McDonough County Jail Overview
The McDonough County Jail sits at 110 S. McArthur St. in Macomb, one block west of the courthouse. The McDonough County Sheriff's Office operates it, and its staff care for pre-trial detainees and people sentenced to the county jail. It is a local detention facility, not a state prison, so sentenced felons do not stay here long. The sheriff's homepage, shown below, is the main entry point for the office, the jail, and Crime Stoppers. You can view it at the McDonough County Sheriff homepage.
The building dates to 1967. The state inspection lists its layout as 4 single cells, 21 double cells, two 7-bed dormitories, and one 5-bed dormitory, with separate male and female capacity. Sheriff Nicholas Petitgout leads the office, with Chief Deputy Adam Cremer and Jail Administrator Caitlin Willey named in the records.
McDonough County Jail Capacity and Population
The Illinois Department of Corrections inspects the jail each year. Its September 17, 2024 report lists a rated capacity of 58 beds, split as 51 male and 7 female, and an inspection-day population of 28, made up of 23 male and 5 female, with no juveniles. The Illinois Sheriffs' Association directory lists 60 jail beds, a rounded count. The Vera Institute put the 2024 jail population near 38, measured a different way.
On those numbers, the jail ran below capacity on the inspection date. The county does not publish a live daily count, so the inspection figures are the most reliable snapshot.
How to Look Up an Inmate at the McDonough County Jail
There is no public online roster for the jail, so a lookup is a short chain of official channels. Start with the jail and move outward only if needed. Have the person's full name, date of birth, and arrest date ready.
- Call the jail at 309-833-JAIL (5245) to confirm whether the person is booked, held, or released.
- If the jail cannot answer by phone, file a written FOIA request with the sheriff's FOIA officer for the booking record.
- Register with Illinois VINE for custody and case alerts.
- If the person was sentenced and moved, search the IDOC locator for state custody.
Step-by-step help for each of these channels is on the jail inmate records page.
McDonough County Jail Address and Contact
The jail shares the sheriff's office building. The sheriff publishes a separate jail line and a main office number, plus a fax and a civil-process line. Routine custody questions go to the jail line, while records requests go to the FOIA officer.
McDonough County Jail
110 S. McArthur St.
Macomb, IL 61455
Jail: 309-833-JAIL (5245)
Sheriff's Office: 309-833-2323 | Fax: 309-833-1077
Directions and Parking at the McDonough County Jail
The jail is in downtown Macomb at 110 S. McArthur St., one block west of the McDonough County Courthouse on Courthouse Square. The Illinois Sheriffs' Association directory describes it as one block west of the courthouse downtown. Drivers should aim for South McArthur Street rather than only the courthouse entrance, since the sheriff's building sits west of the square.
From U.S. 67, follow local routing toward downtown and Courthouse Square, then move one block west. From U.S. 136, follow signs toward central Macomb and the square. From Western Illinois University and the west side, take city streets east toward the courthouse district. No official sheriff parking instructions were published, though the Illinois Courts directory notes free parking on all four sides of the courthouse one block east. Confirm visitor parking before you arrive, especially for visitation, which is first-come and time-limited.
Visiting Someone at the McDonough County Jail
Visitation is twice a week and split by gender and day. An inmate must be in custody for 7 consecutive days before becoming eligible, and people serving periodic imprisonment such as weekends or work release are not eligible. Visits are first-come and capped at 30 minutes per inmate per week. Visitors under 17 must come with an adult who has photo identification, and visits tied to a known order of protection are not allowed.
| Day | Hours | Inmate Group |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. | Male inmates |
| Wednesday | 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Female inmates |
| Saturday | 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Female inmates |
| Saturday | 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Male inmates |
Note: Inmates may request a new visiting list on the first visiting day of each month, between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m., and the old list goes to their file.
Mail, Phone, and Money at the McDonough County Jail
Phone and messaging run through a vendor, and money has its own rules. The sheriff's phone-system page, shown below, describes a lobby kiosk where family and friends add funds for inmate phone minutes, plus a rented Apple iPod that lets inmates chirp or send text messages. You can view it at the jail phone-system page.
A full mail policy was not published beyond the jail address, so confirm current mail rules with the jail before sending anything. The table below sums up what is documented.
| Service | Provider / Detail |
|---|---|
| Mail address | 110 S. McArthur St., Macomb, IL 61455 (confirm format with the jail) |
| Phone, text, video | Combined Public Communications, per the IDOC inspection |
| Phone funds | Lobby kiosk in the main jail lobby |
| Items and money allowed | Paper-bound books, cashier's check, money order, certified check, or cash |
Booking and Intake at the McDonough County Jail
People arrested by sheriff's deputies, Macomb Police, or other local agencies may be lodged at the jail. After transport to 110 S. McArthur St., staff verify the legal basis for confinement, search the person, handle property, and complete fingerprints and a photograph as required by law. Medical and mental-health screening follow, using McDonough District Hospital for medical care, North Central Behavioral Health for mental health, and Dental ER for dental needs. Classification then sets housing among the jail's cells and dormitories. Court Security transports inmates from the jail to court for hearings in the Ninth Judicial Circuit.
Services and Conditions at the McDonough County Jail
The 2024 state inspection lists the jail's service providers in unusual detail for a county this size. Medical care comes from McDonough District Hospital at about 4 hours per week, mental-health care from North Central Behavioral Health, dental care from Dental ER, and meals from Adair Cafe. Telephone, text, and video visitation run through Combined Public Communications. The inspection also recorded staffing, including full-time and part-time jail officers and other staff performing jail duties.
The jail is monitored against the Illinois County Jail Standards, which cover a broad list of operations.
- Records, admission, and release procedures
- Classification, housing, and supervision
- Medical, mental-health, and dental care
- Food service, sanitation, and hygiene
- Mail, telephone, visiting, and commissary
- Programs, recreation, and religious services
Clergy from outside the jail's regular ministries may visit on scheduled days if listed, in the visiting room, for up to one hour, without counting against family time.
About the McDonough County Jail
The jail is staffed by a small corrections team. The sheriff's corrections page, shown below, names Jail Administrator Willey and several officers, and repeats the jail contacts. You can view it at the corrections staff page.
The facility has drawn recent attention. A wrongful-death lawsuit filed in October 2024 alleges an inmate was killed by a cellmate and names the county, the sheriff's office, and jail staff. The 2024 state inspection also logged improvements, including a health monitor system in two cells, an IRIS scanner, a secure door at the library area, and freshly painted common areas. The jail's service vendors, including Adair Cafe for meals, are unusually specific for a county this size.
Note: Confirm custody status and the current visiting schedule with the jail before traveling to Macomb, since releases, transfers, and schedule changes are not posted online.
Common Questions About the McDonough County Jail
Who is held at the McDonough County Jail?
The jail holds people before trial and those serving short county sentences, and at times it holds people for other jurisdictions. Sentenced felons transfer to the Illinois Department of Corrections, so they are searched through the state locator rather than the county jail.
How do I check whether someone is in the jail?
Call the jail at 309-833-JAIL (5245). There is no public online roster, so the jail line is the fastest way to confirm whether a person is booked, still held, or released. A written FOIA request to the sheriff's FOIA officer covers records the jail will not give by phone.
What are the visiting hours?
Visits are on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, split by gender. An inmate must be in custody for 7 consecutive days first, and visits are first-come and capped at 30 minutes a week. Visitors under 17 must come with an adult who has photo identification.