Sangamon County Jail

Sangamon County Jail basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 217-753-6886, 217-753-6763

The Sangamon County Jail is a medium-security detention center located at 1 Sheriff's Plaza Springfield, IL which is operated locally by the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office and holds inmates awaiting trial or sentencing or both. Most of the sentenced inmates are here for less than two years. Sangamon County accepts inmates from surrounding towns, municipalities, the US Marshal's Service and the Springfield Police Department who do not have their own long-term lock-up.

The Sangamon County Detention Facility is a state of the art facility utilizing a podular indirect supervision design, with the capability of direct supervision in four of the major cellblocks. The facility is capable of housing a maximum of 314 inmates. These inmates are housed, based on security level, from a dormitory type area for work release and trustees to single cells for maximum-security inmates.

The detention facility houses three basic types of persons, those who are awaiting bond or trial, those who have been sentenced to serve time, and those who are being held for other agencies, such as federal inmates and illegal immigrants. The average daily population in this facility is around 300 inmates of which about 10% are female.

Inmates in the facility are provided with the essentials of life, including clothing, meals, hygiene items, and medical services. In addition, extra services, such as a facility barber, psychiatric examination, the ability to purchase items from commissary, and numerous programs offer the inmates outlets to minimize problems between the inmate population and staff.

Many services, such as the barber and commissary, inmates pay for themselves. Inmates are allowed to have unlimited funds on their account. Family and friends may place money on an inmate account daily between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This is done in the main lobby area of the facility. Additionally money, in the form of a money order, may be sent through the mail.

Virtually all of the inmate’s needs are supplied by the facility. Therefore, very few items are allowed to come into the facility from the outside. The only clothing items that are allowed to be brought in, without special permission, are clothes that would be used in a trial appearance. All other items, such as educational material, medicines, etc., must have the approval of the facility administration.

When an inmate is transferred from pre-arraignment to general population items of bedding, facility clothing and a hygiene kit are issued. This includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, and washcloth. To supplement these basics inmates may purchase a host of items off the facility commissary. These items include candy, potato chips, undergarments, tennis shoes, and a large list of personal hygiene and grooming supplies. In addition, the facility barber performs weekly haircuts, which is charged to the inmate's account.

Inmates are allowed to receive and send mail to family, friends and legal representatives. Incoming mail must have the facility address and the inmate’s name clearly shown. This mail may be subject to inspection for contraband prior to delivery to the inmate. Inmates may send as many letters out as they wish, providing they have the funds to do so.

Medical services are not denied any inmate in the facility. There is a medical screening performed as the person enters the facility, and a full physical completed by medical staff within the first fourteen days of incarceration. Sick call is performed daily by qualified medical personnel and treatment provided. If the inmate is deemed too ill to be housed in general population, the facility has a six-bed medical ward to accommodate their needs.

A number of facility programs have been made available to the inmates. These include, but are not limited to, Alcoholics Anonymous, PORA, GED testing as funding allows, recreation, library services, and church services. In addition, work crews from the facility go out into the community and perform services.