Memphis Recent Arrests: Mugshots, Bookings & Records

Shelby County’s Justice Initiatives FAQ directs people checking whether someone has been arrested or is in jail to the county inmate lookup. The county says you should have the person’s full name with correct spelling; date of birth is helpful but not required.

1. 1

   Open the official Shelby County inmate lookup

   Go directly to Shelby County Inmate Lookup. Avoid a similarly named Shelby County system from Alabama or another state.

2. 2

   Enter the person’s full legal name

   Use the spelling that would appear on a driver’s license or court paperwork. If you know the date of birth, use it to reduce wrong-person matches.

3. 3

   Compare identifying information before relying on a result

   Do not assume that two people with the same name are the same person. Compare age or birth information, booking number, charges and other available details.

4. 4

   Write down the booking number

   A booking number can be useful for inmate mail, court follow-up, jail questions and distinguishing one booking from another.

5. 5

   Check charges and bond separately when needed

   For current charge, bond or pending court-date information, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office lists Jail Information at 901-222-4703. The broader inmate-information line is 901-222-4700.

6. 6

   Move to the court record for the legal outcome

   A jail result tells you about booking or custody. It does not tell you whether the charge was later dismissed, changed, indicted, pleaded or resolved at trial.

Shelby County’s jail information explains that booking and release processing can include fingerprinting and photographs. A booking image, when publicly available for a record, is part of the intake process. It is not a finding that the person committed the alleged offense.

Shelby County Sheriff’s Office operates separate adult jail facilities in Memphis. Male inmates are housed at the downtown Main Jail, while women are housed at Jail East in east Memphis.

The Sheriff’s inmate FAQ says a cash bond can be posted through the 24-hour court clerk, or a person may use a licensed bonding company. The Sheriff’s Office does not recommend a particular bonding company.

1. 1

   Confirm every charge and bond amount

   Call Jail Information at 901-222-4703 when you need the current list of charges, bond amounts and pending court dates.

2. 2

   Use the 24-hour court clerk for the official bond route

   Shelby County General Sessions lists a 24-hour clerk office at 271 Poplar Avenue, phone 901-222-3600.

3. 3

   Do not expect immediate physical release

   The Sheriff’s current inmate FAQ says there is no exact release time. Although some processing averages less than two hours, actual release may take roughly 3 to 6 hours after release is ordered because fingerprinting, warrant checks, NCIC processing, medical checks and other steps may be required.

4. 4

   Recheck custody before driving to the jail

   Use the inmate lookup or Jail Information immediately before pickup. A court order, transfer, hold or additional processing can change the expected timeline.

MPD Central Records handles incident/offense reports and auto crash reports. The office accepts requests online, in person, by mail or fax. If the arresting agency was not Memphis Police, request the record from the agency that actually handled the incident.

For records maintained by the Sheriff’s Office rather than MPD, use the SCSO Public Records Request route. The Sheriff’s Office states that public-record requests go through its Public Records Request Coordinator under the Tennessee Public Records Act.

1. 1

   Confirm which agency owns the record

   If you need an MPD police report, SCSO itself directs requesters to Memphis Police Central Records. Use SCSO’s public-record process for records maintained by the Sheriff’s Office.

2. 2

   Open the SCSO public-record instructions

   Review Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Public Records Requests and use the current request form and policy.

3. 3

   Describe the record precisely

   Include the legal name, incident or booking number, approximate date, record type and other identifiers you know. Avoid vague requests for “everything about” a common name.

4. 4

   Contact the request coordinator when needed

   SCSO lists its Public Records Request Coordinator at 201 Poplar Ave., Room 9-15, Memphis, TN 38103, phone 901-222-5656.

One of the most useful Memphis-specific distinctions is the court level. Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court handles misdemeanors, traffic matters and preliminary hearings on felony charges. A felony case can later proceed into Shelby County Criminal Court after indictment.

1. 1

   Start with the booking number or person’s legal name

   Write down all case identifiers shown in the jail result. A booking number can help connect the jail event to later court information.

2. 2

   Use the General Sessions Criminal Justice System Portal

   The older JSSI site was replaced by the Shelby County Criminal Justice System Portal. The current instructions say users must register to access General Sessions case information.

3. 3

   Call the 24-hour clerk when timing matters

   The General Sessions 24-Hour Clerk’s Office is at 271 Poplar Avenue and lists 901-222-3600.

4. 4

   If the case has been indicted, switch to Criminal Court

   Criminal Court’s official page tells users who do not know their indictment or booking number to use the Shelby County CJS portal to search for case information.

5. 5

   Use disposition, not the booking charge, for the final outcome

   The jail charge shows the allegation at the custody stage. The court record is the better source for later filings, dismissal, plea, judgment or sentence.

1. Check the spelling.Shelby County specifically says the person’s full name should be correctly spelled.
2. Add date of birth if known.It can help separate people who share a name.
3. Confirm Memphis means Memphis, Tennessee.Avoid unrelated Shelby County or Memphis databases.
4. Call for same-day custody questions.Use 901-222-4700 or the jail-information route when timing matters.
5. Check court records after release.Release from jail does not mean the criminal case ended.
6. Use TDOC only for state felony custody or supervision.FOIL is not the first source for a new local booking.

1. Searching only Memphis Police for jail custody. MPD itself points users toward Shelby County jail resources for “Who’s in Jail?” information.
2. Using the wrong Shelby County. There is also a Shelby County, Alabama. Confirm Tennessee before using an inmate roster.
3. Assuming a mugshot proves conviction. A booking image reflects jail intake, not the final court outcome.
4. Calling MPD for a Sheriff’s Office record. Identify the arresting or records agency first so the request goes to the correct custodian.
5. Stopping at General Sessions when a felony was indicted. The case may later move into Shelby County Criminal Court.
6. Using TDOC for a same-day jail arrest. TDOC FOIL is a state felony-offender system, not the normal local booking search.
7. Using a jail page for employment or tenant screening. Use legally appropriate background-check procedures for regulated decisions rather than an arrest page or mugshot.