Rule 28. JAIL CENSUS · Last amended 2015 · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceRule 28 requires every county sheriff to send the chief judge, district attorney, chief community supervision officer, and circuit public defender a monthly roster of everyone in custody on a criminal charge — whether held in the county jail or held elsewhere at the sheriff’s direction — listing each person’s name, arrest date, charge, bond amount, and counsel status.
Full Text of Rule 28
Text size
The sheriff of each county shall furnish to the chief judge, or designee, the district attorney, the chief community supervision officer, and the circuit public defender or its equivalent, at least monthly, a list of all individuals in custody charged with a crime in the county jail or held elsewhere at the sheriff’s direction. Such lists shall include, as to each individual:
(A) The individual’s name;
(B) The date of arrest;
(C) The offense charged, or other reason for being held;
(D) The amount of bond; and
(E) Whether or not the individual is represented by counsel, and if so, the name of such counsel.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 28 turns the county jail into a data point the court system checks every month. The sheriff has to compile a list of everyone locked up on a criminal charge — whether they’re sitting in the county jail or held somewhere else at the sheriff’s direction — and send it to four different offices: the chief judge, the district attorney, the chief community supervision officer, and the circuit public defender.
The list isn’t just names. For each person, the sheriff has to report the arrest date, the charge or reason for custody, the bond amount, and whether the person has a lawyer — and if so, who. That last item matters most. It’s the mechanism that catches people who have been sitting in jail without anyone assigned to represent them.
Because the report goes to the district attorney and the public defender at the same time, both sides of a criminal case get the same picture of who is in custody and why. That shared visibility helps courts move cases along, spot defendants who need counsel appointed, and keep bond amounts and charges from getting lost in the shuffle between arrest and arraignment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to prepare the jail census under Rule 28?
The sheriff of each county must prepare the list and send it to the chief judge or the judge’s designee, the district attorney, the chief community supervision officer, and the circuit public defender or its equivalent.
How often must the sheriff send the jail census?
Rule 28 requires the sheriff to furnish the list at least monthly, though a sheriff may choose to report more often.
Does the jail census cover people held outside the county jail?
Yes. It covers everyone charged with a crime who is in the county jail or held elsewhere at the sheriff’s direction, not just those physically inside the jail building.
What information must the list include for each person in custody?
Each entry must show the person’s name, the date of arrest, the offense charged or other reason for being held, the bond amount, and whether the person is represented by counsel, including the attorney’s name if so.
Why does the jail census track whether someone has a lawyer?
Listing counsel status lets the court, prosecutor, and public defender identify people in custody who still need an attorney appointed, so representation gaps do not go unnoticed between arrest and trial.
Amendment History
Amended effective October 9, 1997; amended effective December 10, 2015.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Uniform Superior Court Rules, published by the
Council of Superior Court Judges of Georgia. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:Georgia jail census ruleUSCR Rule 28monthly jail roster requirementsheriff report to public defenderlist of persons in custody Georgiajail census indigent defendants