Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Jackson County, Illinois, has about 53,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Jackson County is held at the county jail, run by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, and the jail's record of each person held is a public record. This guide says where to look for someone in custody, what the jail holds and who books people into it.
This guide covers the search, the jail, who books people, state prison and common questions.
Related guides: Jackson County public records, Jackson County arrest records, Jackson County warrants, Jackson County criminal records, Jackson County court records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Jackson County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Jackson County is held at the county jail, run by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the custody page of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office at jacksoncountyso.com/inmate-search (page title: Inmate Search | Jackson County Sheriff's Office), phone 877-654-8463, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Someone booked recently shows on that page; someone cited and released at the scene, or held a few hours at a city station, does not.
The Jackson County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2023 the jail held about 140 people, up from about 100 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2023 was 199 beds, and it ran at 70 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Jackson County has about 53,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 26 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Jackson County Jail
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Carbondale, Murphysboro, De Soto and Grand Tower make the arrests that end in a booking in Jackson County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Jackson County: Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (campus police).
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were Grand Tower's 1,152 for 2025, Carbondale's 1,026 for 2025 and Murphysboro's 211 for 2025.
Together, the three agencies in Jackson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2,389 arrests to the FBI that year. Those kept in custody were booked into the county jail; a person cited and released at the scene was not.
The counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in Jackson County arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
The jail holds people awaiting trial and people serving short sentences. A person sentenced to prison in Jackson County serves the sentence in a facility of the Illinois Department of Corrections, whose inmate locator is at idoc.illinois.gov/offender/inmatesearch.html.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Jackson County?
Look on the custody page of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office at jacksoncountyso.com/inmate-search, or call 877-654-8463. It covers people booked into the county jail.
How many people are in the Jackson County jail?
About 140 on an average day in 2023, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 199 beds.
What is the phone number for the Jackson County jail?
877-654-8463, the number on the page of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Jackson County go?
To a facility of the Illinois Department of Corrections; its inmate locator is at idoc.illinois.gov/offender/inmatesearch.html.
Is this the official Jackson County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.