Illinois inmate search

Iroquois County Jail Inmate Lookup

Most local arrests end up at the Iroquois County Jail, 550 South 10th Street, Watseka, IL 60970 (815-432-6970). Search VINELink first. VINELink tracks custody and sends alerts when the Sheriff's Office books someone. Booking at the county jail can lag; a Ford County jail may have the person. Call 815-432-6992. The sections below run from the county jail to state and federal custody.

How do I search for an inmate?

1. Open VINELink and type the full name.
2. Use VINELink, or the VINELink app for iPhone or the VINELink app for Android.
3. Ask the Iroquois County Sheriff's Office directly at 815-432-6992.

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Which nearby jails take people from Iroquois County?

Search empty? Call each county jail next door:

• Ford County Jail, Paxton: 217-379-2324
• Jerome Combs Detention Center, Kankakee: 815-802-7272
• 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.

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Will the county hold someone for ICE?

1. ICE can ask Iroquois County to hold someone with a Form I-247A.
2. The Illinois TRUST Act (5 ILCS 805/15) stops the 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.

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Are local mugshots public?

Illinois treats adult booking photos as public (5 ILCS 140/2.15). Ask the Iroquois County Sheriff's Office with an Illinois Freedom of Information Act request, or call 815-432-6992. Juvenile photos are not released. Most U.S. Marshals Service photos stay private too, under 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.

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Can I pay bail for someone in the county?

There's no cash bail in Iroquois 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.

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Where is a federal defendant from Iroquois County held?

The U.S. Marshals Service may hold federal defendants in county jails nearby. Hearings take place in Springfield, at U.S. Courthouse, 600 E. Monroe Street, Springfield, IL 62701; the Central District of Illinois clerk is at 217-492-4020. Check VINELink while the case is open, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator after sentencing.

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What about youth arrested here?

Youth stay off the roster (705 ILCS 405/1-7). A judge here picks the juvenile detention center for detained youth. Call 815-432-6992 to learn about a detained child's hearing.

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Local inmate calls, mail, visits and money

• Phone calls: County inmate phone guide.
• Deposits: our money guide.
• Commissary: Local commissary guide.
• Visits: Local visitation rules.
• Letters: our mail guide.
• Email: our messaging page.

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Where do local 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.

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What is the population of the county?

This county has about 26,150 residents (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate, released 2026). The county seat is Watseka, IL.

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Which police lines cover Watseka and other towns in the county?

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

• Watseka, Gilman, Onarga, Clifton: no listed number here yet; the sheriff's office, 815-432-6992, can direct you

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Iroquois County Jail Inmate Services Information

Phone: 815-432-6970

Physical Address:
550 South 10th Street
Watseka, IL 60970

Mailing Address (personal mail):
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Iroquois County Jail
550 S. 10th Street
Watseka, IL 60970

Mailing Address (legal mail or subscriptions):
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Iroquois County Jail
550 S. 10th Street
Watseka, IL 60970

Every year Iroquois County law enforcement agencies arrest and detain 660 offenders, and maintain an average of 33 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 Iroquois County and state prisons throughout the country. This information is compiled from local police and the Iroquois 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

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