What Happens When You’re Booked in Jail or Prison?
A step by step guide for those who’ve never dealt with it.
There are significant differences between jail and prison, so it stands to reason the booking processes are different as well. Clearly, I can’t speak for every single jail and prison in the world, much less in the United States, but as a general rule, this information should be similar across the board, at least in the US.
When You’re First Arrested
Regardless of the crime you’re accused of, when you’re first arrested, you’ll be taken to jail, which is the local facility where you’re located. Typically, you’ll be taken to the county lockup wherever you’re arrested which is also usually where the alleged crime occurred. There are exceptions to this, such as being picked up in another county or state, then extradited to the place where the alleged crime happened, but eventually, the same things will happen, so we won’t get into all of that.
Typically, there’s a warrant issued for your arrest and a deputy is acting on this warrant when they arrest you. A warrant isn’t required, if you’re caught in the act of committing a crime by a law enforcement officer they can arrest you on the spot. But for the most part, crimes are investigated before people are ever arrested, then…
