LaSalle Co Jail in Ottawa, IL is a county detention facility operated by the La Salle 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 La Salle 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 LaSalle Co Jail at 815-434-8383.
Most people booked at LaSalle 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 LaSalle 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 LaSalle 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 LaSalle Co Jail go through Combined Public Communications (CPC) and all calls are recorded except attorney calls. Set up a Combined Public Communications (CPC) 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 LaSalle Co Jail are set by the facility and can change without much notice. Before making the trip, call 815-434-8383 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.
Video Visitation is now available through InmateSales.com.
Set Up an Account / Schedule Visit
- Step 1: Go to the Inmate Sales website
- Step 2: Create or log in to your Inmate Sales account
- Step 3: Select "New Purchase $"
- Step 4: Choose our facility and a product (remote or onsite visit)
- Step 5: Enter personal information
- Step 6: Purchase minutes (for remote visits)
- Step 7: Schedule a Visit
- Step 8: To visit with a mobile device, download the app, login, and visit
View the Jail visitation rules. Visiting is all done through video and is available daily from 9 am to 8 pm, each visit is limited to 30 minutes. In facility visits must be scheduled at least the day before, a valid government-issued ID is required for in-facility visits. You can schedule visits online by clicking video call. All visits must be scheduled 24 hours in advance. Visits may be done using any internet-capable device with a camera and microphone for $0.20 per minute
Everyone is allowed two in-facility visits per week, there is no limit on the number of visits from home. If you do not have access to the internet to schedule a visit you may use the computer in the jail lobby to access the InmateSales website.
Important: All visitors to the LaSalle County Jail must present photo identification with a date of birth to be authorized to visit. The only exception to this rule is for minors accompanied by an adult. No one under the age of 18 will be permitted visitation rights unless accompanied by an adult.
Jail Visitation Rules
- All visits are recorded and monitored for inappropriate behavior. Visitors and inmates participating in behavior that may be inappropriate, offensive or involve criminal activity during a visit will have the visit immediately terminated. Some examples of unacceptable activity are: placing gambling bets for inmates, showing music videos, live T.V., live events, movies, photos, lewd acts, nudity, facetime or any other real-time video calls, three-way calling, Facebook, Snap Chat, any social media, or any other apps.
- Visitors and inmates participating in behavior that may be inappropriate, offensive or involve criminal activity during a visit will be blocked from future visit access at the LCADF.
- All visitors are subject to search at any time.
- All visitors' personal property, except for car keys, must be left in their vehicle. Failure to do so will result in the items being confiscated and the visit terminated.
- No cell phone, camera, or electronic recording equipment is allowed.
- All visitors must sign in using a picture ID prior to the visit.
- All visits will last no longer than 30 minutes.
- Any child under the age of 17 must be supervised by an adult at all times.
- All visitors must be 17 years of age or older unless accompanied by a parent/guardian. The parent or guardian must be physically present or the visit will be terminated.
- No weapons, drugs, or contraband will be displayed during the visit. Any violators will be prosecuted.
Dress Code for Visitation
- All clothing must be worn appropriately
- No dresses may be worn
- Proper undergarments must be worn at all times
- No halter tops, tube tops, sleeveless tops, midriff tops, tank tops or see-through clothing will be allowed.
- Any violation of the dress code will result in the termination of the visit and the visitor will be blocked from future visit access at the LCADF.
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.
LaSalle 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 LaSalle 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. LaSalle Co Jail accepts incoming mail addressed to your family member at 707 E Etna Rd. 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.