Illinois Jail Roster
Search the Illinois jail roster to find who is in jail or prison right now. Illinois has 102 counties. Each runs its own jail. These are local lockups, not state prisons. IDOC handles state prisons for felony sentences of more than one year. County sheriffs post their own jail roster for people held on short terms or waiting for trial in Illinois. Most of these records are free to access online. This page shows you how to find Illinois jail roster records and what you can expect from each search tool across the state.
Illinois Jail Roster Quick Facts
Search the Illinois Jail Roster Online
The fastest way to check the Illinois jail roster is on the web. IDOC runs the state search. County sheriffs run their own. Each tool works a bit differently, but they all show who is in custody right now in Illinois.
The Illinois Department of Corrections runs the main state inmate search at idoc.illinois.gov. It covers all IDOC state prisons but not county jails. You can look up any person held on a state felony charge through this tool. Results show the person's name, IDOC number, date of birth, race, sex, height, weight, hair color, eye color, current facility, admission date, and projected discharge date. The general public and private groups can also call IDOC at 217-558-2200 for help with inmate searches in Illinois. IDOC keeps a wanted fugitives list too, with photos and last known addresses for people who have left custody without permission.
IDOC houses people who serve state felony terms of more than one year. For those held on local charges or serving less than a year, you need the county jail roster. Most large counties in Illinois post their jail rosters on the sheriff's site. Cook County runs its own inmate locator for people held at Cook County Jail, the largest single-site jail in the country.
County Jail Systems in Illinois
Illinois splits its jail system between the state and each county. This matters a lot. Your search path depends on where the person is held. State prisons fall under IDOC. County jails fall under each local sheriff. The two systems do not share one database, so you may need to check both when looking for someone on the Illinois jail roster.
There are 102 counties in Illinois. Each county sheriff runs a jail for people who wait for trial, serve short sentences, or are held for other agencies. Some of the larger county jails have online search tools you can use right now. Others need a phone call to the sheriff's office. You can view all state prison locations on the IDOC facilities page if you need to check those instead of a county jail roster in Illinois.
Larger counties like Cook, DuPage, Lake, and Will have their own jail roster search tools on the web. Champaign County runs a new jail records portal through Tyler Technologies. Tazewell County and Kendall County both offer online inmate lookups. St. Clair County has its own inmate search at inmates.stclaircounty.org. Smaller counties may only give this info by phone. Start with the county where the arrest took place if you are not sure where someone is held. The sheriff's office can tell you if the person is still in their Illinois jail or has been moved.
Public Records Access in Illinois
Anyone can ask for jail roster records in Illinois. The law backs this up. Under 5 ILCS 140, Section 2.15, arrest reports must include the person's name, age, address, charges, time and place of arrest, and the name of the arresting agency. If the person is in jail, the report must also show when they were received, discharged, or transferred. These reports must be provided within 72 hours of the arrest in Illinois.
The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority tracks criminal justice data across the state. ICJIA compiles stats and makes reports on incarceration trends in Illinois. This is a solid resource if you need broad data on the jail system rather than a single inmate lookup on the Illinois jail roster.
There are limits. Section 7 of the FOIA lists exemptions. Records that could risk safety or help someone escape may be held back from the public. Personal info about victims is often redacted from Illinois jail roster records. Staff rosters and security plans at jails are not public either. But the basic jail roster data, names, charges, and booking dates, is open in most cases across Illinois.
What Jail Roster Records Show
A jail roster in Illinois lists every person held at a facility right now. Details vary by county. Most share the same basic fields.
Common fields on an Illinois jail roster include:
- Full name of the person in custody
- Date of birth
- Booking date and time
- Charges filed
- Bond amount if set
- Arresting agency
Some counties go deeper on their jail roster. Cook County tracks its total jail population along with electronic monitoring numbers. As of early 2025, the Cook County Jail population sat at about 5,750 with another 1,527 on electronic monitoring. Tazewell County shows the charge detail, arresting agency, and sentence type for each person. Kendall County lists the housing facility so you can see if someone is held locally or at Kane County Jail. The Champaign County jail records portal at Tyler Technologies shows charges and bond amounts plus daily arrest logs. Under 730 ILCS 5, the Unified Code of Corrections governs how inmate records are kept at the state level in Illinois. You can file a FOIA request with any county if you need more detail than their jail roster provides.
Contact Illinois Corrections
The main contact for state inmate questions is the Illinois Department of Corrections at 1301 Concordia Court, Springfield, IL 62794. Call 217-558-2200 for general help. The IDOC contact page has info for media and public records requests.
For county jail roster questions, call the sheriff's office in the county where the arrest took place. Each county in Illinois has its own phone number and office hours. The Illinois Prisoner Review Board handles parole decisions and can be reached at 217-782-7273. The Illinois State Police Sex Offender Registry is a separate search system for registered sex offenders in Illinois.
Visiting Someone in an Illinois Jail
Each jail and prison in Illinois sets its own visit rules. IDOC facilities now use ICSolutions for video visitation. You must register first. Visit the IDOC website for the full list of rules at each state facility in Illinois.
Some rules apply at all IDOC sites. No electronic devices in the visiting room. Heart meds and inhalers are fine if they have proper labels. Clothing must be in good taste with no gang items. All visitors, cars, and belongings are subject to search at every Illinois facility. County jails set their own rules too. Cook County requires a visitor application before the first visit. Will County limits visits to two 30-minute sessions per week and offers video visitation at their center in Joliet. Tazewell County uses Cidnet for phone calls, messages, and video visits. DuPage County allows one 30-minute visit per week for regular inmates and one 60-minute visit for trustees. Always call the specific facility before you go to visit someone at an Illinois jail.
Note: Third-party services like GTL, ICSolutions, Cidnet, Smart Deposit, and TouchPay handle calls, deposits, and visits at many Illinois jails.
Browse Illinois Jail Roster by County
Each county in Illinois has its own sheriff's office that runs the local jail. Pick a county below to find jail roster info, contact details, and search tools for that area.
Jail Roster in Major Illinois Cities
Most cities in Illinois do not run their own jails. Arrests go through the county jail in that area. Pick a city below to learn which county handles its jail roster and how to search for inmates in Illinois.