Clinton County Booking Releases
Clinton County booking releases are processed through the Sheriff's Office at 810 Franklin Street in Carlyle. The county has a population of about 36,954 and sits in the southwestern part of Illinois, east of the St. Louis metro area. There is no online inmate lookup tool for Clinton County. You need to call the Sheriff's Office at (618) 594-4556 or file a written FOIA request to get booking release records. The jail in Carlyle handles all intake and release processing for arrests that happen within the county borders.
Clinton County Quick Facts
Clinton County Sheriff Booking Releases
The Clinton County Sheriff's Office is the agency responsible for creating and maintaining booking release records in the county. Every arrest in Clinton County that results in jail time runs through this office. When someone is brought in, staff document the charges, bond amount, personal information, and the booking time. The release side of the record gets filled in once the person posts bond, serves time, or otherwise leaves the facility. All of these details become part of the public record under Illinois law.
The office is at 810 Franklin Street in Carlyle, IL 62231. Carlyle serves as the county seat. You can reach the Sheriff at (618) 594-4556. When you call, staff can check whether a specific person is currently in custody and give you basic booking details. Have the full name ready. A date of birth makes the search easier since names sometimes overlap in the system. The phone call works best for real-time checks. If someone was just arrested an hour ago, a phone call is the only way to get that information quickly in Clinton County since there is no website to check.
The Illinois FOIA information page explains how public records access works for county agencies, including the Clinton County Sheriff.
These rules apply to every public body in the state and set the framework for how Clinton County handles booking release requests.
| Address | 810 Franklin Street, Carlyle, IL 62231 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (618) 594-4556 |
| Website | clintoncounty-il.gov/sheriff |
How to Get Clinton County Booking Releases
Without an online search tool, Clinton County gives you three ways to access booking release records. The fastest is a phone call. Dial (618) 594-4556 and ask the jail staff about a specific person. They can tell you whether the person is in custody, what the charges are, and what bond has been set. If the person has been released, they can confirm the release date. This works well for recent bookings where you just need a quick answer.
The second option is an in-person visit. The Sheriff's Office in Carlyle is open during normal business hours. You can walk in and ask about a booking release at the front counter. Staff may be able to help you on the spot for simple lookups. If you need copies of the actual booking record, they will likely ask you to submit a written request. Bringing one with you saves a second trip. Write down the name, date range, and what records you need before you go.
The third and most formal option is a Freedom of Information Act request. This is the best choice when you need written records, especially for older bookings or when you need documentation for legal matters. A FOIA request creates a paper trail and gives you actual copies of the booking release file. The Sheriff's Office has five business days to respond under state law. More on the FOIA process is covered in the section below.
FOIA Requests for Clinton County Booking Releases
The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) is what makes booking releases available to the public in Clinton County. This law applies to every government body in the state. It says that records created by public agencies belong to the people, and agencies must provide them unless a specific legal exemption kicks in. Booking data, arrest logs, and release records are not exempt. Anyone can request them.
Send your FOIA request to the Clinton County Sheriff's Office at 810 Franklin Street, Carlyle, IL 62231. Be specific in what you ask for. Name the person. Give the date of birth if you have it. Include a date range. A request that says "booking release records for Robert Smith, DOB 05/15/1985, from January through June 2025" is going to get processed much faster than one that says "all records about Robert Smith." The office has to search through their files, and clear details help them find the right ones without delays.
The law requires a response within five business days. An extension of five more days is possible if the request is large or involves records that need legal review. Under 5 ILCS 140/2.15, arrest information must be released within 72 hours of the arrest itself. That rule covers booking data in Clinton County. The first 50 pages are free. Additional pages cost up to $0.15 each. Certified copies run up to $1.00 per page. If the Sheriff's Office denies your request, you can file a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor at no charge.
Clinton County Court Records and Bookings
The Clinton County Circuit Clerk keeps court records that tie directly to bookings. Once someone is arrested and booked, the case enters the court system. The clerk files the charging documents, tracks hearing dates, and records case outcomes. If you want to know what happened after a booking in Clinton County, the court records have that information. Did the charges stick? Was there a plea deal? Was the case dismissed? The clerk's file will show you.
You can reach the Clinton County Circuit Clerk at the courthouse in Carlyle. Provide a case number if you have one. If not, a name and approximate arrest date can help staff locate the right file. Court records are public in Illinois unless a judge has ordered the case sealed. Criminal case files tied to bookings are generally open for anyone to view and copy. The clerk charges a fee for copies, with certified copies costing a bit more than plain ones. Combining the booking release from the Sheriff with the court records from the clerk gives you the fullest picture of what happened.
Illinois Law on Clinton County Booking Releases
The legal framework for booking releases in Clinton County comes from two Illinois statutes. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) opens up government records to the public. It covers everything from meeting minutes to arrest logs. For booking releases, the law means the Clinton County Sheriff cannot refuse to share these records unless a specific exemption applies. The five-day response window, fee limits, and appeal rights are all part of FOIA. If an agency violates the law, fines and court orders can follow.
The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) covers criminal history records at a state level. It handles how arrest data gets stored, who can see it, and what happens when a court orders a record sealed or expunged. If a judge in Clinton County seals a booking record, it drops out of public view. The Sheriff can no longer share it through a FOIA request or over the phone. Expunged records get destroyed entirely. These situations are the exception, though, and the vast majority of booking releases in Clinton County remain accessible to the public.
Records involving minors are always kept confidential. Juvenile arrests in Clinton County do not produce public booking releases. Those cases go through the juvenile court system, and the records are sealed by default under Illinois law. You cannot get juvenile booking data through FOIA or any other public channel.
Searching Clinton County Booking Releases
Because Clinton County lacks an online portal, the search process takes a bit more effort than in counties with web-based tools. Start with a phone call if you need a quick answer. The Sheriff's staff can confirm custody status, charges, and bond in most cases. For anything beyond that, a written request is the way to go. Keep your FOIA request short and specific. Name the person and give a date range. That keeps things moving.
Timing matters too. Under Illinois law, arrest data must be public within 72 hours. So if you are asking about a very recent booking in Clinton County, the law says the information should be available. For older records, the standard five-day FOIA window applies. If the office asks for an extension, they have to tell you why and give you a new deadline. You do not have to accept delays without explanation.
Nearby Counties
Each county in Illinois keeps its own booking release records. The record is filed in the county where the arrest happened. If you are not sure which county handled a booking, check the arrest location. These counties border Clinton County.