Williamson County Inmate Population

Williamson County inmate population records are managed by the Williamson County Sheriff's Office in Marion, Illinois. The county opened a new 244-bed jail in February 2012 and uses a structured in-person visitation schedule for family and friends of inmates. You can contact the sheriff's office to search for someone in custody or get details on booking and release. This page explains how to find Williamson County inmate population information, set up visits, and request official records through the proper channels.

Williamson County Inmate Search

To find out if someone is in the Williamson County Jail, call the sheriff's office at (618) 997-6541. Staff can confirm whether a person is in custody and share basic booking info like charges and bond amounts. Sheriff Jeff Diederich's office is at 404 North Van Buren Street in Marion, IL 62959. The fax number is (618) 998-2296 if you need to send a written request.

The sheriff's website at wcsheriff.com may have additional information about jail operations and the current Williamson County inmate population. Because Williamson County is smaller than the metro counties in northern Illinois, the search process is more phone-based than online. Calling the jail directly is often the fastest way to get an answer about someone's custody status.

If the person has already been sentenced to state prison, they will not be at the county jail. Use the Illinois Department of Corrections search at idoc.illinois.gov for anyone in the state system. The county jail holds pre-trial detainees and people serving shorter sentences in Williamson County.

Williamson County Jail Facility

The Williamson County Jail sits at 404 North Van Buren Street in Marion, IL 62959. The current facility opened on February 19, 2012, and has a capacity of 244 beds. It replaced an older jail that had been in use for decades. The new building gave Williamson County more space for housing, intake, and programming. Marion is in southern Illinois and serves as the hub for law enforcement and court operations across the county.

Sheriff Diederich manages jail operations along with patrol duties and civil process for the county. The jail handles all bookings, releases, and inmate transfers for Williamson County. When someone gets arrested by local police in Marion or any other town in the county, they end up at this facility for processing. The 244-bed capacity is a significant upgrade from the old jail and helps the county handle its current inmate population without relying on other facilities for overflow.

Williamson County Jail Visitation

Williamson County runs an in-person visitation schedule at the jail. Visits are available on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Tuesday and Thursday visits run from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. There is no visitation on Saturday. Each visit lasts 30 minutes and inmates can have a maximum of 4 visitors at one time.

This schedule gives you several options during the week. The evening hours on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday work well for people who have jobs during the day. The daytime slots on Tuesday and Thursday are there for anyone who can come earlier. Plan ahead because the Williamson County jail can be busy during the allowed visit times, and you may need to wait for an opening. Bring a valid photo ID. Anyone with an active warrant should not visit the facility.

Note: Saturday has no visitation at the Williamson County Jail, so plan your visits for one of the other six days.

Williamson County Inmate Records Requests

Public records about the Williamson County inmate population can be requested under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Under 5 ILCS 140, all records in the custody of a public body are presumed open. Write to the Williamson County Sheriff's Office at 404 N. Van Buren Street, Marion, IL 62959. Include specifics like names, dates, and booking numbers. The office has five working days to respond and the first 50 pages come at no charge.

Arrest reports are public and must include the person's name, age, and charges under 5 ILCS 140/2.15. Daily population logs and booking records are also available. Medical records and psychological evaluations are protected under 730 ILCS 5/3-5-1 and require a court order to access. The sheriff's office will turn down requests for anything that falls under those exemptions.

The Williamson County Circuit Clerk is at 200 West Jefferson Street, Suite 100, in Marion. Call (618) 997-1301 for court records. The State's Attorney can be reached at (618) 998-2229 at 200 West Jefferson. The Uniform Conviction Information Act at 20 ILCS 2635 limits what criminal history data agencies can share publicly to conviction information only.

State Resources for Williamson County

The Illinois Department of Corrections at idoc.illinois.gov tracks all state prison inmates. IDOC holds about 28,991 adults across its facilities. If a Williamson County inmate gets a state sentence, they transfer out of the county jail. Search by last name, IDOC number, or date of birth. Southern Illinois has several state prisons nearby, including Vienna Correctional Center and Big Muddy River Correctional Center in Ina.

The Prisoner Review Board at prb.illinois.gov manages parole hearings for state inmates. Their phone number is 217-782-7273. Victims can call 1-800-801-9110 for hearing updates. VINELink at vinelink.com provides free custody change notifications for offenders at both the county and state level in Illinois.

Nearby Counties

Williamson County is in southern Illinois. Each neighboring county runs its own jail and keeps its own inmate records. Check which county covers the arrest location to find the right search tool.