Madison County Inmate Lookup

Madison County inmate population records are handled by the Madison County Sheriff's Office in Edwardsville, Illinois. Unlike many other Illinois counties, Madison County does not have a public online inmate search tool. You have to call the jail to check if someone is in custody. The jail holds up to 312 people at a time, and Sheriff Jeff Connor runs the office. This page walks through how to search for inmates, who to call, how to request records, and what resources are open to families and the public in Madison County.

Madison County Inmate Search

Madison County does not have an online inmate search portal. This is one of the key differences between Madison County and larger Illinois counties that offer web-based lookup tools. If you need to find out if someone is in the Madison County Jail, the only way is to call the jail directly at (618) 692-1064. Staff can confirm if a person is in custody and give you basic booking details over the phone. Be ready with the person's full name and date of birth to speed things up.

You can also try VINELink, which is a free nationwide victim notification service. It covers Illinois counties, and you may be able to find Madison County custody information through that system. VINELink lets you sign up for alerts when an inmate is released or moved, which is helpful if you need to stay informed about someone's status in the Madison County jail.

For people who were sentenced to state prison, the IDOC inmate search is the tool to use. That covers state-run facilities, not the county jail.

Madison County Sheriff's Office

The Madison County Sheriff's Office is at 405 Randle Street, Edwardsville, IL 62025. Sheriff Jeff Connor heads the office, which oversees patrol, corrections, civil process, and court security. The main admin line is (618) 692-6087. The fax number is (618) 656-1210 and the email is webmaster@co.madison.il.us. For jail-specific questions, call (618) 692-1064 or (618) 692-1065.

The screenshot below shows the Madison County Sheriff's page on the county government website, where you can find contact details and general information about the office.

The sheriff's office handles all bookings and releases for the Madison County Jail. When local police departments in the county arrest someone, that person ends up at this jail. The sheriff keeps the inmate population data and manages the day-to-day operations of the facility in Edwardsville.

Madison County Jail and Custody

The Madison County Jail is at 405 Randle Street in Edwardsville. It has a rated capacity of 312 beds. This is a smaller facility compared to some northern Illinois counties, but it serves a county of over 264,000 people. The jail holds both pre-trial detainees and people serving county sentences. Anyone sentenced to more than one year gets transferred to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Booking in Madison County follows the standard process. After arrest, a person is brought to the jail for intake. This includes fingerprinting, a health screen, and a classification review. The whole thing can take several hours. During that time, the person may not show up in any lookup system. Once processing is done, the inmate is placed in a housing unit based on their classification level and any special needs.

The Madison County inmate population tends to run below full capacity most days. Pre-trial detainees make up the bulk of the population. Some are waiting on bond, while others have holds from other counties or federal agencies.

Madison County Jail Visits

Madison County uses IC Solutions for jail visitation. The system is called The Visitor and it runs through video only. There are no in-person contact visits at the Madison County Jail. You can visit on-site at the jail using the video terminals, or you can visit from home using a Windows computer, Android device, or iOS device. You have to register first at icsolutions.com before you can schedule anything.

Video visits cost money for the off-site option. On-site visits at the jail may have a fee as well, depending on the provider's current rates. Check the IC Solutions site for the latest pricing. Under Illinois law, inmates have a right to maintain contact with family and legal counsel. If you run into problems getting a visit set up, contact the Madison County Sheriff's Office at (618) 692-6087 to ask for help.

Note: Always check with IC Solutions for the most current visit schedule and fees before planning a trip.

Madison County Inmate Records

You can request Madison County inmate records through a FOIA filing. Under 5 ILCS 140, the sheriff's office must respond to written requests within five business days. Send your request to 405 Randle Street, Edwardsville, IL 62025 or contact them at webmaster@co.madison.il.us. Describe what you need clearly. The first 50 pages are free. Additional pages may cost a small fee based on the agency's actual copying costs.

Booking records, charge sheets, and release dates are generally public information. Medical records, mental health files, and internal disciplinary reports are not. Under 730 ILCS 5/3-5-1, master record files at state correctional facilities are confidential. The same idea applies to sensitive records at the county level. You would need a court order to access those. The Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635) also limits what can be shared. Only conviction records are released freely. Arrest data without a conviction can be restricted.

Madison County Court Resources

The Madison County Circuit Clerk is at 155 N. Main Street, Suite 120, Edwardsville, IL. Call (618) 692-6240 for case lookups, hearing dates, and bond information. If you need court records tied to someone in the Madison County Jail, the circuit clerk is the right office. They keep all filings, motions, and case dispositions on file and available to the public.

The Madison County State's Attorney is at 157 N. Main Street, Suite 402, Edwardsville, IL and can be reached at (618) 692-6280. Under 20 ILCS 2630, the Criminal Identification Act governs how criminal history records are maintained and who can access them. For statewide criminal history checks, the Illinois State Police is the right contact. The Prisoner Review Board handles parole decisions for people leaving state facilities who may have ties to Madison County.

Nearby Counties

Madison County sits in the Metro East area across the river from St. Louis. These counties are nearby. Each runs its own jail and tracks its own inmate population separately.