Search Lake County Inmate Population

Lake County inmate population records are maintained by the Lake County Sheriff's Office in Waukegan, Illinois. With a population of more than 714,000, Lake County is the third largest county in the state and handles a high volume of bookings at its Adult Corrections Facility. The sheriff provides an online inmate search tool that anyone can use to find people in custody. This page explains how to look up Lake County inmates, schedule visits, request records through FOIA, and contact the offices that handle detention and court matters in Lake County.

Lake County Inmate Population Search

The Lake County Sheriff's Office runs an online inmate search at apps03.lakecountyil.gov/inmatesearch. You can look up anyone who is in the Lake County Jail right now. The search lets you enter a name or booking number. Results show the charges, bond amount, and booking date for each inmate. The database updates throughout the day as people are brought in or let go.

If the search tool is down or you have trouble with it, call the sheriff's office at 847-377-4000 during business hours. For after-hours calls, the number is 847-549-5200. You can also get inmate information by visiting the Lake County Sheriff's inmate information page at lakecountyil.gov/2031/Inmate-Information. That page has links to the search tool and other jail details.

The Lake County Sheriff's main page is at lakecountyil.gov/4920/Sheriff.

The sheriff's site gives you access to inmate search, jail policies, and contact numbers. Sheriff John D. Idleburg runs the Lake County Sheriff's Office from the main office at 25 South Martin Luther King Jr Avenue in Waukegan, IL 60085.

Lake County Jail Facility

The Lake County Adult Corrections Facility is at 29 S Martin Luther King Jr Avenue in Waukegan, IL 60085. The jail opened on March 10, 1989 and has a capacity of 740 inmates. Call the jail at 847-377-4150. The fax number is 847-360-5763. This facility holds people who are awaiting trial, serving short sentences, or waiting for transfer to state prison.

The Lake County inmate population can be found through the sheriff's inmate information page. That page gives more detail on how the jail works.

The inmate information page covers how to look up someone in custody, jail rules, and how to put money on a commissary account. It also has info on phone calls and mail. If you need to reach an inmate directly, phone and video services are handled through third-party providers listed on the site.

Visiting Lake County Inmates

Lake County Jail uses ViaPath Technologies for visit scheduling. You can register at gettingout.com or through connectnetwork.com. On-site visits are free. Each inmate gets one 20-minute visit per day. Visits happen during three time blocks: 9:00 to 10:30 AM, 11:45 AM to 2:30 PM, and 5:30 to 9:00 PM. These hours run every day of the week.

You need to schedule your visit at least 24 hours ahead and can book up to 7 days in advance. Bring a valid photo ID. Do not come if you have an active warrant or open case. The Lake County inmate population facility does check for warrants at the door. This policy is standard across jails in Illinois.

Lake County Court Records

If you are tracking a case through the courts, the Lake County Circuit Clerk handles all court files. The clerk's office is at 18 N County Street in Waukegan, IL 60085. Call 847-377-3380. The Lake County court system also has a public records portal at the eCourt portal where you can search for case information online.

The portal lets you search by case number, party name, or date range. This is useful when you want to know the court status of someone in the Lake County inmate population. You can find hearing dates, charges, and case outcomes through the portal. The State's Attorney is at 18 N County Street, 3rd Floor, and can be reached at 847-377-3000 for questions about criminal charges.

Lake County Inmate Records and FOIA

Under 5 ILCS 140, you can request Lake County inmate population records through the Freedom of Information Act. All public records held by the sheriff are presumed open unless a specific exemption applies. Send FOIA requests to sherifffoia@lakecountyil.gov. You can also call 847-377-4200 or fax to 847-984-5974. The mailing address is Lake County Sheriff's Office, 25 S Martin Luther King Jr Avenue, Waukegan, IL 60085.

The sheriff has five business days to respond. The first 50 pages are free. Be specific about what you want. Broad requests take longer. Under 730 ILCS 5/3-5-1, master record files like medical and mental health notes need a court order to access. Standard booking data, charges, and release dates are public information. The Uniform Conviction Information Act at 20 ILCS 2635 restricts public release to conviction data only, so arrest records that did not end in conviction may have limits on what gets shared.

Note: The sheriff's FOIA process does not cover court records, which must be requested through the Circuit Clerk.

Illinois Inmate Population Resources

If someone has been transferred from the Lake County Jail to state prison, they will show up in the Illinois Department of Corrections search at idoc.illinois.gov. IDOC tracks all inmates in state correctional facilities. You can search by name, IDOC number, or date of birth. Call IDOC at (217) 558-2200 for help.

Under 5 ILCS 140/2.15, arrest reports must include the person's name, age, and charges. The Criminal Identification Act at 20 ILCS 2630 gives people the right to challenge errors in their criminal history records. These state-level laws apply to all Lake County inmate records and law enforcement agencies operating in the county.

Cities in Lake County

Lake County sits north of Cook County along the Wisconsin border. Waukegan is the county seat and the largest city in the county. All local police departments in Lake County route inmates to the Lake County Jail for detention beyond initial processing.

Other communities in Lake County include Highland Park, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Mundelein, and Gurnee. These cities use the Lake County Sheriff for inmate population records and jail services.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Lake County. Each one runs its own jail and inmate search. If you are not sure which county handled an arrest, check the address of the incident.