Jail History
The State of Illinois requires that each County Jail be inspected once each year by the Illinois Department of Corrections.
These inspections cover topics in the Jail that range from training and staffing levels for Correctional Officers to the nutritional value of meals to cleanliness of facilities. The Williamson County Jail was inspected on July 19, 2016. No areas were found non-compliant with Illinois County Jail Standards.
The First Williamson County Jail
The first Williamson County Jail was a small log cabin that was purchased on January 8, 1840. It was located just off the Square in Marion on Lot No. 2, Block No. 8. The Williamson County Government constructed a new Sheriff's Office and Jail in 1895. This building was a two-story brick building, and was used until 1913.
Building a New Jail
On June 7, 1912 the Williamson County Government began discussions on building a new jail. On September 30, 1913 a new Sheriff's Office and Jail were opened at 105 S. Van Buren Street in Marion. This building now houses the Williamson County Historical Society.
The New Courthouse
In April of 1964 the Williamson County Judges went to the Williamson County Building Commission and requested that a new court house be built. On November 19, 1971 the dedication ceremony was held to open the new courthouse at 200 West Jefferson Street in Marion. On January 18, 1972 the new Sheriff's Office and Jail were opened in the Courthouse. The Jail remained at this location until February 19, 2012.
New Jail & Sheriff's Office
In January 2007, Williamson County began the long process of building a new Jail and Sheriff's Office. On February 19, 2012 the new Williamson County Jail and Sheriff's Office officially opened the new state of the art 244 bed facility.
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