Illinois Inmate Search

The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) manages 29 correctional facilities and some adult transition centers all spread across the state. The state's jail system also has at least 91 county jails in about 102 countries, As of late 2022, nearly 30,000 prisoners were incarcerated in Illinois state prisons under the Department of Corrections. Similarly, the population of inmates in the various county jails was estimated at 15,112.

Currently, Illinois has three female correctional facilities. In addition, there are six federal prison types in the state. The average incarceration rate in Illinois is estimated at 236 people per 100,000 population. The state's correctional facilities have six security designations. These are maximum security, medium security, minimum security, multi-security, secure mental health inpatient treatment, and transitional security.

Illinois Inmate SearchPrison in Illinois
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According to the Illinois Department of Corrections, the state's correctional system includes 29 state facilities, 91 county jails, and 6 federal facilities. As of late 2022, there were 30,000 state prisoners and 15,112 county jail inmates. Illinois has an incarceration rate of 236 per 100,000 people. The system includes 3 women-only facilities and facilities with 6 different security designations, ranging from minimum to maximum security.

Illinois Department of Corrections Inmate Search

Illinois state prisons are run by the Department of Corrections (IDOC). The IDOC promotes public safety in Illinois by instilling positive values in inmates housed in its correctional facilities. In addition, the Department of Corrections maintains a database of all inmates incarcerated in the state's correctional facilities, which facilitates access to publicly available information on inmates.

Members of the public may conduct an Illinois Department of Corrections inmate search through the Individuals in Custody Search system managed by the IDOC. Common search criteria include an inmate's birthdate, last name, and IDOC number. Regardless of the search parameter, search results typically contain inmates' names, IDOC numbers, and dates of birth. When highlighted inmate information is queried, more comprehensive information is displayed, including mugshots, sentencing information, admission/release/discharge information, physical profile, and physical descriptors.

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Find Inmate by Name

To find an inmate by name in Illinois using the Individuals in Custody Search system, select the Last Name search option, enter the inmate's last name in the appropriate field, and click the find button. The entire last name needs to be specified when searching with an inmate's name. Even if a partial last name is used, the search result will include inmates whose names match the part of the name searched. For instance, if a person is not sure if an inmate's name is Johnson or Johnstone, they could query the search system with John.

User

Find Inmate by Number

An IDOC number is required to find an inmate on Illinois's Individual in Custody Search. This number is six characters long containing an alphabet as its first character while others are numbers. If looking up an inmate using their IDOC number, select the IDOC Number search option and input the six-character long number. Afterward, click the find button, and the search result will display data on the inmate whose information is being queried.

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Find Inmate by Birthdate

If an inmate housed in any of Illinois's state correctional facilities is known, it is possible to find information about that person on the IDOC's Individuals in Custody Search system. To use this search parameter, select Birthdate as the search option, enter the correct inmate's birthdate (format is 07-01-1972) in the appropriate field, and click the find button. Typically, the search result will display, at a glance, information on all inmates with matching birth dates, which may sometimes run into hundreds of items. It is left to whoever is looking up this information to carefully identify the inmate record of interest.

What Information is Contained in an Illinois Inmate Record?

A typical Illinois inmate record obtained from an IDOC inmate search includes the following information:

  • Inmate's Name - The full name of the inmate
  • IDOC Number - A unique number assigned by the Illinois Department of Corrections to identify each incarcerated inmate. It is typically a six-character-long number
  • Mugshots - These are photographic descriptions of an inmate
  • Offender Custody Status - Whether the inmate is on parole, in custody, or has absconded
  • Inmate Location and Parent Institution - The state correctional facility or center where the inmate is housed and its location
  • Physical Profile and Descriptors - These include the inmate's date of birth, hair color, eye color, weight, height, race, sex, scars, marks, and tattoos
  • Admission/Release/Discharge Information - This includes the inmate's admission date, projected parole date, last paroled date, and projected discharge date
  • Sentencing Information - This information provided comprehensive details on the inmate's sentencing, including the class, offense, custody date, length of sentence, county of the sentence, and the count of the sentence

The release date in an Illinois inmate record is the date on which the inmate is expected to be freed from a correctional facility. When an inmate is released conditionally from jail without completing their sentence, they are said to be paroled. This typically happens when an inmate agrees to comply with certain behavioral conditions, a period during which they are assigned a parole office to supervise them. Parole is considered a step in helping an inmate return to society.

Illinois Inmate Records by Counties

In Illinois, state-level inmate records are maintained separately from the jail records kept at the county level. Generally, most county sheriff's offices manage their online inmate locators for individuals incarcerated or detained in county jails. For instance, the Cook County Sheriff's Office manages an online Inmate Locator Service that allows members of the public to search and locate inmates or detainees in the county jail. A person will generally need an inmate's name booking number or ID to conduct an Illinois inmate record search for someone incarcerated in county jail.

Are Incarceration Records Public Information in Illinois?

Yes, Illinois incarceration records are considered public information because they are maintained by public agencies. Per the state's Freedom of Information Act, members of the public have the right to access records in the custody of public agencies, which include inmate records.

While most incarceration records in Illinois are public records, some are restricted from public access by law or court order. In other instances, certain information or documents included in inmates' records may be redacted. For example, medical reports, financial information, and other sensitive or confidential information are usually redacted from publicly available inmate records. Generally, inmates' assigned numbers, mugshots, and non-sensitive personal details are public information in Illinois incarceration records.

Federal Prisons in Illinois

Generally, the federal prisons in Illinois house persons/inmates convicted of federal crimes within the state. Unlike state prisons, the federal correctional facilities in Illinois are run by the federal government under the management of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). These correctional facilities have varying security levels, including minimum security, low security, high security, medium security, administrative security, and federal prison camps. Generally, the United States federal prison system offers a lot of educational opportunities and rehabilitative programs than state correctional facilities.

Federal Prison Facility NameLocationSecurity LevelCapacity (Average)
Metropolitan Correctional Center Chicago (MCC)Chicago, IllinoisAdministrative573 female and male inmates
United States Penitentiary Thomson Camp (USP)Thompson, IllinoisMinimum70 male inmates
Federal Correctional Institution Greenville (FCI)Greenville, IllinoisMedium976 male inmates
United States Penitentiary Marion (USP)Marion, IllinoisMedium1,067 male inmates
Federal Correctional Institution Greenville Camp (FCI)Greenville, IllinoisMinimum245 female inmates
United States Penitentiary Marion Camp (USP)Marion, IllinoisMinimum166 male inmates
Federal Correctional Institution Pekin (FCI)Pekin, IllinoisMedium975 male inmates
United States Penitentiary Thomson (USP)Thomson, IllinoisHigh1,081 male inmates
Federal Correctional Institution Pekin Camp (FCI)Pekin, IllinoisMinimum172 female inmates

Frequently Asked Questions about Inmate Records

Any public record request directed to the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) under the state's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) must clearly specify and describe the information or record being sought. It should also include the requester's contact information and may be submitted by fax, U.S. Mail, or any other special carrier to the IDOC at:

Freedom of Information Act Officer
Illinois Department of Corrections
1301 Concordia Court
P.O. Box 19277
Springfield, IL 62794-9277
Phone: (217) 558-2200
Fax: (217) 558-5612
Email: DOC.FOIARequest@illinois.gov

If you are interested in looking up an inmate housed in a state correctional facility in Illinois online, use the Individuals in Custody Search system. The system is managed by the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) and can facilitate searches done by inmates' last names, birth dates, or IDOC numbers. For inmates incarcerated in county jails, you may check with the county sheriff's office. Most counties maintain online inmate locators or databases to enable interested individuals to find inmates housed in county jails.

You may be able to find old inmate records in Illinois on the Register of Illinois Prison Records maintained in the state's Digital Archives. The database is an index for registered prisoners at the following state correctional facilities:

  • Southern Illinois Penitentiary at Chester (Menard) - 1865 to 1908
  • The Illinois State Penitentiary at Alton Prison - 1833 to 1841 and 1847 to 1858
  • The Illinois State Penitentiary at Joliet (1858 to 1901)

Alternatively, most old inmate records in Illinois may be found by visiting the appropriate county sheriff's offices where archives for old incarceration records for county jails are typically maintained.

In line with the Illinois Reporting of Deaths in Custody Act , the state's Department of Corrections maintains a Death in Custody Report that allows the general public to determine if an inmate is deceased. Alternatively, you can contact the IDOC in person or by mail to obtain a physical copy of an inmate's death record. You will need to provide details such as the inmate's name, date of birth, and IDOC number to facilitate the search.

Generally, inmates are processed through the Reception and Classification Centers in Illinois and sent to a correctional center after processing. Their information becomes available on the IDOC's Individuals in Custody Search system the same day they are admitted to a correctional facility.

You may send money to inmates in Illinois correctional facilities via electronic payments and money orders . Except for MoneyGram with a limit of $3,000 per transaction, individuals in the state's prison custody may receive funds up to $5,000 via JPAY, GTL, and Send2Corrections (a Western Union service). A money order to an inmate in an Illinois correctional facility must be sent with the lockbox deposit slip (the slip should be complete with the inmate's name) and may not exceed $999.99.