St. James Parish Arrest Records
St. James Parish arrest records are managed by the St. James Parish Sheriff's Office in Convent, Louisiana. The sheriff's office runs the St. James Parish Prison and maintains a public inmate search tool on its website. Booking records and initial arrest reports are open to the public under Louisiana law. This page explains how to search for current inmates, request records, and understand what is publicly available through the St. James Parish Sheriff's Office.
St. James Parish Quick Facts
St. James Parish Sheriff's Office
The St. James Parish Sheriff's Office is led by Sheriff Willy J. Martin Jr., who has served the parish since 1992 and is currently in his eighth consecutive term. The office is located at 5800 LA Highway 44, Convent, LA 70723. Call (225) 562-2200 for general inquiries. Office hours are 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The sheriff's website at stjamessheriff.com has information about the office and direct access to the inmate search tool.
| Sheriff | Willy J. Martin Jr. |
|---|---|
| Address | 5800 LA Highway 44, Convent, LA 70723 |
| Phone | (225) 562-2200 |
| Hours | 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Website | stjamessheriff.com |
The St. James Parish Prison is located at the same address on LA Highway 44 in Convent. Warden Capt. Anthony Joseph oversees the facility. The prison has a capacity of 171 beds and operates at medium security. It houses both male and female inmates. At any given time, around 68 males and 11 females may be held at the facility. All bookings for St. James Parish are processed here.
Booking records from the St. James Parish Prison are public under Louisiana Revised Statute 44:3. They document the person's name, date of birth, the charges, the arresting agency, and the booking date. Any adult can ask for these records. No reason is needed. The agency may charge a copying fee but cannot deny access to a public record without a lawful basis.
St. James Parish Inmate Search
The St. James Parish Sheriff's Office offers a direct inmate search tool on its website at stjamessheriff.com/inmateSearch. You can search by inmate ID or browse the current roster. Each listing shows the inmate's name and booking date. The tool also includes a "Notify Me of Status Change" feature that lets you register to receive alerts when a specific person's custody status changes. This is built directly into the sheriff's own website.
The St. James Parish Sheriff's Office inmate search page lets the public look up current inmates by name or ID and sign up for custody status notifications.
The "Notify Me of Status Change" feature on the sheriff's inmate search tool is similar to the statewide VINE service. When someone is released, transferred, or has another change in custody status, the system will alert registered users. You can set your preferred notification method. This feature is free to use and does not require a formal records request.
St. James Parish Sheriff's Office Website
The main sheriff's website at stjamessheriff.com is the best starting point for St. James Parish arrest records. Beyond the inmate search tool, the site provides contact information for different divisions of the office, news releases, and general information about the prison and services. If you are trying to locate someone or get more detail on a booking, the website can help you find the right contact.
The St. James Parish Sheriff's Office website provides access to inmate search, contact information, and general records resources for the parish.
Note: Office hours are 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays; after-hours booking inquiries should be directed to the jail line at (225) 562-2200.
How to Request St. James Parish Arrest Records
To get copies of booking records, arrest reports, or other public documents, contact the St. James Parish Sheriff's Office at (225) 562-2200 or visit 5800 LA Highway 44, Convent, LA 70723 during office hours. Submit a written request that lists the person's name, the approximate date of the arrest, and the type of record you are asking for. The office will tell you if there are copy fees before they process your request.
Louisiana's Public Records Act at LRS 44:1 gives any adult the right to inspect or copy public records held by state or local agencies. The St. James Parish Sheriff's Office must respond to written requests within three business days. If more time is needed, they must let you know in writing. A denial must also be in writing, with a stated legal reason. Booking records and initial arrest reports are public under LRS 44:3 and must be provided on request unless a specific exemption applies.
For a certified copy of your own Louisiana criminal history, the request goes to the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information, not the local sheriff's office. The BCII handles statewide criminal record checks at lsp.org/about/leadershipsections/support/bcii/. This process is separate from requesting local booking records from St. James Parish.
Arrest Record Laws in St. James Parish
Louisiana law at LRS 44:3 makes booking records and initial arrest reports public. This covers summons, citations, bills of information, and booking sheets. The public nature of these records is not tied to a conviction. If someone was arrested and later had charges dropped, the booking record is still public. This is how Louisiana law works, and it applies in St. James Parish the same as anywhere else in the state.
The full Louisiana Criminal History (LACCH) database maintained by state police is a restricted system under LRS 15:587. That system is not open to the general public for broad searches. Local booking records at the parish level and the inmate search tool on the sheriff's website are separate from that restriction and remain openly accessible. If you have trouble getting a record you believe is public, you can seek enforcement in district court under LRS 44:35 or contact a local legal aid organization for guidance.
Cities in St. James Parish
There are no cities in St. James Parish with dedicated arrest records pages on this site. All records for communities in the parish, including Convent, Lutcher, and Gramercy, are handled through the St. James Parish Sheriff's Office at 5800 LA Highway 44 in Convent. Call (225) 562-2200 for records help anywhere in the parish.
Nearby Parishes
St. James Parish is in southeast Louisiana along the Mississippi River. It shares borders with several parishes, each with its own records and sheriff's office.