Illinois inmate search

Searching for an Inmate in Hamilton County

Hamilton County has no jail, so arrests here are held in nearby county jails. Call the Sheriff's Office at 618-643-2511, to learn which one. Search VINELink first. VINELink tracks custody and sends alerts when the Sheriff's Office books someone. Booking at the county jail can lag; a Franklin County jail may have the person. Call 618-643-2511. Below: the county jail, jails next door, release, prison and more.

How do I search for an inmate?

1. Go to VINELink and enter the last name.
2. Try VINELink on the web or the VINELink app for iPhone or the VINELink app for Android.
3. Still nothing? Call the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office at 618-643-2511.

↑ Back to the question list

Will the county hold someone for ICE?

1. ICE may send the holding jail a Form I-247A detainer.
2. The Illinois TRUST Act (5 ILCS 805/15) stops Hamilton County from honoring the 48-hour hold.
3. Agents may wait outside the County Jail.
4. After an ICE arrest, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System with the A-number of the detainee.

↑ Back to the question list

Where do local prisoners go after sentencing?

Someone given prison leaves the county jail for Illinois Department of Corrections intake. Families can follow moves on the Illinois Department of Corrections inmate search, then see our Illinois state prisons guide.

↑ Back to the question list

Where is a federal defendant from Hamilton County held?

The U.S. Marshals Service may hold federal defendants in county jails in this county. The Southern District of Illinois hears it at Melvin Price U.S. Courthouse, 750 Missouri Avenue, East St. Louis, IL 62201 (618-482-9371). Check VINELink while the case is open, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator after sentencing.

↑ Back to the question list

Money, mail and visits for local inmates

• Calls: see our phone page.
• Deposits: our money guide.
• Commissary: Local commissary guide.
• Visiting: our visitation guide.
• Mail: County inmate mail rules.
• Messages: County inmate email.

↑ Back to the question list

What about youth arrested in the county?

Youth stay off the roster (705 ILCS 405/1-7). A judge locally picks the juvenile detention center for detained youth. Call 618-643-2511 to learn about a detained child's hearing.

↑ Back to the question list

What other jails should I check besides Hamilton County?

Search empty? Call each county jail next door:

• Franklin County Jail, Benton: 618-438-8211
• Jefferson County Jail, Mt. Vernon: 618-244-8004
• Saline County Jail, Harrisburg: 618-252-4805
• Wayne County Jail, Fairfield: 618-842-6631
• White County Jail, Carmi: 618-382-7149

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 list

Are local mugshots public?

Illinois treats adult booking photos as public (5 ILCS 140/2.15). Ask the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office with an Illinois Freedom of Information Act request, or call 618-643-2511. 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 for the booking.

↑ Back to the question list

How does release work after an arrest?

There's no cash bail in Hamilton 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 list

What is the population of the county?

This county has about 7,859 residents (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate, released 2026). The county seat is McLeansboro, IL.

↑ Back to the question list

Which police departments can I call?

No town police numbers for Hamilton County are on file yet; the Sheriff's Office can help.

• McLeansboro: no listed number here yet; the sheriff's office, 618-643-2511, can direct you

↑ Back to the question list

Hamilton County accused are housed in neighboring county jails. Inmate Services Information

Phone: 618-643-2511

Physical Address:
Hamilton County accused are housed in neighboring county jails.
McLeansboro, IL 62859

Mailing Address (personal mail):
Inmate's first and last name
Hamilton County Jail
100 South Jackson Street
McLeansboro, IL 62859

Every year Hamilton County law enforcement agencies arrest and detain 1 offenders, and maintain an average of 0 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 Hamilton County and state prisons throughout the country. This information is compiled from local police and the Hamilton 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.

Illinois Prison Inmate Search

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.

ICE Detainee Search

---