View Free Cook County Mugshots Anytime (Illinois Resource)

Obtain arrest photographs for free through a Cook County mugshot search and find out who is currently in jail.

Following the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, interested parties may view and retrieve mugshots of offenders from the public resources of several official custodians, together with their arrest or criminal records.

Checking the resources discussed in this article assists those seeking records with their mugshot search with more efficiency and accuracy.

Top Resources for Free Mugshot Searches

Cook County is the second most populous county in the United States, populated by 40% of Illinois residents.

Inmate mugshots can be viewed through the online database of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office is responsible for the protection of the county and supervises detention centers and jails.

As the agencies responsible for the safety of specific cities and villages, the local police departments also have records of arrests within a specific location and can be requested with mugshots.

Another way to find mugshots here is through the inmate search tool provided by the Illinois Department of Corrections. The agency is responsible for the state-level correctional facilities in Illinois.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) also has an inmate locator of released and in-custody offenders who committed federal offenses within the United States.

In addition to these online inmate search tools, those looking for mugshot details may file an online records request or Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to any of these agencies or call, mail, email, or visit them in person to get more information about the individuals they’re looking for.

Access Cook County Mugshots Without Fees via the Local Sheriff’s Office

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office offers an inmate locator service, the Individual in Custody Locator, to help searchers find county jail detainees.¹ In order to find the information of an inmate, record seekers must have the complete full name or booking ID number of the individual.

Search results will show each matching individual’s first and last name, age, mugshot, and a link that directs to the detainee’s details, including booking date, booking number, housing location, court and bond information. Visitation days, hours, and protocols are listed as well.

If interested individuals can’t find the record of the inmates they’re looking for, or if they need more information about a person, they may process a Freedom of Information Act request and submit it electronically, send it through mail, or submit it in person to the following address:

Mailing Address:

Cook County Sheriff’s Office
Att: Freedom of Information Officer
Richard J. Daley Center
50 W. Washington, Rm. 704
Chicago, IL 60602

Physical Address:

Richard J. Daley Center
Civil Process Division
50 W. Washington, Rm. 701
Chicago, IL 60602

For a complete criminal background report, record seekers must instead contact this agency:²

Illinois State Police – Bureau of Investigation
260 North Chicago St.
Joliet, Illinois 60432

Phone: 815.740.5160

Another option to find Cook County inmate mugshots is through a third-party service, VINELink.³

Review more details via the tutorial on accessing arrest records in Cook County, Illinois.

Correctional Facility Assistance Programs

The Cook County Department of Corrections (CCDOC) is one of the largest single-site county pre-detention facilities in the U.S. that holds pre-trial detainees. The facility admits about 100,000 detainees annually with a 9000 average daily population and has 10 divisions that assist or offer detainees various services.

Several such services for inmates and their loved ones are listed below.

Visitation for Inmates: Families and friends are encouraged to maintain ties with inmates through scheduled regular visits while following applicable rules and regulations at all times. Virtual Visitation is also available for attorneys and other non-attorney professionals.

Sending Mail: Letters and other mail can be sent to an individual in custody to this mailing address, with the inmate’s full name and booking number following the format below:

NAME:
BOOKING#:
2700 South California Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60608

For those senders who don’t know the inmate’s I.D. number, they may obtain it by calling the automated system at 773.674.5245 or using the inmate locator. Prohibited or restricted items must not be added to the mail to avoid having the entire package rejected and returned to the sender, and some items might be available at the commissary to be purchased instead.

Inmate Trust Fund Account: Each inmate at the Cook County Department of Corrections has a Trust Fund account that allows them to receive funds to purchase clothing, supplies, and food items on commissary and other items or services.⁴ Funds can be added to these Trust Fund Accounts through online or telephone deposits, currency exchange facilities, JailATM, US postal service, and the jail’s lobby kiosks.

When the detainees are discharged and want to cash out their remaining balance, they’ll need to visit the Division 5 Lobby front desk and provide their valid government-issued ID. Those who want their funds mailed or their relatives’ funds forwarded to their current correctional or housing facility will need to contact the Trust/Finance Office at 773.674.6864.

Division 5
2700 South California Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60608

Hours: 9 AM to 8:30 PM

Phone Account: The Cook County Sheriff’s Office offers a text messaging service through a contract with ViaPath Technologies for family and friends to communicate with inmates. A fee of $.06 will be charged per message sent to the inmate, while the inmate can reply or send messages to family and friends for free.

Bonding: Family and friends of inmates may post bond at the Cook County Jail from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM via credit card, cash, or certified checks payable to the Clerk of the Circuit Court only (personal checks and money orders are not allowed).⁵ Cash bail can be paid by credit or debit card with a non-refundable service fee of 2.13%.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office also offers other services or programs such as the Reentry Assistance Network, Prescription Drug Take-back Program, medical services, and more.

Finding Mugshots via Local Police Jurisdictions in Cook County

As the agencies that primarily arrest lawbreakers, police departments have the most recent records of arrests within a specific city or village. Arrested individuals are immediately photographed for record purposes and will be added to their arrest information.

Police departments typically have mugshots of arrested individuals, but unfortunately, most police departments in Cook County don’t have online databases available for public viewing. However, interested individuals may check their police departments’ online news page, which might report any recent arrests and may possibly provide the mugshot of the arrested individual.

Without an online database, interested parties may process record requests or Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests through various methods.

The three most populous cities/towns in Cook County are the City of Chicago, the City of Elgin, and the Town of Cicero. See examples of how to request these records from each locality below.

City of Chicago: As the third most populous city throughout the United States, with 22 police districts, the Chicago Police Department provides more information to the public than other cities within Cook County.

The police department has an Adult Arrest Search tool and a news page that provides reports of recent arrests with mugshots of arrested individuals. The agency also has several helpful search tools available to find arrested individuals, including a Gun Offender Database Search, an Adult Prostitution Arrest Search, a Sex Offender Database Search, and a Vehicle Tow/Steal Search.

To find the arrest record of an individual through the Adult Arrest Search database, researchers will have to enter the following information partially or in full detail: the arrestee’s first and last name, CB number, type of charge, area, district, and beat.⁶ The results will show each matching arrestee’s mugshot, full name, current age, first charge, inchoate, arrest date, and a link routing to more details about the individual.

For more information, local residents may process Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests through online submission or by downloading the FOIA request form and then submit it by mail, drop it in person at the Records Customer Service Section (same address as the mailing address), by fax, or by email.

Mailing address:

Chicago Police Department
Attn: Freedom of Information Officer
Freedom of Information Section, Unit 114
3510 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60653

Fax: 312.745.6948
Email: [email protected]
Service Hours: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM Monday to Friday (except during public holidays)

City of Elgin: The Elgin Police Department doesn’t have an online database to view arrest records and will not publish booking photographs on their social media account.

To obtain an individual’s police photograph, researchers may process a Freedom of Information Act request through the Public Records Center.⁷ The record will be sent to the requester electronically within five (5) or twenty-one (21) business days for commercial requests with corresponding charges.

For other inquiries about police records, interested individuals may contact the PD’s director of records at:

Elgin Police Department
151 Douglas Ave.
Elgin, Illinois 60120

Phone: 847.289.2575
Email: [email protected]

Town of Cicero: The Cicero Police Department doesn’t have a separate website from other official agencies in the town, nor does it have an jail roster to view arrest records.

To retrieve mugshots of arrested individuals, searchers may either process a service request through the police department online or download and fill out the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) form, then submit it to the Law Department of the Town of Cicero by fax, mail, email, or in-person delivery.⁸

Town of Cicero FOIA Officer
Legal Department
4949 W. Cermak Rd.
Cicero, Illinois 60804

Phone: 708.656.3600 ext. 450
Fax: 708.222.8223
Email: [email protected]

To determine where to view arrest records or how to process a record request in other cities or towns, interested citizens are encouraged to view the websites of these police departments.

Steps To Obtain Prisoner Mugshots From Correctional Facilities (Illinois State & Federal Offender Lookups)

There are various state and federal correctional facilities spread within Illinois. The Illinois Department of Corrections manages 29 correctional facilities and 17 other institutions that help prisoners with rehabilitation. On the other hand, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has six facilities within Illinois, two of which are located in the City of Chicago.

To find the mugshots of all offenders supervised by the Illinois Department of Corrections, citizens may use the five offender search tools provided by the agency, namely: the Individual in Custody Search, Wanted Fugitives, Sex Offender Registry, Parolee Sex Registrant Search, and Community Notification for Inmate’s Early Release.⁹

The wanted fugitive page shows directly the mugshots and names of various individuals, while the other search tools require record seekers to browse, provide the name, and open the offenders’ files to view their photographs.

The individual in custody search tool can be browsed by providing the offender’s last name, IDOC number, or birthdate; matching profiles will be displayed, and searchers may select a record, then click “Query A Highlighted Inmate,” which will reveal the offender’s information, such as mugshots, full name, institution, custody status, location, physical profile, admission, release and discharge details, and sentencing information.

The records of federal offenders, whether released or still in custody, can be checked through the inmate locator maintained by the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).¹⁰ Record seekers have the option to browse the search tool either by providing the BOP register number/other type of ID number or by full name. The matching results will show their full name, register number, age, race, sex, release date, and location.

Note: Mugshots are not available through this inmate locator.

For additional processes, review the methods for finding arrest and criminal records in Illinois.

The Illinois Freedom of Information Act authorizes anyone to access records from public agencies – except for information that may result in an unlawful invasion of personal privacy. Arrest and criminal records are considered public information and can be availed for personal or professional use, but in an appropriate way. These records must not be misused, mishandled or abused to avoid repercussions from law enforcement agencies.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) summarizes the right way to use public records for professional purposes which is implemented by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to avoid any discrimination in the workplace.¹¹

Complete a Cook County mugshot search through the official resources mentioned in this article and be responsible for determining what to use and where to use the information obtained for everyone’s benefit.