If you need information about your case or your loved one’s case, the websites listed below may prove to be valuable resources.
Jails & Prisons
Cook County Jail Use the Search for Inmate Information Online link to find someone who is in the custody of the Cook County Department of Corrections located at 26th and California. An Individual Inmate Report will tell you an inmate’s housing location, visiting day, bail amount, and next court date. Take a virtual tour of the jail and learn about each of the jail’s divisions.
Will County Jail Use the Inmate Search link to find someone who is being held in the Will County Adult Detention Facility located in Joliet on Chicago Street. You will also find bonding out instructions here.
Kane County Jail Use the Inmate Search link to find someone who is being held in the Kane County Jail, which is in Geneva, Illinois. Get directions to the jail and information about mailing and visiting hours.
Illinois Department of Corrections Use the Inmate Search link to find someone who is incarcerated at an Illinois penitentiary. An Internet Inmate Status report will provide the inmate’s location, custody date, offense, sentence, projected parole date, and tentative discharge date.
Illinois Prison Talk This is a family support website and information center for people who have a family member or friend who is incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections. It is also used by prison reform activists, ex-offenders, and prisoner rights advocates. There are open discussions on prison and inmate issues, sharing of personal experiences and frustrations with IDOC, and announcements.
Federal Bureau of Prisons Use the Inmate Locator link to find someone who is imprisoned in a federal penitentiary or otherwise held in federal custody. To find out where federal prisons and other federal facilities are located, use the Facility Locator function. An Address Directory is also provided at this website, as well as organizational information and contact information.
Courts
State of Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County Learn more about the judge who is trying your case. Get basic information about the Cook County Circuit Court System.
Supreme Court of Illinois This site Includes news, information and resources for the provided by the Illinois Supreme Court, including case opinions, court documents, court rules and much more.
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Download court forms. View recent opinions issued by the court. Read the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure or the Federal Rules of Evidence. View a judge’s daily calendar.
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit View the court’s calendar. Retrieve docket sheets and other case information. Read recently issued opinions by the court.
Law Enforcement
Chicago Police Department Learn how to request a copy of a police report or traffic accident report that contains information to substantiate a personal injury or damage to property. Use the Tow/Steal Search link to find out if your vehicle was towed and impounded by the City of Chicago or reported stolen.
Illinois State Police View the agency overview, recruitment information, contact information, sex offender information, firearm information or request a criminal history report.
Cook County State's Attorney's Office The State's Attorney's Office prosecutes people who have been arrested for committing state crimes in Cook County, Illinois. This website contains contact information for State's Attorney's Offices located throughout Cook County, as well as, general information about the Office's organization and purpose.
Federal Bureau of Investigation See what the FBI is investigating. Learn how to request your fingerprint record. Learn what the FBI Laboratory can do. Read about new developments in forensic evidence. Get information about the FBI' s Anti-Gang Strategy and its Violent Gang Task Forces.
Government
City of Chicago Find the location of a city-towed vehicle. Purchase a city vehicle sticker online. Search for parking tickets issued to your vehicle. Get information about city-required business licenses.
Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois Obtain general information about the circuit court, court rules, court records and filing fees. You may download court forms used in the Criminal Division, Juvenile Justice Division, Traffic Division, and other divisions. You may also obtain information about the suburban districts.
Illinois Secretary of State Learn the minimum amount of vehicle liability insurance in order to be in compliance with the mandatory insurance law. Obtain DUI information. Renew your license plates online. Find out how to get your driver's license back if it has been revoked.
Illinois General Assembly Here you will find the Criminal Code. Look up the statute that is relevant to your case. You can read the law itself.
Legal Resources
Cook County Public Defender’s Office Obtain information about each division of the Public Defender's office. Read the Public Defender's Guide to the Criminal Justice System, which outlines some of the major steps a defendant may take with his assistant public defender.
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Learn what the “hot issues” are in state and federal legislation and how they may affect you. Read news and press releases about various criminal defense issues.
VersusLaw This is an online library providing access to court decisions, federal and state statutes, and administrative codes and regulations. Here you will find a reliable and comprehensive source of appellate court opinions and the laws at issue in the courts today.
Other Resources & Tools
Date Duration Calculator Use this site to quickly calculate the number of days between two dates. This calculator is particularly helpful to determine exactly how many days a detainee has served time in custody.
U.S. Postal Service Get shipping rates, buy stamps, print postage, track a package, look up a ZIP Code. Find the mailing products and services you need to send mail to someone who is in jail or prison.
MapQuest Pull up street maps, get directions to a specific address or general location, and find businesses or government buildings nearby a specific location. You may also view satellite images of a specific area, such as an arrest location.
Disclaimer: Michael Finn has listed the above websites as references for the reader’s convenience. Clicking on one of the websites above will allow the reader to leave this website. Michael Finn does not control any of the above listed websites and is not responsible for the content of these websites or for any changes or updates made to these websites. The websites listed above are provided merely as a convenience to the reader and are not in any way endorsements of these entities, their activities, or their policies.
