LaSalle County
Its jail, located in Ottawa, has a capacity of 306.
LaSalle County has a population of 108,390 and is classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as “Nonmetro - Urban population of 20,000 or more, adjacent to a metro area”.
Annual inspections
Between 2017 and 2025, the LaSalle County jail has failed two of nine Illinois Department of Corrections inspections.
| Year | Result | Violations cited |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Compliant | — |
| 2024 | Compliant | — |
| 2023 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2022 | Compliant | — |
| 2021 | Compliant | — |
| 2020 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2019 | Compliant | — |
| 2018 | Compliant | — |
| 2017 | Compliant | — |
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
LaSalle County reported 90 extraordinary or unusual incidents at its jail between 2019 and 2025 — 8.3 per 10,000 residents, the 41st highest rate of the 92 Illinois counties with a jail.
Among the 24 non-metro counties with a small urban centre it is 16th; 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
LaSalle CountyNon-metro counties with a small urban centre Every other county with a jail
Most frequent categories
- Hospitalization17
- Suicide attempt12
- Assault on staff8
- Fight among detainees6
- OC spray used3
A single report can fall into more than one category.
Reported incidents by year
Deaths in custody
Between 2019 and 2025, 3 people died in custody of the LaSalle County sheriff. Of those, 1 was not counted in state oversight data.
Each death in the LaSalle County jail
Counted by the state Uncounted Additional details
No deaths in custody were identified at the LaSalle County jail.
Illinois Answers withheld the names of some of the deceased at the request of their families.
Data compiled 2026-09-15. Methodology.