The Kankakee County, Illinois jail roster is a public resource that allows you to check if a specific person is in custody at the county jail. On the KankakeeCourt.us website, you can find public information about current and recently released inmates. Additionally, data is available through the official website of the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office, by phone, or during a personal visit. The roster is maintained by the corrections division of the Sheriff's Office and is regularly updated, reflecting individuals currently held at the facility located at 3000 S Justice Way, Kankakee, IL 60901.
Search Current Inmates in Kankakee Jail
There are several ways to find out if a specific person is held in the Kankakee County Jail.
Online Search
- Go to KankakeeCourt.us to search for public court and correctional information.
- Visit the Inmate Search page on the Sheriff's Office website — it contains a link to the custody check tool.
- Enter the person's full legal name (last name and first name) or booking number, if known.
- If the system provides a list instead of a search field, use the browser's "Find on Page" feature (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) to quickly locate the desired last name.
Juvenile offenders are not displayed in the public roster.
By Phone
Call the jail and ask if a specific person is being held. Be prepared to provide the full name and date of birth of the person you are looking for.
In Person
You can visit the facility's lobby during business hours.
Kankakee County Jail (Sheriff's Office — Corrections Division)
If the person has been transferred to an Illinois state facility after sentencing, use the IDOC Individual in Custody Search system on the state's Department of Corrections website.
Find Kankakee Jail Booking Records Online
A booking record is created each time a person is officially admitted to jail. This process includes recording personal information, photographing, fingerprinting, and registering charges. Here is what is typically included in such a record:
- Unique booking number
- Date and time of custody
- Charges filed
- Arresting agency (sheriff, city police, etc.)
- Bail amount, if set
Access to these records online is available through the inmate search tool on the Sheriff's Office website. The current roster displays only those in custody at the time of the request.
To obtain archived records or additional documentation, you can submit a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Sheriff's Office has a separate FOIA request form for corrections and sheriff's police divisions. Note: court records are not subject to the county's FOIA — they are handled by the Clerk of the Circuit Court's office.
If you are interested in a person's criminal history at the state level, the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains a publicly accessible criminal record registry.
Search the Kankakee Jail Roster by Last Name or Booking Number
The inmate roster supports two primary search methods.
Search by Last Name
Enter the person's last name. Optionally, add the first name to narrow the results. A few tips:
- Check the spelling — even one mistake can prevent finding the record.
- Try entering only the first few letters of the last name if the system supports partial matches.
- If the last name is common (e.g., Smith or Johnson), be sure to include the first name.
Search by Booking Number
The booking number is a unique identifier assigned upon custody. It provides an exact result without the need to filter through namesakes. This number is usually provided to relatives during the first contact with the facility.
If the Search Yields No Results
- Ensure the name is spelled as it appears in official documents (legal name, not a nickname).
- The person may not yet be entered into the system — there may be a few hours between the actual arrest and the appearance of the record in the roster.
- The person may have already been released on bail or transferred to another facility.
- Call the jail directly at 815-802-7100 for clarification.
Jail Roster Updates and Search Limitations in Kankakee
The Kankakee County roster is updated regularly, but not instantly. There can be a delay of several hours to one business day between the time of arrest and the appearance of the record in the online system, depending on the time of day, staff workload, and data processing speed.
It is important to understand the key limitations of this resource:
- Only current inmates. The roster shows individuals currently in custody. It is not an archive of all past arrests.
- Delay after release. The record may disappear from the roster within a few hours after the person is released or transferred.
- Data entry errors. Occasionally, there are typographical errors in names or dates, complicating the search.
- Absence of minors. Records of individuals under 18 are confidential and not published.
To obtain historical booking data, submit a FOIA request to the appropriate county department. If you need information about a case already in court, contact the Kankakee County Courthouse, where the Clerk of the Circuit Court's office maintains court records.