Georgia Mugshots

Crime, Arrest, and Incarceration Rates

There are 628 law enforcement agencies in the state of Georgia. These agencies make some 300,000 arrests annually in an estimated total population of 10.52 million. The state’s prison population is over 66,000 while offenders released on parole are more than 22,000. Residents living on probation as of 2017 collation is put at 410,964. Georgia has one of the highest incarceration rates in the United States with 506 inmates in every 100,000 residents. This figure is over 37 percent more than the national average of 368 inmates in every 100,000 residents.

Like most populous states, some of America’s safest and worst neighborhoods are in Georgia. Year on year, cities like Atlanta, East Point, College Park, Eastman, Albany, Union City, Hapeville, and Fort Valley have ranked among leading dangerous cities in Georgia. All reputed for high violent and property crimes. Atlanta and Albany have been named among America's 50 worst cities with Atlanta also dubbed one of America's murder capital. While John's Creek, Alpharetta, Athens, Roswell, Decatur, Suwanee, Marietta, Kennesaw, Mountain Park, and Peachtree City are among Georgia safest suburbs.

Public Access to Mugshots and Arrest Records

Georgia has one of the oldest criminal justice systems in the United States. This system has a multi-stage processing structure including booking, initial appearance, preliminary hearing, indictment, and arraignment. It begins with an arrest effected with or without a warrant. Arrestees are booked at the office of the law enforcement agency that made the arrest. At the booking, the suspect's biographical data is recorded, with fingerprints and a photograph (mugshot) taken. While this process is the same in all counties, it is managed differently in each jurisdiction. When arrested in a county in Florida it is important to be conversant with the arrest process in that county and how one’s arrest records are handled.

Georgia has 183 jails in 159 counties. Arrest records in the state of Georgia are collated by the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). These records come from arrest data collected from booking suspects at every station of the law enforcement agencies operating in counties across the state. All arrest data including mugshots are categorized under public records and in compliance with Georgia Open Records Act, are made available to citizens on request. These records and mugshots can come in the way of a person’s civil and social privileges in the future when a background check is needful.

Prior to 2013, it was easy for commercial mugshot aggregating sites to profit from exploiting Georgia residents by charging for the removal of mugshots from these private sites. A couple of legislations signed into law in 2014 prohibit the collection of fees for removing certain individuals’ arresting booking photographs from a website. Also, these legislations prohibit an arresting law enforcement agency from posting mugshots to or on a website except as required by law.

In a similar vein, Georgia has enacted statutes enabling eligible individuals to appeal for a sealing or expungement of their mugshots and arrest records. This allows innocent citizens to request the removal of their mugshots from law enforcement records. If you have had an arrest history in Georgia, you will find resources here on locating your mugshots, obtaining the relevant arrest history records, discovering the sealing/expungement process in the county of your arrest and contacting the right local authorities to help you accomplish this.