Jo Daviess County Released Inmates

Jo Daviess County released inmates records are maintained by the sheriff's office in Galena, Illinois. The county jail is inside the Public Safety Building at 330 North Bench Street. If you need to look up someone who was booked or released from this facility, you can call the sheriff's office or file a written request. Jo Daviess County does not have an online inmate roster, but you can use state tools like the IDOC Offender Search and VINELink to check on people who moved from county custody to state prison.

Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Craig Ketelsen was appointed to lead the Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Office in 2024. The office is in the Public Safety Building at 330 North Bench Street, Galena, IL 61036. Call (815) 777-2141 for non-emergency questions about inmates or released individuals. The fax number is 815-777-9284. For emergencies, dial 9-1-1. The Jo Daviess County Sheriff's page on the county website has contact info and details about the department.

The jail is part of the same Public Safety Building. All people arrested in Jo Daviess County get processed here. If you want to find out if someone is in custody or has been released, call the office. Staff can check the status of any person who was booked at the jail. Give them the full name and, if possible, a date of birth or arrest date.

Visitation at the Jo Daviess County Jail is by appointment. You must call the on-duty correctional officer to set up a time. Each inmate can have up to five people on their visitor list. The jail and inmate information page has rules about visiting and other details you need to know before you go.

Note: Call the jail to schedule a visit, as walk-in visits are not allowed.

Records Requests for Jo Daviess County

Illinois law at 5 ILCS 140 says that records held by government bodies are presumed to be open to the public. This includes the Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Office. You can submit a Freedom of Information Act request to get records about released inmates, booking logs, arrest reports, and other jail documents. Send your request in writing to the sheriff's office at the Public Safety Building address.

The county has five business days to respond. An extension of five more days is allowed if the request needs extra work. The first 50 pages are free. After that, you pay the cost of copies. Be specific in your request. Include names, dates, and a clear description of what records you need. This helps the staff find the right documents faster and cuts down on back-and-forth.

Since Jo Daviess County does not have a dedicated online search tool for inmates, FOIA requests are one of the main ways to get written records about people who have been through the jail. Phone calls work for quick status checks, but if you need documents, file a FOIA request.

State Inmate Records for Jo Daviess

People convicted in Jo Daviess County who receive prison sentences are sent to a state facility. The Illinois Department of Corrections keeps records on all state inmates. The IDOC Offender Search is a free tool that lets you search by name or IDOC number. It shows current inmates, parolees, and people who have been released from state prison. If someone from Jo Daviess County went to prison, this is where to look.

You can see the IDOC search portal in the screenshot below from the Illinois Department of Corrections website.

This state database covers inmates from all 102 Illinois counties, including Jo Daviess.

The Illinois VINELink service provides custody status alerts. You can sign up to get notified when an offender is released, moved, or has any other change in status. It is free and works for both county and state inmates. Call 1-866-277-7477 for help. The Illinois Unified Code of Corrections at 730 ILCS 5 sets the rules for sentencing and release conditions.

Background Checks in Jo Daviess County

The Illinois State Police offer a name-based background check through their Bureau of Identification. This paid service pulls criminal history records from across the state. It can show convictions, jail time, and prison sentences. If you want to check if someone has a record beyond just the Jo Daviess County Jail, this tool gives you a broader view.

The Illinois Sheriffs' Association is a helpful resource for finding contact info for sheriff's offices in all 102 Illinois counties. Use it to reach out to neighboring counties if your search goes beyond Jo Daviess County. The Prisoner Review Board at prb.illinois.gov handles parole hearings for state inmates. Their victim services hotline is 1-800-801-9110.

• Call (815) 777-2141 for jail status inquiries
• File a FOIA request for written records
• Search IDOC for state prison records
• Register on VINELink for custody alerts
• Run an ISP background check for full criminal history

Nearby Counties

Jo Daviess County is in the far northwest corner of Illinois. These nearby counties each have their own jail and records system.