You're looking for someone. Maybe a friend didn't show up for dinner, or a neighbor’s driveway has been suspiciously empty since that blue-and-red light show last night. Naturally, you head to the internet to find savannahnow 72 hour booking mugshots.
It used to be a lot easier. For years, the Savannah Morning News (savannahnow.com) hosted a massive, clickable gallery of every soul who spent a night in the Chatham County Detention Center. It was practically a local pastime. But if you’ve tried to find that specific gallery lately, you’ve probably noticed things have changed.
The digital "wall of shame" isn't quite what it used to be.
Where Did the Savannahnow 72 Hour Booking Mugshots Go?
If you land on the Savannahnow website today looking for that old scrolling list of faces, you might find yourself clicking in circles. Media companies across the country, including Gannett (which owns the Savannah Morning News), have spent the last few years rethinking how they handle mugshot galleries.
There's a big ethical debate behind this. Honestly, having your worst moment preserved forever on a high-ranking news site—even if charges are dropped or you're found innocent—can ruin a life. Because of this, many newsrooms pulled their 72-hour booking sliders. They didn't necessarily delete the news, but they stopped making it a clickable entertainment feature.
So, if you’re looking for a specific arrest from the last three days, the newspaper might not be your first stop anymore. You have to go to the source.
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How to Actually Find Recent Bookings in Chatham County
Since the media has stepped back, the Chatham County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) is the primary keeper of the keys. They maintain the official data. If someone was picked up in the last 72 hours, their name and face are likely sitting in the county's system.
The Official 72-Hour Roster
The Sheriff's Office provides a digital booking log. It's a no-frills, text-heavy database that usually allows you to filter by the last 24, 48, or 72 hours.
- Head to the official Chatham County Sheriff's Office website.
- Look for the "Corrections" or "Jail" tab.
- Click on "Bookings".
It’s not as "user-friendly" as a news site, but it's the most accurate information you're going to get. You'll see the full name, the age, the charges, and usually a mugshot. Keep in mind that "72 hours" is a rolling window. If you're looking for someone arrested on Friday and it's now Tuesday afternoon, they might have already rolled off the "recent" list and moved into the general inmate search.
Using the Inmate Search Tool
If the person doesn't pop up in the 72-hour window, don't panic. They might still be there. Most county jails have a general search where you can just type in a last name. In Chatham County, this tool is fairly robust. It shows you the bond amount, the specific O.C.G.A. (Official Code of Georgia Annotated) statutes they allegedly violated, and their current housing status.
The Georgia Law Change (House Bill 845)
You might wonder why those random "Mugshots-R-Us" style websites have started disappearing or charging weird fees. Georgia actually passed a law, House Bill 845, to stop people from being extorted.
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Basically, it's now illegal in Georgia for a website to post your mugshot and then demand money to take it down. If a site does this, they are in hot water. This law is one of the reasons why the savannahnow 72 hour booking mugshots landscape looks so different now. Professional news organizations didn't want to be lumped in with the predatory sites, so they tightened up their policies.
What Information is Actually Public?
When you finally find the record you're looking for, you’ll see a few standard things:
- Case Number: The internal ID for that specific arrest.
- Arresting Agency: Was it Savannah Police (SPD), the Georgia State Patrol, or the Sheriff’s Office?
- Bond: This is the big one. If it says "No Bond," they aren't going anywhere until they see a judge.
- Charges: These are often abbreviated. "VGCSA" is a common one you'll see—it stands for Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act (usually drugs).
Common Misconceptions About Local Mugshots
People often think that if a mugshot is online, the person is guilty. In the eyes of the law, that’s obviously not true. A booking photo is just a record that an arrest occurred.
Another mistake? Thinking the mugshot will stay on the Sheriff's site forever. Usually, once someone is released or their case moves through the system, the public-facing "recent" records are cleared out. If you need an older mugshot for legal reasons, you can't just browse for it; you usually have to file a formal Open Records Request through the Chatham County Clerk of Courts or the Sheriff’s Office.
Steps to Take if You Can't Find Someone
If you’ve checked the 72-hour list and the general search and still nothing comes up, there are a few possibilities.
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- Processing Time: It can take 4 to 8 hours (sometimes longer if the jail is busy) for a new arrest to show up in the online system.
- Different Jurisdiction: Did the arrest happen in Pooler, Tybee Island, or Garden City? While most end up at the Chatham County Jail, sometimes people are held briefly at local municipal precincts.
- Medical Hold: If the person was injured or under the influence during the arrest, they might have been taken to Memorial Health or another hospital first. They won't be "booked" until they are medically cleared.
- The "John Doe" Factor: If someone refuses to give their name or has no ID, they might be listed as "Unidentified" or under a placeholder name until fingerprints come back.
Practical Next Steps
If you need to track down a recent booking right now, start with the Chatham County Sheriff's Office online portal. If the online search is glitchy (which happens more than it should), you can call the jail's automated information line at (912) 652-7700. You’ll need the person’s correct legal name and, ideally, their birthdate to get anywhere with the staff.
For those trying to find historical records for a background check or personal reason, remember that Savannahnow no longer maintains the easy-access 72-hour galleries. Your best bet is to use the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) website for anyone who has already been convicted and moved to state prison, or the local Clerk of Court for pending case files.
Accessing these records is a right under the Georgia Open Records Act, but the days of "scrolling for fun" on news sites are largely over.
Verify the Jurisdiction
Before you spend hours hitting "refresh," make sure the arrest actually happened in Chatham County. If they were picked up across the line in Effingham or Bryan County, they won't show up on the Savannah-specific lists. Each county maintains its own separate database.
Check the Booking Status Regularly
Jail rosters update in cycles. If you don't see them now, check again in two hours. Most systems sync every 30 to 60 minutes.
Prepare for Bond
If you find the person and there is a bond amount listed, you can usually pay it at the jail's bonding window on Carl Griffin Drive. They typically accept cash or you can work with a local bail bondsman who will charge a non-refundable percentage (usually around 10-12%).