GlossaryReports, outcomes, and case status
Booking
Booking is the administrative process of recording a person's admission into a detention facility or processing system.
Booking is the administrative process of recording a person's admission into a detention facility or processing system. It commonly includes identification, recorded allegations, and intake information. A booking entry documents processing into custody; it does not establish guilt or tell the reader how a court later resolved the matter.
What booking records describe
Washington County, Oregon describes a booking process that includes photographs, fingerprints, charge entry, property storage, and a medical intake assessment. These are that facility's procedures, not a list guaranteed to appear in every public booking record.
A public roster may show only a selection of administrative fields, such as a booking number, admission date, and charges. A booking number identifies the facility record. It should not be assumed to be the same identifier as a police incident number or court case number.
Example
Hypothetical example: A jail logs a person's admission at 11:20 p.m., assigns a booking number, and lists two arrest allegations. The person is released the next morning. A court later dismisses one charge.
The booking entry supports a statement about the admission and recorded allegations at that time. It does not show a conviction, and the next-day release does not by itself explain the final court outcome. The custody history and court docket answer different questions.
Common confusion
An arrest and a booking are related events but are not identical counting units. A count of admissions measures processing events, not necessarily unique people. One person's repeated admissions would need to be handled explicitly in a person-based analysis.
A jail roster is also a snapshot of custody information, not necessarily a complete history of all bookings.
Facility differences
Look for the roster's update time, release fields, identifier rules, and definitions of the listed charges. Local procedures determine what is collected and what is published. Use court dispositions for judicial outcomes rather than treating intake allegations as permanent findings.