Franklin County Jail Booking Releases and Records
Franklin County booking releases are processed through Franklin County Jail in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. The jail records every arrest made in the county, capturing full name, physical characteristics, mugshots, booking numbers, charges, bond amounts, and court dates. Booking records are publicly available online and through written requests under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law. An active inmate roster and historical records are both accessible, giving the public multiple ways to search Franklin County custody information.
Franklin County Jail Overview
Franklin County Jail is located at 1804 Opportunity Avenue in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania 17201. The facility phone is 717-264-9513. The jail has a rated capacity of approximately 350 beds, with an average daily population around 290. It holds both pre-trial detainees awaiting court proceedings and sentenced inmates serving shorter terms.
The jail sits in Chambersburg, the county seat of Franklin County. The county is located in south-central Pennsylvania, sharing its southern border with Maryland. Franklin County's communities include Chambersburg, Waynesboro, Greencastle, Mercersburg, and Shippensburg, along with a large rural population spread across the county's townships. Law enforcement agencies from across the county route arrests to the county jail as the central booking and holding facility.
The Franklin County government website at franklincountypa.gov provides access to county services, including information about the jail and booking records.
What Franklin County Booking Records Contain
Each booking record at Franklin County Jail captures a defined set of details. The record includes the individual's full legal name, any known aliases, and physical characteristics such as height, weight, hair color, and eye color. A mugshot is taken at intake and tied to the record. Each record is assigned a unique booking number and one or more ID numbers used to track the individual through the system.
The record documents the booking date and time, every charge filed, the applicable statute for each charge, the bond or bail amount set at arraignment, and the scheduled court date. These details are the core of every booking release and represent the minimum public-facing information available for each person taken into custody in Franklin County.
Historical records not available through the online roster require a written request to the Franklin County Sheriff. Address the request to: Attention: Jail Records, 1804 Opportunity Avenue, Chambersburg, PA 17201. Include the subject's full name, any aliases, date of birth, the time period you are researching, and any details about the crime or charges involved. Historical requests cover arrests that have already cycled off the active online roster.
The Pennsylvania inmate rosters site at pennsylvaniainmaterosters.org provides an online view of the Franklin County Jail active roster, showing current booking releases for individuals in custody.
Visitation at Franklin County Jail
Video visitation at Franklin County Jail is available through GettingOut. Calls for questions about video visitation can be directed to 866-516-0115. Home video visits cost approximately $0.30 per minute, up to $1.00 per minute depending on the plan selected. An $8 flat fee applies for 20-minute visits at most facilities. All video visits are monitored and recorded.
In-person visitation is scheduled Monday through Friday for all inmates from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Each inmate is allowed one visit per week. A maximum of two visitors are allowed per visit. To schedule a visit, call during scheduling hours from 2:30 PM to 9:00 PM. General Population and Work Release inmates receive a minimum of one hour per visit, which may extend if no other visitors are waiting. Protective Custody inmates are allowed a maximum of one hour. Inmates under sanctions receive a maximum of 30 minutes.
Visitors must bring valid government-issued photo ID as their only essential item along with a car key. Some facilities permit a clear purse with up to $40 in coins for use at vending machines. The dress code for visitors is strictly enforced. Not permitted are shorts, skirts, sleeveless shirts, low-cut clothing, sweatpants, leggings, gang-related clothing, hats, see-through garments, pajamas, wigs, uniforms, high heels over one inch, or any similar items. Arriving in prohibited clothing will result in being denied entry.
Mail and Phone at Franklin County Jail
Mail sent to an inmate at Franklin County Jail should be addressed using the inmate's full name and ID number: Inmate's Full Name and ID#, Franklin County Jail, 1804 Opportunity Avenue, Chambersburg, PA 17201. Mail without the correct ID number may be delayed or returned. Legal mail should be clearly marked and sent directly; it is handled separately from personal correspondence.
Phone service is available through Connect Network GTL/Viapath, which operates under the brand names Advance Pay, Prepaid Collect, and Direct Bill. Setting up an account through the provider before attempting calls reduces delays and ensures calls connect. Calls are subject to standard usage monitoring at county facilities.
Note: Inmate mail policies and phone systems can change. Check the Franklin County Jail or the service provider's current guidelines before sending money or setting up phone accounts to confirm the most current procedures.
Right-to-Know Law and Franklin County Booking Records
Pennsylvania's 65 P.S. § 67.101 et seq. covers all Franklin County booking records and jail custody data. The law presumes records held by government agencies are public unless a specific exemption applies. Written requests go to the County Administrator, and the agency must respond within five business days. Standard copy fees are $0.25 per page.
Denied requests may be appealed to the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records within 15 business days. The Office reviews the denial and issues a binding decision at no cost to the requester. Booking records, as a category, are among the most clearly public types of county records because they document formal arrests and charges. Under 61 Pa.C.S. § 4103, county correctional facilities must follow state rules on inmate record access and retention.
Franklin County Court Records via UJS Portal
The Franklin County Court of Common Pleas handles felony cases and more complex criminal matters. Magisterial District Courts handle preliminary hearings, bail, and summary offenses at the local level. All Franklin County court records are searchable through the Pennsylvania UJS portal.
Searching by name or docket number returns the full case history, including scheduled future dates, past hearings, and all orders entered. Court dates in booking records are set at arraignment and may change as cases progress. The UJS portal shows the current state of any Franklin County docket. Bail amounts from the booking record may also be modified by the Court of Common Pleas after a bail review hearing; checking the UJS portal is the best way to confirm the current bail status on any given case.
VINE Notifications and State Resources
Victims of crimes in Franklin County can register for free automated custody alerts through the VINE system. VINE sends notifications by phone, text, or email when a monitored person's custody status changes. Registration is available online or by phone. One account can cover multiple individuals.
For individuals serving state sentences, the Pennsylvania DOC inmate and parolee locator covers those cases separately from the county jail system. The PATCH system at the State Police provides statewide adult conviction records for a $22 search fee. Together, the county booking records, UJS court portal, VINE, and state-level tools provide a complete picture of any individual's status within the Pennsylvania justice system.
Record Expungement in Franklin County
Expungement of a Franklin County criminal record is handled through the Court of Common Pleas. An attorney works with the District Attorney's office and files a petition in court. The process takes one to two years from start to finish. Not all charges are eligible. Crimes that resulted in a conviction on a serious offense generally cannot be sealed by expungement.
Until the court enters an expungement order and it is fully processed, the arrest record remains visible in public booking databases. The UJS portal shows whether an expungement order has been entered on a specific docket. Juvenile records from Franklin County are not publicly disclosed. Only a parent or legal guardian may access records for someone who was under 18 at the time of arrest. Third-party databases that archive older arrest records should be contacted separately for removal once a court order is in place, as expungements do not automatically remove records from non-government sources.
Nearby Pennsylvania Counties
These neighboring counties maintain their own booking release records under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law.