Jackson Co Jail in Murphysboro, IL is a county detention facility operated by the Jackson 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 Jackson 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 Jackson Co Jail at 618-687-3822.
Most people booked at Jackson 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 Jackson 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 Jackson 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 Jackson Co Jail go through Securus Tech® and all calls are recorded except attorney calls. Set up a Securus Tech® 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 Jackson Co Jail are set by the facility and can change without much notice. Before making the trip, call 618-687-3822 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.
The jail has utilized a video visitation system. All visits are subject to recording and monitoring.
- Inmates are allowed 1 free onsite visit per week. Paid home visits are currently unlimited.
- A total of 3 people can be scheduled to visit an inmate at one time. All 3 people must be registered including children.
- Visits will be for 30 minutes.
- All children (under the age of 18 years of age) must be accompanied by an adult and must possess a copy of the child's birth certificate.
- All visitors must possess a valid photo ID, such as a Driver's License, or State ID Card.
- Behavioral problems will result in the visit being terminated.
- Appropriate dress is required at all times.
- There will be no extended visits.
- Visitors found to repost visits to any form of social media will be subject to being banned from visitation.
- If a crime is being committed during the visit it will be reported to proper authorities.
- Visiting hours are from 10 am to 11 pm every day.
- Visitation is conducted via Securus Video Visitation.
- Inmates receive one free 30-minute visit per week conducted onsite.
- Additional visits can be purchased through Securus at the link listed below.
- Purchased visits are conducted from home using an approved smart device such as a tablet, smartphone, laptop computer, or PC with a camera and audio equipment.
- Inmates are allowed to receive visits after they have been in custody for 24 hours.
- Visitors are subject to a 24-hour wait for approval to visit.
- Visitors must have their P.I.N. with them to conduct a visit.
- Visitors must know what terminal they have been assigned to visit.
- This information is given upon completion of the visit schedule.
- It is the visitor’s responsibility to retain this information for their scheduled visit.
- The visitation terminals are located in the front lobby of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
- The calendar week runs from Sunday through Saturday.
I Agree to the Above Rules (Proceed to the Video Visitation System Website)
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.
Jackson 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 Jackson 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. Jackson Co Jail accepts incoming mail addressed to your family member at 1001 Mulberry St. 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.