Hancock County
Its jail, located in Carthage, has a capacity of 54.
Hancock County has a population of 17,008 and is classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as “Nonmetro - Urban population of fewer than 5,000, not adjacent to a metro area”.
Annual inspections
Between 2017 and 2025, the Hancock County jail has failed nine of nine Illinois Department of Corrections inspections.
Inspectors cited violations to “Personnel” and “Security” regulations most often, bringing it up , each in nine of those failed inspections.
| Year | Result | Violations cited |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2024 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2023 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2022 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2021 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2020 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2019 | Noncompliant | |
| 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
Hancock County reported 2 extraordinary or unusual incidents at its jail between 2019 and 2025 — 1.2 per 10,000 residents, the 82nd highest rate of the 92 Illinois counties with a jail.
Among the 32 rural counties it is 29th; those counties report a median of 5. 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
Hancock CountyRural counties Every other county with a jail
Most frequent categories
- Escape1
- Attempted escape1
- Assault on staff1
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 Hancock County sheriff. It appears in state oversight data.
Each death in the Hancock County jail
Counted by the state
No deaths in custody were identified at the Hancock County jail.
Illinois Answers withheld the names of some of the deceased at the request of their families.
Data compiled 2026-09-15. Methodology.