Search Lawrence County Booking Releases

Lawrence County booking releases are kept by the Sheriff's Office in Lawrenceville, which serves as the county seat. The county sits in southeastern Illinois near the Indiana state line. With a population of just over 15,000 people, Lawrence County has a smaller jail and fewer bookings than the state's urban areas. Still, all booking and release data is filed through the same process that every Illinois county must follow. You can get these records by contacting the Sheriff's Office, filing a FOIA request, or checking state-level databases for past cases.

Lawrence County Sheriff and Booking Records

The Lawrence County Sheriff's Office is the main source for booking release records in the county. The office runs the county jail and handles all bookings when a person is brought in on a charge. Each booking creates a record that includes the person's name, date of birth, the charge, the date and time of arrest, and bond details. When someone is released, the file gets updated with the release date and conditions.

The jail is at 11020 State Route 250 in Lawrenceville. You can call the Sheriff's Office at (618) 943-5141 to ask about current inmates or recent bookings. Staff can tell you if someone is in custody and what charges they face. For older records, you may need to file a written request. The office keeps booking release data on file for years, though the exact storage timeline depends on case type and local retention rules.

Lawrence County is a smaller operation. The jail does not see the volume that larger counties do. But the same laws apply. Every booking must be logged. Every release must be noted. The staff follow the same state rules on records access that apply across all of Illinois.

How to Search Booking Releases in Lawrence County

Lawrence County does not run a public online inmate lookup tool on its own website. That is common for smaller Illinois counties. The Sheriff's Office site gives you basic contact info and hours but does not have a searchable database for booking releases. So you have a few options if you want to find booking data without going to the jail in person.

The Lawrence County Sheriff's Office page shows the office location and contact details for booking release inquiries.

This page is the starting point for anyone looking to reach the Sheriff's Office about Lawrence County booking records.

Your best phone option is to call (618) 943-5141 during business hours. The staff can look up whether someone is currently held at the Lawrence County jail and tell you basic booking info. They can also let you know if a person has been released and when that happened. For more detailed records or certified copies, a written FOIA request is the standard route.

Another path is the Illinois Department of Corrections offender search tool. This does not cover county jail bookings directly, but it will show you state prison records for anyone who was transferred out of Lawrence County after sentencing. It is free to use and can fill in gaps when county-level records are hard to track down.

Lawrence County Booking Release FOIA Requests

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act gives you the right to request booking release records from the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office. Under 5 ILCS 140, any person can ask a public body for its records. That includes jail logs, booking sheets, and release data. You do not need to give a reason for your request. The law puts the burden on the agency to respond, not on you to justify why you want the files.

To file a FOIA request, send a written letter or email to the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office. Include the full name of the person you are looking for. Add any other details you have, like a date of birth, booking date, or case number. The more info you provide, the faster the office can find the right file. Under state law, the Sheriff has five business days to respond. That clock starts the day after they get your request.

Fees are low. The first 50 pages are free. After that, copies cost up to $0.15 per page. Certified copies may cost $1.00 each. If the request involves a large number of records, the office can ask for more time but must tell you why. Under 5 ILCS 140/2.15, arrest reports from Lawrence County must be made public within 72 hours of the arrest. That rule helps you get recent booking release data fast.

State Resources for Lawrence County Booking Releases

When the county-level records do not give you what you need, Illinois runs a few statewide tools that can help. The IDOC Offender Search lets you look up anyone held in state prison. If a person was booked in Lawrence County and later moved to state custody, that record will show up in the IDOC system. It is a free tool that anyone can use.

The Illinois Department of Corrections Offender Search provides a free lookup for anyone in the state prison system.

This tool covers state-level inmates and can help track individuals who moved from Lawrence County jail into the state system.

VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) is another option. This system lets you track an offender's custody status across the state. You can sign up for alerts that tell you when someone is released or transferred. It works for cases that start in Lawrence County and move through the courts. The service is free and runs around the clock.

The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) controls who can see criminal history data in Illinois. Under this law, most booking release records stay public unless a court orders them sealed or expunged. If a record has been sealed, it will not show up in standard searches. But the vast bulk of Lawrence County booking releases remain open for public access under current state rules.

What Happens During a Booking in Lawrence County

When someone is arrested in Lawrence County, law enforcement brings them to the county jail at 11020 State Route 250. Jail staff then run through the booking process. This involves several steps:

• Recording the person's name, date of birth, and physical details
• Logging the arrest charge and the name of the arresting officer
• Taking a booking photo and fingerprints
• Setting a bond amount based on the charge
• Assigning a housing location within the jail

All of this information goes into the booking record. It stays on file whether the person is released on bond that same day or held until a court hearing. The release portion of the record notes when the person left custody and under what terms. Some people post bond right away. Others wait for a judge to set conditions at their first court date. The booking release file captures all of that.

In Lawrence County, most misdemeanor bookings result in a quick release after bond is posted. Felony cases can take longer. The person may stay in the county jail until their case moves through the court system or they get transferred to state custody if convicted.

Contacting the Lawrence County Sheriff

The quickest way to check on a booking release in Lawrence County is to call the Sheriff's Office at (618) 943-5141. The staff can tell you if someone is currently held, what their charges are, and whether bond has been set. For written requests, you can mail your FOIA letter to the Sheriff's Office at 11020 State Rt 250, Lawrenceville, IL 62439.

If you need help with a legal matter tied to a Lawrence County booking, local attorneys and legal aid groups in southeastern Illinois can guide you through the process. The county does not have a standalone public defender's office for general inquiries, but court-appointed attorneys are available for people who qualify. The Lawrence County Circuit Court handles all criminal cases, and the Clerk of Court can give you case file access for anything that has moved past the booking stage.

Nearby Counties

Lawrence County borders several other counties in southeastern Illinois. If you are not sure which county handled a booking, check where the arrest took place. The booking release will be on file in that county, not where the person lives.