Massac County Booking Releases
Massac County booking releases are kept by the Sheriff's Department in Metropolis, which is the county seat. The county sits at the southern tip of Illinois where the Ohio River meets the state line. About 13,800 people live here. The Sheriff's Department runs the jail and handles all booking and release records for the county. You can access these records by phone, through FOIA requests, or through the department's mobile app, which is a feature most small Illinois counties do not offer.
Massac County Quick Facts
Massac County Sheriff and Booking Records
The Massac County Sheriff's Department manages all booking releases for the county. The office is at 220 West 10th Street in Metropolis. Every arrest in the county leads to a booking at the jail. Staff record the person's name, charges, bond amount, and other intake details. The booking release file tracks the case from that first moment through release.
You can reach the Sheriff's Department at (618) 524-2911. The phone staff can check whether someone is currently in custody and give you basic booking details. For past records or printed copies, a written request works best. The department follows the same FOIA rules as every other public agency in Illinois.
Massac County is right on the Kentucky border. That location means some cases involve people from across state lines. Regardless of where someone lives, if they are arrested in Massac County, the booking goes through the county jail in Metropolis. The records are held locally even if the person is from another state.
| Address |
Massac County Sheriff's Department 220 W. 10th Street Metropolis, IL 62960 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (618) 524-2911 |
| Website | massacsheriffsdept.com |
Search Massac County Booking Releases Online
The Massac County Sheriff's Department has a website and a mobile app that give the public access to department news and information. The app is called the Massac County Sheriff's Office App. It is available for download and lets you get updates from the department on your phone. Not many small Illinois counties offer a mobile app, so this gives Massac County residents an extra way to stay informed about local law enforcement activity.
The Massac County Sheriff's Department website provides contact info and department updates for booking release inquiries.
This is the main online resource for reaching the Massac County Sheriff about booking and jail records.
For checking current custody status, calling (618) 524-2911 is still the most reliable method. The website does not have a searchable inmate database. But the phone staff can quickly look up whether someone is held at the jail and what their charges are. They deal with these calls regularly and can usually give you an answer right away.
State-level tools round out your search options. The Illinois Department of Corrections offender search covers anyone in the state prison system. If a person was booked in Massac County and later transferred after sentencing, their record will appear in that statewide database. VINE also works for Massac County cases and lets you sign up for custody status alerts at no cost.
FOIA Requests for Booking Releases in Massac County
The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) gives you the right to request booking release records from the Massac County Sheriff. Write a request that includes the person's full name and any other details you have. Send it to the Sheriff's Department at 220 W. 10th Street, Metropolis, IL 62960. You do not need to give a reason for wanting the records.
The department must respond within five business days. Fees are capped by state law. The first 50 pages come at no charge. Pages beyond that cost up to $0.15 each. Certified copies can cost up to $1.00. If the request covers a lot of records, the department may ask for more time but has to explain why and give you a date when the response will be ready.
Under 5 ILCS 140/2.15, arrest reports from Massac County must be available to the public within 72 hours. That rule is useful when you need very recent booking data. The department cannot hold fresh arrest info past that deadline. If you think a record should be available but are told it is not, ask for a written denial with the reason. State law requires that.
Illinois Laws on Booking Release Records
Two key Illinois laws control access to Massac County booking releases. The Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) is the main access law. It says government records belong to the public and must be shared unless a specific exemption applies. Booking data, arrest logs, and release records all fall under this law. The act sets deadlines for responses and limits what the agency can charge.
The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) adds rules for criminal history data. This law governs when records can be sealed or expunged. A person can petition the court to have a Massac County booking record sealed if the case ended in a dismissal, acquittal, or certain other outcomes. Once sealed by court order, the record drops out of public view. But absent a court order, the booking release file stays open to anyone who asks.
In practice, most Massac County booking releases are public records. The sealed records exception is narrow. If you run into a situation where a record seems blocked, the Massac County Circuit Clerk can check whether a sealing order is on file.
The Booking Process in Massac County
Arrests in Massac County lead to booking at the county jail in Metropolis. Whether the Sheriff's Department, Metropolis police, or another local agency makes the arrest, the booking happens at the same place. The jail staff process everyone through the same steps:
- Personal details collected (name, date of birth, address)
- Charge and arresting agency logged
- Booking photo and fingerprints taken
- Bond amount set based on the offense
- Housing assigned or bond posted for release
The booking release record tracks every step. It starts at intake and gets updated as the case moves forward. Bond changes, court dates, and any new charges all go into the file. When the person is released, the record notes the date, time, and conditions. If they post bond, the amount and who paid it are also logged.
Massac County's location on the Ohio River border means the jail sometimes holds people arrested in connection with interstate activity. Those bookings follow the same local process. Federal charges are handled separately, but the initial county booking still creates a record in the Massac County system.
Additional Resources for Massac County Booking Releases
The Massac County Circuit Clerk handles court files for all criminal cases in the county. If a booking led to charges being filed, the clerk has the full case record, including hearing dates, motions, and final outcomes. You can contact the clerk at the courthouse in Metropolis for any case-level details that go beyond what the booking release shows.
Legal aid groups in southern Illinois serve Massac County residents. They can help with FOIA requests, understanding your rights to records access, or petitioning to have old booking records sealed or expunged. For people trying to clear their record, these organizations are a good starting point for navigating the process under state law.
Nearby Counties
Massac County is at the far southern end of Illinois. It borders only a few other counties in the state. If you are not sure where an arrest took place, check the incident location to find the right county's booking records.