San Juan County clarifies misinformation on detainee booking photos distribution

The San Juan County Commission meeting on April 1, 2025, addressed significant concerns regarding the dissemination of booking information from the San Juan County Adult Detention Center. County officials clarified that while booking photos and information are publicly available on their official website, a third-party website and Facebook page have been scraping this data and posting it without the county's consent.

During the meeting, officials emphasized that the county does not control or endorse the Facebook page that has been the source of misinformation. They noted that individuals have approached them requesting the removal of their photos from this unauthorized page, highlighting the public's concern over privacy and the potential misuse of this information. The county reiterated that the official source for booking information is their website, where data is presented in a more restricted manner, requiring searches by name or date rather than displaying all detainees at once.

In response to the ongoing issues, the county has added a disclaimer on their website to clarify their lack of control over the third-party site, which is identified as publicjailrecords.com. This clarification aims to address public confusion and misinformation circulating on social media.

The meeting also included a segment for public comments, although no members of the public chose to speak. Following this, the commission moved into a closed session to discuss the leasing of the San Juan County Industrial Park, indicating ongoing efforts to manage county property effectively.

Overall, the meeting underscored the county's commitment to transparency while addressing the challenges posed by unauthorized sharing of public information.