The St. Clair County Inmate Population
The St. Clair County inmate population is not one list. Local custody is centered on the St. Clair County Jail corrections page, which links the county inmate search and says current jail inmate records are updated hourly. State custody is separate and runs through the Illinois Department of Corrections Individual in Custody Search. Federal prison custody runs through the Bureau of Prisons, while immigration custody runs through ICE. That split matters because a person can move from a Belleville jail booking to a court case, then to IDOC, or into a federal hold without remaining visible in the same search system.
The county jail count rises and falls with arrests, first appearance decisions, detention petitions, short county sentences, transfer waits, fugitives, and federal contract holds. IDOC inspection reports also show that the jail has housed people awaiting transfer to IDOC or IDHS. The two East St. Louis IDOC facilities, Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center and Southwestern Illinois Work Camp, are part of the broader county correctional landscape, but they do not list people in the county roster. Sentenced state prisoners use IDOC records, not the sheriff's jail roster.
St. Clair County Inmate Population Statistics
Recent St. Clair County inmate population figures come from different official sources, so the measure must be read with its date. IDOC's May 15, 2024 jail inspection listed the county jail at 409 total capacity with 385 people in custody that inspection day. Earlier IDOC inspections and the Illinois Sheriffs' Association used a 418-bed figure. County Public Safety Committee minutes show average daily population later moved back above the 409-capacity mark, including 460 in September 2025 and 419 in January 2026.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection-day jail population | 385 | IDOC St. Clair County Jail inspection, May 15, 2024 |
| Jail rated capacity | 409 total | IDOC St. Clair County Jail inspection, 2024 |
| Prior rated capacity | 418 total | IDOC 2021-2023 inspections and Illinois Sheriffs' Association |
| January 2026 average daily population | 419 | Public Safety Committee minutes, Feb. 23, 2026 |
| January 2026 admissions | 595 | Public Safety Committee minutes, Feb. 23, 2026 |
| Estimated jail rate using 2024 inspection count | About 153 per 100,000 | Research calculation from Census 2024 population estimate |
St. Clair County Inmate Population Trends
The trend line is not a simple decline or rise. IDOC inspections showed the St. Clair County Jail above capacity in three consecutive reviewed years, then below stated capacity on the 2024 inspection date. Monthly county committee reports from 2025 and early 2026 then showed average daily population above the 2024 capacity figure in several months. That means the St. Clair County inmate population should be read as a moving count, not a fixed headcount.
| Year or Month | Population / ADP | Source and Note |
|---|---|---|
| Apr. 16, 2021 | 511 | IDOC inspection; 93 over 418 capacity |
| Apr. 26, 2022 | 475 | IDOC inspection; 57 over 418 capacity |
| Apr. 20, 2023 | 490 | IDOC inspection; 72 over 418 capacity |
| May 15, 2024 | 385 | IDOC inspection; below 409 stated capacity |
| June 2025 | 441 ADP | Public Safety Committee minutes; 652 admissions |
| Sept. 2025 | 460 ADP | Public Safety Committee minutes; 579 admissions |
| Jan. 2026 | 419 ADP | Public Safety Committee minutes; 595 admissions |
The difference between admissions and average daily population is important. Admissions count the people booked during a month. Average daily population counts how many people are held on a typical day. A month can have high admissions and a lower jail population if people are released quickly, transferred, or resolved through court orders.
Who Makes Up the St. Clair County Inmate Population
St. Clair County's published jail population detail is uneven by year. The 2024 IDOC inspection listed an inspection-day sex breakdown of 329 male and 57 female, while also stating a total of 385. Those numbers add to 386, so the mismatch should be preserved rather than corrected. County monthly reports for 2025 and 2026 also give admission categories such as female, male, misdemeanor, felony, federal, fugitives, DOC, sentence weekend, and other categories.
- Pretrial detainees. Vera reported 400 pretrial detainees on a typical day in 2020, making pretrial custody a major part of the jail count.
- Male and female custody. IDOC's 2024 inspection listed 329 male and 57 female on the inspection-day breakdown, with the source's total mismatch noted.
- Felony and misdemeanor admissions. January 2026 county minutes reported 224 misdemeanor admissions and 255 felony admissions.
- Federal and fugitive holds. January 2026 minutes reported 5 federal admissions and 71 fugitive admissions, while the USMS agreement authorizes local federal detainee housing.
- State-transfer issues. Earlier inspections documented people waiting for IDOC or IDHS transfer, which can keep the county jail population high.
St. Clair County Jail Capacity
The St. Clair County Jail capacity story has changed across sources and years. IDOC's 2024 inspection listed 409 total capacity. Earlier IDOC inspections and the Illinois Sheriffs' Association list 418 beds, and Vera says the jail was expanded to 418 beds in 1995. The safest reading is that St. Clair County has a long-running 418-bed historical figure and a 409-capacity figure in the 2024 IDOC inspection.
Overcrowding was documented in IDOC inspections from 2021 through 2023. Those reports cited Illinois County Jail Standard 701.80(b), because cells and detention rooms should be designated for maximum double occupancy. The 2024 inspection did not show the jail over its stated capacity on inspection day, but it still recommended that C, D, G, and H block quad-bed cells be limited to double occupancy when other cells or dorm space are available. Recent monthly ADP reports show the jail can still run close to or above the 2024 capacity number.
Laws for St. Clair County Inmate Records
Illinois law shapes both the St. Clair County inmate population data and the jail-record search process. FOIA controls written public-record requests to county agencies. Illinois arrest-information law sets a baseline for release of arrest details. IDOC jail standards and inspection rules affect capacity, housing, and population reporting. Court records follow a different path because the Circuit Clerk handles judicial files, not sheriff FOIA records.
Key Statutes:
5 ILCS 140/3, Illinois Freedom of Information Act - public bodies generally must answer or deny written FOIA requests within five business days unless a lawful extension applies.
5 ILCS 140/2.15, arrest reports and criminal-history records - criminal justice agencies must furnish listed arrest information, including a photograph when available, subject to exceptions.
20 Ill. Admin. Code Part 701, County Jail Standards - Illinois jail standards govern county jail operations and housing conditions.
IDOC Jail and Detention Standards Unit - IDOC inspects jails and collects county jail population statistics.
730 ILCS 210/3-5, Reporting of Deaths in Custody Act - qualifying in-custody deaths must be investigated and reported with public summaries subject to protected-material limits.
St. Clair County State Prison Population
Sentenced Illinois prisoners are counted in IDOC custody, even when their criminal case started with a St. Clair County arrest. The county has two IDOC facilities in East St. Louis: Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center and Southwestern Illinois Work Camp. SWICC is a minimum-security adult male facility and dedicated substance-abuse treatment community. The work camp is a minimum-security state work-camp facility under SWICC.
People sentenced from St. Clair County may leave the county jail after sentencing and transfer approval. Loyola's local criminal justice report describes adult males moving through IDOC Reception and Classification at Menard and adult females through Logan before IDOC assigns a final facility. Once that transfer occurs, the county jail roster is no longer the best search tool. The IDOC locator can show parent institution, status, admission date, projected parole or discharge dates, sentencing information, and photos when available.
Search the St. Clair County Inmate Population
The official St. Clair County custody search starts with the sheriff's corrections page and its inmate-search link. During research, that link redirected to the `stclairil.goejail.com` current-inmates portal, which required browser or human verification before the list would load. An older official lookup shell remains visible with Last Name, First Name, and Booking Number fields, but its contact page points to Michigan and should not be used for Illinois jail contact details.
A name is usually enough to begin. A booking number helps when names are common. If the person does not appear, the next step depends on custody stage: call the jail information system, search court records for filed charges, check IDOC for sentenced state custody, use BOP for federal prison custody, use ICE ODLS for immigration custody, and use VINELink for notifications.
- Open the official St. Clair County Corrections page.
- Use the Inmate Search link and complete the portal verification if prompted.
- Search by last name first, then add first name or booking number if the field is available.
- If no current roster result appears, call the jail information system at (618) 456-7606.
- If the person was sentenced to state prison, search the IDOC locator instead.
Current St. Clair County Inmate Lookup
The county says current jail inmate records are updated hourly, but the live goejail profile fields were not visible during automated research because the portal required verification. The older official lookup shell confirms three basic search fields. That evidence supports a careful roster-field table without claiming unverified current profile columns.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Name | Text | Unspecified | Visible on the older official St. Clair County Sheriff's Office Inmate Lookup. |
| First Name | Text | Unspecified | Visible on the older official lookup shell for narrowing a name search. |
| Booking Number | Text | Unspecified | Visible on the older official lookup; no format rule was published. |
| Current Inmates | Link or tab | n/a | Visible in the current goejail portal navigation after the county redirect. |
| Complete Security Check | Verification control | Required by portal | The current portal may ask users to complete browser or human verification. |
Past St. Clair County Inmate Records
The current roster is for current jail inmates. No official St. Clair County retention period was located for released-inmate roster listings, so a released person may not remain searchable in the same place. For older booking records, arrest reports, custody receipt or discharge times, and booking photographs when available, use the county FOIA route or sheriff FOIA form rather than relying on a current-inmate portal.
The county FOIA page links the St. Clair County JustFOIA public portal for creating and tracking requests. A useful jail-record request identifies the person's full name, date of birth or age if known, arrest date, arresting agency, booking number if known, and the exact records requested. Court records after charges are filed are handled by the Circuit Clerk, not by the sheriff's FOIA process.
What St. Clair County Inmate Records Show
Because the current county roster profile was blocked by verification during research, the online display should be described with care. Illinois law and local phone prompts still show what a requester may need: identity, charges, custody status, release or hold information, arrest agency, booking number, and court linkage. The court search is better for filed court dates and formal charges, while the jail roster is better for current custody.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Booking Number | A booking identifier, confirmed as a search field on the older official lookup shell. |
| Data Refreshed | A timestamp on the older lookup; the county corrections page says current records update hourly. |
| Charges | Potential arrest or booking charge information; formal filed charges should be checked through Circuit Clerk records. |
| Bond or Release Information | The jail information system has a current inmate bond information prompt, but Illinois now uses pretrial release and detention language. |
| Mugshot or Photo | Illinois arrest-information law includes a photograph when available, but county roster photo display was not confirmed. |
| Custody Status | Current jail status, release, transfer, or hold information may require the jail phone line or records request. |
St. Clair County Jail vs. State Prison
The St. Clair County Jail roster and IDOC locator answer different questions. The county jail roster is for local custody: recent arrests, pretrial detention, short county sentences, warrants, fugitives, people waiting on transfer, and federal detainees physically held under contract. The IDOC locator is for sentenced state custody and can show a person's state facility, status, sentence data, and projected release information.
| County Jail | State Prison | |
|---|---|---|
| Who Is Held | Pretrial detainees, short county sentences, holds, and some federal contract detainees | Sentenced state individuals in IDOC custody |
| Run By | St. Clair County Sheriff's Department | Illinois Department of Corrections |
| Where to Look | County corrections page and goejail current-inmates portal | IDOC Individual in Custody Search |
| Local Facilities | St. Clair County Jail in Belleville | SWICC and Southwestern Illinois Work Camp in East St. Louis |
State and Federal Inmate Search
State, federal, and immigration searches cover people who may not appear in the St. Clair County Jail roster. The IDOC embedded search form accepts last name, IDOC number, or birthdate. The BOP inmate locator covers federal prisoners from 1982 forward and is not a county jail search. The ICE Online Detainee Locator System is for current ICE custody or qualifying CBP custody. Illinois VINELink can provide custody or case notifications, but it does not replace the official roster, court file, or DOC record.
Note: No official St. Clair County, Illinois sheriff mobile app with roster or warrant-search features was verified; ICS Mobile is for video visits.
St. Clair County Detention Facilities
The facility map has three pages because St. Clair County has one main county jail and two IDOC facilities inside the county. They should not be searched the same way. The county jail is the first stop for recent arrests, while the two IDOC facilities are for sentenced adult male state custody.
- St. Clair County Jail - local jail custody in Belleville for pretrial detainees, county sentences, holds, transfer waits, and federal detainees under the USMS agreement.
- Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center - IDOC minimum-security adult male facility and substance-abuse treatment community in East St. Louis.
- Southwestern Illinois Work Camp - IDOC minimum-security work camp under SWICC, with a published 2024 population of zero.
St. Clair County Inmate Population FAQ
How large is the St. Clair County inmate population?
IDOC's 2024 jail inspection listed 385 people in the county jail on May 15, 2024, against 409 total capacity. Later county committee minutes reported average daily populations of 460 in September 2025 and 419 in January 2026. Those are different measures, so the date and source matter.
How do I search the St. Clair County inmate population?
Start with the county corrections page and its Inmate Search link for current jail custody. If the portal asks for verification, complete it in the browser. If the person is sentenced to state prison, use IDOC. If federal or immigration custody is likely, use BOP or ICE ODLS.
Can I find a released St. Clair County inmate?
The current roster is for current jail custody, and no official released-inmate retention period was located. For older booking records, use JustFOIA or the sheriff FOIA form. For filed criminal charges, use the Circuit Clerk case search or copy request process.
Does the St. Clair County roster show mugshots?
Current county roster photo display was not confirmed because the goejail portal required verification during research. Illinois law includes a photograph when available in arrest information subject to exceptions, so a booking photo may be requested through the records process when it is not visible online.
Why is someone missing from the jail roster?
The person may have been released, transferred to IDOC, held in another county, not yet loaded after booking, listed under another spelling, or in federal or immigration custody. The jail information line, court records, IDOC, BOP, ICE, and VINELink each cover a different part of the path.