Stephenson County
Its jail, located in Freeport, has a capacity of 216.
Stephenson County has a population of 43,088 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 Stephenson County jail has failed three 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 | Compliant | — |
| 2024 | Compliant | — |
| 2023 | Compliant | — |
| 2022 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2021 | Compliant | — |
| 2020 | Compliant | — |
| 2019 | Noncompliant |
|
| 2018 | Compliant | — |
| 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
Stephenson County reported 160 extraordinary or unusual incidents at its jail between 2019 and 2025 — 37.1 per 10,000 residents, the 12th highest rate of the 92 Illinois counties with a jail.
Among the 24 non-metro counties with a small urban centre it is 5th; 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
Stephenson CountyNon-metro counties with a small urban centre Every other county with a jail
Most frequent categories
- Restraints used142
- Taser used36
- Suicide attempt11
- Assault on staff9
- Fight among detainees5
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 Stephenson County jail.
Illinois Answers withheld the names of some of the deceased at the request of their families.
Data compiled 2026-09-15. Methodology.