Ford County Jail Inmate Search
Searching for an Inmate in Ford County
Most local arrests end up at the Ford County Jail, 235 N. American, Paxton, IL 60957 (217-379-2324).
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 Champaign County jail may have the person.
Call 217-379-2324. Below: the county jail, jails next door, release, prison and more.
1. How do I search for an inmate?
- Start at VINELink and enter the last name.
- Try VINELink on the web or the VINELink app for iPhone or the VINELink app for Android.
- Still nothing? Call the Ford County Sheriff's Office at 217-379-2324.
2. Money, mail and visits for local inmates
- Phone calls: Local inmate phone guide.
- Deposits: our money guide.
- Commissary: Local commissary guide.
- Visiting: our visitation guide.
- Letters: our mail guide.
- Messages: Local inmate email.
3. Can I get a booking photo?
Illinois treats adult booking photos as public (5 ILCS 140/2.15). Ask the Ford County Sheriff's Office with an Illinois Freedom of Information Act request, or call 217-379-2324. 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 the county.
↑ Back to the question list4. Which nearby jails take people from Ford County?
Search empty? Call each county jail next door:
- Champaign County Jail, Urbana: 217-384-1240
- Iroquois County Jail, Watseka: 815-432-6970
- Jerome Combs Detention Center, Kankakee: 815-802-7272
- Livingston County Jail, Pontiac: 815-844-5774
- McLean County Detention Center, Bloomington: 309-888-5065
- Vermilion County Jail, Danville: 217-444-0100
For state prisons, use the Illinois Department of Corrections inmate search. For federal holds, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
↑ Back to the question list5. Where do local prisoners go after sentencing?
Prison-bound inmates here go to Illinois Department of Corrections intake. Each transfer is on the Illinois Department of Corrections inmate search; our Illinois state prisons guide explains it.
↑ Back to the question list6. Can I pay bail for someone locally?
There's no cash bail in Ford County: the Pretrial Fairness Act ended it in 2023. Within 48 hours, release or detention is decided (725 ILCS 5/110-6.1). More: our bail and release page.
↑ Back to the question list7. Where is a federal defendant from Ford County held?
The U.S. Marshals Service may hold federal defendants in county jails nearby. Their case is in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, U.S. Courthouse, 600 E. Monroe Street, Springfield, IL 62701 (217-492-4020). Use VINELink before sentencing; the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator after.
↑ Back to the question list8. What about youth arrested in Ford County?
Youth stay off the roster (705 ILCS 405/1-7). A judge here picks the juvenile detention center for detained youth. Call 217-379-2324 to learn about a detained child's hearing.
↑ Back to the question list9. Will this county hold someone for ICE?
- ICE may send the jail a Form I-247A detainer.
- 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.
10. How many people live locally?
The county has about 13,216 residents (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate, released 2026). The county seat is Paxton, IL.
↑ Back to the question list11. Is there a Ford County warrant?
Ford County sheriff's deputies serve warrants from Paxton out to Gibson City, Roberts and Piper City; ask at 217-379-2324. Those deputies run warrant checks for anyone who calls. Warrant checks are local, so check your case on re:SearchIL, Illinois' statewide court-records site. Counsel handles that check, or you do after an accepted e-filing from your email. An attorney can arrange for you to turn in at the Ford County Jail on a date you both choose. If a missed court date led to it, the clerk on State Street can explain rescheduling at 200 W. State Street, Paxton, IL 60957, or on the phone at 217-379-9400.
↑ Back to the question list12. Which police departments can I call?
No town police numbers for Ford County are on file yet; the Sheriff's Office can help.
- Paxton, Gibson City: no listed number here yet; the Ford County Sheriff's Office, 217-379-2324, can direct you
Ford County Jail Inmate Services Information
Phone: 217-379-2324
Physical Address:
235 N. American
Paxton, IL 60957
Mailing Address (personal mail):
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID #
Ford County Jail
235 N. American
Paxton, IL 60957
Mailing Address (legal mail or subscriptions):
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID #
Ford County Jail
235 N. American
Paxton, IL 60957
Every year Ford County law enforcement agencies arrest and detain 1,360 offenders, and maintain an average of 68 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 Ford County and state prisons throughout the country. This information is compiled from local police and the Ford 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.
Ford County Inmate Race & Ethnicity - 11/10/2026
| Race | Inmates | % Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 45 | 90.00% |
| Black | 1 | 2.00% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3 | 6.00% |
| American Indian/Native Alaskan | 1 | 2.00% |
| Asian | 0 | 0.00% |
| Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian | 0 | 0.00% |
| Other | 0 | 0.00% |
| Total | 50 | 100.0% |
Ford County Inmate Criminal Charges - 11/10/2026
(many inmates have multiple charges)
| Charge | Inmates | % Total |
|---|---|---|
| Felony (3rd Degree) | 12 | 24.00% |
| Felony (2rd Degree) | 10 | 20.00% |
| Felony (1st Degree) | 4 | 8.00% |
| State Jail Felony | 3 | 6.00% |
| Felony (Uncategorized) | 10 | 20.00% |
| Misdemeanor (Class A) | 11 | 22.00% |
| Misdemeanor (Class C) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Holds | 0 | 0.00% |
| Uncategorized | 0 | 0.00% |
Ford County Inmate Sex - 11/10/2026
| Sex | Inmates | % Total |
|---|---|---|
| Male | 44 | 88.00% |
| Female | 6 | 12.00% |
| Total | 50 | 100.0% |
Ford County Inmate Age - 11/10/2026
| Age | Inmates | % Total |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 1 | 2.00% |
| 18-20 | 3 | 6.00% |
| 21-24 | 5 | 10.00% |
| 25-30 | 11 | 22.00% |
| 31-35 | 9 | 18.00% |
| 36-40 | 7 | 14.00% |
| 41-45 | 6 | 12.00% |
| 46-50 | 3 | 6.00% |
| 51-55 | 3 | 6.00% |
| 56-60 | 2 | 4.00% |
| 61-65 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 66-75 | 0 | 0.00% |
| 76-85 | 0 | 0.00% |
| Total | 50 | 100.0% |
- Jail (Main): 217-379-2324
- Sheriff: 217-379-2324
The Ford County Jail serves the following cities and towns of Ford County: Gibson City, Paxton and Piper City.