Lawrence County Inmate Population

Lawrence County inmate population records are managed by the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office in Lawrenceville, Illinois. This eastern Illinois county sits along the Wabash River on the Indiana border. The county is also home to Lawrence Correctional Center, a maximum-security state prison. This page explains how to search for people in the county jail and the state facility, request records, and use free tools that track Lawrence County inmate population data at both the local and state level.

Lawrence County Inmate Population Search

The Lawrence County Sheriff's Office is at 1302 State Street in Lawrenceville, IL 62439. Call (618) 943-5766 to ask about someone in the county jail. Staff can confirm if a person is in custody and share their charges, bond amount, and booking date. The jail holds people awaiting trial and those serving sentences under one year.

Lawrence County is a small county, so a public online jail roster may not be available. Calling the sheriff is the most direct route for checking on current inmates. If the person you are looking for has been transferred to state prison, the IDOC inmate search tool is where you need to go. That database covers all state facilities including Lawrence Correctional Center, which is actually located right in Lawrence County near Sumner.

Lawrence Correctional Center

Lawrence Correctional Center is a maximum-security state prison located near Sumner in Lawrence County. The facility is run by the Illinois Department of Corrections and holds inmates from all across the state. The phone number for Lawrence CC is (618) 936-2064. This is not a county facility. The state manages all operations, records, and inmate transfers here.

If you are looking for someone housed at Lawrence CC, use the IDOC inmate search rather than contacting the Lawrence County Sheriff. The sheriff handles only the county jail. The state prison is a completely separate system. The IDOC search tool will show you which facility an inmate is at, their projected release date, and their conviction details. Lawrence CC houses some of the more serious offenders in the state system, and security protocols there are strict.

The Lawrence County inmate population at the county jail is much smaller than what Lawrence CC holds. The county jail processes local arrests while the state prison holds convicted felons from all 102 Illinois counties. Two very different systems that happen to sit in the same county.

Illinois State Inmate Resources

The IDOC operates roughly 28 adult facilities across the state. Their inmate search at idoc.illinois.gov is the only reliable way to track state inmates. You can search by last name, IDOC number, or birth date. Results show current location, sentence details, and projected release dates.

The IDOC homepage links to the inmate search, FOIA request forms, and facility contacts. Lawrence County residents who get sent to state prison could end up at Lawrence CC or any other facility depending on their classification level. The state assigns inmates based on security needs, available bed space, and programming. The online search will tell you exactly where someone is once they have been processed into the system.

Lawrence County Inmate Records and FOIA

Public records from the Lawrence County Jail include booking data, charges, bond amounts, and release dates. Anyone can request these. You do not need a reason. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act at 5 ILCS 140, public agencies must provide records when asked in writing. Send your request to the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office at 1302 State Street, Lawrenceville, IL 62439.

Be specific about what you need. The office has five business days to respond. The first 50 pages are free, and anything beyond that comes with a small copying fee. If you are after records from Lawrence Correctional Center, that goes through the IDOC FOIA process instead. Their FOIA page has instructions, and the FOIA officer is at (217) 558-2200 ext. 4166.

Confidential records need a court order to access. Under 730 ILCS 5/3-5-1, master record files are sealed. That includes medical records, psychological evaluations, and internal disciplinary reports. This rule covers both county jail inmates and state prison inmates. Basic booking data and charges from the Lawrence County Jail remain open to the public at all times.

Lawrence County Court and Legal Info

Lawrence County is part of the 2nd Judicial Circuit. The circuit clerk at the Lawrence County Courthouse in Lawrenceville keeps all criminal case records. If you need to check a case tied to a Lawrence County inmate, the clerk can pull up charges, hearing dates, pleas, and sentencing details. Court records often fill in gaps that jail records leave out.

Under 5 ILCS 140/2.15, arrest reports must include the person's name, age, and charges. This makes basic arrest information from Lawrence County law enforcement public without needing a FOIA request. For conviction-only records, the Uniform Conviction Information Act at 20 ILCS 2635 limits public release to conviction data. Pending cases and arrests without convictions are treated differently under this law.

The Illinois Prisoner Review Board oversees parole hearings for state inmates. Victims of crime from Lawrence County can call 1-800-801-9110 for updates on hearings and release schedules. You can also use VINELink to register for free alerts whenever an inmate's custody status changes. That covers both county and state inmates in Illinois.

Note: VINELink alerts may lag by a few hours, so treat them as near real-time rather than instant.

Nearby Counties

Lawrence County is in southeastern Illinois near the Indiana border. These neighboring counties each have their own jail and inmate records. Check the arrest location to figure out which county handles a specific case.