Checking the Status of St. Louis Inmates Online

Checking the Status of St. Louis Inmates Online

Wondering how to find out if someone you know has been arrested and is currently in jail in St. Louis? With the rise of the internet, it’s now possible to check the status of inmates in St. Louis jails right from your computer or phone. This article will explain how to search for St. Louis inmates online, what information you can find out, and some of the implications of these online databases.

Searching for St. Louis City Inmates

If you need to lookup an inmate in the St. Louis City Jail, the city provides an online searchable database on their website[1]. All you need to do is enter the inmate’s first and last name or their booking number if you have it. You’ll then be taken to a results page with the inmate’s name, race, sex, age, booking date, projected release date, and current housing unit. This allows you to quickly see if someone is in the City Jail, when they were booked, and when they are expected to be released.

The database covers the City Justice Center Jail, the Medium Security Institution, and the St. Louis Juvenile Detention Center. One thing to note is that inmates will not show up in search results until they have been assigned a booking number, so very recent arrests may not appear immediately[4]. The St. Louis City Jail inmate lookup is updated hourly, so you can check back regularly if someone doesn’t appear at first.

Searching for St. Louis County Inmates

If you need to search for an inmate held in the St. Louis County Jail, they also provide an online database to lookup inmates on their website[3]. You can search by first name, last name, age, race, sex, booking date range, or expected release date range. The results will display the inmate’s name, age, race, sex, booking date, housing location, bond amount, and charges. One handy feature is that you can click on the charges to see more details like the class of the crime, statute number, and description.

Like the City Jail database, new arrests may take some time to appear in the search results until booking is fully processed. The County Jail roster is updated hourly as well. So if you don’t see the inmate you are looking for, try again later.

What You Can Find Out From Jail Rosters

Online jail rosters like those provided by St. Louis City and County give the public a new level of transparency into who is being held in local jails. At a minimum, these databases tell you whether someone has been arrested and is in custody. But they also provide additional details like:

• When the person was booked into jail
• What facility they are being held in
• What charges they are facing
• How much their bond is set at
• When they are expected to be released

This information can be helpful if you are looking for someone who has gone missing and may have been arrested. Or to get information if a friend or family member was recently arrested but you don’t know all the details. The online roster provides rapid access to basic facts about new arrests and detentions.

Limitations of Online Jail Databases

While online jail rosters offer new transparency, there are also important limitations to be aware of:

• Information is limited – rosters only provide basic booking details, not full inmate records or case files.
• Databases may not be up-to-the-minute – new bookings take time to be processed and entered.
• Information is not comprehensive – rosters don’t share full criminal histories or outcomes.
• Listings disappear after release – former inmates are removed from the active roster.
• Privacy concerns – some critics argue these databases violate privacy rights.

So while these systems provide helpful high-level information, they don’t tell the full story. It’s important to keep these limitations in mind and not jump to conclusions based only on a roster listing. The full facts surrounding an arrest and case often aren’t available until later in the legal process.

What Happens After An Arrest

Being listed in the online jail roster is just the first step in the criminal justice process after an arrest. What happens next?

After booking, the defendant will be appointed counsel if they cannot afford a lawyer, and there will be a chance to make bond or bail to get released pending trial[2]. There will also be an arraignment where charges are formally read, and the defendant can enter a plea.

From there, the case proceeds to the pre-trial and trial phase if a plea deal is not reached. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted at trial, sentencing will depend on state statutes and sentencing guidelines.

So while the jail roster provides an initial snapshot after arrest, the full legal process can take much longer to play out. Online records are just one part of the story.

Using Jail Rosters Responsibly

Public online jail rosters provide transparency, but also require responsible use. Here are some guidelines:

• Verify information – double-check details through official channels.
• Avoid rushing to judgment – rosters only provide limited initial facts.
• Maintain privacy – don’t share roster listings on social media.
• Follow the full case – look for outcomes beyond the booking details.
• Treat listed individuals as innocent – until proven guilty.

Online jail rosters empower the public with information. But we must also use these resources ethically, responsibly, and with compassion. A roster listing is not the full story about an individual or case.

Conclusion

Online jail databases provide easy public access to basic information about current inmates, like who has been arrested and booked, their charges, and bond amount. St. Louis City and County both offer searchable rosters that anyone can access. But these sites have limitations, so it is important to treat all listings as innocent until proven guilty, and use the information responsibly. Rosters offer just one part of the story – following cases through the full legal process is needed to understand the true outcomes. Public access comes with public responsibility.