Cook County Jail Records and Booking Reports
Cook County booking reports are maintained by the Cook County Sheriff's Office in Adel and are open to the public under Georgia's open records laws. If you need to find a current inmate at the Cook County Jail, look up a recent arrest, or request written booking records, this page explains how to use local sheriff resources and statewide Georgia tools to get the information you need.
Cook County Quick Facts
Booking Records at the Cook County Jail
Every arrest in Cook County goes through a booking process at the county detention facility in Adel. The booking record documents the person's name, date of birth, charges, arresting agency, and the time and date of booking. State law under O.C.G.A. § 42-4-7 requires the Cook County Sheriff to maintain this jail docket as a public document. Anyone can view it by visiting the sheriff's office during business hours.
No explanation or identification is required to view the public docket. This is a right guaranteed under Georgia law. The physical log at the Cook County Sheriff's Office in Adel covers current inmates and recent bookings. If you need copies, there may be a small fee for reproduction.
Booking records are not proof of conviction. They document an arrest and intake process. Many people in the booking log are released on bond, have charges dropped, or are found not guilty in court. The legal outcome of a case is found in court records, not the jail docket.
Searching Cook County Inmate Records
Cook County does not appear to maintain a public online inmate search tool. The most direct way to check on someone's custody status is to contact the Cook County Sheriff's Office in Adel by phone. Give staff the person's full name and date of birth. They can check the current jail log and confirm whether the person is in custody and what charges are on record.
For a written record, submit an Open Records Act request to the sheriff's office. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq., the agency must respond within three business days. The first 15 minutes of staff search time is provided at no cost. Fees may apply for additional time or larger document pulls. Make your request specific — include the name, approximate date of arrest, or date range — to help staff locate the records quickly.
If the arrest involved the Adel city police rather than the county sheriff, you may need to contact Adel PD directly. City police records may not be held at the same facility as county jail records, though many arrests end up at the same detention center regardless of which agency made the arrest.
GBI GCIC Records and Statewide Searches
If you need criminal history records that span more than one county, the GBI's Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) is the right resource. GCIC maintains statewide arrest records and criminal history data for all Georgia counties, including Cook County. Call GCIC at 404-244-2639 or visit 3121 Panthersville Road, Decatur, GA 30034.
Search the Georgia Department of Corrections offender database for state prison inmates from Cook County cases.
The GDC offender search covers people sentenced to state custody, separate from those held at the Cook County Jail in Adel.
When someone is convicted in Cook County court and sentenced to state prison, their record moves from the county system into the Georgia Department of Corrections. The county jail record and the GDC record are separate. If you can't find someone in the local jail log and you believe they were convicted, the GDC offender search is the next step. Written records from GDC can be requested at Inmate Records and Information, PO Box 1529, Forsyth, GA 31029.
VINE Notification and Open Records in Cook County
The VINE victim notification service covers Cook County and lets registered users receive automatic alerts about an inmate's custody status. When someone is released, transferred, or has a change in status at the Cook County Jail, VINE sends notifications to registered contacts. The service is free. You can register online using the inmate's name or booking number and choose your preferred alert method.
For family members trying to stay in touch with someone held in Cook County, JailATM may support the facility for money deposits or inmate messaging. Check the JailATM platform to see if the Cook County detention facility is listed and what services are available.
Your rights under the Georgia Open Records Act extend to all booking records and jail logs maintained by the Cook County Sheriff. Most booking data is public. The exemptions in O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 are specific and narrow. If a request is denied, ask for written justification. Booking photos are public records in most cases, with commercial use restrictions under O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19.
Court records in Cook County are handled by the Superior Court clerk in Adel. Search case outcomes through Georgia Courts. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association publishes statewide jail data and provides broader context for understanding county jail populations across Georgia.
Nearby Counties
Cook County is in south Georgia. These neighboring counties have booking report pages: