Effingham County Jail Inmate Search
Effingham County Jail Inmate Lookup
Most local arrests end up at the Effingham County Jail, 101 North 4th Street, Effingham, IL 62401 (217-342-3866). Your first stop is VINELink. VINELink tracks custody and sends alerts when the Sheriff's Office books someone. Booking at the county jail can lag; a Clay County jail may have the person. Call 217-342-8463. Below: the county jail, jails next door, release, prison and more.
How do I search for an inmate?
- Open VINELink and enter the last name.
- Use VINELink, or the VINELink app for iPhone or the VINELink app for Android.
- Still nothing? Call the Effingham County Sheriff's Office at 217-342-8463.
What about youth arrested in this county?
Youth stay off the roster (705 ILCS 405/1-7). A judge here picks the juvenile detention center for detained youth. Call 217-342-8463 to learn about a detained child's hearing.
↑ Back to the question listWill this county hold someone for ICE?
- ICE can ask Effingham County to hold someone with a Form I-247A.
- The Illinois TRUST Act (5 ILCS 805/15) stops the 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?
Someone given prison leaves the county jail for 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 listWhat other jails should I check besides Effingham County?
Search empty? Call each county jail next door:
- Clay County Jail, Louisville: 618-665-3316
- Cumberland County Jail, Toledo: 217-849-2571
- Fayette County Jail, Vandalia: 618-283-2141
- Jasper County Jail, Newton: 618-783-8477
- 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 listWhere is a federal defendant from Effingham County held?
The U.S. Marshals Service may hold federal defendants in county jails nearby. The Southern District of Illinois hears it at Melvin Price U.S. Courthouse, 750 Missouri Avenue, East St. Louis, IL 62201 (618-482-9371). Use VINELink before sentencing; the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator after.
↑ Back to the question listHow does release work after an arrest?
There's no cash bail in Effingham County: the Pretrial Fairness Act ended it in 2023. Within 48 hours, a judge rules on release (725 ILCS 5/109-1). Full details: our bail guide.
↑ Back to the question listAre local mugshots public?
Illinois treats adult booking photos as public (5 ILCS 140/2.15). Send an Illinois Freedom of Information Act request to the Effingham County Sheriff's Office (217-342-8463). Youth photos and most U.S. Marshals Service photos are withheld (5 U.S.C. 552). ICE records for someone held by the Sheriff's Office go through the ICE FOIA request page and mention this county.
↑ Back to the question listLocal inmate calls, mail, visits and money
- Calls: see our phone page.
- Deposits: our money guide.
- Commissary: Local commissary guide.
- Visiting: our visitation guide.
- Mail: County inmate mail rules.
- Messages: Local inmate email.
How many people live in the county?
This county has about 34,519 residents (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate, released 2026). The county seat is Effingham, IL.
↑ Back to the question listWhich police lines cover Altamont and other towns here?
If an officer from Altamont or another town made the arrest, call:
- Effingham Police (non-emergency): 217-347-0774
- Effingham, Altamont, Teutopolis: no listed number here yet; the sheriff's office, 217-342-8463, can direct you
Effingham County Jail Inmate Services Information
Phone: 217-342-3866
Physical Address:
101 North 4th Street
Effingham, IL 62401
Mailing Address (personal mail):
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID #
Effingham County Jail
101 North Fourth Street
Suite 101
Effingham, IL 62401
Mailing Address (legal mail or subscriptions):
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID #
Effingham County Jail
101 North Fourth Street
Suite 101
Effingham, IL 62401
Every year Effingham County law enforcement agencies arrest and detain 1,200 offenders, and maintain an average of 60 inmates (county-wide) in their custody on any given day.
The weekly turnover rate of inmates is approximately 55%, meaning that every week more than half of these inmates are released and then replaced with new offenders being booked into jail.
The charts below break down the men, women, races, ethnicities and the types of crimes that people are arrested and incarcerated for in both Effingham County and state prisons throughout the country. This information is compiled from local police and the Effingham County Sheriff's Department, as well as the state of Illinois and the United States Department of Justice and Census Bureau.
If you are looking for a prisoner in Illinois or Federal custody, click on the appropriate institution below.
If you are searching for an inmate being held in another county in Illinois, click below.
STATE OF Illinois COUNTY JAILS
If you are searching for a prisoner in a Illinois State Prison click below.
If you are searching for a United States Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate click below.
Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Search
For ICE Detainees (Immigration) being held at a detention facility in the United States, click below.
Effingham County Inmate Race & Ethnicity - 10/27/2026
| Race | Inmates | % Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 39 | 95.12% |
| Black | 0 | 0.00% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2 | 4.88% |
| American Indian/Native Alaskan | 0 | 0.00% |
| Asian | 0 | 0.00% |
| Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian | 0 | 0.00% |
| Other | 0 | 0.00% |
| Total | 41 | 100.0% |
Effingham County Inmate Criminal Charges - 10/27/2026
(many inmates have multiple charges)
| Charge | Inmates | % Total |
|---|---|---|
| Felony (3rd Degree) | 8 | 19.51% |
| Felony (2rd Degree) | 9 | 21.95% |
| Felony (1st Degree) | 3 | 7.32% |
| State Jail Felony | 3 | 7.32% |
| Felony (Uncategorized) | 9 | 21.95% |
| Misdemeanor (Class A) | 9 | 21.95% |
| Misdemeanor (Class C) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Holds | 0 | 0.00% |
| Uncategorized | 0 | 0.00% |
Effingham County Inmate Sex - 10/27/2026
| Sex | Inmates | % Total |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 36 | 87.80% |
| Female | 5 | 12.20% |
| Total | 41 | 100.0% |
Effingham County Inmate Age - 10/27/2026
| Age | Inmates | % Total |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 1 | 2.44% |
| 18-20 | 2 | 4.88% |
| 21-24 | 5 | 12.20% |
| 25-30 | 8 | 19.51% |
| 31-35 | 8 | 19.51% |
| 36-40 | 6 | 14.63% |
| 41-45 | 4 | 9.76% |
| 46-50 | 3 | 7.32% |
| 51-55 | 3 | 7.32% |
| 56-60 | 1 | 2.44% |
| 61-65 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 66-75 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 76-85 | 0 | 0.00% |
| Total | 41 | 100.0% |
- Jail (Main): 217-342-3866
- Sheriff: 217-342-2102
The Effingham County Jail serves the following cities and towns of Effingham County: Altamont, Dieterich, Effingham and Teutopolis.