
Bond Court records can show whether bond was addressed and may include the original bond order or later bond-related activity. The actual court order controls release conditions.
Do not rely on a screenshot
Use the current Public Index entry or court instruction because bond conditions can change after the booking.
Verify the case number
One defendant can have several charges or cases with different bond conditions.
Do not pay unsolicited callers
Contact the detention center or court directly if someone demands immediate payment on behalf of an inmate.
Scam protection: Knowing a real defendant’s name, booking date or charge does not make a caller legitimate. Much of that information is public.
Released, Transferred or Still in Custody?
Released from county jail
A prior booking can remain searchable even though the person is no longer housed at Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center.
Transferred elsewhere
Court orders, another jurisdiction or a sentence to SCDC can change the custody location.
Case still pending
Release from custody does not close the criminal case. Continue with Public Index for court status.
Before picking someone up: Release processing can take time after a court decision. Confirm actual release status with the detention center rather than assuming the person is immediately ready to leave.
When to Switch From County Jail Search to South Carolina DOC
The SCDC search is for people sentenced to and incarcerated in the South Carolina Department of Corrections. It does not replace the Charleston County jail search for people held locally.
Check the criminal case for sentencing.
Look for a disposition or sentence indicating Department of Corrections custody.
Match the person carefully.
Compare name, SCDC inmate number and other available identifying information.
Review the current institution.
Once a state facility is confirmed, stop using Charleston County mailing and deposit instructions.
Save the SCDC number.
It becomes the most useful identifier for future state-prison searches.
SCDC timing: The state says its online inmate information reflects people currently sentenced to and incarcerated in SCDC as of midnight of the previous day.
Charleston County Jail Video Visitation
72-hour rule: Charleston County states that a person must have been incarcerated for at least 72 hours before receiving a personal visit.
Personal visitation is currently listed as online through Securus. Attorneys have separate in-person visitation periods.
Morning
8:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.
Last listed scheduling time: 10:20 a.m.
Afternoon
1:00 p.m. – 4:25 p.m.
Last listed scheduling time: 3:55 p.m.
Evening
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Last listed scheduling time: 9:30 p.m.
Maximum frequency
Up to three 30-minute personal visits during a seven-calendar-day period under the currently published schedule.
Schedule can change
Facility operating conditions can alter availability, so confirm the live schedule before planning the visit.
Visitor Preparation
- Confirm inmate is still housed at SACDC
- Wait until the 72-hour requirement is satisfied
- Create the correct Securus account
- Schedule within an available visit window
- Use valid photo identification when required
- Follow published clothing standards
- Do not appear under influence of drugs or alcohol
- Understand an inmate may refuse a visit
Commissary Money: Three Approved Routes
The Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center operates as a cashless facility. Inmates use an internal account to purchase approved commissary items.
Lobby Kiosk
Deposit into the inmate’s canteen account using the kiosk located in the detention-center lobby.
TouchPay Online
Use
TouchPay and confirm facility/site information before completing the deposit. The county currently lists Site #229405.
Money Order
Money orders may be mailed under the facility’s instructions. Do not send cash or personal checks.
Weekly commissary limit: The county currently states that an inmate may spend up to $100 per week on commissary, subject to storage and facility rules.
Monday cutoff: The detention-center page states that money intended to be available for canteen purchasing must be deposited before 8:00 a.m. Monday.
Money Order Preparation
- Make it payable to Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center
- Place inmate name on the memo line
- Add the inmate number on the memo line
- Do not alter the money order
- Do not include cash
- Do not send a personal check
Verify before funding: Search the inmate again immediately before sending money because a transfer or release can change the correct deposit route.
Inmate Phone Calls, Tablets and Electronic Messaging
After booking is completed, Charleston County says inmates are allowed access to a telephone and have an opportunity to make a free local call to notify family, friends or an attorney.
Phone account
After initial processing, inmate telephone services use Securus. Family members experiencing billing or blocking issues can contact Securus at
800-844-6591.
Tablet funds
Money for phone and tablet services can be deposited through
Securus.
Published E-Messaging Stamp Cost
The county describes these amounts as stamp-based messaging costs before applicable taxes. Vendor pricing and inmate access can change.
Tablet access is a privilege: Not every inmate necessarily has access to all tablet or messaging services. Confirm availability before adding money specifically for a paid service.
Charleston County Jail Personal Mail Uses a Digital Mail Center
Do not send ordinary personal letters to 3841 Leeds Avenue: Since May 1, 2023, the detention center has directed personal inmate mail to the Securus Digital Mail Center for scanning.
Personal mail
Incarcerated Individual and ID#
Charleston, SC County Jail
C/O Securus Digital Mail Center
PO Box 20207
Tampa, FL 33622
Money orders
Inmate Name and ID#
Charleston County Detention Center
3841 Leeds Avenue
North Charleston, SC 29405
Personal mail received at the Securus Digital Mail Center is scanned so the incarcerated person can view it electronically on a tablet. Pictures and drawings that meet the scanning and content requirements can be delivered in the same manner.
Sender information matters: Put the sender’s full name and complete return address on the envelope. Incorrectly addressed material can be delayed or returned.
Inmate Property and Money Releases
The detention center allows an inmate to authorize release of valuable property, personal property or money under specified conditions.
Authorization required
The inmate must approve and sign the Valuable Property/Cash Release Form.
Published release windows
The county currently lists 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.–4:30 a.m. daily.
Money-release restriction
The county says cash releases generally will not be made once a transaction has occurred on the inmate account, subject to listed exceptions and command approval.
Before driving to Leeds Avenue: Call the facility and confirm the authorization has been completed and the item can actually be released.
How to Request Charleston County Sheriff Records
A live inmate search is different from a formal government-record request. Older reports, specific Sheriff records or non-routine documents may require the Public Information or FOIA process.
Check whether the record is already public.
Search the inmate database, court Public Index and Sheriff website first.
Contact public records before filing a broad request.
The Sheriff’s FOIA guidance says some information may be available without a formal written FOIA request.
Describe the record precisely.
Give the person’s full name, incident or case number, booking date, location and narrow date range.
Use the Sheriff’s FOIA process when required.
Submit the current official form rather than sending an unspecific request to several departments.
Expect possible charges.
South Carolina FOIA allows public bodies to charge permitted research and copying costs.
Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center Facts
Current facility capacity
The county publishes capacity for 1,693 inmates after multiple expansions and later removal of modular/work-camp beds.
Four-building campus
The current detention operation includes Towers A, B and C plus a nearby juvenile detention facility.
Medical services
The county describes a DHEC-licensed infirmary inside the detention complex.
Security monitoring
The county states that more than 700 cameras are monitored through Central Control.
Sheriff
Carl Ritchie was elected Charleston County Sheriff in November 2024.
Detention Director / Jail Administrator
Stanley Davis is listed by the Sheriff’s Office as the current detention leader.
Real-Life Charleston County Search Scenarios
Family member arrested tonight
Do not panic if the name does not immediately appear. Charleston County intentionally delays online postings. Call the facility if confirmation is urgent.
Caller demands immediate bail payment
End the call. Independently verify the inmate and court case using official county systems before discussing money.
Name appears in an old mugshot page
Search past bookings and Public Index to determine whether the person is currently incarcerated and what happened in court.
Need the next hearing
Leave the inmate search and use Charleston County Public Index. Jail records are not a reliable substitute for the latest court docket.
Want to send commissary money
Verify the current inmate number immediately before using TouchPay or the lobby kiosk.
Want to send a personal letter
Use the Tampa Securus Digital Mail Center address, not the detention-center street address.
Person was sentenced to prison
Check SCDC rather than continuing to search only the Charleston County jail roster.
Recent buyer or employer is checking someone
Do not equate a booking with guilt. Review the actual court disposition and applicable record-use laws.
Need an old Sheriff record
Use the Sheriff’s Public Information / FOIA route rather than expecting every historical record to remain in the inmate search.
Charleston County Detention Center Address, Phone and Map
Before visiting the property: Personal visitation is currently listed as online-only except for attorneys. Do not drive to the detention center expecting a standard walk-in personal visit.
Official Charleston County Inmate Resources
Charleston County Jail Inmate Search FAQs
1. What is the official Charleston County jail inmate search?
The Charleston County Sheriff operates the official search at inmatesearch.charlestoncounty.org. It allows searches using name, booking dates, arrest dates or inmate number and includes an option to show past bookings.
2. Why is a recent Charleston County arrest not showing online?
Charleston County Sheriff’s Office introduced a delay in online booking postings in February 2026 as an anti-scam measure. A recent arrest therefore may not appear immediately on the public website or mobile system.
3. Can I search prior Charleston County jail bookings?
Yes. The official inmate-search page includes a “Show Past Bookings” option. Use booking-date or arrest-date ranges to narrow historical results.
4. Where is Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center?
The detention center is located at 3841 Leeds Avenue, North Charleston, South Carolina 29405. The detention-center phone number is 843-529-7300.
5. How do I find an inmate’s Charleston County court case?
Use Charleston County Public Index. Search the defendant and compare the arrest date and case information. The system can show Bond Court, General Sessions and related case activity.
6. How do I visit someone in Charleston County Jail?
Personal visitation is currently listed as online through Securus. An inmate must generally be incarcerated at least 72 hours before receiving a visit, and the published schedule permits up to three 30-minute visits per seven calendar days.
7. How do I put commissary money on a Charleston County inmate account?
The county permits canteen deposits through the detention-center lobby kiosk, TouchPay Online using the listed facility site information, or qualifying mailed money orders. Cash and personal checks should not be mailed.
8. What address should I use for Charleston County inmate mail?
Ordinary personal mail is sent to the Securus Digital Mail Center at PO Box 20207, Tampa, Florida 33622, using the incarcerated person’s name and ID number plus “Charleston, SC County Jail.” Money orders use the detention-center Leeds Avenue address instead.
9. How do I find someone transferred from Charleston County Jail to state prison?
Use the South Carolina Department of Corrections Inmate Search after court records indicate a state-prison sentence or the county confirms a transfer to SCDC.
10. Does an inmate booking mean the person was convicted?
No. A booking or arrest record shows a custody event and allegations. It does not establish guilt. Use the official court record to determine whether charges remain pending, were dismissed, resulted in a plea or produced another disposition.
Independent Guide and Record-Accuracy Notice
This page is an independent informational guide and is not affiliated with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center, Charleston County Clerk of Court, South Carolina Department of Corrections, Securus, TouchPay or any bail-bond provider.
Inmate custody, booking information, charges, court dates, bonds, visitation availability, mail rules, vendor prices and facility procedures can change. The official jail and court systems control current information.
An arrest or booking is not proof of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Editorial verification date: August 8, 2026.
Slug: charleston-county-jail-inmate-search
