Yes. The jail has an online inmate search. You can search by first name, last name, inmate number, or booking number. If the name does not come up, phone the jail at 207-753-2500, ext. 1992.

The Androscoggin jail's online search draws on bookings at 40 Pleasant St. Each result gives the person's name, gender and race, birth date, booking and inmate numbers, booking and release dates, and address. You can pick recent bookings, all records, or recent releases. Charges and bail amounts are left off, so call the jail for more information about those.

Auburn's search only lists people booked at Pleasant Street, so a miss is common. A few things trip people up:

• The search wants a legal name. "Mike" will not match "Michael."
• A person picked up a few minutes ago may still be in booking.
• Someone held for only a few hours and then released can drop off the recent list fast.
• A person arrested in Androscoggin on a federal case or an out-of-state warrant may be moved within a day or two.

Try the "all records" view, then phone the jail with a birth date ready.

Photos stay off the Auburn jail's search. The online search does not show booking photos. The sheriff controls them, so news outlets and others who want a mugshot should ask the Sheriff's Office at 207-753-2500. If a person is now in ICE custody, photos and records can be asked for through an ICE records request. Photos of federal detainees are not public, though the U.S. Marshals Service may release some in limited cases.

The Auburn jail answers at 207-753-2500. Have the person's full legal name and date of birth. If you have a booking or inmate number from the online search, give that first; it saves time. Pleasant Street staff confirm custody, read the charge, and give the next court date. They will not give legal advice or discuss the facts of a case.

Lewiston and Auburn officers drive arrests to Pleasant Street, where booking starts. Staff take fingerprints and a photo, list personal property, and run checks for other warrants. A medical screen comes next. On a crowded Friday night that process runs long, so the name may not appear in the search right away.

Bail for an Auburn booking is posted at the jail on Pleasant Street. In Maine, a bail commissioner usually sets bail at night and on weekends; a judge does it during court hours. The commissioner's fee is capped at $60 under 15 M.R.S. §1023. Judges must first weigh personal recognizance, a signed pledge to return, before any cash, under 15 M.R.S. §1026. Our bail page explains paying, bail conditions, and what happens if a condition is broken.

Androscoggin deputies working out of 2 Turner St. in Auburn carry out county warrants, so phone the Sheriff's Office at 207-753-2500 with a full name and birth date. Maine runs no warrant search that the public can use; you can still view court dockets after signing up through the Judicial Branch guide to electronic records. People who learn they are wanted usually do best by hiring a lawyer and surrendering together at the Androscoggin County Jail, 40 Pleasant St., rather than waiting for a traffic stop. If the warrant came from a missed hearing, the clerk may be able to reset it: Lewiston District Court is at 71 Lisbon St. (207-795-4800) and Superior Court is at 2 Turner St. (207-330-7500).

Androscoggin cases sit in Lewiston or Auburn. Most first hearings happen at one of two courts:

• Androscoggin County Superior Court, 2 Turner St., Auburn, ME 04210; 207-330-7500
• Lewiston District Court, 71 Lisbon St., Lewiston, ME 04240; 207-795-4800

The clerk can give the next hearing date if you have the full name and date of birth.

Yes. Releases from the Auburn jail show up in VINE. Search the person on VINELink and register a phone number or email. VINE sends a notice when custody changes, such as a release or transfer. The jail's own search also lets you sign up for custody status notices.

Call the jail before you go to learn the current visiting days and rules. Bring a photo ID. Our visitation page has general tips.

Deposits for someone on Pleasant Street go into a jail account. People in jail use money for snacks, hygiene items, and phone calls. Ask the jail which deposit methods work right now. See our money page, commissary page, and phone page.

Yes. Address it with the inmate's full legal name and the jail's street address, 40 Pleasant St., Auburn, ME 04210. Put your own name and address in the corner. Do not send cash, stamps, or anything taped or glued. Read our mail page and email page before you send anything.

Sometimes. A few Androscoggin bookings must wait for a Lewiston or Auburn judge. Murder cases are outside a commissioner's power, so only a judge rules on release there. Probation holds and arrests for breaking an earlier release order can also mean waiting for a judge. In those cases the jail cannot take money at the front desk. Ask the clerk when the hearing is set, and the defense lawyer can argue for release there.

When the case is first called in Auburn or Lewiston, someone who cannot afford counsel can say so. If not, the court can assign one through the Maine Commission on Public Defense Services. Family members cannot hire a lawyer in the person's name without the person agreeing, but they can call firms and pass on names. Defense counsel may file a motion to reduce bail or ease a condition.

The jail can read the booking charge over the phone. The formal charge can change once the district attorney files the case. For the court version, ask the Lewiston or Auburn clerk, or search re:SearchMaine. Police reports are kept by the arresting agency, not the jail.

No. The jail search only shows bookings at Pleasant Street. A Maine criminal history check comes from the Maine State Police State Bureau of Identification, and court records come from re:SearchMaine. Landlords and employers usually use the State Police check.

People leave from the jail on Pleasant Street, a short walk from the Superior Court. Bring a ride or a phone that works, since buses may not run late at night. Property taken at booking is usually handed back at release.

Youth are not kept in the county jail. A young person ordered held is sent to the Long Creek Youth Development Center, 675 Westbrook St., South Portland, ME 04106; 207-822-2600.

Androscoggin sentences of more than nine months are served outside Auburn. After a longer sentence, a person may move to a state prison. Search the Maine Department of Corrections list. Our Maine state prisons page has more help.

An Androscoggin arrest on a federal charge leaves the Lewiston and Auburn courts. Someone facing a federal charge is in U.S. Marshals Service custody until sentencing. The Marshals may house that person in a county jail. Their Maine offices are:

• Portland: 156 Federal St., Suite 124, Portland, ME 04101; 207-780-3355
• Bangor: 202 Harlow St., Suite 321, Bangor, ME 04401; 207-945-0416

Federal cases are heard at the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine. Its clerk's offices are at 156 Federal St., Portland (207-780-3356) and 202 Harlow St., Bangor (207-945-0575). After sentencing, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

When the Androscoggin County Jail gets an ICE request, it decides under state law. Form I-247A, the federal detainer, asks jailers to hold someone up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, as set out in 8 CFR 287.7(d). Maine law, 5 M.R.S. §4763 and §4764, bars Pleasant Street from keeping a person for the detainer alone, and the person is owed a copy. Search the ICE detainee locator if you think the person was moved to ICE.

Lewiston and Auburn police can write summonses. On plenty of misdemeanors the answer is yes. A summons skips booking entirely, which is why no name turns up at the Auburn jail. Whatever date is printed on that paper is the one to keep.

Almost never. Crooks pose as lawyers or deputies and push for payment through store cards or money transfers. The jail on Turner Street and the court accept bail in person and hand over a receipt, so hang up and dial the facility yourself.

Androscoggin hearing dates come from Lewiston District Court (207-795-4800) or the Superior Court in Auburn (207-330-7500). Start with the release or bail paperwork. Either clerk's office in Lewiston or Auburn can read the docket to you, and our court guide carries both numbers.

• Cumberland County: Cumberland County Jail, 50 County Way, Portland, ME 04102; 207-774-5939
• Franklin County: Franklin County Detention Center, 121 County Way, Farmington, ME 04938; 207-778-3032
• Kennebec County: Kennebec County Correctional Facility, 115 State St., Augusta, ME 04330; 207-623-2270
• Oxford County: Oxford County Jail, 26 Western Ave., South Paris, ME 04281; 207-743-5870
• Sagadahoc County: Two Bridges Regional Jail, 522 Bath Rd., Wiscasset, ME 04578; 207-882-4268

• Lewiston Police Department, non-emergency dispatch: 207-784-6421
• Auburn Police Department: 207-784-7331
• Lisbon Police Department: 207-353-2500
• Sabattus Police Department: 207-375-6952
• Mechanic Falls Police Department: 207-345-9021
• Livermore Falls Police Department: 207-897-6425
• Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office, 2 Turner St., Auburn: 207-753-2500 (press 8 for dispatch)

Durham, Greene, Leeds, Livermore, Minot, Poland, Turner, and Wales have no town police. Sheriff's deputies cover them, with help from the Maine State Police. Androscoggin falls under the State Police Southern Field Troop, whose Gray barracks is reached through the Augusta communications center: 207-624-7076.

For emergencies, call 911.