Illinois Inmate Search

As of September 2024, there are over 29,000 inmates in the Illinois prison system. According to an Illinois Department of Corrections report on admissions by region, Cook and Downstate recorded 6,909 and 7,454 total adult admissions for the 2024 fiscal year. Also, 11,769 prison sentences were issued in Cook County, making up about 40.5% of the total sentencing for adults in the state in the 2024 fiscal year. 47.6% (13,854) of Illinois total adult sentencing in the 2024 fiscal year happened in the downstate counties. According to the IDOC report, downstate counties are all counties in the state other than Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will.

The state provides an inmate search tool for friends and families of persons incarcerated in the state prisons to find their loved ones. Also, counties offer inmate search tools for the public to find persons held in county jails. Hence inmate search in Illinois is made possible via a state-provided search resource and various county jail search tools.

What is Illinois Inmate Lookup?

Illinois inmate lookup refers to a process of searching for and finding information about a person held in any of Illinois' correctional centers prisons or county jails. The Illinois Department of Corrections offers an inmate locator service via its Individual in Custody Search tool. Also, several other counties, such as Cook County offer inmate locator services.

The inmate lookup system in Illinois allows users to access details about inmates, including their location, charges, incarceration status, and projected release dates. The system not only identifies the specific correctional facilities where inmates are held but also serves as a vital resource helping families and friends to stay informed and maintain connections with their loved ones. By using Illinois inmate lookup services, individuals may easily find out which facility an inmate is housed in, facilitating visitation arrangements.

Additionally, the Illinois inmate lookup plays a critical role in improving transparency within the state's correctional system. By making certain inmate data publicly accessible, the state promotes accountability and ensures that information about incarceration is available for individuals and legal groups.

What Information Can You Find in an Illinois Inmate Search?

You may find the following information when you conduct an inmate search in Illinois:

• Inmate's full name
• Inmate's IDOC number
• Inmate's mugshots
• Inmate's parent institution
• Inmate's offender status
• Inmate's physical profile (date of birth, weight, sex, hair color, height, race, and eye color)
• Inmate's marks, scars, and tattoos
• Inmate's admission, release, or discharge information (admission date, parole date, and projected discharge date)
• Inmate's sentencing information

How Are Inmate Records in Illinois Created and Stored?

Illinois inmate records are first created when someone is arrested and held in custody. The initial paperwork called a RAP sheet, contains the person's name, address, physical description, and information about the crime they committed. After that, whenever the person is moved to another facility, or has a hearing or trial, it is noted in the file.

The Illinois Department of Corrections is the government agency that collects, manages, and stores all inmate records in a centralized database. This repository is helpful so that anyone may conduct an Illinois inmate lookup quickly and easily.

What Does Illinois's Prison System Look Like?

The Illinois state prison system comprises 29 correctional centers overseen by the state's Department of Correction (IDOC). The IDOC operates multiple correctional facilities across the state, each with a specific security level and purpose, ranging from minimum to maximum security.

Furthermore, there are 91 county jails and six federal prisons located in Illinois. Cook County Jail, located in Chicago, is the largest facility in the state and one of the largest single-site jails in the United States. Other significant county facilities include those in DuPage and Lake Counties.

At least 12,000 employees work in the various state-run prison facilities across the state. These employees operate in various roles, including maintaining Illinois prison records and making prison records available to requesters. As of December 2022, the state had a parole population of 20,230 and a probation population of 79,900. The state's incarceration rate stood at 236 per 100,000 residents.

In addition to prisons and jails, Illinois operates specialized facilities, including juvenile detention centers and treatment centers for offenders with specific needs, such as substance abuse or mental health challenges. These institutions focus on rehabilitation and reintegration of released inmates into society.

Types of Correctional Facilities in Illinois

The state of Illinois has 29 state prisons along with four transitional centers to help inmates re-enter society successfully. The state also has six federal prisons for inmates who have violated federal felony laws. Illinois also has five juvenile detention centers housing the state's youth offenders under the age of 18. Each one of the 102 counties has a Sheriff's Office which operates its jail to house criminals who are awaiting trial, sentencing, or hearings. In some cases, judges will order short jail sentences rather than prison.

The state of Illinois has twenty-eight state prisons along with four transitional centers to help inmates re-enter society successfully. The state also has six federal prisons for inmates who have violated federal felony laws. Illinois also has five juvenile detention centers housing the state's youth offenders under the age of 18. Each one of the 102 counties has a Sheriff's Office which operates its own jail to house criminals who are awaiting trial, sentencing, or hearings. In some cases, judges will order short jail sentences rather than prison.

The state also has programs to help inmates with substance abuse, mental illness, and physical ailments. They also offer counseling for sexual offenders and allow inmates to continue their education while incarcerated.

Illinois State Prisons

The state of Illinois has a high number (29) of state prisons. Each facility is designed for a particular custody level and population. The list of Illinois state prisons includes:

• Big Muddy River Correctional Center
• Centralia Correctional Center
• Danville Correctional Center
• Decatur Correctional Center
• Dixon Correctional Center
• East Moline Correctional Center
• Graham Correctional Center
• Hill Correctional Center
• Illinois River Correctional Center
• Jacksonville Correctional Center
• Joliet Inpatient Treatment Center
• Joliet Treatment Center
• Lawrence Correctional Center
• Lincoln Correctional Center
• Logan Correctional Center
• Menard Correctional Center
• Menard Medium Security Unit
• Pinckneyville Correctional Center
• Pontiac Correctional Center
• Pontiac Medium Security Unit
• Robinson Correctional Center
• Shawnee Correctional Center
• Sheridan Correctional Center
• Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center
• Stateville Correctional Center
• Taylorville Correctional Center
• Vandalia Correctional Center
• Vienna Correctional Center
• Western Illinois Correctional Center

Illinois County Jails

Illinois has 102 counties throughout the state. Each county has a local Sheriff's Office, and they operate and maintain their own county jail. Inmates held in the county jail are those who were just arrested and are awaiting either a hearing or trial or those who were sentenced and are waiting to be moved or will serve their entire short sentence in county jail. Each county Sheriff's Office has jurisdiction and control over the county jails.

Illinois Juvenile Detention Centers

Illinois also keeps five juvenile detention centers active to help and house youth offenders younger than 18 years old. All five are operated and supervised by the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ). Any juvenile inmate search conducted in the state will provide information on juveniles held in the following detention centers:

• IYC Chicago
• IYC Harrisburg
• IYC Pere Marquette
• IYC Warrenville
• Phoenix Emerging Adults Career & Education (PEACE) Center- St. Charles

Illinois also has some county juvenile detention centers, but they fall outside of the responsibility of the IDJJ.

Illinois Community Correctional Facilities

The state of Illinois is committed to reducing recidivism through its transitional center program. Once an inmate nears their release date, they are moved to a low-security facility to transition back into life by getting a job, secure housing, and other "normal" life activities. The four transitional centers in Illinois are:

• Crossroads Adult Transition Center.
• Fox Valley Adult Transition Center.
• North Lawndale Adult Transition Center.
• Peoria Adult Transition Center.

Each center holds fewer than 500 inmates.

Why are People Incarcerated in Illinois?

In Illinois, individuals are incarcerated for a wide range of offenses, broadly categorized into violent and nonviolent crimes. Violent crimes, which pose significant risks to public safety, include offenses such as assault, homicide, armed robbery, and sexual assault. These crimes often result in longer sentences due to their severe nature and the threat they pose to the community.

Nonviolent crimes, on the other hand, include offenses like drug possession, theft, fraud, and property-related crimes such as burglary or vandalism. While these offenses may not involve physical harm, they still have a considerable impact on victims and the State of Illinois at large.

Illinois places a strong emphasis on rehabilitation for nonviolent offenders, aiming to address the root causes of criminal behavior, such as addiction or lack of education. Programs within the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) are designed and established to equip these individuals with skills, support, and resources to reintegrate successfully into society, reducing recidivism and promoting public safety.

Members of the general public who may need information about incarcerated individuals in Illinois may use tools like the Illinois inmate search provided by the IDOC and county inmate locator resources. Through the inmate search, users can access details about an inmate's location, charges, and incarceration status.

Illinois's Incarceration Rate and Statistics

Illinois experienced its highest inmate population in the 2013 fiscal year with 49,401 inmates. In the years since then, the inmate population has significantly reduced with figures now bordering on the 30,000 mark.

The table below shows Illinois fiscal year incarceration rate over a 7-year period.

Life After Incarceration in Illinois

In Illinois, the transition from incarceration to community life is facilitated through Adult Transition Centers (ATCs). These centers provide a structured environment where eligible individuals remain under the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) while receiving support to reintegrate into society.

Services offered at ATCs include assistance in securing employment, finding housing, and reestablishing family connections. The primary mission of these centers is to reduce recidivism by helping returning citizens become employed, law-abiding community members.

For example, the Fox Valley Adult Transition Center, a transitional security facility for females, provides a positive transition from the institution to life in the community through a four-step level system. Residents are expected to seek full-time employment or attend educational or vocational training with the assistance of counselors and programs.

Illinois' efforts at providing a smooth re-transition back to society notwithstanding, the recidivism rate in the state within one year of release stands at 17%, while the rate within three years of release is estimated at 38.5%. Also, the state is ranked 17th in the United States for recidivism rates.

How Does Parole Work in Illinois?

Parole is when an inmate is released early from prison but must follow strict guidelines, or they will lose this privilege and go back to prison. Part of this supervisory program includes the inmate checking in with a parole officer regularly. Illinois makes this easy with its seven Day Reporting Centers that are open 365 days per year. Only inmates who behave well and are committed to rehabilitation get offered parole in Illinois.

Illinois Parole Population in 2022

How Does Someone Get Probation in Illinois?

During the sentencing phase of a trial in Illinois, the judge has the option of ordering probation instead of jail or prison. This is usually only offered to first-time or low-risk offenders. The probation program comes with strict rules, including checking in with a probation officer and other court-ordered stipulations. If an offender violates even one of the rules, their probation will be revoked, and they will immediately go to prison.

Illinois Probation Population in 2022