Fulton Co Jail in Lewiston, IL is a county detention facility operated by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office. Most people here are awaiting trial or sentencing - this is not a prison, and most stays are measured in days or months, not years. If someone you care about was just booked here, you have questions. Start with the one that matters most right now.
If you are not certain they are there, the fastest way to confirm is the Fulton County inmate search or InmateAid's inmate locator, which searches across Illinois facilities by name.
Booking takes time - sometimes several hours after arrest. If the search comes back empty, wait a few hours and try again before assuming they have been transferred somewhere else. You can also pull their arrest record and booking details to confirm the charges and facility assignment. For the most direct answer, call Fulton Co Jail at 309-547-2277.
Most people booked at Fulton Co Jail appear before a judge within 24 to 48 hours. At that first appearance the judge sets the bail amount - or denies bail - based on the charges, the person's history, and whether they are considered a flight risk.
If bail is set, your family member can be released by paying the full amount or by using a bail bondsman, who typically charges 10 percent of the total as a non-refundable fee. If bail is denied or the amount is unaffordable, they remain at Fulton Co Jail until the case resolves. InmateAid's bail and bond guide walks through every option including what to do if you cannot afford a bondsman.
Right after arrest, your family member goes through intake at Fulton Co Jail - identity verification, medical screening, property inventory, and classification. Classification places them in a housing unit based on the charges, prior record, and intake behavior. It is not a punishment. It is how the facility manages a population that ranges from people picked up on minor warrants to individuals facing serious charges.
For the first 24 to 48 hours, phone access and visitation are typically unavailable while booking completes. Once they are assigned to a housing unit, those channels open up. InmateAid's what happens in jail guide covers the full intake process step by step so you know what to expect.
Your family member calls you - you cannot call them. Calls from Fulton Co Jail go through and all calls are recorded except attorney calls. Set up a account before the first call so the connection goes through without delay.
Phone contact is more important than most people realize going into this. A regular call - even a short one - makes a measurable difference in how someone holds up inside. Do not let the setup friction stop you. Visit InmateAid's jail calls page for step-by-step account setup, current rate information, and tips for keeping funds available.
Visitation hours at Fulton Co Jail are set by the facility and can change without much notice. Before making the trip, call 309-547-2277 to confirm current hours, any advance registration requirements, and what you are allowed to bring.
The most common mistake families make is showing up without confirming first - and that results in a wasted trip and a missed visit for your family member. General rules across most Illinois county jails: dress conservatively, avoid colors that resemble inmate uniforms, leave your phone in your car, and bring valid government-issued ID. Children may be permitted with specific requirements depending on the facility. InmateAid's visitation guide has a full checklist you can run through before you go.
All visits are scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.
All visits are scheduled through Inmatesales.com. Customer Service 1-866-340-7879
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- Step 1: Go to Inmatesales.com
- Step 2: Create or login to your Inmatesales account
- Follow the instructions on the screen. Visits are for up to twenty five (25) minutes per visit.
To visit with a mobile device, download the app, login and visit. Apple Mobile Devices (iPhone & iPad): use Inmate Sales App in the App store. Windows & Mac Computers: use Chrome Browser. Android Mobile Devices: use Chrome Browser.
ON-SITE VISITING
All visits are recorded unless Attorney privilege, etc. applies.
- ABSOLUTELY no electronic communication devices are allowed out in the visiting room. Those who violate this will be banned from visitation for a period of time to be determined by the jail administrator.
- On-site visiting is limited at 2 visits per week. Visits are up to twenty five (25) minutes per visit.
- Visitors that appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be permitted to visit.
- Visitors are required to be fully dressed. Visitors in revealing attire that is considered to be inappropriate will not be allowed the visit. If at any time the inmate or visitor lifts their tops or drops their bottoms exposing themselves, the visit can be terminated and the inmate and visitor will not be allowed to visit for a time to be determined by the jail administrator.
- Group visiting is not allowed. Only the visitor listed as the scheduled visitor is allowed (excluding children age 17 or younger). Person under the age of 17 shall be accompanied by an adult with picture identification.
REMOTE VIDEO VISITS
All visits are recorded.
- No electronic devices of any type (cell phones, tablets, computers, etc.), alcohol, drugs or weapons of any type will be permitted/present on the visit.
- Remote visits are unlimited. Visits are up to twenty-five (25) minutes per visit.
- The person who scheduled the visit must appear on the visit.
- Visitors who appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be permitted to visit.
- NO illegal activity may be present during the visit.
- All visitors (including children) will be fully dressed at all times while visible on the visit. This includes shirts and pants. If at any time the attire of ANY visitor is deemed inappropriate, the visit can be terminated and the person whose name the visit was scheduled under may have their visitation privileges suspended. This includes but not limited to transparent or extremely short pants, dresses, skirts, swimsuits, bare midriff attire or halter tops. If at any time the inmate or visitor lifts their tops or drops their bottoms exposing themselves, the visit can be terminated and the inmate and visitor will not be allowed to visit for a time to be determined by the jail administrator.
Rules for All Visits
The Jail Superintendent or designee may terminate video visitation at his/her discretion for any of, but not excluding the following:
- Action(s) that may cause damage to the system.
- Loud or disruptive behavior.
- Lewd or obscene behavior.
- Any facility emergency.
- Another detainee who takes over or is allowed the visit who has not signed up.
- Another person takes over the visit that is not the scheduled visitor (excluding children of the inmate under the age of 17 years).
- Illegal activities during the visit.
- Visitation between parties involving any known order of protection shall not be permitted.
- Any person on a visitation list that creates a problem for staff may have their visitation rights revoked.
Money on the books - also called the commissary or trust account - gives your family member access to hygiene items, snacks, phone time, and postage. It is one of the most practical things you can do and it has a direct effect on their daily comfort.
Fulton Co Jail accepts deposits through approved channels that typically include online deposit, phone deposit, or a kiosk at the facility. Use your family member's full legal name and booking number exactly as they appear in the jail's system - any error in the name or number will delay or reject the deposit. InmateAid's send money page lists the specific deposit methods accepted at Fulton Co Jail and walks through the process.
A letter or a printed photo costs almost nothing to send and means far more than most people outside appreciate. Fulton Co Jail accepts incoming mail addressed to your family member at 268 W Washington Ave. Put their full legal name and booking number on every piece of mail.
Standard rules at most Illinois county jails: plain white paper only, no staples, no glitter, no stickers, no colored ink. Photos should be standard print size with nothing written on the back. Mail that does not meet the facility's standards will be rejected - and the facility may not notify you that it was. Keep it simple.
InmateAid's send mail service lets you write and send directly from your phone or computer. We print on approved stock and mail it for you, so rejection for formatting is not a risk.
Books and magazines must come new, ordered directly from the publisher or through an online retailer - not shipped from your home address. Facilities require this to prevent contraband. Order through Amazon or directly from the publisher. Anything shipped from a personal address will be turned away.
County jail procedures, visitation rules, phone rates, inmate search tools, bail processes, and what happens at release all vary by state. Illinois has its own rules and its own agencies, and what applies in one state does not always apply here.
InmateAid's Illinois prison resources hub covers all of it - written specifically for families navigating the Illinois system. Start there when you need answers that go beyond what this facility page covers.
County jail time is hard in a way that is different from anything else. The uncertainty - not knowing how long, not knowing what comes next - wears on everyone. What you can control is the connection. Calls, letters, visits, money on the books. Every one of those things tells your family member that someone out here is paying attention and is not going anywhere.
InmateAid was built for exactly this. Use us.