Coles County Jail – Charleston, IL

Coles County Jail is in Coles County, Illinois and is the primary correctional facility for that county. Are you looking for somebody locked up in Coles County Jail? This guide gives you information about anything related to Coles County Jailsuch as the following: Find out who’s in jail at Coles County Jail? Find inmate mugshots. The jail’s phone number and address. How to post bail. Coles County Jail intake procedures. Court records. And more…

The prospect of going to jail is a daunting and scary situation, not only for whoever goes to jail, but also their family, friends, and loved ones. The goal of this guide is to give information you need to make getting locked up less stressful. If you have specific questions, just ask them, and also any feedback or comments that would be beneficial to others will be welcome.

Do you have a family member, loved one, or friend that is incarcerated and need to find them?

Has someone that has been arrested and you need to locate them?

In order to look up who’s in jail at Coles County Jail you will need to visit their web site and perform an inmate search.

The Coles County Jail Inmate Lookup is a list of persons who were arrested and are now in jail, including status, bail amount (if applicable), and times the inmate can have visitors. Also, you can get information for anyone booked or released within the past 24 hours. Jail inmates are shown in alphabetical order by their last name. You will be able to locate the information quicker if you have the arrestee’s name, date of birth, or inmate ID Number.

If the inmate you are looking for could possibly be in another county jail you can check our Illinois county jail guide: Illinois County Jails Directory

A mugshot, also known as a jail processing photo, is a picture taken by the police when you get booked into jail. A mugshot is actually two photos one face photo and a side-view photo. Your name and jail ID number will appear on the photos, and they are on file at the jail.

Mugshots can be viewed online, or you can see them at the Coles County Jail. When viewing mugshots online you will need to put in the legal name, and a booking date, if you know it.

Trying to figure out how to get your mugshot removed from the Coles County Jail website? This will be difficult, as the mugshot is a matter of public record. You will need to file a ‘Petition to Expunge’. What this means is that the record of your arrest would be sealed, so no one will be able to see them. Unfortunately, this happens very rarely.

For more information about getting your mugshot removed, the many different mugshot sites, and the websites that offer to remove your mugshot for you: How To Remove Your Mugshot from the Internet

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Obviously, once you are in jail, your only thought is about when and how you will get out. After you’ve been booked, a bail amount is set by the magistrate. In cases where no bail is set this might mean that you will either get released, pending trial, or you are kept in jail until your court date.

If you do bail out of jail you will have to promise to show up for court, and until that day you can’t go out of town.

Typically, a prisoner can earn early release in exchange for good behavior when they don’t break the rules and area a good inmate while incarcerated.

If you do exhibit good behavior and the jail believes you can be trusted, you might be allowed to participate in work release. Either you will have to go back to the jail at the end of the day when you’re finished at your job, or you might be permitted to live in a halfway house instead of jail.

Bail is money that you are required to pay to get out of jail pending trial. The amount you have to pay depends on the crime you are charged with. Someone will have to put up ten percent of the total that was set in order for you to get out of jail. If you don’t show up for your court date, that person will lose all of the bail money.

You will need to call the jail. If you’ve got the person’s information, such as name, address and date of birth, they’ll tell you what their bail is set at. You can also check their bail amount and status on the Coles County Jail site.

Having to get someone out of jail is never fun, but in some cases, it is very simple to do. To start with, find out if it is a “Cash Bond Only” situation. If so, you won’t be able to get a bail bondsman. Take cash only to the jail – the jail will not accept checks. Once you have paid the bond, the person will be discharged. If this person doesn’t violate any of the terms of their release, you’ll get the bail money back.

If the amount of bail set is large, or you can’t afford it yourself, you should try a bail bondsman. Bondsmen usually have a fee of 10-15% of the bail amount, and in most cases have a minimum of $100. This money is non-refundable and the bondsman only accepts cash. If their bail has been set particularly high, the bail bondsman will usually request to use your assets, such as home, property or cars, as collateral for the bond in addition to whatever their charges are.

If you need a local bail bondsman visit our page about: Bail bondsman

Have you ever used a Bail Bondsman because you or someone you know got arrested? If so, leave a comment below and tell your story, and let us know how things turned out.

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• Get Time Off For Good Behavior
• Work Release Programs
• Get Out For Time Served
• Pre-Trial Release Programs
• Get Out on House Arrest
• Own Recognizance

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The intake procedure takes you through each of the following steps:

• You will be placed in a holding cell. If there are a lot of arrests, you will have to wait, sometimes for many hours, before you get processed.
• Firstly, you will have to answer some questions, like your full legal name, address, date of birth and an emergency contact.
• They’ll also ask about your psychological and medical history.
• You’ll be given an inmate ID.
• You will be fingerprinted.
• You will have a front and profile photo taken for your mugshot.
• Any property you have will be taken from you and stored until you get released from jail.
• You will then be allowed to use the phone to contact a member of your family, friend, or bail bondsman.
• If you think you will get released quickly, you might be able to wear your own clothes, if not you will be issued a jail jumpsuit.

Have you ever been arrested and gone through processing at jail? If you have, you should tell our readers about your experience. How long did you have to wait in the holding cell? How were you treated? Can you share any secrets that could help other people that get arrested get through the procedure?

Click here to tell your story

Once you are able to post bail, you will be discharged from jail. Getting discharged can take anywhere from 10 minutes to all day. So, the faster you can post bail, the quicker you will be freed. How quickly you get discharged depends on whether or not you’ve been given a cash bond or if a judge still needs to determine the amount of bail to be set. For minor offenses, you will get booked and get released without having to post bail. When you have served out your jail sentence and are given a release date, you should plan to get discharged between 9am and noon.

out against you, or if you have to begin your jail sentence, you should do the right thing and turn yourself in. For a warrant, go to the jail processing area, and tell an officer that you think they might have an outstanding arrest warrant out for you. A record check will be run, and if so, they will take you into custody. If it is for a jail sentence, report to the jail on the date and time that the sentence order requires you to. Ensure that you are not late. Just bring allowed items when you turn yourself in, like a driver’s license or photo ID, prescription medication, and a copy of the sentencing order.

The inmate need to provide each visitor’s full name to the jail in advance of the visit. Your visitor’s names will be entered into a log of visitors as an authorized visitor. Each and every visitor will have to provide identification. Any visitors that gets to visitation or that is not an approved visitor will not be able to attend visitation.
Jail visitation policies frequently change, so you should check the official jail site before you try to go to visitation.

The only phone calls that inmates are allowed to make are with a pre-paid phone card or account, or are collect calls . Jail phone calls are typically pricier than regular phone calls. There is no limit to when and how often you can use the phone, but bear in mind that every inmate wants to use the phone too, so they can call their family. If you break the rules, your ability to use the phone might get cut back or cut altogether.

The Coles County Jail phone number is:

All inmate mail must be sent via the actual US Postal Service. You must not use any other method of mail or package delivery. You have to write or type the name, prisoner number, and the jail address on the envelope. Don’t mail anything in a box, envelope with padding or insulation, plastic or paper bag, or an envelope with any metal in it. Any mail will be opened and inspected and read by the jail staff, and will get returned if they decide it is inappropriate.

The mailing address for Coles County Jail is:

Coles County Jail
701 7Th Street
Charleston, IL 61920

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Coles County Jail
701 7Th Street
Charleston, IL 61920

The Coles County Jail mail policy changes often, so check the official website when you send a letter.

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If you get arrested, you have rights, the most important of which is that you have the right to request an attorney. You are only allowed to make so many phone calls in jail, so you would be wise to get a friend or relative to find a lawyer when you call. You might be thinking ‘I don’t have to get a lawyer – I can just represent myself’ You can represent yourself if you really want to, but, an attorney will make sure you know your rights, look after your best interests and help you navigate the complicated legal system that you are now faced with. The faster you hire a lawyer to represent you and work on your case, the better off you’ll be.

For more information about the benefits of hiring a lawyer, read: How to Find an Attorney

If you’ve been arrested and cannot afford a lawyer, you will be given a public defender for a lawyer. The Public Defender is staffed by private investigators, experts in forensics as well as case workers. All Public Defenders are bona-fide attorneys that are admitted to the Illinois State Bar Association and are legally licensed to handle your case.

Have you or someone you know had to use the services of a Public Defender? How did they do?

Coles County court records are public records. They are comprised of a file with a docket sheet and all of the motions, documents, and evidence filed in the course of your case. You, and anyone else, can access your court records using the internet service, or at the Coles County Clerk of Court where the case was filed.

The Coles County Clerk of Court is an officer of the court who maintains court records and controls access to them. The Clerk of Court also administer the oath during court cases, and also read the verdict when decided by the jury. All records related to your case are held at Coles County Clerk of Court office.

Court costs and court fees are the costs from your court case, such as for example filing fees, motion and claim fees, and court charges. If you cannot afford these fees and have a court appointed attorney, you will not be responsible for these fees.

A Magistrate acts as the judge that will preside over your case. Magistrates are judges that do different tasks, which include setting your bail amount, writing arrest warrants, and acting as the presiding judge over initial court appearances and detention proceedings.

A pre-sentencing report is put together with information about the arrestee’s background and information about the arrestee’s life and history, which the magistrate will take into consideration when deciding on the sentence. Information will be requested from the person on trial, his or her family members, and in some cases the victim of the crime. Remember you are able to request to get a copy of this report prior to sentencing, so you can review it and correct any mistakes.

When you are convicted of a crime, you will be sentenced. The judge will have several different options when sentencing you, which include community service and probation, to even incarceration in jail or prison. Depending on how serious your crime was, you could be immediately taken into custody, or you could be given a date to report to jail to serve your jail time according to your sentence.

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Are you trying to find out if some you know is incarcerated in jail, or has ever been in jail?

This is pretty easy to do, simply you need to access the Coles County jail website, and do a search using:

• The inmate’s name.
• Birthdate.
• Their approximate booking date.
• and their jail ID.

If you’re not sure if this person is in jail or not, you can call the jail to find out.

If you think you have an outstanding warrant for your arrest, you can find out by checking the arrest warrants inquiry on the website or you can call the court. This requires a first and last name. You can also go to the local jail and ask them. You should be clear that if you do have an outstanding warrant, you should be prepared to get taken into custody immediately.

If you know a person’s name, as well as their arrest date, contact the Coles County jail, by phone, go there in person, or look online. An arrest is a matter of public record and this information is accessible to anyone.

A Civil Process is when you get served with legal papers, which can be court orders. You can access civil process orders by contacting the Sheriff’s office, online or by phone.

All people registered as sex offenders are required to be registered and listed on a sex offender database. Those listed on these databases have been convicted of a sex crime. You can access this information online, but bear in mind that you can’t see the street address, but only the block they live on.

Court Records are public records. They include a court case file containing a docket and all documents and filings filed in your court case. You are able to access the court records via the internet service ‘Public Access to Court Electronic Records’, or at the Coles County Clerk of Court in the jurisdiction where the case was filed.

Each state maintains records of a person’s criminal background. These online databases are all linked and you can track criminal backgrounds from other states. You can go to courthouse and make an inquiry, or check the website. It helps to know which county the crime occurred in, and in the event that the crime was in a different state, you might have to pay for a more intensive search.

A criminal history search you can find out if a person has ever been arrested, charged or convicted for the following crimes:

• DUI or DWI.
• Drug crimes like possession or trafficking.
• Kidnapping.
• Sex offenses which could include rape, and sexual assault.
• Violent crimes.
• Theft.

But, when you do a criminal records check, you will not be able to see if they have had any:

• Speeding tickets.
• Drivers license revoked or suspended.
• Any accidents.
• Minor infractions or moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To search for driving records, you will have to do a driving records search.

Have you ever needed to find criminal records? How hard was it? Was your search online or did you make a phone call to the Coles County courthouse? Was the information you received correct? There are many reasons that folks search for criminal records and backgrounds, and your account may make it easier for others.

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Most Wanted

Everyone knows that the FBI has a list of the Top Ten Most Wanted Criminals. In Coles County, the Sheriff maintains their own list of the top most wanted criminals in the county.

FBI Top Ten Most Wanted List: Link

Coles County Top Ten Most Wanted List


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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

While the prospect of serving a jail sentence in the Coles County jail is very scary, you will soon get used to the daily routine there. Inmates get an alarm for wake-up at about 6:00am, and next you’ll have roll call. Then you will eat breakfast. When you finish breakfast you will work in the work program or other activity that you are assigned. This could be working in the kitchen, laundry, or some sort of manufacturing job. While this may seem tedious, it may help you when you leave jail, as you are gaining experience in a certain field of work. Other inmates go to school, while some take part in mandated treatment programs. After lunch, there will be another roll call, then back to work. Your evening will be spent either in your cell or a common room. During this time dinner is served and you will be expected to take a shower. After another roll call, it’s lights out. Even though you will be confined to your cell, there may be enough light to read or write letters. Then again, most inmates welcome lights out, and try to get as much sleep as they can.

Most people are frightened at the idea of jail because they don’t know what to expect. If you have spent any time in Coles County Jail, your experiences would be welcomed, if it can help another person to deal with it.

Dress Code

When incarcerated, all inmates are expected to wear the Coles County Jail uniform. This is normally a jumpsuit or scrubs. Of note to anyone visiting an inmate – you must be properly dressed. Any clothing considered inappropriate will not be permitted.

How To Send Money to an Inmate

You will have your own ‘bank account’ while in jail. This money is used to purchase items from the Commissary. Family and friends can deposit money into this account for you, and any money you earn while in prison will also be deposited into your account. Outside money can be paid in to your account via a money order, cash or check. If someone sends a check or money order, make sure that they write your inmate ID on it. The maximum amount you are allowed in your account is $290 per month.

The rules for sending money to inmates changes, so it would be best to double check the official Coles County Jail site before send funds to someone in jail there.


Commissary

The commissary is the jail store. You can purchase a number of things here, such as toiletries, snacks and writing supplies. Bear in mind that you will probably want to use the commissary daily, and any infractions will get that privilege taken away from you.

Inmate Medications

If you are on any type of prescription medication, you will be allowed to continue taking it while in jail. When you are first processed, you will be asked what medication you take. You will then be referred to the jail nurse or doctor who will be in charge of monitoring your health and prescribing your medication.

Meals

You will get three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. As expected, they are very basic, but healthy. A typical breakfast might be cereal, toast, coffee and fruit. Lunch might be spaghetti, salad, bread and milk. Dinner could be chicken casserole, rice, vegetables, dessert and milk. Contrary to popular belief, prison food has greatly improved over the years, and you might find that it’s not much different from what you would eat at home.

Pods / The Yard

The jail is designed in a ‘pod’ layout, with self-contained housing arranged around an outdoor yard. Each pod has a central control station and a common room, and the inmates take turns in using the yard. The jail is designed this way to keep certain inmates together, and others away from the general population.

Gangs

As with life in general, gangs are a part of prison life. Obviously it is best to avoid becoming a part of this environment as it will only lead to trouble. When you first enter prison, you might find yourself being ‘primed’ to join a gang, or worse, you might get their attention in a negative way. The best thing to do is keep your head down and don’t get involved.


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News and Media

News

Photos / Pictures

Videos


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Jobs

Types of Jobs at Coles County Jail

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Coles County Jail, overseeing the day to day operations and administration of the jail. An inmate is unlikely to have much interaction with the Deputy Sheriff, unless they have committed an infraction. Detention Officers are responsible for the custody and care of the inmates. They maintain order in the jail, and handle security. A Detention Officer is assigned to a certain pod, and therefore is responsible for the same inmates each day. They get to know the inmates on a certain level and are well equipped to handle any problems that may occur.

Apply for a Job at Coles County Jail

Requirements:

• You must be over the age of 21.
• You must possess a High School Diploma or GED
• You must be a US Citizen.
• You must pass a Criminal, Credit and Driving History background check.
• You must pass a drug test.
• You must have a good level of fitness.
• You must be in good health.
• You must have a valid Driver’s License
• An applicant for Deputy Sheriff must possess a Law Enforcement Certification.


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Family Resources

There are resources for families of both the perpetrator of the crime and the victim. The social and emotional impact of crime is far reaching, affecting many. Families can receive professional counseling, court related assistance, social services assistance and help in navigating the criminal justice system.

If you are a family member, which resources did you find to be particularly helpful? Please let us know, as this will be helpful to other families in the same situation.

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Victim Resources

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.

Victim’s Rights

The Victim Rights Act grants victims the following rights:

• Victims have the right to protection from the accused.
• Victims have the right to notification.
• Victims have the right to attend proceedings.
• Victims have the right to speak at criminal justice proceedings.
• Victims have the right to consult with the prosecuting attorney.
• Victims have the right to restitution.
• Victims have the right to a speedy trial.
• Victims have the right to be treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

The definition of victim includes:

• Spouses and children of all victims.
• Parents and guardians of minor victims.
• Parents, guardians and siblings of mentally or physically incapacitated victims or victims of homicide.
• Foster parents or other caregivers, under certain circumstances.

There are a number of services and programs designed to help victims and their families. You can find out about these services by contacting the courthouse, or local law enforcement agency.

Victim Notification

The Department of Justice Victim Notification System (VNS) is a system that provides victims with information pertaining to their case and/or any defendants in the case. You will receive a Victim Identification Number (VIN) and a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that will allow you to access VNS via the internet or by phone. Here, you will find information about future court hearings, historical court events, and detailed information about the defendant. This will include criminal charges filed, the outcome of charges, sentence imposed, custody location, projected release date and any other release information. The VNS website is updated daily. You will also receive any ongoing information by mail or email.

Have you, a family member or friend ever used the Victim Notification System? If so, was it effective? Did you get the information in a timely manner? Was the system difficult to use? We would like to hear from you, so please post any comments here.

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Sex Offender Information and Search

All people registered as sex offenders are registered on either a national or state sex offender database. The people on these databases have been convicted of a sex or kidnapping crime. You can access this information online, but bear in mind that you will not get the exact address, rather the block that they live on.

Domestic Violence

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are services to help you. Your county will have a Domestic Violence Services office. They provide free and confidential services, such as emergency shelter information, legal advocacy, support groups and domestic violence education. They will work to help you create a safe and violence-free life, and heal from the trauma of abuse.

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.


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Reviews

Reviews of this Jail

Have you ever spent any time at Coles County Jail? Do you have a friend or family member that is a prisoner there? Have you ever been to visit an inmate at this jail?

If you have, then please leave a comment below about it. Write about your jail experience so that other people can find out what to expect.

Things you can write in your comment:

• Conditions in Coles County Jail.
• Jail and pod facility and layout
• Guards and staff
• Jail food and commissary
• Visitors
• Other Inmates.
• Prisoner safety
• Gangs
• Programs and activities


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Tell Your Story

Everyone’s who has been put in jail has a story about it. How’d you end up in jail? Did you get fair treatment? How was life in jail? Tell us about the other inmates. Did going to jail affect your life? How?

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Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Did you meet some cool folks in jail? Trying to find out how to get in touch with an inmate you met while you were incarcerated? Send a message to them here.

Send a message to people still locked up at Coles County Jail

Links and Resources

Main Coles County Jail Link
Coles County Jail Inmate Search Link
View Coles County Jail Mugshots
Coles County Jail Bail Link

Coles County Jail Visitation Policy Link
Coles County Jail Mail Policy
Coles County Jail Inmate Inquiry Link
Coles County Warrants
Coles County Jail Arrest Inquiry
Send Money to an Inmate at Coles County Jail
Coles County Jail Jobs


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