The Mason County Inmate Population
Mason County holds its inmate population in a single building, the Mason County Jail at 102 West Market Street in Havana. The Mason County Sheriff's Department runs the jail, and Sheriff Paul Gann is named as its custodian in the most recent state inspection. The people held there fall into a few groups. Some are waiting for a court date. Some are serving a short local sentence. Some are held for another county, the state, or a federal agency. The jail is not where sentenced felons stay, so they are not counted in this population.
The most reliable public count comes from the Illinois Department of Corrections, which inspects the jail each year and collects monthly population reports. On the September 11, 2024 inspection date, the jail held 27 people against 44 rated beds. That is a point-in-time number, not an average, and the count rises and falls with arrests, court decisions, and transfers to state prison. IDOC's Jail and Detention Standards Unit is the agency that gathers those figures.
Mason County Inmate Population Statistics
The headline numbers for the Mason County inmate population come from the 2024 IDOC compliance report. The jail is rated for 44 total beds, broken into 40 male and 4 female beds, with no juvenile capacity. On inspection day it held 27 people, which is about 61 percent of capacity. There is one detention facility in the county, so the whole jail population sits in that one building.
County context helps read those jail numbers. The U.S. Census Bureau profile for Mason County records a population near 12,400 residents, spread across more than 539 square miles of central Illinois farmland. The Census QuickFacts page for Mason County sets out the community figures behind the jail data.
The QuickFacts table shows a county of roughly twelve thousand people, which explains why a 44-bed jail is enough to serve it. A small resident base means a small inmate population, even on a busy week.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection-day population | 27 (25 male, 2 female) | IDOC inspection, Sept 11, 2024 |
| Rated bed capacity | 44 (40 male, 4 female) | IDOC inspection, 2024 |
| Capacity used on inspection day | About 61% | Calculated from IDOC 2024 |
| County resident population | About 12,411 | U.S. Census, July 1, 2025 |
Mason County Inmate Population Trends
Looking back a few years shows the jail count drifting lower. The Vera Institute incarceration dataset, which compiles county jail figures, lists a Mason County jail population near 47 in 2013 and about 38 in 2019. The 2024 inspection count of 27 sits below both. These come from different sources and different methods, so they should be read as a rough trend rather than an exact line. The Vera sex breakdown for 2019 is internally inconsistent, so the table below uses only the total and the capacity.
| Year | Jail Population / Capacity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 47 / 44 | Vera county dataset; above rated capacity that year |
| 2019 | 38 / 44 | Vera county dataset; total used cautiously |
| Sept 11, 2024 | 27 / 44 | IDOC inspection; strongest official point-in-time count |
| 2025 | Not published | No current Mason County dashboard located |
No current daily dashboard exists for the county, so the 2024 inspection is the freshest official figure. National numbers give the trend some scale. The Bureau of Justice Statistics counted about 657,500 people in local jails at midyear 2024, with roughly 69 percent of them not yet convicted.
The lead-in figures above are drawn from the federal jail report. The BJS 2024 preliminary jail data release sets the national backdrop for a small county like Mason.
That national report shows most jail inmates are pretrial, which matches what the small Mason County population looks like on any given day.
Who Makes Up the Mason County Inmate Population
The 2024 inspection gives the clearest local breakdown by sex. On that date the jail held 25 men and 2 women, and no juveniles. The report does not publish a race, age, or charge-level breakdown, so those numbers are not claimed here. What the report does add is that the jail houses detainees for other jurisdictions, though it does not say how many or for whom.
- Pre-trial versus sentenced - most county jail inmates are awaiting court, in line with the national pattern of about two-thirds unconvicted.
- Male versus female - 25 male and 2 female on the 2024 inspection date.
- Juveniles - the jail reports no juvenile capacity and held no juveniles on inspection day.
- Held for other agencies - the jail confirms it holds detainees for other jurisdictions, without a published count.
Note: a person held in the Mason County Jail for another agency may have no Mason County court case at all, which is why a name can be in the jail yet missing from local court records.
Mason County Jail Capacity and Layout
The jail is a one-floor detention area built in 1989. The 2024 inspection lists its housing as 14 double cells, 4 double detention rooms, and two six-bed dorms. That layout adds up to the 44 rated beds. With 27 people on inspection day, the building was below capacity, so overcrowding is not the county's main pressure.
The inspection did flag two compliance concerns rather than crowding. IDOC noted the jail used a single officer on certain shifts, while the standards unit expects at least two officers stationed in the detention area per shift. It also cited the layout for making sight-and-sound separation of male and female detainees hard, and recommended either building a compliant area or stopping the detention of women. Staffing on the books was 11 full-time jail-duty employees and 5 part-time jail officers.
Laws Governing the Mason County Inmate Population
State law decides what is public about the jail and who has to report it. Illinois treats most jail and arrest information as open under the Freedom of Information Act, while letting agencies redact some law-enforcement and privacy material. A separate provision sets a fast track for basic arrest data. The County Jail Act names the sheriff as the jail's keeper and requires a monthly prisoner list for the court. The corrections code and its jail standards put IDOC in charge of inspecting county jails and collecting population counts. A death-in-custody law sets reporting duties when someone dies inside.
Key Statutes:
Illinois FOIA, 5 ILCS 140 - jail and inmate records are presumed open, and the agency must justify any withholding.
5 ILCS 140/2.15 - basic arrest-report information must be furnished within 72 hours, subject to exemptions.
County Jail Act, 730 ILCS 125 - the sheriff is the jail's custodian and keeps a monthly prisoner calendar for the court.
730 ILCS 5/3-15-2 - IDOC sets and monitors county jail standards and collects jail population data.
Reporting of Deaths in Custody Act, 730 ILCS 210/3-5 - requires reporting certain custody deaths to the state.
Note: under Illinois FOIA the first 50 pages of an allowable, non-commercial request to the county are provided at no cost, per the county FOIA directory.
Mason County and the Illinois Prison Population
When a Mason County defendant is sentenced to a felony term, that person leaves the county jail and enters the Illinois Department of Corrections. From that point the county count no longer applies, and the search moves to the statewide locator. No state prison sits inside Mason County, so every sentenced resident is held somewhere else in Illinois. The IDOC all-facilities list and map confirm there is no Havana prison.
This split matters for anyone trying to find a person. A name that is no longer on a jail phone check may simply have moved to a prison after sentencing. The IDOC Individual in Custody Search covers that sentenced population statewide.
How to Search the Mason County Inmate Population
Mason County does not run an online jail roster, so the search starts with the sheriff. A phone call is the fastest way to confirm whether someone is currently held. For a copy of a booking record or photo, the route is a written records request to the sheriff. For charges, the court system is the better source once a case is filed.
You do not need much to start. A full legal name is enough, and a date of birth or booking date makes the answer faster.
- Call the Mason County Sheriff's Department at 309-543-2231 and ask the jail or booking desk about current custody.
- Give the person's full name, plus a date of birth, arresting agency, or rough booking date if you have it.
- Ask whether the person is in custody, released, transferred, or held for another jurisdiction.
- For records or a booking photo, send a written FOIA request to the sheriff at 102 W. Market Street, Havana, IL 62644.
- If the person was sentenced to prison, search the IDOC locator instead of calling the jail.
The sheriff and the county's other offices are listed together on the official county site. The Mason County contact page carries the phone and email routes for the sheriff, circuit clerk, and state's attorney.
That contact page is the starting point for any custody question, since the sheriff's office is the only office that can confirm who is in the jail right now.
Current Inmate Lookup in Mason County
For a current local inmate, the working channel is the sheriff by phone, backed by a records request for anything in writing. The county does not publish a searchable inmate list, so there is no county form to fill in. The one online search that does apply to former Mason County residents is the state locator, which is searchable by name, IDOC number, or birthdate.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Name | Text | One method required | Complete last name or its first letters |
| IDOC Number | Text | One method required | Example format K01234 |
| Birthdate | Date | One method required | Example format 04-01-1965 |
The fields above are for the statewide IDOC search, which applies once a person is sentenced and transferred. For someone still in the Mason County Jail, those fields do not help, and the phone call to 309-543-2231 remains the answer.
Past and Released Inmate Records
Finding a past or released inmate works differently from finding a current one. With no public roster, there is no archived booking feed to scroll. For historical booking records, custody dates, or an old arrest report, the route is a written FOIA request to the sheriff. The county FOIA directory provides the contact, and the first 50 pages of an allowable non-commercial request come at no cost.
If the person was sentenced and sent to state prison, their record lives in the IDOC system rather than the county's. The state locator keeps profiles for current prisoners and shows admission, parole, and discharge dates. For court outcomes after release, the circuit clerk and the Judici case system hold the case history. Booking photos and roster snapshots are covered on the Mason County jail mugshots page.
What a Mason County Inmate Record Shows
Because no public county profile exists, the field list below describes the statewide IDOC profile that applies once someone is sentenced. It is the closest public record to a roster entry. A county booking record holds similar fields internally, but those are released only through a records request, not posted online.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| IDOC Number | The state ID assigned to a sentenced prisoner |
| Name and Photo | Legal name and a state photo when available |
| Parent Institution | The prison where the person is held |
| Offender Status | In custody, paroled, or discharged |
| Admission Date | When the person entered state custody |
| Sentence and Offense | The charge, class, county, and projected dates |
A county jail booking record would instead center on a booking number, intake date, holding charges, and release authority. Those exist in the jail's own files and can be requested in writing, but they are not displayed on a public Mason County page.
County Jail vs. State Prison: Where to Look
People mix up the jail and the prison constantly, and the two use separate systems. The county jail holds pre-trial detainees and short local sentences, and the sheriff controls its records. State prison holds sentenced felons, and IDOC controls those records statewide. Knowing which one applies saves a wasted search.
| County Jail | State Prison (IDOC) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who Is Held | Pre-trial and short sentences | Sentenced felons |
| Run By | Mason County Sheriff | Illinois Department of Corrections |
| Where to Look | Sheriff by phone / FOIA | IDOC online locator |
| Records Online | No public roster | Yes, statewide search |
The full roster walkthrough and the access-channel chain live on the Mason County jail inmate records page, which goes deeper on each lookup method.
State and Federal Inmate Search
Beyond the county, three more systems each cover a slice of the wider inmate population. Sentenced state prisoners use the IDOC locator. Sentenced federal prisoners use the Bureau of Prisons. Immigration detainees use the ICE system. A victim or family member can also register for custody alerts through Illinois VINELink, which pulls from county jails, IDOC, and the courts.
The state locator is the one most often needed for a former Mason County inmate. The IDOC search form takes a last name, IDOC number, or birthdate.
That form covers sentenced prisoners across Illinois. For federal custody, use the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator; for immigration holds, use the ICE detainee locator; and for alerts, register at Illinois VINELink.
Mason County Detention Facilities
Research located one detention facility physically in the county. There is no separate work-release center, regional jail, state prison, or federal facility inside Mason County. People sentenced to prison, held federally, or in immigration custody are housed elsewhere and searched through the matching statewide or federal system.
- Mason County Jail - the county jail in Havana for pre-trial detainees, short local sentences, and other-agency holds.
The officials who run and oversee that jail are named on the county's own pages. The Mason County officials page lists Sheriff Paul Gann and the other elected offices tied to the jail and courts.
That officials page is useful because the sheriff named there is the same person who serves as the jail's FOIA officer for booking-record requests.
Mason County Custody Terms Defined
A few terms come up again and again in any inmate search, and they are easy to confuse. The short definitions below keep the rest of the page clear.
- Booking
- The administrative entry of an arrested person into jail custody, with fingerprints and a photo.
- Pretrial release
- Release before trial under court conditions; in Illinois this no longer turns on cash bail.
- Detainer or hold
- A request from another agency that can keep a person in jail even when the local case ends.
- Classification
- The jail's process for deciding housing and supervision, reviewed on a set schedule.
- IDOC
- The Illinois Department of Corrections, the state prison system for sentenced felons.
Mason County Inmate Population FAQ
How big is the Mason County inmate population?
On the September 11, 2024 state inspection, the Mason County Jail held 27 people against a rated 44 beds, which is about 61 percent full. That is a point-in-time count, not an average, and it is the freshest official figure. Older Vera data shows higher counts near 38 in 2019 and 47 in 2013, so the trend has drifted down.
How do I search the Mason County inmate population?
There is no public online roster, so start by calling the sheriff at 309-543-2231 to confirm current custody. For records or a booking photo, send a written FOIA request to the sheriff. For a sentenced person, use the IDOC online locator instead, since they leave the county jail after sentencing.
Can I look up a released or past inmate?
Yes, but not through a county roster. For historical booking records, file a FOIA request with the sheriff. For someone sent to prison, search IDOC. For the court outcome after release, use the circuit clerk or the Judici case system. Victims can also register for status alerts through Illinois VINELink.
Does Mason County post mugshots online?
No official Mason County mugshot gallery was found. Booking photos are taken at intake but are not published on a county page. The way to obtain one is a written records request to the sheriff, which may be redacted or denied if an exemption applies.