Menard County
Its jail, located in Petersburg, has a capacity of 26.
Menard County has a population of 11,963 and is classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as “Metro - Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250,000 population”.
Annual inspections
Between 2017 and 2025, the Menard County jail has failed seven of nine Illinois Department of Corrections inspections.
Inspectors cited violations to “Housing” regulations most often, bringing it up in four of those failed inspections.
| Year | Result | Violations cited |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2024 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2023 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2022 | Compliant | — |
| 2021 | Compliant | — |
| 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
Menard County reported 7 extraordinary or unusual incidents at its jail between 2019 and 2025 — 5.9 per 10,000 residents, the 54th highest rate of the 92 Illinois counties with a jail.
Among the 36 metropolitan counties it is 21st; those counties report a median of 8.3. 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
Menard CountyMetropolitan counties Every other county with a jail
Most frequent categories
- Restraints used5
- Assault on staff2
A single report can fall into more than one category.
Reported incidents by year
Deaths in custody
No deaths in custody were identified at the Menard County jail.
Illinois Answers withheld the names of some of the deceased at the request of their families.
Data compiled 2026-09-15. Methodology.