Wayne County Jail Overview
Wayne County Jail is operated by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office at 305 E. Court Street in Fairfield. Official county pages list Sheriff Chris Otey and the jail/sheriff phone number as 618-842-6096. The facility is the local custody point for Wayne County arrests, local confinement, first-appearance custody, and people awaiting transfer after an Illinois Department of Corrections sentence.
The official facility set is narrow. No county jail annex, work-release building, regional detention center, city lockup, state prison, Bureau of Prisons facility, ICE facility, or dedicated U.S. Marshals facility physically inside Wayne County was located in official sources. Wayne County Jail is therefore the single facility page for this project.
The official sheriff page names the office, the jail, the sheriff, and the local jail contact block.
The sheriff page is the local source for Wayne County Jail contact and public jail information, not a live inmate roster.
Wayne County Jail Capacity
The most detailed facility inventory comes from the Illinois Department of Corrections Office of Jail and Detention Standards 2024 compliance monitoring report. IDOC inspected Wayne County Jail on August 21, 2024. The report lists construction in 1993, last renovation in 1999, formal capacity of 32, and an inspection-day population of 26.
Public bed counts conflict across high-authority sources. The sheriff page says Wayne County Jail is a 34-bed facility. The Illinois Sheriffs' Association profile lists 30 beds. The 2024 IDOC inspection is the formal compliance source, so capacity tables should use 32 while preserving the discrepancy.
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Formal capacity | 32 total, 23 male, 9 female | 2024 IDOC inspection |
| Inspection population | 26 total, 21 male, 5 female | 2024 IDOC inspection |
| Cells / detention rooms | 11 double cells, one single room, two double rooms, one 5-bed dorm | 2024 IDOC inspection |
| Sheriff page bed statement | 34 beds | Wayne County Sheriff's Office |
| Association bed statement | 30 beds | Illinois Sheriffs' Association |
Who Wayne County Jail Holds
Wayne County Jail holds adult county detainees. That includes people arrested locally and awaiting court, people serving local jail time, and sentenced people awaiting transfer. The county's sentenced-to-prison page says adult male IDOC-sentenced detainees are transported to Graham Correctional Center in Hillsboro, while adult female IDOC-sentenced detainees are transported to Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln.
Once a person enters IDOC custody, Wayne County Jail is no longer the main lookup source. IDOC's Individual in Custody Search becomes the correct state locator. Federal and immigration detainees are searched through BOP or ICE systems if custody leaves the local Wayne County process.
| Custody Stage | Primary Source |
|---|---|
| Recent arrest or local detention | Wayne County Jail/Sheriff |
| Filed criminal charges | Wayne County Circuit Clerk / Judici |
| Custody notification | Illinois VINE |
| State prison after sentencing | IDOC Individual in Custody Search |
Search Wayne County Jail Inmates
No official Wayne County online inmate roster was located. Use the jail/sheriff phone line, in-person contact, written FOIA request, Circuit Clerk/Judici, VINE, and IDOC transfer search rather than relying on a county web roster. The Wayne County Sheriff Illinois mobile app exists, but store listing text did not confirm an inmate roster or warrant search feature.
- Call Wayne County Jail/Sheriff at 618-842-6096 for current local custody questions.
- Use 305 E. Court Street, Fairfield, IL 62837, for in-person sheriff or jail business when appropriate.
- Submit a written FOIA request for a booking sheet, release record, or booking photo if not online.
- Check Wayne County Circuit Clerk or Judici for filed charges and hearing details.
- Use Illinois VINE for custody notifications and IDOC after sentencing or transfer.
For a deeper countywide lookup workflow, use the Wayne County jail inmate records page.
Wayne County Jail Contact
The jail and sheriff's office share the official local address and phone shown on county pages. The sheriff page lists email sheriffotey@gmail.com. Official sources conflict on the sheriff fax number, with the sheriff page showing 618-842-4916 and the county phone directory showing 618-842-5713. Use the main phone for current jail questions unless a specific office asks for fax routing.
Wayne County Jail
305 E. Court Street
Fairfield, IL 62837
618-842-6096
Jail and sheriff information line
Wayne County FOIA Routing
Freedom of Information Officer
Wayne County State's Attorney Office
301 East Main Street
Fairfield, IL 62837
Wayne County Jail Visitation
Wayne County Jail uses Combined Public Communications and InmateSales for video visitation. The official visitation page says visits are video only. Onsite free visits are available in the Wayne County Jail Visitation Room, and offsite paid visits are available through a personal smart device or computer.
Visitors must schedule visits at least 24 hours in advance. Cell phones are prohibited in the onsite visitation area, recording visits is prohibited, and correctional staff monitor visits. Inappropriate behavior, vulgar or threatening language, or inappropriate attire can end a visit. Some victim-contact restrictions also apply.
| Visit Type | Schedule | Limit / Provider |
|---|---|---|
| Onsite video | Wednesday 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. | Free, one 15-minute visit per inmate per day |
| Onsite video | Saturday 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. | Schedule at least 24 hours ahead |
| Offsite video | Seven days a week | Fees apply through CPC/InmateSales |
| Phone / Chirp texting | Available to detainees | Funds purchased through account services |
Wayne County Jail Mail Money
Wayne County changed standard detainee mail procedures effective December 2, 2024. Standard non-legal mail must be sent to the Highland Heights, Kentucky processing address. Legal mail and money orders still go to the jail address on E. Court Street. Mail must include the inmate's full name and a return address and must meet scanner limits.
The Wayne County detainee mail page gives the current digital mail route and the separate legal-mail address.
The mail source is especially important because older instructions may still tell families to send standard mail directly to the jail.
| Service | Provider / Detail |
|---|---|
| Standard non-legal mail | Inmate Name, Wayne County Jail, IL, P.O. Box 76550, Highland Heights, KY 41076 |
| Legal mail / money orders | Inmate Name, Wayne County Jail, IL, 305 E. Court Street, Fairfield, IL 62837 |
| Commissary vendor | Stellar Services, with orders placed Sunday and delivered Wednesday |
| Lobby commissary deposits | Yellow Stellar kiosk |
| Phone account deposits | Blue CPC kiosk |
| Online deposits | JailATM.com available 24/7 |
Wayne County Jail Intake Court
Wayne County does not publish a detailed local booking manual, but the county research identifies the normal custody sequence. A person arrested by the sheriff, Fairfield Police Department, or another agency may be transported to Wayne County Jail for intake. Booking can include identity confirmation, paperwork, property handling, search, photograph, fingerprints, screening, and initial classification.
Wayne County's personal-items policy allows the public to provide only money, legal documents, prescription medication, and necessary medical devices. Prescription medications must be in original pharmacy containers with clear labels and are verified before approval. Detainees are transported to court only at court direction, and appearances may happen in person or by Zoom from the jail.
The court-appearance page explains that correctional staff do not schedule or track individual court dates.
Wayne County Jail Standards
IDOC inspects Illinois county jails under 730 ILCS 5/3-15-2. Illinois County Jail Standards in 20 Ill. Adm. Code Part 701 cover administration, records, admission and release, classification, housing, medical, discipline, commissary, recreation, and related jail operations. Wayne County's 2024 inspection documents capacity, population, staffing, cells, construction, renovation, and standards checklist review.
Official Wayne County program detail is limited. The sheriff page states the jail has a full-service kitchen and laundry facility. The detainee pages document communication, visitation, mail, commissary, deposits, personal items, court appearances, and IDOC transfers. No official GED, vocational, work-release, grievance, religious-service, or substance-abuse program schedule was located.
Note: Confirm custody, visit scheduling, mail rules, and transfer status with Wayne County Jail before traveling or sending funds.