Glossary
What is Booking?
The intake process after an arrest, when staff record a person's details, take fingerprints and a photo, and store belongings.
Booking is the intake process after an arrest. Staff record personal details and the alleged charge, take fingerprints and a photo (the mug shot), and check for outstanding warrants.
The person's clothing and belongings are taken and stored, and they are given a uniform. Items are returned at release, except illegal items or evidence. A medical screening checks for immediate health risks.
Cash a person has at arrest may go into their jail account. San Diego County, for example, says accounts are funded by cash held at arrest plus family deposits.
Read more
- Jail Commissary vs. Prison Commissary: What Families Should Know
- How to Send Money to Someone in Jail