Find an Inmate in Coles County
Most local arrests end up at the Coles County Jail, 701 Seventh Street, Charleston, IL 61920 (217-348-7332). To find someone, start with the inmate search. VINELink tracks custody and sends alerts when the Sheriff's Office books someone. Booking at the county jail can lag; a Clark County jail may have the person. Call 217-348-0585. Below: the county jail, jails next door, release, prison and more.
How do I search for an inmate?
- Start at the inmate search and enter the last name.
- Look at the Coles County recently confined list.
- Search VINELink online, or with the VINELink app for iPhone and the VINELink app for Android.
- Ask the sheriff's office directly at 217-348-0585.
The sheriff's office also offers its own app: The sheriff's app on the App Store and the sheriff's app on Google Play.
↑ Back to the question listCan I search for a juvenile held here?
Youth stay off the roster (705 ILCS 405/1-7). A judge here picks the juvenile detention center for detained youth. Call 217-348-0585 to learn about a detained child's hearing.
↑ Back to the question listWill this county hold someone for ICE?
- A Form I-247A is ICE's request to the Coles County Jail.
- The Illinois TRUST Act (5 ILCS 805/15) stops this county from honoring the 48-hour hold.
- Agents may wait outside the County Jail.
- After an ICE arrest, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System with the A-number of the detainee.
Where do county prisoners go after sentencing?
Prison-bound inmates here go to Illinois Department of Corrections intake. For moves, use the Illinois Department of Corrections inmate search; see our Illinois state prisons guide.
↑ Back to the question listWhich nearby jails take people from Coles County?
Search empty? Call each county jail next door:
- Clark County Jail, Marshall: 217-826-6393
- Cumberland County Jail, Toledo: 217-849-2571
- Douglas County Jail, Tuscola: 217-253-2913
- Edgar County Jail, Paris: 217-465-4166
- Moultrie County Jail, Sullivan: 217-728-4386
- Shelby County Jail, Shelbyville: 217-774-3941
State prisoners show on the Illinois Department of Corrections inmate search; federal ones on the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
↑ Back to the question listLocal inmate calls, mail, visits and money
- Phone calls: Local inmate phone guide.
- Deposits: our money guide.
- Snacks and supplies: Local commissary page.
- Visiting: our visitation guide.
- Letters: our mail guide.
- Email: our messaging page.
Can I get a booking photo?
Illinois treats adult booking photos as public (5 ILCS 140/2.15). Ask the Coles County Sheriff's Office with an Illinois Freedom of Information Act request, or call 217-348-0585. Juvenile photos are not released. Most U.S. Marshals Service photos stay private too, under 5 U.S.C. 552. An ICE photo request goes on the ICE FOIA request page with the jail name and dates.
↑ Back to the question listWhere is a federal defendant from Coles County held?
Federal defendants from the county are often housed in county jails by the U.S. Marshals Service. The Central District of Illinois hears it at U.S. Courthouse, 600 E. Monroe Street, Springfield, IL 62701 (217-492-4020). Check VINELink while the case is open, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator after sentencing.
↑ Back to the question listCan I pay bail for someone locally?
Illinois ended cash bail in 2023 under the Pretrial Fairness Act, so there's no money to post in Coles County (725 ILCS 5/110). Within 48 hours, a judge rules on release (725 ILCS 5/109-1). Full details: our bail guide.
↑ Back to the question listHow many people live here?
The county has about 46,607 residents (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate, released 2026). Charleston, IL is the county seat.
↑ Back to the question listWhich police departments can I call?
Here are 2 police lines we have checked, starting with Charleston:
- Charleston Police (non-emergency): 217-348-5221
- Mattoon Police (non-emergency): 217-235-5451