Perry County Recent Arrests

Perry County recent arrests are handled by the Perry County Sheriff's Office in Pinckneyville, a small county seat in southern Illinois. With about 20,600 residents, the county processes a relatively low volume of arrests, but all records follow the same state rules for public access as anywhere else in Illinois. Perry County is also home to the Pinckneyville Correctional Center, a state prison, which is separate from the county jail. You can search for recent arrest data through the sheriff, the circuit clerk, and state databases. This page explains each source for finding arrest records in Perry County.

Perry County Sheriff Arrest Records

The Perry County Sheriff's Office is at 12 E. Illinois Street in Pinckneyville. The main phone number is (618) 357-2186 and the fax is (618) 357-8343. The sheriff patrols the unincorporated areas of the county, conducts criminal investigations, and runs the county jail at the same address. When someone is arrested in Perry County, they are booked at the jail and a record is created with their name, charges, and date of arrest.

Call (618) 357-2186 to check on a recent booking or ask if someone is currently in custody. The sheriff's office also has a mobile app that provides updates on arrests and records, which makes it easier to stay current on activity in the county. You can also visit the Perry County website for general department info and contact details. The jail holds both pre-trial detainees and people serving short county sentences.

The Perry County website is shown here, providing access to department info and public resources.

Use the county site or call the sheriff's office for the latest booking information.

Perry County Circuit Clerk Records

The Perry County Circuit Clerk maintains all court case files for the county. The office is at the Perry County Courthouse, 376 N. Shawnee Street in Pinckneyville. The phone number is (618) 357-6726. Criminal case records show the charges, hearing dates, plea, verdict, and sentencing info. Once the state's attorney files charges, the case file becomes a public record.

You can visit the clerk's office in person to look up cases by the defendant's name or case number. Copies are available for a per-page fee. The circuit clerk handles criminal, civil, traffic, and family law cases for all of Perry County. If you need to track the progress of a case tied to a recent arrest, the clerk's office can give you hearing dates and case status. For the most up-to-date details, a phone call or in-person visit is often the best approach.

Below is the Perry County Circuit Clerk page, which lists contact details and services available through the office.

The circuit clerk is your primary source for official court documents and case status in Perry County.

Pinckneyville Correctional Center

Perry County is home to the Pinckneyville Correctional Center, a medium-security state prison run by the Illinois Department of Corrections. This facility is entirely separate from the Perry County Jail. It houses inmates sentenced to IDOC from courts across the state, not just Perry County. If you are looking for someone at this prison, use the IDOC inmate search tool rather than contacting the county sheriff.

The IDOC database lets you search by name or inmate number. It shows the inmate's current facility, admission date, and projected release date. People held at the Perry County Jail while awaiting trial will not show up in the IDOC system. These are two separate systems for two different stages of the criminal justice process.

Requesting Perry County Arrest Records

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) requires law enforcement agencies to release basic arrest information within 72 hours. This includes the name, age, address, charges, and the time and place of arrest. Send a FOIA request to the Perry County Sheriff at 12 E. Illinois Street, Pinckneyville, IL 62274.

The first 50 pages of copies are free under state law. Extra pages cost up to 15 cents each. The sheriff must respond within five business days, with a potential five-day extension. Fax your request to (618) 357-8343 if you prefer not to mail it. Be specific about what records you want. Include the full name and the approximate date of arrest. If the arrest was made by the Pinckneyville Police Department or Du Quoin Police, direct your request to them instead since they maintain their own records for arrests made within their city limits.

Juvenile arrest records are sealed and not available under FOIA.

Perry County Statewide Databases

State databases cover Perry County along with all other Illinois counties. The CHIRP portal from the Illinois State Police provides name-based criminal history checks. It shows conviction records from across the state, including Perry County cases. The cost is $10 for electronic results. You don't need the person's consent. Under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635), only conviction data is available through CHIRP.

The IDOC inmate search covers state prisoners, including those at Pinckneyville Correctional Center and every other state facility. This is a separate resource from the county jail. For current jail inmates, call the Perry County Sheriff.

The IDOC offender search page is shown below. It covers all state prison inmates throughout Illinois.

Use IDOC for sentenced prisoners and the county jail for pre-trial detainees in Perry County.

Illinois VINE is a free victim notification service. Register to get alerts when an offender's custody status changes at the Perry County Jail, Pinckneyville Correctional Center, or any other facility in the state. The service is confidential and available around the clock.

Perry County Court System

Perry County is part of the 20th Judicial Circuit, which also includes St. Clair, Monroe, Randolph, and Washington counties. Criminal cases from recent arrests go through the Perry County Circuit Court at the courthouse in Pinckneyville. The Illinois Courts website has general info on the court structure throughout Illinois.

After an arrest, the state's attorney reviews the case and decides on charges. Bond hearings happen within 24 to 48 hours. The judge sets bail based on the charges and the defendant's history. Court records from that point forward are public. Perry County handles felonies, misdemeanors, and traffic cases. The courthouse in Pinckneyville is the only court location in the county. Cases that end without a conviction may be eligible for expungement or sealing under the Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630).

How to Find Perry County Arrest Data

Here are the main ways to look up arrest records in Perry County.

• Call the Perry County Jail at (618) 357-2186 to check on current inmates
• Visit the circuit clerk at the courthouse for criminal case records
• File a FOIA request with the sheriff or local PD for the arrest report
• Use CHIRP for statewide conviction history ($10)
• Search IDOC for state prison records (including Pinckneyville Correctional Center)
• Register with Illinois VINE for custody change alerts

Each source covers a different part of the picture. The jail check confirms current custody. Court records show charges and outcomes. A FOIA request gets the full arrest report. CHIRP and IDOC add conviction and prison data from across the state. Use several tools together for the best results when researching recent arrests in Perry County.

Cities in Perry County

Perry County includes Pinckneyville, Du Quoin, Tamaroa, and Cutler, among other communities. None meet the population threshold for a separate page. All arrests in Perry County are processed through the sheriff and the circuit court in Pinckneyville.

Nearby Counties

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