Decatur Inmate Population

Decatur inmate population records are kept by the Macon County Sheriff's Office, which runs the county jail at 333 South Franklin Street. If you need to look up someone who was arrested in Decatur, the Macon County Jail is where they end up after processing. The sheriff's office has a free online search tool that lets you check who is in custody right now. This page covers how to find Decatur inmates, where the jail is, how visits work, and what steps to take if you need official records from the sheriff.

Macon County Handles Decatur Inmates

Decatur is the county seat of Macon County, and the Macon County Sheriff's Office handles all jail operations for the city. The Decatur Police Department makes arrests, but it does not run a long-term jail. Once someone is booked and processed, they get moved to the Macon County Jail. This is how it works across most of Illinois. The city handles law enforcement. The county runs the jail.

Sheriff Jim Root leads the Macon County Sheriff's Office. The main office sits at 333 South Franklin Street in Decatur, IL 62523. You can reach them by phone at (217) 424-1321. The jail line is (217) 424-1341. The fax number is (217) 424-6010. If you want to get in touch with the sheriff's office online, their site is at sheriff-macon-il.us. The office handles everything from patrol to jail management to court services in Macon County.

Note: Decatur police hold people briefly for booking, but all longer stays go through the county jail.

Decatur Inmate Population Search Tool

The Macon County Sheriff's Office runs an online inmate inquiry system that covers all Decatur arrests. You can use it to check who is in jail right now. The tool is at the Macon County Inmate Inquiry page and it is free to use.

Search results show the inmate's name, charges, booking date, and bond info. The system updates as new bookings come in and people get released. If the person you are looking for does not appear, they may have already been let go, or they could be held in a different name. It is also possible they were sent to state prison. For people in the state system, the Illinois Department of Corrections inmate search covers all state facilities. You can search by last name, IDOC number, or date of birth on that tool.

You can also call the jail directly at (217) 424-1341. Staff can tell you if someone is in custody. Have the person's full name and date of birth ready when you call. That speeds things up.

Macon County Jail in Decatur

The Macon County Jail sits on the second floor of the Law Enforcement Center at 333 South Franklin Street in Decatur. The facility has 425 beds. That is a big jump from the original 195 beds it had before a 2006 expansion. The jail holds pre-trial detainees from across Macon County, which includes everyone arrested in Decatur and the surrounding areas. Most of the inmate population consists of people waiting for trial who could not post bond.

The Macon County Circuit Clerk's office is at 253 East Wood Street in Decatur. You can reach them at (217) 624-4442 for questions about court records, case numbers, and hearing dates. The State's Attorney is on the fourth floor of the same building at 253 E Wood Street. Their number is (217) 624-4312. If you need to check on a Decatur inmate's court case, the circuit clerk is the right place to start.

Decatur Inmate Visitation Details

The Macon County Jail uses HomeWAV for all visits. This is a video visitation system that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That means you can schedule a video call with a Decatur inmate at any time. Visits happen through kiosks inside the jail and through tablets. There are no in-person, face-to-face visits at the Macon County facility.

Voice calls cost 15 cents per minute. Video calls run 25 cents per minute. You will need to set up an account through HomeWAV before you can schedule a call. The system lets you fund your account online and pick a time slot. It works from a computer, phone, or tablet on your end. If you have trouble setting it up, call the jail at (217) 424-1341 and ask for help with the visitation system. Under 5 ILCS 140, public bodies must respond to records requests, but visiting and calling use separate systems from FOIA.

Decatur Inmate Records Requests

You can request Decatur inmate records through the Freedom of Information Act. The Macon County Sheriff's Office handles FOIA requests for jail records. Write to them at 333 South Franklin Street, Decatur, IL 62523. Your request must clearly say what records you need. State that you are making the request under the Freedom of Information Act.

The sheriff's office has five business days to respond once they get your request. They can extend that by another five days with written notice. The first 50 pages of any response are free. Additional pages are charged at the actual cost of copying. Be as specific as you can about what you need. Broad or vague requests take much longer to fill. Common requests for Decatur inmate population data include booking logs, daily population counts, and discharge records.

Some records are off limits. Under 730 ILCS 5/3-5-1, medical files, psychological reports, and certain disciplinary records are confidential. You would need a court order to access those. The Criminal Identification Act at 20 ILCS 2630 also controls how criminal history data gets handled in Illinois. If you need criminal background info, contact the Illinois State Police rather than the sheriff's office.

Decatur Inmate Population and State Resources

If someone from Decatur has been sentenced to state prison, they will no longer be in the Macon County Jail. They get transferred to an Illinois Department of Corrections facility. The IDOC main office is at 1000 Converse Street in Springfield, IL 62794. You can call them at (217) 558-2200. Their website has an inmate search tool, FOIA info, and visitation rules for all state prisons.

The Illinois Prisoner Review Board handles parole hearings and clemency cases for people in the state system. Victims can reach them at 1-800-801-9110. The review board office is at 1001 N. Walnut Street in Springfield. If a Decatur inmate has been sent to state prison and you want to know about their release date or parole status, the review board is the right agency to contact. Under the Uniform Conviction Information Act at 20 ILCS 2635, only conviction data gets released to the public without special authorization.

Macon County Inmate Population Page

For the full breakdown of the Macon County jail system, all contact info, and search tools, check the main county page.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Decatur and fall under different county jail systems. Each one has its own inmate search tools and processes.