Find 72 Hour Booking in Barnstable County

Barnstable County 72 hour booking records are maintained by the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office at the correctional facility in Bourne, Massachusetts. Cape Cod and the surrounding towns fall under Barnstable County jurisdiction for jail bookings. The sheriff's office also houses inmates from Nantucket County under an agreement between the two counties. There is no online inmate search tool for Barnstable County. This page explains how to look up 72 hour booking records, what fees apply, and how the public records law works for booking requests in this county.

Barnstable County 72 Hour Booking Process

The Barnstable County Correctional Facility is located at 6000 Sheriffs Place in Bourne. Sheriff Donna D. Buckley oversees the facility and all booking operations. When someone is arrested on Cape Cod, local police bring the person to the Bourne facility for processing. Staff record the person's name, date of birth, address, charges, and time of arrival. Photos and fingerprints are taken as part of the standard 72 hour booking procedure.

Barnstable County covers all 15 towns on Cape Cod, from Bourne and Sandwich at the canal to Provincetown at the tip. During summer months, the population on the Cape can double with tourists. That means booking volume at the correctional facility tends to spike between June and September. The facility also holds inmates from Nantucket County because Nantucket does not operate a long term jail. So if someone is arrested on Nantucket and held past the initial court appearance, they may end up at the Barnstable County facility in Bourne.

To check on someone booked at the Barnstable County jail, call (508) 563-4000. Give the staff the person's full name and date of birth. They can tell you if the person is in custody and what charges led to the booking.

Search Barnstable County Booking Records

Barnstable County does not offer an online inmate search. The Barnstable County Sheriff's Office website has general info about the jail, visiting hours, and programs, but no searchable database of current or past inmates. This is consistent with most Massachusetts counties. Only Essex and Worcester have web-based booking search tools.

For a quick check, try the statewide VINELink system. VINELink is a free tool that tracks inmates in state prisons and some county jails in Massachusetts. It may not cover every Barnstable County inmate, but it is worth a search. You can set up free alerts by email, text, or phone call to be notified when someone's custody status changes. The service is run by Appriss Safety and does not require an account to search.

Below is a screenshot of the Massachusetts records request portal, which can be used to submit public records requests for Barnstable County 72 hour booking data.

If VINELink comes up empty, your next step is a phone call or written request to the sheriff's office.

Barnstable County Public Records Law

The Massachusetts Public Records Law gives you the right to request 72 hour booking records from Barnstable County. Under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10, every government agency must designate a Records Access Officer. You send a written request to the RAO at the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office, 6000 Sheriffs Place, Bourne, MA 02532. Include the full name of the person, their date of birth, and any other identifying info you have.

Response time is 10 business days. The office can extend this by up to 10 more days with a written explanation. Copies cost five cents per page for black and white. The first four hours of search and retrieval time are free each month. After four hours, the county can charge between $25 and $50 per hour depending on the pay grade of the person pulling the records. These rates are set by state law. The Public Records Law Guide from the Secretary of the Commonwealth has all the details.

Some records are exempt from release. Under M.G.L. c. 4, § 7(26), mental health files, medical records, and some investigative materials are not public. Criminal booking records are generally public unless a court has sealed the case.

Arrest Logs on Cape Cod

Every police department in Barnstable County keeps an arrest log under M.G.L. c. 41, § 98F. This law requires a public record of all arrests showing the name, date and time, charges, and location. You can visit any police station on Cape Cod and ask to see the log during business hours. Barnstable Police, Falmouth Police, Yarmouth Police, and all other local departments comply with this rule.

The arrest log is separate from the booking record at the county jail. Police create the arrest log. The sheriff creates the booking record when the person arrives at the Bourne facility. If you want a full picture of someone's 72 hour booking in Barnstable County, check both sources. The police log is free to view in person. The jail booking record may require a written request.

Section 12 Holds in Barnstable County

A 72 hour hold is not always about a criminal arrest. Under M.G.L. c. 123, § 12, a licensed clinician can place someone on an involuntary mental health hold for up to three business days. In Barnstable County, people placed on a Section 12 hold may be taken to Cape Cod Hospital or another facility with a psychiatric unit. The hold is meant to evaluate whether the person needs longer term treatment.

Section 12 records are private. State law and federal HIPAA regulations protect mental health commitment records from public disclosure. You cannot request these through the public records process. The person on the hold has the right to make two phone calls and to speak with a lawyer. The Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee at 1-800-342-9092 provides free legal help for people under mental health commitment in Massachusetts.

Barnstable County Nantucket Agreement

Nantucket County is one of the smallest counties in Massachusetts. It does not have a long term jail. Under an agreement between the two counties, people arrested on Nantucket who need to be held past their initial court appearance are transferred to the Barnstable County Correctional Facility in Bourne. This means Barnstable County 72 hour booking records may also include people originally arrested on Nantucket.

If you are looking for someone arrested on Nantucket, call the Nantucket Police at (508) 228-7263 first. They can tell you if the person was transferred to Barnstable County. Then call the Barnstable County jail at (508) 563-4000 for booking details. The same public records rules apply. You can request records from either agency under M.G.L. c. 66, § 10.

Barnstable County Booking Fees

Getting 72 hour booking records from Barnstable County follows the same fee structure as all Massachusetts counties. Phone inquiries about current inmates are free. Written record requests come with small charges.

• Copies: $0.05 per page
• Search time: first 4 hours free monthly
• Additional search time: $25 to $50 per hour
• Electronic copies: cost of media only

Fee waivers are available for requests that serve a public interest purpose and are not commercial in nature. If you believe a fee estimate is too high, dispute it with the Supervisor of Records. The DOC inmate locator is free to use and covers state prison inmates who may have been transferred from Barnstable County.

Nearby Counties

Barnstable County connects to these Massachusetts counties, each with their own 72 hour booking procedures.