Decatur County Booking Records
Decatur County 24 hour booking records track each arrest and jail intake processed by the sheriff's office in Decaturville. The Decatur County Jail operates around the clock on the banks of the Tennessee River in western Tennessee. Sheriff Keith Byrd runs the department with a team that includes a jail administrator and several deputies. Decatur County uses a Southern Software search system that lets you look up recent arrests online. This page covers how to find Decatur County booking data, what the records show, and how to submit a public records request for anything not available through the online portal.
Decatur County Quick Facts
Decatur County Sheriff Booking Records
The Decatur County Sheriff's Office handles all booking records for the county jail in Decaturville. Sheriff Keith Byrd leads the department. Chief Deputy Larry Hill and Jail Administrator Rick Bonds manage daily operations at the facility. The jail sits at 38 North East Street. It is a medium-security facility that houses inmates awaiting trial and those serving sentences.
The sheriff's office runs five full-time deputies plus one part-time jailer. That is a lean team for a county that covers 345 square miles, but Decatur County has a small population of about 11,700 people. The low violent crime rate of 46 per 100,000 in 2018 reflects the area's rural character. The department provides law enforcement, warrant service, civil process, and subpoena and summons services across the county. The jail and sheriff's office are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 731-852-3703 for general questions or to ask about a recent booking in Decatur County.
| Jail |
Decatur County Jail 38 North East Street P.O. Box 427 Decaturville, TN 38329 Phone: 731-852-3703 |
|---|---|
| Fax | 731-852-2871 |
| kbyrd@decatursherifftn.org |
How to Search Decatur County Bookings
Decatur County offers a real online arrest search tool. That puts it ahead of many small Tennessee counties. The Southern Software Citizen Connect portal lets you search Decatur County arrests by date range. You can view recent arrests and access incident reports directly from the site. The system is free and open to the public.
To use the Decatur County arrest search, visit the portal and select a date range. The results show arrest records for that time period. Each entry includes the person's name, charges, and booking details. The FAQ page on the Citizen Connect system explains how the search works and answers common questions about the data.
For information not covered by the online tool, call the Decatur County Jail at 731-852-3703. Staff can confirm if a person was booked in the last 24 hours. Give them the full name and date of birth for the best results. The Tennessee Offender Registry Information Search from the TBI also covers Decatur County offenders with state convictions. That database is free and does not require an account to use.
Note: The Southern Software portal may not show every single arrest in real time, so calling the jail is still the quickest way to get the very latest Decatur County booking data.
Decatur County 24 Hour Booking Details
A booking record from Decatur County lists the essential facts about an arrest. Each record follows the same format. You get the person's full name and date of birth. The charges are listed with bond amounts. Booking date and time are part of every entry. The arresting agency shows whether the arrest was made by the Decatur County Sheriff, a state trooper, or another officer.
Decatur County booking records also include booking photos in most cases. If the person has been released, the release date and time appear on the record. Bond type is specified too. Some charges carry cash-only bonds while others let you use a surety bond. The Southern Software system shows this data for recent arrests. Older records may need to be pulled directly from the Decatur County Jail or requested through the public records process.
All booking records in Decatur County are public. Tennessee's open records law makes that clear. You do not have to be involved in the case. You do not have to live in Tennessee. Basic booking data is available to anyone who asks for it.
Decatur County Public Records Requests
Formal public records requests in Decatur County go through the County Clerk's office. Melinda Broadway serves as County Clerk. The office is at 22 W. Main St, P.O. Box 488, Decaturville, TN 38329. You can call at 731-852-3417 or fax your request to 731-852-3152. Email works too at melinda.broadway@tn.gov. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Saturday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Under Tenn. Code Ann. ยง 10-7-503, Decatur County must let you inspect government records during business hours. Booking logs and arrest reports fall under this law. The county has seven business days to respond to a written request. There is no fee for viewing records in person. Copy fees may apply when you need printed documents. Tennessee residency may be required for some types of records, but basic booking data is open to everyone.
Arrest records in Decatur County are kept permanently. Expungement is possible for certain eligible charges, but that requires a court order. The Tennessee Office of Open Records Counsel can help if Decatur County denies your records request or takes too long to respond. They assist the public at no charge.
Decatur County Jail Information
Visitation at the Decatur County Jail varies by inmate classification. Call 731-852-3703 to ask about current visiting hours. Bring a valid photo ID when you come. The jail is at 38 North East Street in Decaturville.
Mail for inmates goes to Decatur County Jail, 38 North East Street, Decaturville, TN 38329. Include the inmate's full name on the envelope. All mail gets searched for contraband. The jail has rules about what you can send. Contact the facility before mailing anything to find out what is and is not allowed. A commissary system is in place for inmates to buy items. Call the jail to learn about current commissary providers and how to make deposits.
Decatur County is home to Decaturville, Scotts Hill, and Parsons. Decaturville is the county seat. Mayor Mike Creasy leads the county government. All arrests in these communities are processed at the Decatur County Jail. The county sits along the Tennessee River and covers 345 square miles of western Tennessee. Despite its small size, the sheriff's office provides full law enforcement coverage around the clock every day of the year.
Statewide Search for Decatur County Records
Beyond the local Decatur County tools, the state of Tennessee offers databases that can help you find booking and arrest information. The TBI's offender search covers people with convictions statewide. The Tennessee Department of Correction maintains records for people serving state sentences. If someone was arrested in Decatur County and later transferred to a state facility, the DOC database will show their current status.
Tennessee also has the Tennessee Court System website where you can look up court records by county. Decatur County cases that went through the court system may appear there. This includes criminal cases that started with an arrest and booking in Decatur County. The search is free. You can look up cases by name or case number to find out where a case stands.
Cities in Decatur County
Decatur County includes Decaturville, Scotts Hill, and Parsons. Decaturville serves as the county seat. All booking records for arrests across these communities go through the Decatur County Jail in Decaturville.
Nearby Counties
Decatur County borders several other Tennessee counties in the western part of the state. If a booking record is not in the Decatur County system, the arrest may have been processed in a neighboring county.