Illinois Inmate Records

Illinois inmate records are maintained by varying government agencies. The agency responsible for keeping an inmate record largely depends on whether such an inmate is being incarcerated in a state, local, or federal correctional facility within the state. Illinois' incarceration rate of 236 per 100,000 residents is lower than the national imprisonment rate, which stands at 355 per 100,000 United States residents.

On average, about 29,634 inmates are held in state-operated correctional facilities every year. Similarly, local jails in Illinois accommodate an average of 17,000 inmates annually, while about 6,100 are incarcerated in federal prisons located in the state.

Illinois inmate records contain many important details and information about persons who are currently or have been formerly incarcerated in any correctional facility within the state. These details include the following:

• Arrest Information - This shows details of the arresting agency, time of the arrest, location of the arrest, charges, arrest warrants, and the date of the arrest.
• Personal Details - These include the inmate's full name, race, gender, date of birth, on descriptors, such as tattoos and scars.
• Court Details - These include charges, case numbers, court appearances, and convictions.
• Incarceration Details - These show information about an inmate's current location of incarceration, admission date, projected release date, disciplinary actions against them in prison/jail, date of birth at the time of incarceration, and inmate number.

Are Inmate Records Public in Illinois?

Unless specifically exempt by statute or court order, most inmate records in Illinois are public records. Per the state's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), records maintained by public agencies, including inmate records, are considered public information and documents. As such, members of the public may inspect or copy them. However, sealed inmate records are not publicly available and may only be accessed by authorized persons or agencies. Similarly, sensitive details such as financial information, medical reports, and juvenile records, contained in Illinois inmate records are generally not accessible to the public.

What Agencies Are Responsible for Inmate Records in Illinois?

Several agencies provide support for Illinois's criminal justice system and are responsible for keeping inmate records within the state. These agencies include the following:

• The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) - The state's Department of Corrections (IDOC) has at least 45 state-operated prisons under its jurisdiction. They include correctional centers, work camps, treatment centers, and adult transitional centers. The IDOC is responsible for maintaining the records of each inmate housed in these facilities and making them available for inspection or copying upon request.
• County Sheriff's Offices - In Illinois, the county jails generally house individuals sentenced to serve county time, those awaiting trial or bond, and other offenders who are held for other agencies within the state's criminal justice system. The state has about 92 county jails whose inmate records are kept by the supervising county sheriff's offices.
• The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) - Offenders sentenced to prisons for committing federal offenses in Illinois are housed in federal prisons located in the state. These inmates do not fall under the IDOC's jurisdiction. Rather, six federal prisons managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) are responsible for accommodating them and keeping the records of such inmates.
• Police Departments - Generally, inmates are first arrested, charged to court, and then sentenced to correctional facilities if found guilty of the charges. The arresting police departments keep records of such arrests, which are parts of a typical inmate record in Illinois.

How To Search an Inmate's Information in Illinois?

Before beginning the search for an inmate's information in Illinois, it is important to identify whether the inmate is housed in a federal, state, or state correctional facility.

Find an inmate in Illinois State Prisons

Inmates held in Illinois state correctional facilities are under the jurisdiction of the state's Department of Corrections (IDOC). The IDOC offers members of the public the Individual in Custody Search, an online system that allows anyone to find information about inmates held in state-operated prisons. Interested persons may look up any inmate using their last name, IDOC number, and birthdate. The search typically returns a list of inmates matching the search parameter, and each record contains the inmate's personal information, mugshots, sentencing information, and admission/release/discharge information.

Anyone looking to find more detailed information about any individual incarcerated in any Illinois state correctional facility may visit the inmate's holding facility. Typically, they will be required to provide certain details to help search. Such details will largely include the inmate's name, IDOC number, admission date, and IDOC number. Alternatively, such person may consider contacting the IDOC at (217) 558-2200.

Find an Inmate in Local Jail

Local jails in Illinois are generally under the jurisdiction of local law enforcement agencies including the county sheriff's offices and local police departments. Many of these agencies have developed online inmate locators/rosters/listings that enable the public to view information about inmates held in local jails. While some of these online resources list details of inmates currently in custody, others are designed to allow users to search by inmates' names or booking number information.

Although online inmate rosters, locators, or listings maintained by county sheriff's offices and local police departments in Illinois may offer users a level of convenience, they do not usually provide detailed information. It is best to visit the local jail facility where an inmate is being incarcerated if looking to obtain detailed information about that inmate. However, it is often advised to contact the facility in advance to ascertain if they need to book an appointment before visiting.

Find an Inmate in Federal Prison

Finding information about a federal inmate in any of the 6 federal prisons located in Illinois is made easy by the BOP inmate locator. The Inmate locator allows members of the public to search for inmates housed in federal prisons from 1982 to the present using their names or BOP register numbers. Some of the federal prisons in Illinois are Chicago MCC, Marion FCI, Chicago RRM, and Thomas FCI.

How Can I Access Old Inmate Records?

Old inmate records in Illinois are generally not accessible on the IDOC's Individual in Custody Search portal or the inmate rosters maintained by the local jails. Such records are largely available through the Illinois State Archives for inmates released from state prisons and the National Archives, for inmates who served prison terms in federal prisons located in the state. Interested persons may contact the State Archives for inquiries on how to access old inmate records in Illinois.

Detailed records or information about inmates incarcerated within the Illinois prison system and already released may be accessed by visiting the facilities where such inmates were housed. Such facilities can provide as much information as permitted by law about such inmates. Alternatively, interested persons may access old inmate records in Illinois by submitting FOIA requests to the IDOC by email. They may also submit the requests in person, by fax, or by mail to:

Each FOI request must clearly describe the inmate's information sought and include the requester's contact information.

Furthermore, credible third-party sites like Illinoispublicrecords.us maintain a database of old inmates who at one time served prison or jail terms in Illinois. These sites are maintained by independent companies that collate records and never delete them from their databases. While users are usually required to pay a nominal fee to access such old inmate records, these fees are often insignificant considering the convenience offered by the sites.

Can I Find an Illinois Inmate Record for Free?

Government agencies in the custody of Illinois inmate records make these records available to the public for free through dedicated online resources. However, these resources only provide information for inmates housed in facilities supervised by those agencies. For instance, the IDOC's Individual in Custody Search portal is a database of inmates housed in IDOC's correctional facilities only. As a result, information about individuals incarcerated in county jails will not show up in inmate searches conducted on the IDOC's Individuals in Custody Search. Similarly, inmate searches performed on inmate locators maintained by county sheriff's offices will not return information about inmates housed in IDOC's facilities.

Generally, third-party sites like Illinoispublicrecords.us enable interested persons to search inmates incarcerated in Illinois correctional facilities, regardless of which agency supervises such inmates or keeps their records. These sites serve as centralized databases of inmate records for individuals incarcerated in local, state, and federal correctional facilities. They are often considered one-stop databases, as users can conduct all their searches in one place and obtain the sought inmate information.

Jails and Prisons in Illinois

Correctional facilities in Illinois are grouped and named based on their management structure, and are largely categorized as follows:

• Local Jails - These are mostly managed by the county sheriff's offices statewide. Illinois has 92 county jails spread across 102 counties.
• State Prisons - These are supervised by the state's Department of Corrections. Illinois's 46 state-run prisons include varying correctional centers, adult transition centers, treatment centers, and work camps.
• Federal Camps - The six federal prisons in Illinois are operated and managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

State Prisons in Illinois

The table below lists some of the 46 state correctional facilities in Illinois and their security levels:

Private Prisons in Illinois

There are no private prisons in Illinois.

Illinois Inmate Statistics

• Illinois Incarceration Rate - 236 per 100,000 residents
• Male Incarceration Rate - 454 per 100,000 males
• Female Incarceration Rate - 23 per 100,000 females
• Youth Custody Rate - 39 per 100,000 youths
• Number of Prisoners in Private Prisons - 0
• Black/White Imprisonment Disparity - 7.8:1
• Latino/White Imprisonment Disparity - 1.5:1
• Number of offenders under community supervision - 1,017 per 100,000 people
• Number on probation - 889 per 100,000 people
• Number on parole - 205 per 100,000 people
• Felony Disenfranchisement Rate - 0.3%

* Source: United States Bureau of Justice Statistics