Lake County Jail

To search for an inmate in the Lake County Jail, review their criminal charges, the amount of their bond, when they can get visits, or even view their mugshot, go to the Official Jail Inmate Roster, or call the jail at 847-377-4150 for the information you are looking for. You can also look up the  Lake County Criminal Court or any court in Illinois, as well as criminal court case information regarding an offender.

Lake County Jail Inmate Search

The Lake County Jail maintains an average of 608 offenders in custody on any given day. The Lake County Jail has a monthly turnover of 40% of their inmate population, another 30% turnover every 90 days, another 20% every six months, and approximately 10% stay incarcerated between six and twelve months. Every year Lake County law enforcement agencies arrest and detain approximately 13,360 offenders.

• Bonds for an Inmate's release are accepted 24 hours a day through the Lake County Jail's reception located at 20 South County Street in Waukegan.
  
• Payment can be made in cash, or a Cashier's Check made out to the “Clerk of the Circuit Court”.
• Individuals posting bond must complete page 2 of the 19th Judicial Circuit’s Bail Bond Form, which you can get at the jail, acknowledging the bond posted may be used to pay costs, attorney’s fees, fines, or other purposes authorized by the Court.
• When bond money posted (paid) is $10,000 or more, or if the inmate is charged with a statute of the controlled substances section, racketeering, or money laundering, the social security numbers of both the inmate (defendant) and the individual posting the bond must be provided. In addition, the bonder must complete a Lake County Source of Bond Information Form and must provide a valid government issued photo ID.
• An inmate can self-bond if you add the bond money to his GTL/Viapath Trust Fund Account.
  

How Do You Visit an Inmate in the Lake County Jail? What is the Schedule?

Lake County Jail ON-SITE (at the jail) VIDEO VISITATION SCHEDULE
29 S Martin Luther King Jr Ave
Waukegan, IL 60085
847-377-4150

Schedule Video Visits online with gettingout

• On-site Visits are free.
• Visits are 30 minutes.
• Visitation schedule subject to change.
• Inmates are allowed two visits per week
• A maximum of 2 guests are allowed per an On-site video session.
• Currently, all visits are conducted remotely.  If you are unable to visit remotely, please contact Jail Command at 847-377-4150 (M-F 8am-5pm) for further instructions.

Lake County Jail REMOTE (at home) VIDEO VISITATION SCHEDULE

• All visits must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.
• Visitation Schedule subject to change.
• Visits cost $0.25 per minute

Lake County Jail uses GettingOut for their Remote Video Visitation and/or Visit Scheduling. 

There are three ways to remotely visit your inmate:
1.  Using the GettingOut/GTL Kiosk at the jail.
2. Using your computer from home.
3. Using your phone on the GettingOut or GTL apps.

How it Works with GettingOut
1.  Register an account.
2. Select Lake County Jail
3. Choose either an INMATE ACCOUNT or FRIENDS & FAMILY ACCOUNT.   

• **NOTE** Friends and Family must have funds in their "Friends & Family Account" to respond to inmate messages. 
• If you deposit money online in the INMATE ACCOUNT, than they have the freedom to spend the money on visits or phone calls to anyone, or any other communications services available at Lake County Jail.
• With the FRIENDS & FAMILY ACCOUNT, you control all communication services such as phone calls, video visits and messaging. Your inmate can only call the phone number you want.

4. You will then receive prompts to validate both your identity and phone number .
5. Again, choose your inmate's facility, then type their name and select your inmate.

GettingOut will then guide you through the steps needed to arrange your remote visit.

Customer Service for GettingOut
If you have any questions, you can call them at 866-516-0115.
GettingOut online contact form
Frequently Asked Questions
The GettingOut App is available on Google Play and Apple Store.

How Do You Visit an Inmate in Lake County Jail?

To visit an inmate in Lake County, whether by video or in person 'at the jail', follow these steps:

Other than 'at the jail' visits between you and your inmate, which is explained and outlined in detail on our Visit Inmate Page, Lake County remote video inmate visitation can be done using the services of GettingOut. 

There are three ways to remotely visit your inmate in Lake County Jail:
1.  Using the GettingOut Kiosk at the jail.
2. Using your computer from home.
3. Using your phone on the GettingOut apps.

To remotely visit an inmate in Lake County follow these steps:
1.  Start by confirming that Lake County Jail's Video Visitation is working correctly by looking up Lake County here.
2.  The next step is to create an account here for GettingOut.
3. Then add funds to your account.
4. Last, select Lake County Jail, and then the inmate you wish to communicate with.

Other Lake County Services provided by GettingOut:
 - Phone Calls & Voicemail 
 - Email, Photo & Video Sharing
-  Inmate Tablet Rental
-  Deposits

Customer Service
If you have any questions about the Lake County Jail Visitation Services you can call them at 866-516-0115.
Frequently Asked Questions

* All the information you need to have complete knowledge about inmate visitation; policies, rules, fees, schedules, tips, dress codes, and children, lawyers and clergy visitation in Lake County, can be found on our Visit Inmate Page.

Lake County Jail Phone: 847-377-4150

We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Lake County Jail’s Inmate Visitation Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 847-377-4150 for further assistance.

Can I Use My Computer or Phone to Have a Remote Video Visit with an Inmate in the Lake County Jail?

Lake County Jail ON-SITE (at the jail) VIDEO VISITATION SCHEDULE
29 S Martin Luther King Jr Ave
Waukegan, IL 60085
847-377-4150

Schedule Video Visits online with gettingout

• On-site Visits are free.
• Visits are 30 minutes.
• Visitation schedule subject to change.
• Inmates are allowed two visits per week
• A maximum of 2 guests are allowed per an On-site video session.
• Currently, all visits are conducted remotely.  If you are unable to visit remotely, please contact Jail Command at 847-377-4150 (M-F 8am-5pm) for further instructions.

Lake County Jail REMOTE (at home) VIDEO VISITATION SCHEDULE

• All visits must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.
• Visitation Schedule subject to change.
• Visits cost $0.25 per minute

We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Lake County Jail’s Video Remote Visitation Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 847-377-4150 for further assistance.

How Do You Deposit Money for an Inmate in the Lake County Jail?

There are five choices for putting money on an inmate's books that can be used for communication services:

1. Commissary money in the form of a money order may be mailed to:
AdvancePay Service Department
P.O. Box 911722
Denver, CO 80291-1722

2. You may use cash or credit/debit cards at any time by using the kiosk located in the front lobby.  The fee for the use of the ATM is generally $1.50 per transaction for cash and 10% fee for credit/debit cards.

3. Commissary money can also be added to an inmates account at any time using any of these methods online.

4. Cash deposits to ConnectNetwork are now available at 26,000 retail locations nationwide including Walmart, ACE, Kmart, Kroger, and more. You’ll start the payment process online in your ConnectNetwork account, then complete your transaction with cash at a participating local retail store. Plus, many of these stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Find a retail store near you.

5. You can call customer service 24/7 at 877-650-4249 and get instructions for depositing money over the phone using a debit or credit card.

We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Lake County Jail’s Inmate Money and Trust Fund Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 847-377-4150 for further assistance.

How Do I Receive Phone Calls from an Inmate in the Lake County Jail?

How Do You Communicate with an Inmate in the Lake County Jail by Phone

Follow these instructions on how to open an account with GTL Connect Network (aka Viapath Technologies)

• Advance Pay - This phone account allows you to prepay so that your inmate can call you (and only you) whenever he/she wants and the cost of each call is deducted from your balance. You can even be notified by text when your balance gets low. You still have the option of accepting or rejecting each call.
• Pin Debit  -  This option allows you to fund an inmate's commissary account and lets him pay for phone calls to you and others with the money. You will have no control over who your inmate calls.
• Voicemail  -  You can leave a secure voicemail without having to contact the facility. When you call the local phone number for a facility offering Inmate Voicemail (call Customer Service at 877-650-4249 to get the local voicemail number for Lake County Jail, you will be informed of the cost for leaving a message. To leave your message, simply select the inmate by ID number. Then, record your voicemail.

For full instructions on the Lake County Jail Inmate Phone System, what the costs are, how it works, and tips and guidelines on rules, regulations and saving money on calls, check out our Inmate Phones Page.

We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Lake County Jail’s Inmate Phone Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 847-377-4150 for further assistance.

How do I Mail an Inmate in the Lake County Jail, and what can I send them?

Lake County Jail Inmate Mail Guidelines

Postcards
The Lake County Jail allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature. It is best to only use blue or black ink. Always include your name and return address.

Envelopes
The Lake County Jail also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates. It is best to only use blue or black ink.

Postcards and envelopes MUST HAVE the sender's full name and return address on the envelope. 

Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate "L" Number
(Example: Tom Smith L14318)
P.O. Box 38
Waukegan, IL 60079-0038

Legal Mail

Send all Legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate "L" Number
(Example: Tom Smith L14318)
P.O. Box 38
Waukegan, IL 60079-0038

Newspapers
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher.

Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.

Books
The Lake County Jail allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address below.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Lake County Jail standards will be disposed of. No more than three books may be shipped at any one time.
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.

All newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate "L" Number
(Example: Tom Smith L14318)
P.O. Box 38
Waukegan, IL 60079-0038

Lake County Jail Inmate Mail Guidelines

Postcards
The Lake County Jail allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature.

Envelopes
The Lake County Jail also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates.

Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate "L" Number
(Example: Tom Smith L14318)
P.O. Box 38
Waukegan, IL 60079-0038

Legal Mail

Send all legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate "L" Number
(Example: Tom Smith L14318)
P.O. Box 38
Waukegan, IL 60079-0038

Newspapers
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher.

Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.

Books
The Lake County Jail allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address below.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Lake County Jail standards will be disposed of. No more than three books may be shipped at any one time.
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.

All newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate "L" Number
(Example: Tom Smith L14318)
P.O. Box 38
Waukegan, IL 60079-0038

We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Lake County Jail’s Inmate Mail Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 847-377-4150 for further assistance.

Can I purchase Commissary Online for an Inmate in the Lake County Jail, and what can I purchase?

We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Lake County Jail’s Commissary Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 847-377-4150 for further assistance.

How Can I Communicate with an Inmate in the Lake County Jail using an Online Messaging Service?

Emailing and Texting Messages, Photos & Videograms

Lake County Jail contracts with GTL GettingOut, the same service that handles Inmate Phone Systems and Video Visitation, for sending secure messages and photos between you and your inmate.


If you are not already registered, do so here, or Log in.

Then use the Facility Finder to:
1.  Select Lake County Jail,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.

How Messaging Works
Watch this video on how to send a message.
1.  Messages can be up to 500 characters long, including punctuation. At the bottom of your message there is a 'character countdown' feature.  
2. After you click the “CONTINUE” button, you can review the cost to send your message to your inmate. You can also attach credits for your inmate to reply to your message.  Be sure to accept the Terms and Conditions and click the “SEND” button for your message to be successfully delivered to your inmate.

How Uploading Photos Works
Watch this video on how to upload a photo.
1.  Select the Photos Tab.
2. Select “Take New Photo” or “Upload New Photo”.
3. Take a new photo with your webcam, or select "Choose File" to upload a photo from your computer.
4. Give your photo a Title or add it to the "Gallery" of your choice.
5. Select the "Share" button.
6. Select your inmate(s) and then select "Share".
7. Once the photo is approved, it will be shared with your inmate(s).

Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call   866-516-0115

How to Communicate with an Lake County Jail Inmate by Mail and by Email

To mail or email an inmate in Lake County follow these steps:

When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please follow these instructions:

• All mail sent to an inmate at the Lake County Jail must include the sender's name and mailing address in the top left corner of the envelope or postcard.
• All mail must include the facility's address, as well as the inmate's name and assigned number.
• Failure to include your return address will most likely result in your mail NOT being delivered and your letter destroyed.
• The Lake County Jail has a zero-tolerance policy regarding mail violations. 
• All the information you need to understand mail and email policies can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.

Emailing Messages & Photos

Facility_name_1} contracts with GTL GettingOut, the same service that handles iInmate Phone Systems and Video Visitation, for sending secure messages and photos between you and your inmate.
 
If you are not already registered, do so here, or Log in.

Then use the Facility Finder to:
1.  Select Lake County Jail,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.

• Messages can be up to 500 characters long, including punctuation. At the bottom of your message there is a 'character countdown' feature.  
• After you click the “CONTINUE” button, you can review the cost to send your message to your inmate. You can also attach credits for your inmate to reply to your message.  Be sure to accept the Terms and Conditions and click the “SEND” button for your message to be successfully delivered to your inmate.
• You can also send your Lake County inmate photos and videos.

Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call   866-516-0115

Go here to this FAQ to get answers to how the transition to ViaPath from GTL and gettingout will affect your account.

All the information you need to understand mail and email policies for Lake County can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.

We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Lake County Jail’s Text and Email Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 847-377-4150 for further assistance.

Do Inmates in the Lake County Jail have Access to Tablets or Computers?

Lake County Jail allows inmates access to tablets to use for the services provided by 'gettingout'.

The devices are similar to common handheld tablets, but are made exclusively by GettingOut, a GTL / Viapath company.
Tablets offer specialized content and services for inmates to use during their stay at Lake County Jail, such as:

• Music
• Books
• Games
• Education
• News
• Radio
• Television
• Read mail and messages
• Video visits

-  Free services are already available for use on the device at Lake County Jail.
-  Subscription services are funded separately by family and friends with deposits made into an inmate’s Debit Link account.
-  Lake County Jail Inmates will then be able to purchase subscription services and premium content to enjoy.

What Does a Tablet Cost?

• Tablet devices include some services and the content is free.
• The subscription services require additional funding.
• There may be multiple options such as 7-day or 30-day subscriptions.
• Costs are dependent upon the available services and what the Lake County Jail charges.

To estimate costs for phone calls, sign in to your account and click “Rate & Fees Calculator” in the footer (bottom of the page) or call 866-516-0115 for assistance.

How Inmates Can Use a Tablet to Access Services at Lake County Jail

To find out how to get access to a tablet for inmate read the following:

1.  First, Register or Sign In to GettingOut/GTL

2.  Purchase the services you want for your Lake County Jail inmate.
3. All inmates have free access to the tablets to read their letters from family & friends, but there are many other services available to keep your inmate busy while incarcerated... such as Games, Books, Music and Movies. These other services come with fees that you can pay for when you pay for phone service.

To learn more about Tablet Rentals for inmates, including the cost, all the services available and everything else you need to know, check out our Tablet Rental Page.

We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers for everything you need to know about Lake County Jail’s Tablet Policies, Rules and Guidelines. If you still have questions after reviewing these FAQs, call 847-377-4150 for further assistance.

What are the other Jails in the Neighboring Counties surrounding Lake County?