Search Jefferson County Booking Records
Jefferson County 24 hour booking records are kept by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. The sheriff runs the county jail and handles all booking operations when arrests take place within county lines. With a population of about 36,550, Jefferson County sits in the southern part of the state and covers a mix of small towns and rural land. Booking records here log each person's name, charges, bond status, and booking time. The Circuit Clerk's office also holds court records tied to these arrests. You can search for booking data through the sheriff's office or by filing a public records request under Illinois law.
Jefferson County 24 Hour Booking Quick Facts
Jefferson County Sheriff Booking Records
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is the main source for 24 hour booking records in the county. The office is at 911 Casey Ave. in Mt. Vernon. Staff handle bookings around the clock as new arrests come in from local police and state troopers working in the area. Each booking creates a record with the person's name, date of birth, charges, bond amount, and time of arrest.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office runs the main county law enforcement website with booking and jail information.
The site lists contact numbers for the jail and general sheriff services.
You can call the sheriff at (618) 244-8064 for questions about who is in custody. The jail staff can tell you if someone was booked in the last 24 hours. They can also give you bond amounts and court dates. Walk-in requests are taken at the front desk during normal hours, but the jail itself runs all day and night.
| Address | 911 Casey Ave., Mt. Vernon, IL 62864 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (618) 244-8064 |
| Circuit Clerk | Randy Pollard, Jr. |
| Clerk Address | P.O. Box 1266, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864-1266 |
| Clerk Phone | (618) 244-8008 |
How to Search Jefferson County Booking Records
There are a few ways to look up 24 hour booking records in Jefferson County. The most direct path is to call the jail. Give them a name, and the staff can check if that person is in custody. They will also share basic booking details like charges and bond. This works best for recent arrests.
The Jefferson County government portal has links to county offices and public services that may help with record lookups.
Use this site to find office hours and contact info for county departments.
For older booking records that are not from the past day or two, you may need to file a formal request. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140), booking records are public documents. Section 2.15 says agencies must release arrest data within 72 hours of a booking. This covers the name, age, charges, time of arrest, and where the person is held. You can send a FOIA request in writing to the sheriff's office at the Casey Ave. address or by email if the office accepts it.
Agencies must respond within five business days. The first 50 pages of records are free. Pages beyond that cost 15 cents each. If the sheriff denies your request, you can appeal to the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor.
Jefferson County Booking Process
When law enforcement makes an arrest in Jefferson County, the person is brought to the county jail on Casey Ave. for booking. This happens at any hour. The process starts with collecting personal information: full name, date of birth, home address, and a physical description. Fingerprints are taken. A photo is snapped. The charges are logged, and a bond amount is set based on the offense and the court's bond schedule.
The booking record that comes out of this process is what people mean when they say "24 hour booking" data. It reflects who was brought in during the most recent cycle. In a smaller county like Jefferson, the daily volume is lower than what you see in Cook or DuPage, but the process is the same under state law.
Under the Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630), all felony arrests and Class A and B misdemeanor arrests must be reported to the Illinois State Police. This means Jefferson County booking data feeds into the statewide database run by the ISP Bureau of Identification. That database tracks criminal histories across all 102 Illinois counties.
Bond payment in Jefferson County can usually be made at the jail. Cash and money orders are the most common forms accepted. After bond is posted, release processing takes time. It could be a few hours. The jail staff can give you an estimate when you pay.
State Databases for Jefferson County Records
The Illinois State Police run two databases that hold records tied to Jefferson County bookings. The first is the criminal history database under the Bureau of Identification. This is where felony and Class A and B misdemeanor arrest data gets stored after the sheriff reports it. You can request your own history through the ISP Access and Review process at no cost, though fingerprint vendors may charge a separate fee.
The ISP Bureau of Identification lets you check criminal records that may include Jefferson County booking data.
This statewide tool covers all counties, including Jefferson.
The Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635) controls what conviction data the public can access at the state level. You can request a name-based search through the ISP, but it only returns conviction information, not pending cases or arrests without a disposition. The fee for a public conviction search is $16 as of the most recent schedule. This is different from the local booking record you get from the Jefferson County Sheriff, which shows current custody status and recent arrests regardless of conviction.
The Illinois Department of Corrections also runs an inmate search tool. If someone arrested in Jefferson County ends up in state prison, their record moves from the county system to the IDOC database.
The IDOC search is free and open to the public on their website.
Jefferson County Circuit Clerk Records
Circuit Clerk Randy Pollard, Jr. runs the office that handles court records in Jefferson County. When a booking leads to criminal charges, the case file moves to the circuit court. The clerk keeps all filings, court dates, and case outcomes on record. This is where you go if you need documents from a case that started with a Jefferson County arrest.
The clerk's office is at P.O. Box 1266, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864-1266. Call (618) 244-8008 to ask about a case. Jefferson County falls in the 2nd Judicial Circuit, which also covers a few neighboring counties. Court records complement the booking data from the sheriff, as they show what happened after the arrest. Dispositions, sentences, and orders all live in the clerk's system.
You can request court records in person or by mail. Fees vary based on the type of document. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. The clerk can tell you the exact amount when you call. Under 5 ILCS 140, these records are generally open to the public unless a judge has sealed them. Juvenile cases and some mental health matters are restricted.
Laws That Apply to Jefferson County Booking Records
Three main state laws shape how booking records work in Jefferson County. The first is the Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140). This law says that government records, including booking data, belong to the public. The sheriff must share booking details when asked, with limited exceptions. Personal information like Social Security numbers gets redacted. But names, charges, and custody status are always public.
The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) requires the sheriff to report certain arrests to the state. This feeds the statewide criminal history system. It also sets rules for how long records are kept and when they can be expunged. If a case in Jefferson County ends without a conviction, the person may be able to get the arrest record sealed or wiped from the system under this act.
The third law is the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635). This one deals with public access to conviction data at the state level. It is more limited than FOIA. It only covers convictions, not arrests. So if you want to know about someone's full booking history in Jefferson County, FOIA through the sheriff's office is the better route. The state database under 20 ILCS 2635 will only tell you about cases that ended in a guilty finding.
Illinois law also bars agencies from posting mugshots on social media for minor offenses. Petty offenses and Class B or C misdemeanors are covered by this rule. Standard booking records with names and charges still go out, though. Jefferson County follows the same rules as every other county in the state.
Custody Alerts and VINE Service
Crime victims in Jefferson County can sign up for VINE alerts. VINE stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday. It sends you a call, text, or email when someone's custody status changes. If a person you are tracking gets released from the Jefferson County Jail, you will know right away.
Call (866) 566-8439 to register by phone. You can also go to vinelink.com and search for Jefferson County, Illinois. The service is free. It covers the county jail and state facilities. VINE is a useful tool when you need to stay aware of a release but cannot call the jail every day to check.
Nearby Counties
These counties are near Jefferson County. If you are not sure which county handled a booking, check the arrest location. The person is booked into whichever county jail serves the area where the arrest took place.