Find Jackson County Recent Arrests

Jackson County recent arrests are processed by the Sheriff's Office in Murphysboro and tracked through the Circuit Clerk at the courthouse. Located in southern Illinois, this county has about 53,000 residents and is home to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. The sheriff runs the jail and handles patrol for the unincorporated areas, while the Carbondale Police Department covers the university city. All criminal cases end up in the Jackson County Circuit Court. This page covers every way to search for arrest records in Jackson County.

Jackson County Sheriff Arrest Records

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is at 1001 Mulberry Street in Murphysboro. Call (618) 687-2311 for questions about recent arrests or to check on someone in the jail. The sheriff handles patrol for the unincorporated areas of Jackson County, as well as court security and civil process. The jail is at the same address.

When someone is arrested in Jackson County, they are brought to the jail in Murphysboro for booking. Staff collect fingerprints, a mugshot, and personal information. To find out if someone is currently in custody, call the jail at (618) 687-2311. Staff can tell you if a person is being held and what charges led to the arrest. Jackson County does not currently publish an online inmate roster on the sheriff's website, so phone calls are the main way to get booking information.

Jackson County is one of the more active counties in southern Illinois when it comes to arrests. The presence of SIU Carbondale means the population swells during the school year, and the Carbondale Police Department handles a significant share of arrests in the area. Those arrests are still booked at the Jackson County Jail and prosecuted in the county court system.

Jackson County Circuit Clerk Cases

The Jackson County Circuit Clerk is at 1001 Mulberry Street in Murphysboro. Call (618) 687-7300 for help with case inquiries. The clerk keeps all criminal, civil, traffic, and domestic relations case files for Jackson County. Once the state's attorney files charges after an arrest, the case record goes to this office.

Visit the courthouse during business hours to search for criminal cases by name or case number. The clerk can pull up charges, hearing dates, and case outcomes. These are public records. Anyone can come in and ask to see a file. Jackson County sits in the 1st Judicial Circuit, and all cases are heard at the courthouse in Murphysboro. Some Jackson County court records may also be available through online case search tools used by Illinois circuit courts.

The Illinois VINE portal shown below lets you track custody status changes for offenders in Jackson County and across the state.

Sign up for free alerts when an offender is released or transferred from a Jackson County facility.

Requesting Jackson County Arrest Data

The Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) requires basic arrest data to be released within 72 hours. This includes the name, age, charges, and the time and place of the arrest. Send your written request to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office at 1001 Mulberry Street, Murphysboro, IL 62966. You can also send FOIA requests to the Carbondale Police Department for arrests made by their officers.

Include the person's full name and a date range in your request. The first 50 pages of black and white copies are free. Additional pages cost up to 15 cents each. The agency has five business days to respond, with a possible five-day extension. Jackson County follows the same FOIA rules as every other county in the state. A clear, specific request gets faster results than a broad one.

Note: FOIA requests for arrest reports are separate from court records. The sheriff has the arrest report, and the circuit clerk has the court case file.

Statewide Databases for Jackson County

The Illinois State Police runs the CHIRP portal for criminal history checks that cover Jackson County. A name-based search costs $10 for electronic results. Only conviction records are available. You do not need the subject's consent for a name check. The Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635) controls what data is released through CHIRP.

The Illinois Department of Corrections inmate search shows people serving state prison time after a Jackson County conviction. IDOC only holds sentenced prisoners. Pretrial detainees at the Jackson County Jail will not show up in this system. For those, call the sheriff's office. The Illinois VINE service is free and lets you track custody changes. Register for alerts about offenders in Jackson County facilities.

The Illinois Courts website has information about the 1st Judicial Circuit, which includes Jackson County. The site covers court rules, forms, and general info about how cases are processed in southern Illinois.

How Arrests Work in Jackson County

After an arrest in Jackson County, the person is taken to the jail at 1001 Mulberry Street in Murphysboro. Booking includes fingerprints, a photo, and personal data. A bond hearing is held within 48 hours. The judge decides bail. The state's attorney reviews the case to determine if charges should be filed.

If charges go forward, the case enters the Jackson County Circuit Court. All criminal cases create public records that can be tracked through the circuit clerk. The arrest and booking record stays on file whether the person posts bond or not. For arrests in Carbondale, the Carbondale PD handles the initial arrest, but the person is booked into the county jail and the case is prosecuted in county court. This is true for all local police departments in Jackson County.

Jackson County Record Sealing

Some arrest records from Jackson County can be sealed or expunged. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) allows people who were arrested but not convicted to petition the court to remove those records. This covers cases that ended with dismissal, acquittal, or no charges being filed.

File the petition with the Jackson County Circuit Court in Murphysboro. The state's attorney may object. Wait times vary by charge type. If the judge approves, the record gets sealed from public searches. Law enforcement still has access to sealed records. Contact the circuit clerk at (618) 687-7300 for filing details. The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification handles the actual sealing of the record in the state database once the court order is issued.

Jackson County Law Enforcement

Besides the sheriff, several other agencies make arrests in Jackson County. The Carbondale Police Department is the most active, covering the largest city in the county. Murphysboro has its own police department as well. The SIU Carbondale campus police handle incidents on university property. Illinois State Police patrol the highways.

• Carbondale Police Department covers the largest city
• Murphysboro Police handles the county seat
• SIU Carbondale Police covers the university campus
• Illinois State Police patrols highways in the county
• All bookings go through the Jackson County Jail

FOIA requests for arrest reports should go to the specific agency that made the arrest. The county jail has booking data for everyone. The circuit clerk has the court records for all cases regardless of which agency handled the arrest.

Cities in Jackson County

Jackson County includes Murphysboro, the county seat, and Carbondale, which is the largest city and home to SIU. Other communities include De Soto, Elkville, and Vergennes. All arrests in Jackson County go through the county jail and the circuit court in Murphysboro. No cities in Jackson County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Jackson County. If you are not sure which county handled an arrest, check the exact location of the incident. Each county has its own sheriff and court system.