Fulton County
Its jail, located in Lewistown, has a capacity of 80.
Fulton County has a population of 32,510 and is classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as “Nonmetro - Urban population of 5,000 to 20,000, adjacent to a metro area”.
Annual inspections
Between 2017 and 2025, the Fulton County jail has failed five of nine Illinois Department of Corrections inspections.
Inspectors cited violations to “Supervision” regulations most often, bringing it up in three of those failed inspections.
| Year | Result | Violations cited |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2024 | Compliant | — |
| 2023 | Noncompliant | |
| 2022 | Compliant | — |
| 2021 | Compliant | — |
| 2020 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2019 | Compliant | — |
| 2018 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2017 | Noncompliant |
|
Each violation links to the standard it cites in the Illinois County Jail Standards. Years link to the full inspection report for that year on the IDOC website.
Extraordinary or unusual incidents
Fulton County reported 187 extraordinary or unusual incidents at its jail between 2019 and 2025 — 57.5 per 10,000 residents, the 3rd highest rate of the 92 Illinois counties with a jail.
Among the 24 non-metro counties with a small urban centre it is 1st; those counties report a median of 11.8. The median for every county with a jail is 7.
A county reporting less could indicate lower incident rates or lower reporting rates.
Incidents per 10,000 residents
Fulton CountyNon-metro counties with a small urban centre Every other county with a jail
Most frequent categories
- Fight among detainees18
- Battery9
- Suicide attempt7
- Assault on a detainee4
- Restraints used4
A single report can fall into more than one category.
Reported incidents by year
Deaths in custody
Between 2019 and 2025, 1 person died in custody of the Fulton County sheriff. Of those, 1 was not counted in state oversight data.
Each death in the Fulton County jail
Uncounted Additional details
No deaths in custody were identified at the Fulton County jail.
Illinois Answers withheld the names of some of the deceased at the request of their families.
Data compiled 2026-09-15. Methodology.