Search Jackson County Booking Releases
Jackson County booking releases are managed by the Sheriff's Office in Murphysboro, Illinois. With a population of about 53,064, Jackson County is one of the more populated counties in southern Illinois. Carbondale, home to Southern Illinois University, is the largest city in the county. All arrests processed through the Jackson County jail generate booking release records available to the public under state law. The Sheriff's Office handles requests by phone, in person, and through FOIA filings. There is no online inmate search portal for this county.
Jackson County Quick Facts
Jackson County Sheriff and Booking Releases
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is where booking release records are kept for the county. The office sits at 1001 Mulberry Street in Murphysboro, IL 62966. You can reach them by phone at (618) 687-2323. Staff can tell you if someone is currently in custody and share basic booking details. For formal records requests, they will point you to the FOIA process.
Jackson County sees arrests from several law enforcement agencies. The Sheriff's Office covers the unincorporated areas and some smaller towns. The Carbondale Police Department and the Murphysboro Police Department handle their own jurisdictions. The SIU campus police also make arrests in their area. Regardless of which agency makes the arrest, the booking goes through the county jail in Murphysboro. That means the Jackson County Sheriff's Office has the booking release file for every person processed at the facility. Intake staff log the name, date of birth, charges, arresting agency, and bond amount for each new booking. Release information gets added when the person leaves.
| Address |
Jackson County Sheriff's Office 1001 Mulberry Street Murphysboro, IL 62966 |
|---|---|
| Main Phone | (618) 687-2323 |
| Website | jacksoncounty-il.gov/sheriff |
Jackson County Booking Releases Search Options
Jackson County does not offer an online jail roster or inmate lookup system. To check on a current inmate, call the jail at (618) 687-2323. The staff can confirm whether a person is being held and provide basic booking information. This is the quickest option for anyone who needs an answer right away.
For broader searches, the Illinois Department of Corrections has an online tool that covers the state prison system. It will not show county-level detainees, but it helps when someone booked in Jackson County has been sentenced and moved to a state facility. The IDOC database covers current and past state inmates.
The Illinois Department of Corrections maintains a statewide inmate search database that tracks people across all state correctional facilities.
This tool helps when someone has been transferred from the Jackson County jail to a state prison after sentencing.
The Carbondale Police Department and Murphysboro Police also keep their own arrest reports. If the arrest was made by a local officer, that department has the initial report. But the booking release record itself stays with the Jackson County Sheriff.
FOIA Requests for Jackson County Booking Releases
A FOIA request is the official way to get copies of booking release records from Jackson County. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) requires public bodies to respond within five business days. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office falls under this law. You can submit your request by mail, email, or in person at the Murphysboro office.
In your request, include the person's full name. Add a date of birth and approximate booking date if you have them. These details speed up the process. The records staff deal with many requests, so the more specific you are, the faster they can find your file. Simple lookups often get handled quickly. More involved requests that cover multiple people or a wide date range may take the full five days. In some cases, the office can extend the deadline by another five business days if the request is unusually complex.
Under 5 ILCS 140/2.15, arrest reports must be released within 72 hours of the arrest. This is faster than the standard FOIA window and applies to all Illinois counties, including Jackson. The first 50 pages of a response are free. After that, the fee is up to $0.15 per page.
What Jackson County Booking Releases Contain
Booking release records from Jackson County include a standard set of data. Every file starts with the intake information: the person's full name, date of birth, and physical description. The charges at the time of arrest are listed, along with the arresting agency and officer. If the court set a bond, the amount and type appear in the record. Some files also note the court date that was assigned at booking.
The release section shows when and how the person left the Jackson County jail. The date and the reason for release are both recorded. That might be a bond payment, completion of a sentence, charges being dropped, or a transfer to a different facility. Mugshots from intake are part of the official file and can be requested through FOIA. The records are straightforward and factual. They document what happened during the intake and release process without any subjective commentary from the staff.
State Law and Jackson County Booking Releases
Access to booking release records in Jackson County is shaped by two main Illinois statutes. The Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) is the broader law. It gives the public the right to request records from any government body in the state. The law sets response deadlines, caps copy fees, and lists the limited exemptions that agencies can use to withhold records. Those exemptions mostly cover active investigations and cases where releasing info could put someone in danger.
The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) applies specifically to criminal history records. This statute controls how arrest data is stored and shared. The Illinois State Police maintain a central database that agencies like the Jackson County Sheriff report into. Under this law, certain records can be sealed or expunged by court order. When that happens, the booking release file is pulled from public access. But most Jackson County booking releases stay open. Sealed records represent a small fraction of the total.
Juvenile booking data is not part of the public record in Illinois. If you need booking information for a minor in Jackson County, you would have to go through the juvenile court, and access is extremely limited even then.
How to Get Jackson County Booking Releases
Without an online search portal, Jackson County offers several other ways to access booking release records. The right option depends on your timeline and how much detail you need.
- Call (618) 687-2323 to check on current inmates at the county jail
- Submit a FOIA request by mail or email for copies of records
- Visit the Sheriff's Office at 1001 Mulberry Street in Murphysboro
- Sign up with VINE at vinelink.com for custody status alerts
- Use the IDOC inmate search for people transferred to state prison
Phone calls work best for current booking info. FOIA is the standard path for older or more detailed records. If you go in person, bring the person's name and any other details you have. The staff can look things up on the spot, but for certified copies or large requests, they may need a written submission. The Jackson County Sheriff's website has office hours and contact info.
Victim Notification in Jackson County
VINE is available for people in Jackson County who want to track an offender. This free system sends alerts when the person's custody status changes. You can register at VINELink online or by calling 1-866-277-7477. Alerts cover releases, transfers, and escapes. They come by phone, text, or email. The system runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You need the person's name or booking ID number to sign up. VINE works across all Illinois counties, so it covers Jackson County and continues tracking the person if they get moved to a state facility. This removes the need to call the jail repeatedly for status updates. You set it up once and get notified whenever something changes.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Jackson County. Booking releases are filed in the county where the arrest took place. If you are not sure which county processed the booking, verify the location of the arrest.