Washington County Inmate Population Overview
The Washington County inmate population is reported through a small rural jail system rather than a large metro detention network. Official source material identifies one local detention facility: Washington County Jail, operated by the Washington County Sheriff's Office at the same Nashville campus as the sheriff's public office. Sheriff Ross Schultze is the current sheriff, and the official WCSO site routes custody questions through the jail extension, dispatch, and corrections pages rather than through a public roster search.
For population work, the key point is scope. Washington County Jail can hold local pretrial detainees, local sentenced detainees, and people classified by WCSO visitation materials as “All Other.” Once a person is sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections, that person leaves the Washington County inmate population and enters the statewide prison count. Federal and immigration custody are also separate. County board minutes mention jail project planning and sheriff monthly reports, but the research did not locate a public annual booking table or average daily population dashboard for Washington County Jail.
Washington County Inmate Population Statistics
The most useful Washington County inmate population numbers come from WCSO's current corrections page, the IDOC Jail and Detention Standards inspection file, and Census county context. WCSO lists the current jail bed count as 25. The 2021 IDOC Washington County Jail inspection report listed a total capacity of 30 on the inspection date, with 26 male beds and 4 female beds. That same inspection counted 10 people in custody on January 27, 2021.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Current WCSO jail bed count | 25 beds | WCSO corrections page, inspected 2026 |
| IDOC inspection capacity | 30 total; 26 male; 4 female | IDOC inspection, Jan. 27, 2021 |
| IDOC inspection-date population | 10 total; 9 male; 1 female; 0 juveniles | IDOC inspection, Jan. 27, 2021 |
| County population estimate | 13,564 | U.S. Census QuickFacts, July 1, 2025 |
Washington County Jail Population Trends
Washington County does not publish a complete public multi-year average daily population table in the source set. The available trend record is narrower: the jail was built in 1995, the IDOC inspection gave a 2021 custody snapshot, WCSO now publishes a lower bed count than the older inspection capacity, and county board minutes from 2024 and 2025 refer to jail renovation planning. Those facts should be read as dated points, not as a full trend line.
| Year or Date | Population or Capacity Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Jail construction date | IDOC inspection report lists the original construction year. |
| Jan. 27, 2021 | 10 detainees; capacity 30 | IDOC inspection-date snapshot. |
| Current WCSO page | 25 beds | Current local bed count on the WCSO corrections page. |
| 2024-2025 | Jail renovation references | County board materials reference jail project planning. |
County context also matters. Census QuickFacts estimates Washington County's 2025 population at 13,564, down from the 2010 Census count of 14,716. The 2020 density was 24.5 people per square mile. That rural scale helps explain why a single local jail, direct phone checks, and records requests are more important here than a large online booking database.
Who Is in Washington County Jail
The IDOC inspection gives the clearest demographic snapshot for the Washington County inmate population. On January 27, 2021, the inspection counted 9 males and 1 female in custody, with no juveniles. The facility's rated inspection capacity was split between 26 male beds and 4 female beds. No official race, age-band, charge-level, or average length-of-stay table was found for Washington County Jail in the official sources reviewed.
- Local detainees: People booked after Washington County arrests may be held before court action or while a local sentence is served.
- County inmate category: WCSO visitation schedules use this classification for one set of male and female visiting hours.
- All Other category: WCSO lists separate schedules for this group, but no public contract detail was located.
- Sentenced prison custody: People transferred to IDOC are no longer searched through local jail channels.
Laws Governing Washington County Inmate Records
Illinois law explains why some Washington County inmate population data can be requested even when the county does not publish a current roster. Illinois FOIA, 5 ILCS 140, presumes public records are open unless an exemption applies. 5 ILCS 140/2.15 covers arrest-report information, including name, age, address, charges, arrest time and place, arresting agency, and custody receipt or release timing when a person is incarcerated.
Key record rules:
5 ILCS 140/3 sets the general Illinois FOIA response timeline for public-record requests.
20 Ill. Admin. Code Part 701 requires jail population reporting and other county jail standards.
730 ILCS 210/3-5 requires investigation and reporting of deaths in law-enforcement or correctional custody.
Search Washington County Inmate Population Records
No official Washington County Jail online current roster was located on the WCSO or county government pages reviewed. That absence changes the search workflow. For a current jail custody question, start with the jail at 618-327-4800 ext. 114 or WCSO dispatch at 618-327-8274 ext. 4. For records not released by phone, the sheriff-specific FOIA contact is Brittany Bateman at 889@washingtonco.illinois.gov, while general county FOIA routing is handled through the Washington County Clerk.
- Call the jail extension with the person's full name and date of birth if known.
- If the person may have just been booked, ask dispatch whether the jail or the court is the right next stop.
- Use Illinois VINELink for custody or case-status notifications where data is available.
- Submit a WCSO FOIA request for booking, arrest, custody, or photo records if phone release is limited.
- Search IDOC Individual in Custody Search if the person was sentenced to prison.
The WCSO links page also routes users to VINE, IDOC, Judici, Illinois Courts, and U.S. Courts. The Washington Co. Sheriff's IL app is listed on the Apple and Google app stores for tips, public-safety news, and interactive features, but the research did not confirm an app-only inmate roster.
Washington County Roster Search Fields
Because no official Washington County Jail roster form was found, there is no county roster field set to copy into a public search table. The practical fields are the facts needed for a phone inquiry or FOIA request. Give the full name, date of birth if known, arrest date, arresting agency, and any case, docket, or booking number already obtained from court or jail paperwork.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| No official county jail roster field found | n/a | n/a | WCSO and county pages reviewed did not publish a current inmate-search form. |
| IDOC Last Name | Text | Conditional | Use for sentenced state-prison custody, not local jail bookings. |
| IDOC Number | Text | Conditional | Use when a state prison identifier is known. |
| BOP Register Number | Text | Conditional | Use only for federal BOP custody. |
What Washington County Inmate Records Show
A public online Washington County inmate profile could not be inspected because no official roster profile was found. Illinois arrest-report law and IDOC inspection records still show what records may exist internally or through request. The jail maintains booking and personal records, release and transfer records, property receipts, classification records, medical record components, misconduct records, and mail, telephone, and visitation records required by jail standards.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Booking date or custody receipt | Potentially available through arrest or booking records, subject to exemptions. |
| Charges | Charge information is part of Illinois arrest-report access unless an exemption applies. |
| Photograph | 5 ILCS 140/2.15 includes photograph when and if available. |
| Release or transfer time | Required arrest-report information if the person was incarcerated. |
| Housing or classification | Internal jail records exist under standards, but no public roster field was found. |
County Jail vs State Prison Search
The Washington County inmate population should not be mixed with IDOC, BOP, or ICE custody. Local jail custody belongs to the sheriff and jail. Sentenced state prisoners are searched through IDOC. Federal inmates are searched through BOP only after they are in BOP custody, while federal pretrial custody may involve the U.S. Marshals Service. Immigration detention is searched through ICE ODLS.
| Custody Type | Where to Look | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Washington County Jail | Jail phone, dispatch, FOIA, VINE | Local pretrial and local jail custody. |
| Illinois state prison | IDOC locator | Sentenced IDOC individuals in custody. |
| Federal prison | BOP locator | Federal inmates from 1982 to present. |
| Immigration detention | ICE ODLS | People in immigration detention, not county jail records. |
Washington County Jail Services
Jail services also affect how the Washington County inmate population is understood. WCSO's public pages give more detail about visitation, phone, mail, commissary, bond payments, and PREA reporting than they give about an online roster. The WCSO visitation and commissary page separates visiting times for County Inmates and All Other inmates, with different male and female schedules. The jail does not allow contact visits, requires approved visitor lists and photo ID, and says visitors under 17 must be with a parent or legal guardian.
The WCSO communication page says inmates cannot receive incoming calls and messages will not be passed to them. Phones are generally available from morning until late evening, subject to jail conditions, and calls must be collect or made with a commissary phone card. Mail must use the inmate's full name and the Washington County Jail mailing address. Incoming mail is inspected, scented or perfumed mail is returned, and care packages are not accepted. These service rules are not the same as a roster, but they help confirm whether the person is in local custody before money, mail, or travel plans are made.
| Service | Washington County Detail |
|---|---|
| Visits | County Inmates and All Other inmates have separate WCSO schedules. |
| Phone | No incoming calls; collect calls or commissary phone cards are used. |
| Money | WCSO lists JailATM online and lobby ATM deposit options. |
| PREA | Reports can be made by phone or in writing to Washington County Jail, Attn: PREA. |
Washington County Detention Facilities
Official research found one local detention facility serving the Washington County inmate population. No separate county work-release center, regional jail, municipal lockup, federal detention center, ICE facility, or IDOC prison was located in Washington County official sources. Nashville, Okawville, and Ashley municipal materials did not show a separate city jail page.
- Washington County Jail holds local county detainees and people classified by WCSO visitation schedules as County Inmates or All Other.
The WCSO corrections location page is the local facility source. The county's broader sheriff directory at washingtonco.illinois.gov identifies Sheriff Ross Schultze, Chief Deputy Charles Carroll, and WCSO office staff, including the sheriff's FOIA officer.
Washington County Inmate Population FAQ
Is there a Washington County online jail roster? No official current public roster was located on WCSO or county government pages during the research. Use the jail, dispatch, VINE, FOIA, court, IDOC, BOP, and ICE channels as the fallback chain.
How large is the Washington County inmate population? The most specific custody count in the research is the IDOC inspection-date population of 10 on January 27, 2021. WCSO's current corrections page lists 25 jail beds. No public annual average daily population table was found.
Are mugshots part of Washington County inmate records? Illinois arrest-report law includes photographs when and if available, but Washington County did not publish an official mugshot gallery in the reviewed sources. Booking-photo access is normally a request question, not a guaranteed online view.
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