Decatur County 72 Hour Booking Records
Decatur County 72 hour booking records are handled by the Sheriff's Office in Decaturville. This western Tennessee county sits on the banks of the Tennessee River and has about 11,686 residents. The jail is small, staffed by five full-time deputies and one part-time jailer. When someone gets arrested in Decatur County, the booking record is created at the jail on North East Street. You can search for these records by phone, in person, or through online tools that pull from public data.
Decatur County Quick Facts
Decatur County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff Keith Byrd leads the Decatur County Sheriff's Office. Chief Deputy Larry Hill assists with operations. The office and jail share the same location at 38 North East Street in Decaturville. You can call them at 731-852-3703 or fax a request to 731-852-2871. The email for the office is kbyrd@decatursherifftn.org. Jail Administrator Rick Bonds oversees the day-to-day booking and custody operations at the facility.
Decatur County is one of the smaller counties in Tennessee. The jail staff is lean, with just five full-time deputies and one part-time jailer. Despite the small size, every booking creates a full record that includes the person's name, charges, bond information, and arrest details. These 72 hour booking records are public under the Tennessee Public Records Act, Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503. Anyone can request to see them. The county covers 345 square miles of rural land along the Tennessee River, and the jail in Decaturville is the only booking facility for the whole county.
| Office |
Decatur County Sheriff's Office 38 North East Street, PO Box 427 Decaturville, TN 38329 Phone: 731-852-3703 Fax: 731-852-2871 |
|---|---|
| Sheriff | Keith Byrd |
| Chief Deputy | Larry Hill |
| Jail Admin | Rick Bonds |
Search Decatur County 72 Hour Booking
Calling the jail is the most direct way to check a 72 hour booking record in Decatur County. Dial 731-852-3703 and give the staff the name of the person you are looking for. They can tell you if that person is currently in custody and share basic charge and bond details. This is a small facility, so the staff usually knows who is in the jail at any given time.
You can visit the jail in person at 38 North East Street in Decaturville. Bring a photo ID. The staff can look up booking records and let you review them. If you need official copies, ask about the copy fee. Tennessee law allows records custodians to charge a reasonable amount for copies but not for simply viewing the records. Because this is a rural county with limited staff, it helps to call ahead before visiting so you know someone is available to assist.
Online, the VINELink victim notification system lets you track custody status changes at the Decatur County Jail for free. The statewide TBI TORIS system is another way to search. It costs $29 per check and searches the entire Tennessee criminal history database, which includes records from Decatur County and all other counties.
Note: The Decatur County Jail has a small staff, so responses to written records requests may take longer than in larger counties.
72 Hour Booking Process in Decatur County
After an arrest in Decatur County, the person goes to the jail at 38 North East Street for booking. Even though the facility is small, the process is the same as in larger counties. Staff take a mugshot, record the person's name and physical details, and collect fingerprints. Each piece of data goes into the booking record that becomes part of the public 72 hour booking log.
Charges get entered with their codes and descriptions. Bond is set based on the offense and the person's background. For arrests made without a warrant, Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-7-103 requires a prompt court appearance. The first hearing typically happens within 48 to 72 hours. At that hearing, a judge reviews probable cause and can adjust the bond for Decatur County cases. This is why these records are called 72 hour booking records. They capture the critical first days after an arrest.
Decatur County had a violent crime rate of 46 per 100,000 people based on recent data. That is quite low compared to larger Tennessee counties. Still, the jail processes a steady number of arrests each year, and every one of them creates a booking record.
Decatur County Booking Record Details
Each booking record from Decatur County contains the core information about the arrest and the person in custody. The record starts at intake and gets updated as the case progresses.
A Decatur County booking record will typically show:
- Full name and date of birth
- Mugshot and physical description
- Date and time of the arrest
- Charges with classifications
- Bond amount and type
Under the Tennessee Public Records Act, anyone can inspect these booking records. You do not need to give a reason for wanting to see them. Standard adult booking records are open in Decatur County. The exemptions listed in Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-504 cover things like juvenile records and data tied to ongoing investigations. But for most adult arrests, the full 72 hour booking record is available to the public in Decatur County.
Decatur County Arrest Record Resources
Several state databases can help you find records tied to Decatur County arrests. The FOIL system from the Tennessee Department of Correction tracks felony offenders who served state time. If someone booked in Decatur County was convicted of a felony and sent to prison, you can find their record on FOIL. Search by name or offender ID.
The TBI background check page explains how to order a full criminal history report for $29. This covers the whole state, not just Decatur County. The VINELink notification tool lets you register for custody status alerts on specific offenders. You will get notified when someone is released or moved. The Tennessee Drug Offender Registry lists people convicted of drug crimes and can be filtered by county. All of these are free to search except the TBI background check.
Note: VINELink alerts work for inmates in both county jails and state facilities across Tennessee.
Cities in Decatur County
Decatur County includes Decaturville, Scotts Hill, and Parsons. All arrests within these communities are booked through the Decatur County Jail on North East Street in Decaturville. The same 72 hour booking records apply across the county regardless of which town the arrest took place in.
Nearby Counties
Decatur County shares borders with several west Tennessee counties. Each one maintains its own jail and separate booking records. If you are unsure where an arrest was processed, check with the county where it happened.