Jackson County Released Inmates Search

Jackson County released inmates records are handled by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office in Murphysboro, Illinois. The county has a population of about 53,064 and is located in the southern part of the state. Unlike many smaller counties, Jackson County actually has an online inmate search tool that updates every hour. The jail also houses inmates from Union County under an agreement between the two counties. If you are looking for someone who was booked or released from the Jackson County Jail, you have several search options available.

Jackson County Sheriff and Jail

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and maintains all inmate records. The jail is at 1001 Walnut Street, Murphysboro, IL 62966. You can reach them at 618-687-2323. The phone line is open 24 hours a day, so you can call at any time to ask about someone's custody status. Staff can tell you if a person is currently held or has been released.

Jackson County also has a page on the county government website with general information about the sheriff's office. The jail processes bookings for arrests made by local police in Murphysboro, Carbondale, and other towns across the county. It also holds inmates from Union County, which does not run its own jail. That means the Jackson County Jail has records for people arrested in both counties.

The screenshot below shows the Jackson County Sheriff's Office homepage.

The sheriff's site is where you can find the inmate search tool and contact information for the jail.

Online Inmate Search Tool

Jackson County has one of the better online search tools among smaller Illinois counties. The Jackson County Inmate Search page lets you look up anyone currently in custody at the jail. The database updates every hour. Type in a name and the system pulls up matching results. Each record shows the person's name, booking date, charges, and any notices attached to their case.

This tool is free and open to everyone. You do not need to create an account or provide any personal information to search. It is the fastest way to check if someone is still in the Jackson County Jail. If the person does not show up in the search results, they may have already been released. In that case, you can call the jail or file a FOIA request for the release details.

Here is a screenshot of the Jackson County inmate search page.

The search tool shows current inmates. For released inmates, you may need to use other methods described on this page.

Note: The inmate search covers both Jackson County and Union County inmates since both are housed at the same facility.

Records Requests Under FOIA

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act at 5 ILCS 140 gives you the right to request released inmates records from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. This is the route to take if you need written documentation or if the online search does not show what you are looking for. The county has a FOIA information page with details on how to submit your request. The FOIA officer for the sheriff's office is Lt. Shauna Taylor.

Put your request in writing. Include the full name of the person, their date of birth if known, and what records you want. Be specific. Under 5 ILCS 140, the sheriff has five business days to respond. They can extend that by five more days if they need to. Most basic requests for inmate records are free. If the records involve a lot of pages, the county may charge a small per-page fee for copies. You can submit requests by mail or in person at the sheriff's office.

State-Level Resources

Some people convicted in Jackson County end up in state prison. The IDOC Offender Search lets you look up anyone in the Illinois state corrections system. It covers current inmates, people on mandatory supervised release, and those who have been fully discharged. The search is free. Each result shows the person's offense, sentence, projected release date, and other details. This is the tool to use if someone was sentenced to more than a year in prison from a Jackson County case.

Under 730 ILCS 5, the Unified Code of Corrections, Illinois sets the framework for how state inmates are processed. The code covers sentencing ranges, good conduct credit, and mandatory supervised release terms. Anyone from Jackson County who goes through the state system falls under these rules. Their records stay in the IDOC database even after full discharge.

The Illinois VINELink system also works for Jackson County. You can search for inmates and sign up for alerts when someone's status changes. The VINE hotline at 1-866-277-7477 is open around the clock. And the ISP background check service pulls criminal history from all 102 Illinois counties, including Jackson County.

Note: State records and county jail records are in separate databases, so search both if you need a complete picture.

Steps to Look Up Jackson County Inmates

Jackson County gives you more search options than many counties its size. Here is a summary of how to find released inmates from this area.

• Use the online inmate search at jacksoncountyso.com for current jail population
• Call the jail at 618-687-2323 any time for a phone lookup
• Search VINELink for custody status and release alerts
• File a FOIA request with Lt. Shauna Taylor for written records
• Check IDOC for state prison records from Jackson County cases

Start with the online tool for current inmates. If you need older records or more detail, call the jail or go the FOIA route. The 24-hour phone line makes Jackson County one of the more accessible counties for inmate info in southern Illinois. Keep in mind the jail also holds Union County inmates, so you may find records for people arrested outside Jackson County proper.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Jackson County. Each one has its own jail and records system, except Union County, whose inmates are held at the Jackson County Jail.