Illinois inmate search

Searching for an Inmate in Shelby County

Most local arrests end up at the Shelby County Jail, 151 N. Morgan Street, Shelbyville, IL 62565 (217-774-3941). Search VINELink first. VINELink tracks custody and sends alerts when the Sheriff's Office books someone. Booking at the county jail can lag; a Christian County jail may have the person. Call 217-774-3941. The sections below run from the county jail to state and federal custody.

How do I search for an inmate?

1. Open VINELink with the person's name.
2. Search VINELink online, or with the VINELink app for iPhone and the VINELink app for Android.
3. Still nothing? Call the Shelby County Sheriff's Office at 217-774-3941.

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How does release work after an arrest?

Illinois ended cash bail in 2023 under the Pretrial Fairness Act, so there's no money to post in Shelby County (725 ILCS 5/110). Within 48 hours, a judge rules on release (725 ILCS 5/109-1). More on our pretrial release guide.

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Money, mail and visits for county inmates

• 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.

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Will this county hold someone for ICE?

1. ICE may send the Shelby County Jail a Form I-247A detainer.
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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What other jails should I check besides Shelby County?

Search empty? Call each county jail next door:

• Christian County Correctional Center, Taylorville: 217-824-4961
• Coles County Jail, Charleston: 217-348-7332
• Cumberland County Jail, Toledo: 217-849-2571
• Effingham County Jail, Effingham: 217-342-3866
• Fayette County Jail, Vandalia: 618-283-2141
• Macon County Jail, Decatur: 217-424-1341

State prisoners show on the Illinois Department of Corrections inmate search; federal ones on the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

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What if someone from Shelby County faces federal charges?

The U.S. Marshals Service may hold federal defendants in county jails here. The case goes to 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.

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Where do county 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.

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How do I request a mugshot?

Illinois treats adult booking photos as public (5 ILCS 140/2.15). Ask the Shelby County Sheriff's Office with an Illinois Freedom of Information Act request, or call 217-774-3941. 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 with the jail name and dates.

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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 217-774-3941 to learn about a detained child's hearing.

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How many people live locally?

This county has about 20,576 residents (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate, released 2026). Shelbyville, IL is the county seat.

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What are the police numbers for Moweaqua and nearby towns?

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

• Shelbyville, Moweaqua, Windsor: no listed number here yet; the sheriff's office, 217-774-3941, can direct you

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Shelby County Jail Inmate Services Information

Phone: 217-774-3941

Physical Address:
151 N. Morgan Street
Shelbyville, IL 62565

Mailing Address (personal mail):
Shelby County Jail
151 Morgan Street
Shelbyville, IL 62565

Mailing Address (legal mail or subscriptions):
Shelby County Jail
151 Morgan Street
Shelbyville, IL 62565

Every year Shelby County law enforcement agencies arrest and detain 540 offenders, and maintain an average of 27 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 Shelby County and state prisons throughout the country. This information is compiled from local police and the Shelby 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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