Richland County
Its jail, located in Olney, has a capacity of 63.
Richland County has a population of 15,362 and is classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as “Nonmetro - Urban population of 5,000 to 20,000, not adjacent to a metro area”.
Annual inspections
Between 2017 and 2025, the Richland County jail has failed five of nine Illinois Department of Corrections inspections.
| Year | Result | Violations cited |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Compliant | — |
| 2024 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2023 | Compliant | — |
| 2022 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2021 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2020 | Compliant | — |
| 2019 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2018 | Noncompliant |
|
| 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
Richland County reported 4 extraordinary or unusual incidents at its jail between 2019 and 2025 — 2.6 per 10,000 residents, the 69th highest rate of the 92 Illinois counties with a jail.
Among the 32 rural counties it is 23rd; 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
Richland CountyRural counties Every other county with a jail
Most frequent categories
- Suicide attempt1
- Serious injury1
- Fight among detainees1
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 Richland County sheriff. It appears in state oversight data.
Each death in the Richland County jail
Counted by the state
No deaths in custody were identified at the Richland County jail.
Illinois Answers withheld the names of some of the deceased at the request of their families.
Data compiled 2026-09-15. Methodology.