St. Joseph County Jail Booking Records

St. Joseph County jail mugshots and booking records are handled by the St. Joseph County Police Department, which operates the county jail at 401 W. Sample Street in South Bend. This is a unique setup in Indiana: the county police department, not a separate sheriff's office, runs the jail. Major Andrew Finn oversees the Jail Division. Anyone arrested by any of the eleven police departments operating within St. Joseph County is brought to this facility. VINE and Indiana SAVIN are the primary public tools for checking current inmate status, booking dates, and booking photos.

St. Joseph County Police Department Jail

The St. Joseph County Police Department runs the county jail at 401 W. Sample Street, South Bend, IN 46601. The main number is 574-245-6500. The jail page is at sjcpd.org/jail/, and the department's main site is at sjcpd.org. This structure is different from most Indiana counties, where a sheriff's office handles the jail.

Anyone arrested in St. Joseph County by any of the eleven police departments within the county is brought to this facility. Detainees either bond out or wait for charges and prosecution. The Jail Division employs 102 corrections officers who are responsible for keeping the facility safe for inmates, visitors, and staff alike.

Major Andrew Finn heads the Jail Division. Indiana Code IC 36-2-13-5 still applies here even though it's a county police department rather than a sheriff's office running the jail. Every person booked on felony or misdemeanor charges must be photographed and fingerprinted. Those booking photos are the St. Joseph County jail mugshots that become part of the public record.

VINE and Indiana SAVIN for St. Joseph County

VINE is the go-to public tool for St. Joseph County inmate lookups. It's free and available 24 hours a day. Visit VineLink.com or call 1-866-959-8463. Enter a name and VINE shows current custody status, booking date, charges, and facility location. VINE covers every Indiana county facility in one search.

Indiana SAVIN at indianasavin.in.gov is also worth checking for St. Joseph County inmates. SAVIN bridges county and state custody in one system, so if a detainee has been transferred to a state facility, SAVIN tracks that move. Sign up for release notifications on VINE, and use SAVIN to confirm transfers.

What the Law Says About St. Joseph County Arrest Records

Indiana Code IC 5-14-3-5 requires the release of specific arrest information to the public. For every booking at the St. Joseph County facility, the following must be disclosed: the person's name, age, and address; the date, time, and location of the arrest; the name of the arresting officer; the charges; and the bail or bond amount. St. Joseph County jail mugshots are part of this public disclosure.

The Indiana Public Access Counselor has specific guidance on booking photos and warrants. Read the opinion at in.gov/pac. If you have a records dispute with the St. Joseph County Police Department, contact the PAC at in.gov/pac/.

IC 5-14-3-4 allows withholding of active investigation files. This is a narrow exception. Routine bookings are public. An investigation tied to a pending case may be partially withheld until resolved. The St. Joseph County Police Department is subject to the same public records rules as any other Indiana law enforcement agency.

Court Records: St. Joseph County Cases on MyCase

The Indiana Courts portal MyCase at public.courts.in.gov/mycase/ covers all criminal cases filed in St. Joseph County. Search by name to see charges, hearing dates, case outcomes, and bond information. St. Joseph County Superior Court and St. Joseph County Circuit Court both appear in the system. No fee and no account needed.

MyCase is the right tool when you want full case history rather than just custody status. It shows whether charges were dropped or reduced, whether the case went to trial, and what the outcome was. Combined with VINE, you get both custody status and legal case history from two free official sources.

If someone is transferred to state custody after conviction in St. Joseph County, use the IDOC Offender Locator at offenderlocator.idoc.in.gov to track their placement at an Indiana state prison.

INjail Portal for St. Joseph County

Indiana's INjail portal at public.indianajail.gov aggregates inmate data from county jails that participate in the state system. St. Joseph County data flows into this portal where the county participates. It's a useful backup when VINE or local agency tools are slow to update or temporarily unavailable.

Expungement and Record Restrictions

Indiana Code IC 35-38-5-5 governs expungement. People with certain St. Joseph County arrests or convictions can petition the court to restrict public access to those records. Arrests that never led to a conviction are often the easiest cases. Convictions carry waiting periods based on offense level before expungement becomes available.

After an expungement order is entered, the St. Joseph County Police Department and all other government agencies must stop disclosing the record. VINE removes it. MyCase marks it as expunged. The Indiana State Police criminal history system under IC 10-13-3-27 is also updated. Visit in.gov/isp/criminal-history-services/ for certified record check information.

Cities in St. Joseph County

South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County and has its own page. Arrests by South Bend Police and all other St. Joseph County law enforcement agencies are processed at the county facility on Sample Street.

Nearby Counties

St. Joseph County is in northern Indiana near the Michigan border and shares borders with several counties across the region.