Macon County Jail

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The Macon County Jail is located at 333 South Franklin Street in Decatur, IL and is a medium security county jail operated by the Macon County Sheriff’s Department.

This guide will tell you all the information about anything related to the Macon County Jail, such as how to find an inmate at the Macon County Jail, the jail’s phone number and address, intake procedures, how to find Macon County court records, and lots more.

Top 10 Searches for Macon County Jail

1. Macon County Jail Information
2. Macon County Jail Inmate Search
3. Macon County Inmate Search in Decatur, IL
4. Macon County Jail Visitation Rules
5. What Are the Visitation Hours for Macon County Jail
6. How To Save Money on Inmate Calls at Macon County Jail
7. How to Send Inmate Care Packages to Macon County Jail
8. What is Inmate Commissary?
9. How to Send Money to an Inmate at Macon County Jail
10. How to Search Macon County Arrest Records

Introduction

The goal of this guide is to offer information and tips you need to make helping a friend or family member get out of jail less stressfull. If you have a specific question, feel free to ask them, and any feedback or comments that would help others is welcome.

Macon County Jail Inmate Search

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Who’s In Jail

The Macon County Jail Inmate Search is a roster of people who have been arrested and are in custody, including current status, and times you can visit. You can also find information about anybody arrested and processed or released in the last 24 hours. Prisoners are listed in alphabetical order by last name. You will be able to locate the information fast if you’ve got the arrestee’s name, birth date, or inmate ID Number.

Macon County Jail Policies and Procedures

Intake Procedures

The intake process at the Macon County Jail takes you through each of these steps:

They’ll put you in a holding cell. If there are a lot of arrests, you may not be processed immediately.

You will answer some simple questions, such as what is your full name, street address, birthdate and an emergency contact person, and they’ll also ask you about your medical and psychological history. Next, You will be given an inmate ID number and you will get fingerprinted. Then, any personal property you have will be taken from you and stored until you get released.

You will then be allowed to make a phone call in order to get in touch with a family member, friend, or loved-on.

If they expect that you will make bail and be released quickly, they will let you wear your own clothes, otherwise you will be issued a jail jumpsuit.

Discharge Procedures

When you pay your bail, you will get released from jail. The discharge process will take anywhere from 10 minutes to many hours. So, the quicker you post bail, the faster you will get out of jail. It also will depend on if you’ve been given a bond amount or if a magistrate needs to decide on your bail amount. For lesser charges, you will get booked and get released without having to post bail. When you have served your sentence and know the release date, plan to get discharged between 9am and noon.

Macon County Jail Visitation

In order to have visitors, inmates need to list information about each visitor to the Macon County Jail before you can visit. Your visitor’s information will go in the visitors log for the requesting inmate. Every visitor is required to provide identification. Any visitors arriving late or without a visiting order will not be allowed to visit the inmate.

The Macon County Jail visitation procedures can change, so we suggest that you call the official Macon County Jail at (217) 424-1341 before you go.

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Visitation Rules

Before you can visit an inmate at the Macon County Jail you have to first have your name on this person’s approved visitation list.

Be sure to bring your valid driver’s license or government issued ID when you go to visit or you will not be allowed to enter without it.

No cellphones at Macon County Jail, and you will be searched before entering. No personal belongings. Persons parole, probation, or other corrections supervision must get the permission of both the superintendent and their individual supervising officer before visiting. This kind of visitation is not going to be approved.

If the visitor is younger than 18 years of age and is a family member of the inmate, they must be accompanied by an adult family member or guardian to include a member of the inmate’s extended family. If a visitor is under the age of 18 and is not a family member of the inmate, this visitor must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Sending Mail to Inmates

This is what you need to know in order to send letters, photos, postcards, greeting cards and even magazines to an inmate at the Macon County Jail. Incoming and outgoing inmate mail at the Macon County Jail is always searched and inspected for contraband that might threaten the security, safety or well-being of the facility, its staff, and inmates. Inmates can only receive metered, unstamped, plain white postcards no larger than 4″ x 6″ as mail. The writing on the postcard has to be in pencil or blue or black ink. If it has a stamp on it, it will get returned. If you write in green ink, then it will get returned. If you send any other kind of mail will be returned to the sender. If there is no return address on it, then the unauthorized mail will be stored in the inmate’s locker until the inmate gets release.

Do not include any of these things in the mail that you send to an inmate: any kind of threat to jail order, any description of the manufacture of weapons, bombs, incendiary devices, or tools for escape; do not encourage or advocate any kind of violence, hate speech, or racial or ethnic supremacy. Inmates are not allowed to write to other inmates.

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Sending Other Things to an Inmate

There are strict procedures that you must follow to send anything to an inmate at the Macon County Jail. This includes sending money for to spend in the commissary, sending regular mail or photos, sending money for phone calls, and even postcards.

This page covers everthing you need to know about the Macon County Jail to help you follow these procedures and guidelines. If you have questions, or there is something that you were looking for, but did not find, please contact us using the contact link in the site menu.

Public Records

Warrant Inquiry

If you have an outstanding warrant for your arrest, you can find out by checking the arrest warrants inquiry online or you can call the jail directly. This requires a first and last name. You can also go to the local jail and ask them. You should be clear that there is an outstanding warrant for your arrest, they will take you into custody immediately.

Arrest Record Search

If you know a person’s name, and the date of their arrest, contact the Macon County jail, on the phone, in person, or find out online. Arrest records are in the public record and this information is accessible to anyone.

Court Records

Court Records are public records and available to anyone. They include a court case file containing a docket and any of the documents and filings filed in the case. You are able to access court records online, or at Clerk of Court office where the case was filed.

Criminal Records

Each state maintains records of a person’s criminal background. These state databases are connected and you can track criminal backgrounds from another state. You are able to go to the Macon County Courthouse and check in person, or check online. It helps to know which county the crime occurred in, and in the event that it was in a totally different state, you may have to pay for a more comprehensive search.

When you look up someone’s criminal record you are able to get a listing of all the arrests, charges, or convictions for the following crimes, drug Possession, kidnapping, rape or other sexual assault, violent crimes like assault or murder, or breaking and entering, theft, larceny.

Money & Commissary

The rules for sending money to Macon County Jail inmates are always changing, so visit the Macon County Jail site before you send money to an inmate.

How To Send Money to an Inmate at Macon County Jail

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.

Guidelines For Sending Money To An Inmate

Before you send any money you should find out what online money transfer companies the jail your inmate is incarcerated in uses. The exact method that the Macon County Jail uses changes frequently, so it is best to call them at (217) 424-1341 to get the current payment method.

You may be required to be on the inmate’s visitation list in order to send them money, and be aware that they may have a limit on how much you deposit at one time, like $200-300 at a time, or a limit on how much money may be in the inmate’s account at one time.

Some of the money transfer firms being used by various facilities include JPay, MoneyGram, AccessCorrections, OffenderConnect, Touchpayonline, JailATM, WU, smartdeposit, and tigercommissary.

If an inmate has fines or are required to pay restitution then they will be subject to garnishment of their commissary/trust account. If the inmate has a garnishment, then money to pay them will be taken from the inmate’s bank account. In some cases it may be a percentage or the entire amount of the obligation, but the actual percentage depends on the circumstances. We recommend that inmates talk to the counselor at their facility and try to find out. You can also try to make an arrangement so that only a percentage of your commissary funds are taken, instead of all your funds take at one time.

Commissary

The commissary is the Macon County Jail store. An inmate can buy a number of things here, such as personal items, food, and things for writing. Bear in mind that you will probably need to buy things from the commissary every day, and any infractions will get that privilege taken away from you.

The Commissary will sell an assortment of different products that inmates can purchase if they have sufficient funds in their commissary account. These items include clothes, shoes, small snacks and other food items, as well as personal hygiene products including soap, shampoo, and disposable razors for shaving. The commissary also sells other things like books and magazines, televisions and radios, playing cards, headphones, MP3 players, and electronic tablets. They also sell everything need to write home to family, friends, and loved ones: paper, envelopes, and stamps. If an inmate is indigent and cannot afford paper and stamps, the jail will provide these things to an inmate who has not had any money in their commissary account for at least 30 days.

Phone Calls & Phone Usage Policy

The only phone calls that Macon County Jail inmates are allowed to make are made through a jail approved pre-paid phone account or phone card . Jail phone calls are much more expensive than phone calls made at home. Inmates are able to make phone calls, with restrictions on when and how often you can use the phone, but bear in mind that you are just one of many people who want to talk to their loved ones. If you are disciplined for an infraction, an inmate’s ability to use the phone could be reduced or forbidden completely.

Phone Number: (217) 424-1341

How To Save Money on Inmate Calls

Correctional facility phone service providers have a monopoly at every facility that they are the exclusive phone provider for, which means that they they control how much it costs to make phone calls. The profits these phone service providers make off of all phone calls that inmates make are split with the facility, so there is no incentive for the jail or the counselors at the facility to show inmates or their family how to save money on inmate phone calls at the Macon County Jail. The rates are posted and there are at least two different prices based on where the inmate is calling. These three factors will determine the cost of an inmate phone call: Where you are located; Where your inmate is located, What type of phone number you have.

For example, if your inmate is in federal prison, if you get a new local number then this will decrease your inmate’s phone call rate from $.21 per minute to only $.06 per minute.

For state prisons and local jails finding out how to lower your inmates phone charges can be more difficult. ArrestedResources.com keeps up to date with all of the changes that affect your inmate’s calling rate and in most cases is able to offer you an inmate calling number that will save you significantly on inmate phone calls. In some cases, we will not be able to save you any money, and therefore we will not offer you an inmate calling number. In cases like this, the jail or prison has set their inmate calling prices in a way that nobody will be able to save you money.

For more detailed information on how to save on inmate calls at Macon County Jail, click the link below.

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