Frequently Asked Questions

General Overview

There are various forms of sentence credits available to individuals in custody, however not all individuals in custody are eligible for each type of credit. The three most common types of credit are Statutory Sentence Credit, Program Sentence Credit, and Earned Sentence Credit.

Statutory Sentence Credit refers to the percentage of time a determinate-sentenced individual in custody must spend incarcerated. Individuals in custody serve 50%, 75%, 85%, or 100% of their sentence, determined by statute, and based on the offense that was committed. For example, an individual in custody who received a 4 year sentence for burglary would serve 50% of his sentence by statute, or 2 years. Individuals in custody may lose statutory sentence credit based on negative behavior while in custody.

Program Sentence Credit refers to time earned by an individual in custody for participation in education, life skills courses, behavioral modification, drug treatment, re-entry planning, or Illinois Correctional Industries programs. Not all individuals in custody are eligible for programming credit; for instance, individuals in custody convicted of offenses which require them to serve 100% or 85% of their sentence are not eligible but may still be able to participate in such programming. Individuals in custody earn one-half day off their sentence for each day of participation in such programs if they successfully complete the programs (Example: if an eligible individual in custody completes a drug treatment program that is 30-days in duration, he may be awarded 15-days off his sentence). Individuals in custody may lose program sentence credit based on bad behavior while in custody.

Sentence Credit Public Act 101-0440 (House Bill 0094) effective January 1, 2020, Section 3-6-3 of the Unified Code of Corrections revises the eligibility requirements and expands awards of sentence credits to those whose crimes were committed prior to June 19, 1998 and who have participated and completed in programming prior to January 1, 2020. In addition individuals in custody who obtain a bachelor, masters or professional degree during their current term of incarceration shall be eligible for addition program sentence credits. For further information please review the following FAQ's: FAQ's pertaining to Public Act 101-0440

Earned Sentence Credit ("SSC") refers to credit of up to 180 days on an individual in custody's incarceration that can be issued at the sole discretion of the Director of the Department of Corrections or his designee. Similar to Statutory Sentence Credit and Program Sentence Credit, individuals in custody may lose Earned Sentence Credit based on their behavior while in custody.

For an individual in custody to be eligible for an award of Earned Sentence Credit, first and foremost, he or she must have served more than 60 days in IDOC custody and be serving a sentence for offenses that are not excluded from an award pursuant to Section 3-6-3(a)(3) of the Code of Corrections (730 ILCS 5/3-6-3(a)(3)). Additionally eligibility for Earned Sentence Credit shall be based on but not limited to the following:

• results of any risk/needs assessment or other relevant assessments or evaluations administered by the Department using a validated instrument,
• the circumstances of the crime,
• any history of conviction for a forcible felony
• the individual in custody’s behavior and disciplinary history while incarcerated,
• the individual in custody’s commitment to rehabilitation, including participation in programming offered by the department,
• if recommended by a court, must have completed substance abuse treatment or been waived from the requirement by the Department, and
• must have completed mandatory sex individual in custody treatment (if necessary) or been waived of the requirement by the Department (if applicable).

It is important to note that even if an individual in custody is potentially eligible for an award of Earned Sentence Credit, the individual in custody should not and does not have an outright expectation to receive an award.

The Department is working both carefully and diligently to review individuals in custody for Earned Sentence Credit pursuant to the above statutory eligibility requirements and comprehensive discretionary analysis.

For those with family or friends within IDOC we appreciate your patience as the Department works to safely and responsibly implement the Earned Sentence Credit Program. Because of the many factors the Department intends to consider for each potentially eligible individual in custody, it is impossible for the Department to project whether or when any specific individual in custody will receive an award of Earned Sentence Credit. It is also not possible for the Department to respond to inquiries concerning an individual in custody's likelihood of receiving an award of Earned Sentence Credit due to laws that prevent the disclosure of confidential master record file information. If an individual in custody is projected to have a revised parole date as a result of an award of Earned Sentence Credit, the individual in custody will be notified, and his or her time adjustment will be reflected on the IDOC website under the individual in custody's profile in the Individual in Custody Search link.

Mothers of children whose father is incarcerated sometimes find it difficult to make ends meet. They seek "incarceration pay" from the Department of Corrections to help them support the children while the father is incarcerated. There is no Illinois Corrections program that allows the agency to financially support children of incarcerated fathers or mothers.

"C-Numbers" refers to those individuals in custody who were convicted to indeterminate sentences prior to implementation of determinate sentencing in 1978. C-numbered individuals in custody periodically appear before members of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board to plead their case for parole. Other individuals in custody serve a specific amount of time and are released after serving a percentage of their sentence.

The Illinois General Assembly passed legislation in 1977 that changed the state's sentencing laws. It also established a new category of crime (Class X for the most violent crimes) as well as creating the death sentence and natural life sentence. Legislators also displaced the Illinois Parole and Pardon Board with the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. This eliminated a subjective determination by members of the Parole and Pardon Board as to when or why an individual in custody could be released from prison.

Determinate sentencing became effective in February 1978. Individuals in custody convicted of crimes committed in 1978 or later were given determinate sentences -- specific amounts of time based on the seriousness of the crime. Previously, an individual in custody received an indeterminate sentence -- or range of time -- and appeared before the Parole and Pardon Board which determined suitability for release to parole.

Until passage of "Truth in Sentencing" laws in the 1990s (730 ILCS 5/3-6-3), all individuals in custody were to spend half their sentences incarcerated in jail or prison (less awards of good time). Under "Truth in Sentencing" laws, those convicted of first degree murder will serve 100 percent of the sentence. Those committing other violent offenses under Truth in Sentencing laws will serve 85 percent of their sentence.

The Illinois Department of Corrections is not a lawmaking entity and does not hand down sentences to those who come into the state's prison system. IDOC incarcerates individuals committed to it by the courts of this state.

No. Individuals in custody are not permitted access to the Internet, nor can they have personal computers in their cells. Individuals in custody may use computers if their educational program merits it.

Traditionally, individuals in custody 50 year of age or older make up five to six percent of the individual in custody population. While the percentage of older individuals in custody has not increased dramatically, the number of older individuals in custody has increased as the population has quadrupled during the last three decades. And, as younger and middle aged individuals in custody continue to serve longer sentences, the number and percentage of older individuals in custody will increase accordingly. In addition, older individuals in custody will likely have increased health issues as they age. Illinois Corrections is carefully monitoring the situation. The agency is exploring ways to care for its elderly and sick population through designated centers of specialized care. The agency currently has a limited geriatric unit at the Dixon Correctional Center. It houses approximately 80 individuals in custody who are over the age of 50, have multiple medical problems, but function independently. Other older individuals in custody with physical infirmities are housed in prison infirmaries as determined by their clinical and security status.

Individual in custody conviction information can only be removed with proper paperwork from the committing court. Certified copies of not guilty verdicts on cases reversed and remanded to the circuit court are sufficient. Other court documents may be considered in cases where mistrials are ruled in remanded cases. Former individuals in custody who have received pardons and commutations will have cases reviewed on an individual basis after Prisoner Review Board documents are submitted to the agency by the board at the request of the former individual in custody. Paperwork and a cover letter should be submitted to the IDOC Public Information Office.

Individuals in custody may receive mail at any time during their incarceration. To ensure prompt processing, the individual in custody’s IDOC number should be placed in the proximity of their name on the envelope. You can locate the individual in custody IDOC number on the Individual in custody Search link. The information will feature the facility in which the individual in custody is housed. Facility addresses are under Facilities.

Your letter to the individual in custody will be opened and searched for contraband. If contraband is found, we will ask the state's attorney of your county to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. Do not include pre-embossed envelopes, pre-stamped envelopes, postage stamps or plain envelopes in the mail to the individual in custody. Please do not decorate the envelope with stickers. Any document received that has stickers attached will be returned. 

Please visit our Contact an Individual in Custody page for more information on Electronic Messaging Services.

Individuals in custody are provided food, clothing and healthcare. To ensure safety and security in the prison system, individuals in custody are able to purchase approved items in the commissary.

Individuals in custody can receive correspondence, legal mail and publications, which are reviewed to determine whether they are obscene or constitute a danger to safety and security. The institutional Publication Review Committee reviews all publications that are not on the approved list, and will disapprove materials that do not meet criteria. Individuals in custody can receive publications, including books, periodicals, magazines, newspapers and catalogs in accordance with department regulations. Individuals in custody can receive publications from a vendor, friend or family. There is no limit through the mail. Publications brought to the facility shall be limited to 5 per visit.

Guidelines need to be followed for envelopes and packages.

• Envelopes that are padded with clear bubble wrap will be accepted. Envelopes that have this type of padding can be easily scanned.
• Envelopes padded with gray diamond dust and corrugated cardboard boxes mailed from family and friends will not be accepted and will be returned to the sender without being opened.
• Mail containing stains of any type, including but not limited to perfume, lipstick, oily substances, unusual stains, body fluids, etc., is not allowed.
• Mail which includes the use of crayon, highlighter or other markers on the paper, glitter, or other foreign or unknown substance on the paper is not allowed. Mail written or printed in colored ink is permitted.

Individuals in Custody may receive money via GTL (ConnectNetwork/ViaPath), JPAY, Western Union, or money order. Money orders must be sent directly to the lockbox, NOT to the facility – for more information please visit our Individual in Custody Deposit Services page.

IDOC operates two adult boot camps. The adult camps are located at the DuQuoin State Fairground in Perry County and Dixon Springs, at the edge of the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois. Adult individuals in custody must volunteer before the judge and the placement recommendation by the judge is reviewed when the individual in custody is received at IDOC. Adults may not have been convicted of a serious crime, must be between the ages of 18-35 and not have been sentenced to IDOC more than twice. They cannot have a sentence of more than 8 years. IDOC retains the right to determine who goes to boot camp based on the nature of the crime and whether the individual in custody can take the regimentation both physically and mentally. The camp is 120-days in length. Individuals in custody may not have visitors for 60 days, and then only immediate family. They are also restricted from phone calls for a period of time. Individuals in custody may possess only what IDOC gives them.

Individuals in custody will be located at an IDOC reception and classification unit until they are processed for appropriate placement. Generally, individuals in custody are assigned to a maximum security prison with a sentence of 30 years or more. Individuals in custody with a sentence of 30 years or less are assigned to a medium security facility, while individuals in custody with a sentence of 10 years or less are assigned to a minimum security facility. However, these are only guidelines; other factors can determine the placement of an individual in custody. The Transfer Coordinator’s Office makes the final determination of an individual in custody’s placement following a thorough review. Individuals in custody who do not abide by the rules at minimum or medium security prisons may be assigned to maximum security prisons regardless as to the length of time to serve. They may not have visits for a month, then two one-hour visits for the next 30-days, then three one-hour visits for the next 30 days. They are not allowed to make collect phone calls for the first 30-days, may make one 15-minute phone call during the next 30-days, and then three 15-minute phone calls the next 30-days. They cannot have commissary during the first 30-days, and then $15 a month for personal hygiene items for the next 60-days. This is all dependent on maintaining proper discipline.

The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) operates 4 Adult Transition Centers (ATCs), also referred to as work release centers. One of the centers, Fox Valley ATC in Aurora, houses female individuals in custody. The other 3 facilities house male individuals in custody. The male ATC facilities are Crossroads ATC and North Lawndale ATC in Chicago; and Peoria ATC in Peoria.

Individuals in custody must work or go to school, or both, and return to the center when not occupied in an approved activity in the community. Individuals in custody who are within 2 years of release and classified as minimum security may apply for placement at an ATC through their assigned correctional counselor. Approximately 45,000 adults are incarcerated in IDOC; therefore the agency is selective about who is transferred to ATCs.

Currently, an individual in custody search on our website will only return information the Department may disclose to the public on IDOC individuals in custody who are currently incarcerated or on parole. If an individual in custody has completed his or her sentence, the individual's information will not be displayed. Their information is still available; however, you must request it through our archived records search.

The ability to conduct a thorough search of archived records depends on the information received from a requester. Including the following information is helpful: the full name of the person, the date of birth, and the year the individual in custody was received at the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Additional information about where the individual in custody served their time, the county where the conviction was handed down and other dates relevant to their incarceration will enhance search efforts. Please be as thorough as possible and check for correct spelling of first and last names.

Requestors must complete the form on the Contact Us page, and should select Record Search under the General Subject section of the form.

The Illinois Prisoner Review Board (PRB) is a separate entity from the Illinois Department of Corrections. The PRB is an independent body whose members are appointed by the Governor of Illinois. The PRB imposes release conditions for individuals in custody exiting penal facilities, revokes and restores good conduct credits from individuals in custody, conducts hearings to determine whether parolees have violated conditions of parole, and awards certificates of Relief from Disabilities and Certificates of Good Conduct. The PRB notifies victims and their families when an individual in custody is about to be released from custody. The Board also makes confidential recommendations to the Governor relative to executive clemency petitions.

More information can be found on the Prisoner Review Board website.

Individuals in custody cannot receive telephone calls but can make collect calls to those on their approved calling list. If you want to receive collect calls from an individual in custody, you will need to write the individual in custody and ask to be placed on their approved calling list. Securus is the only service provider used by the Illinois Department of Corrections for individual in custody telephone services. For more information on phone calls, please visit our Contact an Individual in Custody page.

Visit the department's Visitation Rules & Information webpage for more information.

You must write the warden to request a visit with a particular individual in custody. A proposed visitor, who has been convicted of a criminal offense or who has criminal charges pending, is on parole, mandatory supervised release, or probation or is an ex-individual in custody, can visit an individual in custody only with the written approval of the warden. Those on parole or mandatory supervised release also need parole agent approval.

The Illinois Prisoner Review Board (PRB), which is a separate entity of the Illinois Department of Corrections, sets the conditions of parole for a parolee.

Below is the contact information for the PRB:

Illinois Prisoner Review Board
319 East Madison Street, Suite A
Springfield, IL 62701

Telephone: (217) 782-7273
Fax: (217) 524-0012

Access the Individual in custody Search link.

The information which the Department may disclose to the public on any current or former IDOC individual in custody, includes his or her name, IDOC number, parent institution, current location or status, vital statistics, admission and release dates, and sentencing information. All other information is confidential and may be released only pursuant to a valid subpoena or court order.

It is the policy of IDOC to classify each individual in custody on an individual basis; to establish the level of security necessary for control; to identify program needs, and to assign individuals in custody to an appropriate institution, facility or program. Individuals in custody will be located at an IDOC reception and classification unit until they are processed for appropriate placement.

Generally, individuals in custody are assigned to a maximum security prison with a sentence of 30 years or more. Individuals in custody with a sentence of 30 years or less are assigned to a medium security facility, while individuals in custody with a sentence of 10 years or less are assigned to a minimum security facility. However, these are only guidelines; other factors can determine the placement of an individual in custody. The Transfer Coordinator’s Office makes the final determination of an individual in custody’s placement following a thorough review. Individuals in custody who do not abide by the rules at minimum- or medium-security prisons can be assigned to maximum-security prisons regardless as to the length of time to serve.

During reception and classification, the individual in custody is screened by the Health Care Unit staff to address any immediate medical needs. While in reception and classification, individuals in custody cannot make telephone calls; however, they can receive letters via U.S. mail.

Individuals in custody admitted to a reception and classification center are in reception status. They remain in reception status until they are transferred to a permanent institution. Privileges and movement are limited at the reception center. There is no set time frame for processing an individual in custody; the processing varies per individual in custody.

An individual in custody can bring private medications when arriving at the Reception and Classification Center. However, once at IDOC, the physician will have to determine if they will be continued or if formulary substitutions will be used.

Individuals in custody can request a transfer to another adult facility through their assigned correctional counselors after they have remained in general population for 6 months at their current facility. Individuals in custody will discuss with their counselors the rationale and eligibility for transfer. Individual in custody transfer requests are then initiated by the assigned correctional counselor and subsequently reviewed by the facility administration with a final recommendation by the warden of the facility. If recommended for approval, the transfer request is forwarded to the Transfer Coordinator's Office (TCO). The TCO will make a final determination on the request for transfer upon review of all information, including the eligibility and needs of the individual in custody, facility adjustment, and the bed space needs of the IDOC.

IDOC operates 4 Adult Transition Centers (ATCs), also referred to as work release centers. One of the centers, Fox Valley ATC in Aurora, houses female individuals in custody. The other 3 facilities house male individuals in custody. The male ATC facilities are Crossroads ATC and North Lawndale ATC in Chicago and Peoria ATC in Peoria.

IDOC has established programs of work release for those individuals in custody who meet the standards established by departmental rules and regulations. There are strict requirements which must be met for participation in a work release program at an ATC. Individuals in custody must work or go to school, or both, and return to the center when not occupied in an approved activity in the community. Individuals in custody who are within 2 years of release and classified as minimum security can apply for placement at an ATC through their assigned correctional counselor. Approximately 45,000 adults are incarcerated in IDOC; therefore the agency is selective about who is transferred to ATCs.

The Victims Services Unit will provide information, assistance and support to victims of crime whose victimizers are remanded to the custody or control of IDOC, and to victimized employees. These services will be administered with respect, compassion and confidentiality.

The Victim Services Unit will enhance victim's rights in Illinois through public forums, needed legislation, and joint efforts with other victim services agencies, departments and organizations.

The Victim Services Unit can be reached at: toll free 877-776-0755 or (217) 558-2200 ext. 4006.

More information can be found on the Victim Services website.

You can register to receive notifications on any changes to an individual in custody's custody status through the AVN/VineLink website.

AVN/VineLink is a service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide information about individual in custody custody and case status and automatic notification (to those who register) of any change in status.

You can also contact the Victim Services Unit toll free at 877-776-0755 or (217) 558-2200 ext. 4006 to register for notifications.

IDOC staff cannot discuss health care information about an individual in custody unless there is an Authorization for Release of Individual in Custody Medical Health Information or an Authorization for Release of Individual in Custody Mental Health signed by the individual in custody on file. You may ask the individual in custody to complete these forms and to submit them to the Health Care Unit where the individual in custody is housed.

You can access the IDOC's Parolee Sex Registrant Search link. The data pertains to only those individuals in custody under parole supervision or mandatory supervised release from the Illinois Department of Corrections who are required to register as Sex Offenders per Illinois statute. Less than 2000 of the 18,000+ sex registrants in Illinois are under the supervision of the Illinois Department of Corrections. The address information is updated by the Parole Division of IDOC and may differ from that displayed on the Illinois State Police Sex Offender Registry web site at https://isp.illinois.gov/Sor/Disclaimer.

For additional information or assistance on sex offender registration contact the Attorney General's Illinois Sex Offender Registry Team, 888-414-7678 (Voice/TTY) or the Illinois State Police Sex Offender Registry Unit.

Individuals in custody must have an approved residence before being released to parole. You can contact the facility in which the individual in custody is housed and ask to speak with Field Services. The facility phone numbers are under the All Facilities link.

The agency's Interstate Compact handles such inquiries. IDOC Interstate Compact can be reached at 217-558-2200 ext. 5100.

You can contact your local law enforcement and provide them the information. You can also contact the Illinois Department of Corrections at 217-558-2200 or fill out the Contact Us form on our website.

Information about correctional officer positions can be found on the Careers at DOC webpage. All positions other positions available at IDOC are listed with the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS).

At IDOC, volunteers assist in various ways, ranging from mentoring and meeting the religious needs of individuals in custody to offering alcohol and drug rehabilitation such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Volunteers tutor, hold church services and Bible studies as well as parenting, art, music, poetry and literacy classes. At IDOC, thousands of volunteers provide programs and services that otherwise would not be available to the incarcerated men and women. Those interested in the Volunteer Services Program at IDOC can contact Marcy Morris, volunteer services manager, at 217-558-2200 ext. 6101.

Jails are correctional facilities operated by the county or municipality.

Prisons are correctional facilities operated by the state or federal government.

The Illinois Department of Corrections is the state-operated prison system. IDOC incarcerates felons sentenced by the courts to the state's prison system. County jails, municipal jails and federal prisons are separate entities.

If you are concerned about the mental health of an individual in custody, contact the main number of the facility where the individual in custody is housed. The number for each facility can be found on this website under “Facilities & Visitation.” Tell the operator you are calling to report a mental health concern. Your call will be forwarded to the appropriate staff. Be prepared to provide the name of the individual in custody, their IDOC identification number (if known) and any information that led to your concern. The facility will not be able to share any confidential health information with you regarding the individual in custody.