How to Conduct an Illinois Inmate Search

There are several reasons why an individual may be seeking information on a certain inmate in Illinois: conducting an investigation on a case related to the inmate, performing background checks as an employer, as a family member or friend of the inmate who wants to know his or her current status, and so on. Conducting an Illinois inmate search is easier if you know the institution where he or she is incarcerated or the type of crime that was committed. Before conducting the search, you should be aware that those convicted of felonies are received at state prisons while those convicted of misdemeanors and lesser crimes are received at county jails. So if the prisoner you are looking for has committed a serious crime, he or she will not be held in a county jail.

Searching for Illinois Inmates Online

If the convict you are looking for has been placed in a state prison, you can start the search procedure at http://www.idoc.state.il.us/subsections/search/default.asp. There are three ways to perform your search: by last name, DC number, or date of birth. If the system is not working or you need help, call 217-558-2200; this line is for use by the general public and non-governmental agencies. Law enforcement agencies and other governmental organizations should call 1-888-446-9103 if experiencing problems with the system. If the links on the page are not working or the search is not returning results, the server may be undergoing periodic maintenance or database updates, in which case the system will return to full functionality within a few hours.

The state correctional facilities of Illinois are operated by the Illinois Department of Corrections. There are various correctional units operated by the Department; if you know the specific unit in which the inmate is being held, it can help you narrow down the search. There are 28 correctional facilities in Illinois, along with boot camps, work camps, and work release centers, across the five districts of the state. Contact information for each of these centers is available at http://www.idoc.state.il.us/subsections/facilities/instaddress.asp.

These correctional facilities do not have their own websites. Neither the inmates incarcerated there nor the facility staff can access the Internet. If you are searching for an inmate in one of these units, you can visit the unit personally, send your request via postal mail, or call them directly. You can also send your request to the Department of Corrections via e-mail at info@doc.illinois.gov, by calling the Department at 217-558-2200 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. Should you need to send your request to the Department via postal mail, you can address it to either the Illinois Department of Corrections, James R. Thompson Center, 100 West Randolph, Chicago, IL 60601 or at the  Illinois Department of Corrections, 1301 Concordia Court, P.O. Box 19277, Springfield, IL 62794-9277.

Searching for Past Inmates

The online search tool provided with the Department of Corrections will only list results for inmates who are currently incarcerated. If you are conducting an Illinois inmate search for an individual who served his or her term in the past or is on parole, you should consult the archive page at http://www.idoc.state.il.us/subsections/records/default.shtml; this site will inform you on the procedure for obtaining the records you are seeking. The archive of past records is not available online. To obtain such records, you will have to send your request via e-mail to info@doc.illinois.gov. You should provide certain information about the inmate whose records you are seeking, including the inmate's first and last names, date of birth, and the year that he or she began serving the sentence.

Providing extra information, such as the facility of incarceration, the county in which the crime was committed, and any important dates that are relevant to the case, will allow the Department to conduct a quicker and more accurate search. When sending your request, you must provide a valid address to which the results will be sent and an e-mail address in case the Department needs to contact you. You cannot send multiple search requests for one name. The information that you are entitled to receive includes the inmate's name, IDOC number, the institution in which the convict was originally placed, present status, location, physical description including height, weight and any identification marks, date of admission and release, offense type, arrest type, and information pertaining to the sentence. If you require more detailed information, you will need a legal court order or a subpoena.

The website of the Illinois Department of Corrections does not list contact information for every county jail in the state. If you are searching for an inmate who has been placed in a county jail and you know the name of the jail, you can use any search engine to locate the website of the jail. Neither federal prisons nor county prisons fall under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Department of Corrections; hence they are treated as separate entities.

Potential Problems with Inmate Searches

If your search is not returning the desired results, it does not necessarily mean that the convict was not incarcerated in Illinois or in the particular facility being searched. There can be problems with the search method, such as technical problems with the website, spelling errors when typing the name, entering wrong information, or the absence of the record itself. There are certain cases where inmate records will not be available in the public database. For example, if the record of the convict has been expunged, it no longer exists for public viewing. However, this expunction is possible only if the convict is able to produce his or her not-guilty certificate from the court.

Illinois inmates who have received commutations and pardons can also request to have their records removed from the database. However, the Prisoner Review Board must review each case individually before presenting this kind of request to the appropriate agency. However, this still does not mean that the records do not exist; they are simply unavailable for viewing by the public and non-governmental agencies. They can still be used if the convict is arrested for another offense whether or not it is related to the previous offense.