Will County Inmate Search
A Will County Inmate search is a process through which interested persons can obtain pertinent information about current or recently released detainees of the county's detention facility. When an individual commits a crime or violates an ordinance or law within Will County, Illinois, with due cause, they may be arrested, detained, and prosecuted within the criminal justice system. If the individual's offense warrants their detention, they may be booked into the county's detention facility. During the booking process, the offender's information, details about their offense, and detention are generated and made part of Will County Public Records per Illinois's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 ILCS 140).
Primarily, Will County inmate searches are conducted to obtain information about detainees of the county detention facility. This may be particularly significant to the detainees' friends and family members who intend to visit them during their incarceration. Furthermore, by performing an inmate search, interested parties can learn more about a detainee's detention in the Will County jail, including their charges, bail amount, and booking.
Inmate records are considered public in the United States and therefore are made available by both traditional governmental agencies as well as third-party websites and organizations. Third-party websites may offer an easier means to search, as these services do not face geographical limitations. However, because third-party sites are not government-sponsored, the information obtained through them may vary from official channels. To find inmate records using third-party aggregate sites, requesting parties must provide:
- The location of the sought-after record, including state, county, and city where the inmate resides.
- The name of the person listed in the record, unless it is a juvenile.
Will County Crime and Incarceration Statistics
Annually, the Illinois state police publishes a report that documents reported crimes within Illinois cities and counties. According to the 2021 report on the state's arrest statistics, 3,648 arrests were made in Will County. Of this figure, 3,276 were adult arrests. Meanwhile, 370 were juvenile arrests. The report identified DUI violations as the most frequent crime among adult offenders, accounting for 520 arrest incidents. On the other hand, disorderly conduct was discovered to be the most common among juvenile offenders, with 88 reported arrests in 2021.
For both demography (adult and juveniles), crimes like simple assaults, drug/narcotic violations, weapons law violations, larceny, disorderly conduct, and trespass, respectively, were the most popular crimes in Will County in 2021.
Will County Prison System
The Will County Adult Detention Facility (WCADF) is the local county jail for Will County, Illinois. The Will County Sheriff's Office oversees this facility. The facility voluntarily complies with 385 nationally accepted standards for the operations of local adult correctional facilities. As a result, both the American Correctional Association and the National Commission on Accreditation for Corrections have issued the facility an accreditation status. Impressively, less than 3% of all local jails nationwide have received this accreditation.
Prior to May 2009, the WCADF had a 156,000-square-foot coverage with the capacity to house 322 inmates. Currently, the facility's square foot coverage has been expanded to 318,000 square feet. This has added ten (10) new housing units to the facility, increasing the facility's capacity to over 1000 inmates.
The Will County Adult Detention Facility is primarily a detention facility and not a correctional facility. As a result, the facility mainly focused on providing programs to help inmates avoid re-incarceration and not rehabilitating inmates. The Center for Correctional Concerns (CCC) is responsible for providing these programs. The CCC is a non-profit agency established in 1979, and it partners with the Will County Jail to provide educational programs, and social services to the inmates. These include GED programs, drug counseling, substance abuse classes, recovery lessons, and weekly worship services. The facility also independently maintains administrative, medical, dietary, and recreational facilities to meet inmates' needs.
Besides the WCADF, the River Valley Juvenile Detention Center is the only other detention facility situated in Will County. As stated in its name, the detention center houses juvenile offenders between ten (10) and seventeen years old. The River Valley Juvenile Detention Center is part of the River Valley Justice Center. It is a joint venture between Kankakee and Will County and is used as a temporary placement center for juvenile offenders. According to the facility, 565 juvenile offenders were admitted in 2019. The majority of those admitted were from Will County, approximately 346. Of the 565 juvenile offenders, 458 were males, and 107 were females.
How to Find an Inmate in Will County
Interested persons can inquire about inmates detained within Will County by calling the County Adult Detention Facility at (815) 740-1250. This phone number is available seven days a week, around the clock. Callers may be required to provide certain information about the subject of their inquiry, such as the inmate's name or booking number.
Alternatively, inquirers can search for inmates in Will County online by utilizing the Inmate Search portal provided on the County Sheriff's Office's official website.
How Does a Will County Inmate Search Work?
Public dissemination of inmate information that is not otherwise considered confidential in Will County is permitted under Illinois's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Hence, in most cases, interested persons can obtain various publicly available information about inmates in Will County by querying relevant government agencies or using inmate search services they offer. Some examples of inmate information that are typically accessible through Will County inmate searches include:
- The inmate's demographic information
- The inmate's full name
- Age
- Gender
- Race
- Height
- Weight
- Booking history
- Booking date
- Release date
- Housing facility
- Booking origin
- Bond number
- Bond type
- Total bond amount
- Total bail amount
- Charges information
- Charge description
- Offense date
- Docket Number
- Arresting agency
- Court date and room
- Custody status
Where to Find a Will County Inmate Locator
Interested persons can find Will County's inmate locator on the homepage of the Will County Sheriff's Office website under the tag "inmate search". Note that this locator can only be used to find information about inmates confined within Will County, Illinois. Furthermore, to conduct a search on the inmate locator, inquirers must provide the inmate's name, number, or booking number. Alternatively, a search can be conducted by providing a booking date range.
Interested persons can also access the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) inmate locator through the Department's official website. The IDOC inmate locator can be found under the name "individual in custody" on the IDOC website. The IDOC inmate locator can be used to find inmates who are confined in a state prison facility, such as the Stateville Correctional Center, within Will County. Generally, the IDOC inmate locator can be used to search for inmates of facilities overseen by the IDOC. These include all facilities within the state prison system of Illinois. To search for an inmate through the IDOC inmate locator, inquirers must supply either the inmate's last name, IDOC number, or birthdate.
Lastly, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) also provides an inmate locator. The BOP's Inmate locator is accessible through the BOP website under the tag "find an inmate". Only inmates incarcerated within the federal prison system may be located using the BOP's inmate locator. These include inmates in all federal prisons across the US. Although there is no federal prison in Will County, interested persons can use the BOP's locator to find federal inmates in neighboring counties, such as MCC Chicago in Cook County.
Not all inmate locators are provided by government agencies; in some instances, privately run agencies provide third-party inmate locators. These third-party inmate locators usually have no geographical limitations. Hence, they can be used to conduct a nationwide search for inmates. To conduct an inmate search on most third-party inmate locators, users must provide the inmate's first or last name and select any US state. Note that third-party inmate locators are usually subject to fees.
How to Send Money to a Will County Inmate
To send money to a Will County inmate, interested persons can place money into the inmate's commissary account. This can be done in any of the following ways.
The inmate's friends and family members can send money to them by mailing a money order to the WCADF mailing address at:
Will County Adult Detention Facility (WCADF.)
95 South Chicago Street
Joliet, IL 60436
Note that the money order must be made payable to: WCADF - (Inmate's Name). Alternatively, interested persons can deposit cash directly into an inmate's commissary in person at the Will County Video Visitation Center at
Will County Video Visitation Center
20 South Chicago Street
Joliet, IL 60432
The center is open seven (7) days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cash deposit can also be made in person at the Will County Adult Detention Facility's Bond Lobby (7 days a week, 24 hours a day) or online via third-party websites.
How to Visit a Will County Inmate
Most Will County inmates are allowed two (2) thirty 30-minute weekly visits. As per Will County Adult Detention Facility (WCADF) visitation rules and regulations, prospective visitors must schedule their visit 48 hours in advance. A Will County inmate visit can be scheduled through the County's Video Visitation Center by calling (815) 774-7950 during visitation hours. The center's visitation hours are from 9:15 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. until 4:15 p.m. daily.
During their pre-scheduled visitation time, visitors can visit the Will County Video Visitation Center to conduct their inmate visit. Inmate visits are conducted via a television screen and telephone. Visitors must be 17 years or older or accompanied by their parent or legal guardian. Furthermore, only two persons can visit an inmate at a time. Will county inmate visits are also subject to the following rules and regulations:
- Visitors must bring a valid ID that contains their current address to the center.
- Visitors must provide a recognized government photo identification card that shows their date of birth, such as:
- Driver's license
- State ID
- FOID card
- Military card
- Passport
- Green Matricula Consular ID
- Visitors must arrive at the Visitation Center 15 minutes before their scheduled visit.
- Former inmates of the facility are prohibited from conducting an inmate visit within the first 30 days of their release.
- Inmates are only allowed visits after their first court appearance.
- Visitors must dress properly and abide by the center's visitors' dress code
How to Send Jail Mail in Will County
Will County inmates receive and send unlimited jail mail during their incarceration. In Will County, jail mail are strictly sent to county inmates through the United States Postal System. Note that all jail mail must be addressed in the following manner:
Person's Name and Booking Number
Will County Adult Detention Facility
95 South Chicago Street
Joliet, IL 60436
Interested persons can find an inmate's booking number through the inmate locator tool provided by the Will County Sheriff's Office. Note all items sent by mail to inmates must adhere to the facility's mail regulations. To impose these regulations all mails sent to the Will County Adult Detention facility are opened and subjected to searches for contraband. Note that mailing contraband to an inmate is a crime and may be prosecuted under law. Per the facility's mail regulations, contraband items include and are not limited to:
- Hardcover books
- Glitter
- Confetti
- Newspapers of any kind
- Materials on explosives, booby traps, construction of weapons, or martial arts
- materials that contain pornography, nude or semi-nude pictures, or that show sexual acts
- Road maps or atlases
- Inflammatory hate-type literature
- Polaroid photo
For the complete list of contrabands, interested persons can visit the county's correction "Information for Friends and Family" page or call (815) 740-1250.
Will County Jails and Prisons
There is only one jail/prison facility in Will County. The name, address, and contact information of this facility are detailed below:
Will County Adult Detention Facility (WCADF.)
95 South Chicago Street
Joliet, IL 60436
Phone: (815) 740-1250
