Nantucket County Booking Releases
Nantucket County booking releases are not handled on the island anymore. The old Nantucket County Jail on Vestal Street closed in 1946 and is now a museum run by the Nantucket Historical Association. Anyone arrested on Nantucket today gets held at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility on Cape Cod. That means if you need to search for booking releases tied to a Nantucket arrest, you have to contact Barnstable County. This page explains how the system works, where to look for current records, and what the historical timeline is for the Nantucket County jail.
Nantucket County Booking Releases Overview
Nantucket County Sheriff and Current Status
Nantucket County still has a sheriff, but there is no active jail on the island. The old jail on Vestal Street has been a museum since 1949. The Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association page for Nantucket County has basic info about the office.
This page on the Sheriffs' Association site gives you what little info exists about the Nantucket County Sheriff's Office. It is a far cry from what you find for bigger counties. Nantucket is the smallest county in Massachusetts by land area, and its jail operations ended decades ago. The sheriff still holds the title, but booking and custody work goes through Barnstable County.
If someone gets arrested on Nantucket, local police handle the initial arrest. After that, the person is transported to the Barnstable County Correctional Facility for booking. That is where the booking release record gets created. Barnstable County takes over from that point on. Under MGL c. 126, § 16, county jails house pre-trial detainees and people with sentences of 2.5 years or less. For Nantucket, Barnstable fills that role.
Note: All current Nantucket County booking releases are held by Barnstable County, so contact them at (508) 563-4300 for any inmate search.
How to Search Nantucket Booking Releases
Since Nantucket has no active jail, all booking release searches go through Barnstable County. Call the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office at (508) 563-4300. Give them the person's name, date of birth, and the date of arrest. They can check if someone from Nantucket is currently in their custody and pull up the booking release.
You can also visit the Barnstable County Sheriff's website for contact info and possible online tools. Barnstable is a larger county with more resources than Nantucket, and they handle inmates from across the Cape and Islands region. A written request works too. Send it to the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office and reference that the arrest took place on Nantucket.
For people sentenced to more than 2.5 years, the state Department of Correction takes over. The Massachusetts DOC inmate search page explains how to find someone in a state prison. You can also use VINE to search for state inmates. VINE does not cover Barnstable County jail inmates, but it does cover all state DOC facilities.
Under MGL c. 66, § 10, every person has the right to access public records in Massachusetts. Barnstable County must respond to your request within 10 business days. The first two hours of search time are free under 950 CMR 32.
Nantucket County Jail History
The Nantucket County Jail, known as the Old Gaol, has a long and unusual history. It was built in 1805 on Vestal Street. Inmate records first appear in Nantucket County Court records starting in 1806. For over a century, the jail served the island's small population. But by the late 1800s, it was already running out of purpose.
In 1833, the Board of Managers of the Prison Discipline Society inspected the facility. They found just four prisoners: two thieves, one debtor, and one youth. The "House of Correction" was moved next to the jail in 1855. From 1870 to 1876, the jail sat completely empty. No inmates at all. In 1883, the Legislative Prison Committee recommended abolishing the Nantucket County jail entirely because there was so little need for it.
The jail kept going anyway. During Prohibition from 1920 to 1933, officers used the lower east cell to store confiscated liquor. The last prisoner escaped in 1933. After that, the jail saw almost no use. In 1946, the town deeded the building to the Nantucket Historical Association. It opened as a museum for public viewing in 1949. Today the Old Gaol is a tourist attraction, not a working jail. All current Nantucket County booking releases go through Barnstable County instead.
Note: Historical Nantucket County jail records from the 1800s may be available through the Nantucket Historical Association, not the sheriff's office.
Nantucket Booking Records and Legal Framework
Even though booking releases for Nantucket arrests are stored at Barnstable County, the same Massachusetts laws apply. Under MGL c. 6, §§ 167-178B, criminal offender record information is regulated statewide. CORI covers arrest records, booking data, pre-trial info, sentencing, and release details. It applies to anyone 18 or older. Juvenile records are separate unless the case was in adult court.
A standard booking release from a Nantucket arrest will show the person's name, date of birth, booking date and time, charges, bail amount, and expected release date. The arresting agency (Nantucket Police) will be listed, even though the person is held at a Barnstable County facility. The booking release belongs to the facility that did the intake, which in this case is Barnstable.
Records can be sealed. Under MGL c. 276, § 100A, misdemeanors can be sealed after 3 years. Felonies take 7 years. If charges were dropped or the person was found not guilty, MGL c. 276, § 100C calls for automatic sealing. Once sealed, the booking release tied to a Nantucket arrest will not show up in searches at Barnstable County or anywhere else.
Requesting Nantucket County Booking Records
Your request should go to the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office since they hold all current Nantucket County inmate records. Call (508) 563-4300 or write to their main office. Include the person's full name, date of birth, and arrest details. Mention that the arrest happened on Nantucket so they can locate the right record quickly.
Fees are standard across Massachusetts. Photocopies cost $0.05 to $0.10 per page. Computer printouts run $0.50 per page. Certified copies are about $3.00 each. The first two hours of search time are free. These rates come from 950 CMR 32 and apply to all county offices. For state-level booking releases, contact the DOC public records office at 50 Maple Street, Milford, MA 01757 or email doc.rao@state.ma.us.
All county correctional facilities in Massachusetts, including the ones holding Nantucket inmates at Barnstable, must meet the standards in 103 CMR 932. This regulation covers record keeping, inmate rights, and healthcare. It sets the baseline for how booking release data is stored and shared across the state's county system.
Nearby Counties with Booking Releases
Nantucket is an island county. The closest counties are Dukes County, which covers Martha's Vineyard, and Barnstable County on Cape Cod. Since Barnstable holds all current Nantucket inmates, that is the most important link for booking release searches.