by Grace Dumelle
Suppose your ancestor was the victim of a crime and you’re curious if the assailant served time. Or maybe you’ve discovered a black sheep in the family and want to know more. Here’s how to find out about Illinois state prison records.
1.Do your homework.
Make sure the crime was one handled on the state level and not the county or federal levels. The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) only has information on state prisons. Newspaper articles about the crime, trial, and sentence will give the name of the court in which the trial took place, e.g. U.S. District Court (federal).
The electronic database ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Tribune at the Newberry is a good place to start. Even if the crime or trial occurred in another part of Illinois, it may have been covered in the Tribune. The Newberry has some 19th century newspapers for Peoria and other towns, in addition to many Chicago publications. The Illinois Newspaper Project (www.library.uiuc.edu/inp) lets you search by title or area of coverage to see what’s held at institutions around the state.
2. Send a written request.
Go to the IDOC web site (www.idoc.state.il.us) and click on the bottom link “IDOC Webmaster.” This brings up an email form with “Public Information Office” in the subject line. Explain that you’re doing genealogical/historical research and provide as much of the following as possible:
· The full name of the person (including any aliases, nicknames or spelling variations)
· Date of birth
· Year incarceration began
· County where conviction occurred
· Name of prison (the IDOC web site has helpful summaries of facilities with dates each opened)
· Date of parole or release
Be sure to include your phone number and mailing address so you can be contacted for more information or sent photocopies.
Your email is routed to the Springfield headquarters of IDOC and to the prisons that still have historical records, so whoever covers the area and time period you’re seeking will answer.
There is no fee for the search, but it does take time. The ledger books for each prison are arranged in numerical order according to the date the prisoner entered the facility. There is no alphabetical or master index. The ledgers contain prison number, name, committing county, crime, parole date and discharge date. Pontiac’s ledgers include some physical descriptions and court case numbers. According to the IDOC web site, “The information which the Department may disclose to the public on any current or former IDOC inmate, includes his or her name, IDOC number, parent institution, current location or status, vital statistics, admission and release dates, and sentencing information. All other information is confidential and may be released only pursuant to a valid subpoena or court order.”
If you have questions, the staff in Springfield is very helpful. You can reach them at:
Illinois Department of Corrections
1301 Concordia Court
Springfield, IL 62794
217-558-2200
Weekdays 8:30 am – 5 pm
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