Look Up Sheridan Correctional Center Inmates

Sheridan Correctional Center Overview

Sheridan Correctional Center is a medium-security adult male prison operated by the Illinois Department of Corrections at 4017 E. 2603 Road in Sheridan. The warden listed on the official facility page is Ryan Woods. The prison is dedicated to substance-abuse treatment and is described by the state as one of the largest programs of its kind in the nation, using a therapeutic-community model. Everyone held here is a sentenced state prisoner, which is the key difference from the county jail.

The facility has a long history. It was built in 1941 as a juvenile site, converted to an adult prison in 1973, closed in 2002, and reopened on January 2, 2004 in its current form. The grounds cover 270 acres, with 80 acres inside the perimeter fence, and include 75 buildings, more than 600,000 square feet, 13 housing units, and a 9-bed health care unit.

The state facility page is the authoritative source for the prison's details. The Sheridan Correctional Center facility page lists the warden, capacity, programs, and contact information.

Because the page is maintained by the state, it is the reference to trust for visitation and mail rules that can change without much notice.

Sheridan Correctional Center Capacity and Population

The official facility page lists an operational capacity of 2,107 and a population of 1,210 as of June 30, 2024. The state also reported an average annual cost per individual of $40,395 for fiscal year 2022. These are state-reported prison figures, separate from the county jail count, and they dwarf the jail's numbers because Sheridan serves the state system, not just LaSalle County.

How to Look Up an Inmate at Sheridan Correctional Center

People held at Sheridan are found through the Illinois Department of Corrections Individual in Custody Search, not the county jail roster. The state search accepts a last name, an IDOC number, or a birthdate, so even a partial name can return results. The county iSOMS roster will not list a Sheridan prisoner.

1. Open the IDOC Individual in Custody Search on the state corrections website.
2. Search by last name, by IDOC number, or by birthdate.
3. Confirm the result shows Sheridan Correctional Center as the current facility.
4. Open the profile for the IDOC number, status, and facility assignment.

A person often arrives at a state prison after a county case ends in a sentence. The path from local custody to state prison is covered on the LaSalle County Jail page, since an individual can transfer from the jail to Sheridan or another IDOC facility based on classification.

Who Is Held at Sheridan Correctional Center

Sheridan holds sentenced adult men in the custody of the state, and that single fact governs everything else about a search. A person in the county jail is usually pre-trial or serving a short local term, and the sheriff controls that custody. A person at Sheridan has been convicted, committed to the Illinois Department of Corrections, and assigned to a state prison. The two groups do not overlap, and they appear in two different systems.

This matters most when someone vanishes from the county roster. Families sometimes assume a release when the real answer is a transfer to state prison after sentencing. The fix is to switch tools rather than keep refreshing the jail roster. Sheridan's treatment mission also means the state may route a person here specifically for substance-abuse programming, so a Sheridan assignment can reflect program need as much as security level.

Sheridan Correctional Center Address and Contact

The prison uses one address for business and individual-in-custody mail. Phone calls about the facility go to its main line, though staff cannot confirm by phone whether a visitor is on an approved list.

Visiting Someone at Sheridan Correctional Center

State prison visits work differently than county jail visits. A visitor must be on the incarcerated person's approved list, which is arranged by writing to the individual, and the visit is scheduled in advance through the state's signup system. Adults bring two forms of identification, one a state-issued photo ID, and leave electronics, bags, and currency outside the visiting room. The Sheridan page lists video visitation hours, and visitors should log on ahead of the scheduled start.

Note: The Sheridan page still lists the older GTL video vendor, while the statewide IDOC update says facilities moved video visits to ICSolutions, so check both pages before scheduling.

The statewide rules page covers the full visitor requirements that apply across IDOC. The IDOC visitation rules page explains approval, scheduling, and what visitors may bring.

The statewide rules add several practical limits. Adult visitors bring two forms of identification, with one being a state-issued photo ID, and provide vehicle information. Electronics, food, drink, currency, bags, and most personal items stay out of the visiting room, where small lockers may be available, and all persons and vehicles on state property are subject to search. Clothing must be in good taste and free of any gang or illegal references. Facility lockdowns can suspend visits, and IDOC runs a lockdown information line at (877) 840-3220 for the current listing.

Lockdowns can change visits on short notice, so confirming the schedule before traveling is worth the call.

Mail, Phone, and Money at Sheridan Correctional Center

Mail to a person at Sheridan uses their name and IDOC number with the facility address. The state scans or photocopies non-privileged mail in color and handles privileged legal mail separately. Money for an individual's account moves through the state's deposit vendors, which require the IDOC number and the person's last name. Timing varies by vendor: JPay and Western Union funds are generally expected within 24 to 48 business hours, while MoneyGram can take 72 to 96 business hours, and transfers run longer when a person is moving between facilities. Publications must come straight from a publisher or approved source.

Reception and Classification at Sheridan Correctional Center

Unlike a county jail, Sheridan does not book people off the street. A person arrives in the state system after a conviction and a sentence to the Illinois Department of Corrections, then moves through reception and classification, which decides custody level and facility assignment. Someone sentenced out of a LaSalle County court may land at Sheridan or at another IDOC prison, depending on that classification and on program needs such as substance-abuse treatment.

That is why a person can disappear from the county jail roster and reappear in the state locator weeks later. The custody simply moved from the sheriff to the state, and the search tool changed with it. The jail inmate records page explains the county side of that handoff, and the state locator picks up the search once a person reaches an IDOC facility.

About Sheridan Correctional Center

Sheridan's identity is built around treatment. The state runs an extensive program list here, including adult basic education, GED, a Lewis University bachelor's degree, and career and technical tracks such as culinary arts, barbering, welding, horticulture, electricity, carpentry, plumbing, and masonry. Recovery and life-skills programs include AA, NA, parenting groups, anger management, veterans transition, and peer education. Faith and volunteer offerings include Bible studies, Fathers Read Too, Inside Out Dads, chaplaincy, a library, and Inner Circle groups. The therapeutic-community model and the substance-abuse focus are what set this prison apart from a standard medium-security facility.

The building's history adds context that a generic prison page would miss. Sheridan began as a 1941 juvenile facility, became an adult prison in 1973, closed in 2002, and reopened in 2004 in its current treatment-focused form. The physical plant spans 75 buildings and more than 600,000 square feet across 270 acres, with 13 housing units and a 9-bed health care unit, which is why it can run such a large program list under one roof.