Illinois State Prisons
38 facilities- IL DOC - Big Muddy River Correctional Center
- IL DOC - Centralia Correctional Center
- IL DOC - Crossroads Adult Transition Center
- IL DOC - Danville Correctional Center
- IL DOC - Decatur Correctional Center
Federal Facilities in Illinois
5 facilitiesIllinois County Jails
92 facilities- Adams County IL Jail
- Alexander County IL Jail
- Bond County Jail
- Boone County IL Adult Detention Facility
- Bureau County Jail
Illinois Department of Corrections
Illinois inmate information is at illinoisinmateinformation.com. Search by IDOC number or name. Illinois operates one of the larger state prison systems in the Midwest, with significant overcrowding and aging facilities.
The official inmate search is available at www.illinoisinmateinformation.com. MCC Chicago (Metropolitan Correctional Center) is a federal facility in downtown Chicago. MCC has housed high-profile federal defendants including El Chapo.
Visitation in Illinois Facilities
IDOC visitor approval requires a Visitor Information Form submitted to the facility. Processing takes 3 - 6 weeks - Illinois visitor approval is slower than many states. Background checks required. Dress code varies by facility - call ahead to confirm specific requirements.
Always confirm visiting schedules directly with the facility before traveling. Find specific visitation rules on each facility's page in our Illinois prison directory.
Sending Mail to Illinois Inmates
IDOC mail requires the inmate's IDOC number. Illinois has strict mail policies - black or blue ink only, no markers, no pencil. Standard 4x6 photos accepted. Menard and Pontiac have particularly strict mail inspections.
InmateAid delivers letters and photos, postcards, and magazines to Illinois facilities. Want to receive letters without sharing your home address? Our Letters From Inmates service scans and delivers inmate mail to your account.
Phone Calls from Illinois Facilities
Illinois is not currently among the states that offer free inmate phone calls. Securus Technologies holds the IDOC contract for most facilities.
Following the FCC's Martha Wright-Reed Order (effective April 6, 2026), per-minute rates for inmate calls are now federally capped at state and federal facilities. Find current carrier and rate information on each facility's page in our Illinois prison directory.
Sending Money to Illinois Inmates
Commissary funds let inmates purchase approved items from the facility store. Primary money transfer options for Illinois:
- JPay (primary for IDOC)
- Money orders mailed to IDOC trust fund
- GTL at some facilities
See our Send Money guide or navigate to the specific facility page for current provider information.
Reentry Resources in Illinois
Planning for release is one of the most important things a family can do. These organizations provide support in Illinois:
- Illinois DOC Reentry - Official IDOC reentry programs
- Illinois Legal Aid Online - Free civil legal help statewide
- Safer Foundation - Chicago-based reentry workforce development
- Heartland Alliance - Comprehensive reentry services in Chicago
Frequently Asked Questions About Illinois Prisons
What is the IDOC number for Illinois inmates?
IDOC stands for Illinois Department of Corrections. Every person sentenced to Illinois state prison receives a unique IDOC number at intake - it appears on all DOC paperwork, commitment orders, and correspondence. The IDOC number must be on the outside of every envelope you mail to an IDOC facility. Without it, mail processing is significantly delayed and items frequently come back. Find your inmate's IDOC number at illinoisinmateinformation.com - search by name and it will appear alongside current facility information. Keep the number written down somewhere accessible - you'll use it for mail, JPay deposits, visitor applications, and any time you call a facility or IDOC's central office.
Why is Stateville so well known?
Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet, Illinois, is one of the most architecturally and historically significant prisons in the United States. Its F House was built using a Panopticon design - a circular structure where a guard tower at the center can theoretically see every cell simultaneously. Jeremy Bentham's 18th-century prison design concept was realized in only a handful of actual facilities worldwide, and Stateville's remains one of the last still operating. Beyond architecture, Stateville has been the subject of decades of journalism, legal action, and academic study related to conditions including violence, overcrowding, and medical care quality. It has been the setting for films and documentaries and is recognized far beyond Illinois in discussions of American incarceration history.
Does Illinois have free prison phone calls?
No - Illinois has not eliminated phone call fees for IDOC state inmates. Securus Technologies holds the IDOC contract for most facilities. The FCC's April 2026 rate caps reduced per-minute rates from what had been among the most expensive in the country - Illinois families documented paying well over $1 per minute in some cases before federal intervention. The caps represent a significant improvement but do not eliminate the cost. Illinois phone advocacy organizations have been pushing for state-level legislation similar to what Connecticut and New York have implemented, but as of 2026 Illinois has not passed free call legislation. Cook County Jail, which holds thousands of pretrial detainees, operates under a completely separate contract.
How do I send money to an inmate at Cook County Jail?
Cook County Jail - one of the largest single-site jails in the United States, on California Avenue in Chicago - uses JPay for money deposits. Create an account at jpay.com or use the JPay mobile app, search for the inmate by name or booking number, and send funds by credit or debit card. Funds typically post within a few hours to 1 business day. Cook County Jail is a separate system from IDOC - it holds people awaiting trial in Cook County courts under the management of the Cook County Sheriff's Office. If your family member has been convicted and sentenced to state prison, they will eventually transfer from Cook County to an IDOC facility - until that transfer happens, Cook County's rules and systems apply, not IDOC's.
What happened at Menard Correctional Center?
Menard Correctional Center in Chester, overlooking the Mississippi River bluffs in southern Illinois, has been the subject of sustained reporting and litigation related to conditions including high rates of violence, chronic understaffing, inadequate medical care, and the use of solitary confinement. The ACLU of Illinois and other organizations have documented conditions at Menard over many years through public records requests, inmate interviews, and formal complaints. Investigations have also documented issues with retaliation against inmates who file grievances. If you have serious concerns about your family member's safety or welfare at Menard or any Illinois facility, the John Howard Association of Illinois provides independent prison oversight and can be contacted at 312-332-7901.
Can I visit on weekends at Illinois facilities?
Most IDOC facilities offer weekend visitation, but schedules vary by facility and security level, and capacity is often limited. Many Illinois facilities require advance reservation - do not show up at the gate on a Saturday without confirming a spot. Contact the specific facility's visiting office for their reservation process and current schedule. Visiting hours are typically split into morning and afternoon sessions with capped capacity per session. High-security facilities like Menard, Pontiac, and Stateville have more restrictive visiting schedules than medium or minimum-security facilities. Dress code is facility-specific - call ahead to get the current requirements, as a dress code violation means being turned away regardless of how far you've traveled.