Jersey County Booking Releases
Jersey County booking releases come from the Sheriff's Department at 114 N. Washington St. in Jerseyville. The county has about 21,274 people and sits along the Illinois River northwest of St. Louis. When someone gets arrested in Jersey County, the Sheriff's staff log the booking at the county jail. That record holds the charge, the bond, and the date of the arrest. Jersey County uses an online jail tracker tool that lets anyone check who is in custody right now. You can also call the office or file a written request for older booking release data.
Jersey County Quick Facts
Jersey County Sheriff and Booking Records
The Jersey County Sheriff's Department handles all booking releases in the county. The office is at 114 N. Washington St. in Jerseyville, IL 62052. You can call them at 618-498-6881 or send an email to sheriff@jerseycounty-il.gov. Staff at the jail keep detailed records of every arrest that goes through their facility. Each booking entry shows the person's name, date of birth, the charge, the arresting agency, and the bond amount set by the court.
The release side of the record gets added when the person leaves jail. That could be through bond, a court order, or the end of a sentence. Jersey County is a smaller county, so the volume of bookings is lower than what you see in places like Madison County next door. Still, the records process works the same way. Every arrest creates a file, and those files stay on record at the Sheriff's Department. The public can access them under Illinois law unless a judge has ordered the record sealed.
| Address |
Jersey County Sheriff's Department 114 N. Washington St. Jerseyville, IL 62052 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 618-498-6881 |
| sheriff@jerseycounty-il.gov | |
| Website | jerseycounty-il.gov/sheriff-department |
Search Jersey County Booking Releases Online
Jersey County offers an online jail tracker that shows current inmates at the county facility. This tool pulls data from the booking system and lists each person held in the jail. You can see names, charges, booking dates, and bond amounts. The tracker updates as new bookings come in and inmates get released. It is the quickest way to check if someone is in custody right now in Jersey County.
The Jersey County JailTracker shows current inmates and their booking release status.
The jail tracker page lists all people currently held at the Jersey County jail along with charge and bond details.
One thing to keep in mind is that the tracker only shows people who are in jail at the moment. Once someone bonds out or gets released, their info drops off the list. If you need records for a person who has already left custody, the online tool will not help. You would need to contact the Sheriff's Department by phone or put in a FOIA request. The tracker does not have a full search history, so think of it as a live snapshot of the jail population rather than a complete database of all past bookings in Jersey County.
FOIA Requests for Jersey County Booking Releases
The Illinois Freedom of Information Act gives you the right to request booking release records from the Jersey County Sheriff. Under 5 ILCS 140, every public body in the state must respond to these requests within five business days. You do not need to say why you want the records. The law gives access to everyone, whether you live in Jersey County or not.
To file a FOIA request, write to the Sheriff's Department at 114 N. Washington St. in Jerseyville or email sheriff@jerseycounty-il.gov. Include the full name of the person you are looking for. Add a date of birth or an approximate booking date if you have it. The more info you give, the faster the staff can pull the right file. Under 5 ILCS 140/2.15, arrest reports must be released within 72 hours of an arrest. That section covers the person's name, age, address, and charges, so very recent booking data from Jersey County should be available quickly.
Copy fees follow state rules. The first 50 pages are free. After that, the charge is 15 cents per page for standard black-and-white copies. Electronic copies may cost nothing if they do not take extra staff time to produce. Most booking release requests from Jersey County are short and fall within the free page limit.
What Jersey County Booking Releases Show
A booking release record from Jersey County holds several pieces of data. The exact contents can vary by case, but the core details stay the same across most files. Here is what a typical record includes:
- Full name and date of birth
- Date and time of booking
- Charges at the time of arrest
- Bond amount and type
- Arresting agency
- Release date and method
Some records also note the court date that was set during booking. If the person posted bond, the file will show who paid it and the amount. Jersey County booking releases are factual records. They come straight from the intake process at the jail and do not include opinions or assessments. The data stays in the county system even after the person has been released. If charges were later dropped or the person was found not guilty, the booking record itself still exists unless a court orders it sealed or expunged.
Illinois Laws on Booking Release Access
Two state laws shape how booking releases work in Jersey County. The Illinois FOIA (5 ILCS 140) gives the public broad rights to government records. It sets deadlines, caps fees, and lists the narrow exemptions that can block a records release. The law applies everywhere in Illinois, from Cook County down to Jersey County. If a public body does not respond on time, you have the right to appeal to the Public Access Counselor in the Attorney General's office.
The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) adds rules that are specific to criminal history records. This law governs how arrest data, booking records, and criminal histories are stored and shared across the state. Under this act, the Illinois State Police keep a central database. Local agencies like the Jersey County Sheriff feed data into that system. Certain records can be sealed or expunged by court order. When that happens, the booking release file gets pulled from public view. But most adult records in Jersey County stay open. Anyone can access them unless a judge says otherwise.
Juvenile records are not public. Booking data for minors in Jersey County does not appear in the jail tracker or in FOIA responses. Access to those files is restricted under Illinois juvenile court law, and you would need to go through the juvenile court for any info on a minor's arrest.
How to Get Jersey County Booking Releases
You have a few options for getting booking release records in Jersey County. The fastest method for current inmates is the online jail tracker. Check it first. If the person is not listed, they may have already been released or they may have been booked under a slightly different name. Call the Sheriff at 618-498-6881 to confirm.
For older records or detailed files, send a FOIA request. Put it in writing and mail it to 114 N. Washington St. in Jerseyville, or email sheriff@jerseycounty-il.gov. In-person visits work too. Go to the Sheriff's Department during business hours and ask at the front desk. Bring the person's full name and any other details you have. The staff can search their system and either give you the info verbally or prepare copies. Certified copies may take a bit longer and may cost more than standard ones. Ask about pricing when you visit.
If you need to track an inmate's custody status over time, the VINE notification system is available in Jersey County. Sign up with the person's name or booking ID, and the system will alert you by phone, text, or email when their status changes. This works around the clock and covers every county in Illinois. You can also call 1-866-277-7477 to register by phone.
Related Records in Jersey County
Other offices in Jersey County keep records that connect to booking release cases. The Jersey County Circuit Clerk handles court records for criminal cases filed in the 7th Judicial Circuit. If someone was booked and then charged, the court file will have the charging documents, plea info, and sentencing orders. These are separate from the booking release file but give you a broader view of what happened after the arrest.
The Illinois Department of Corrections runs a statewide database that tracks inmates who have moved from county jails to state prison. If someone was booked in Jersey County and later sent to a state facility, you can search for them on the IDOC offender search page. The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification also maintains criminal history data. Full background checks require fingerprints and a fee, but basic arrest info may be available through FOIA. For most people looking up a specific booking in Jersey County, the Sheriff's Department is still the best starting point.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Jersey County. If you are not sure which county handled a booking, check the arrest location. The booking release record will be on file in the county where the arrest took place, not where the person lives.