Lake County Jail Passes Audit, Inspection

LAKE COUNTY, IL — The Lake County Jail has passed its most recent inspection and audit conducted by the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The detailed inspection of the Lake County Jail took place on September 23, 2025.

The IDOC inspection is conducted on an annual basis. During the inspection, IDOC auditors inspected more than 330 different categories, according to a news release.

Sheriff's office officials said several achievements were recognized over the past year and documented by the auditors:

• Lake County Jail is accredited by the American Correctional Association through 2026. This accreditation has been maintained since 2000.
• 100% compliance for on-time visual security checks.
• Lake County Jail started digital scanning of all incoming mail to prevent contraband and drugs from entering the jail through the postal service.
• Social and educational services are provided at the jail by religious leaders and organizations to motivate and assist detainees while incarcerated and to assist detainees with reentry into society upon release.
• Lake County Jail offers GED courses, workforce development, the Bridges Program (offered by College of Lake County), substance abuse support (offered by Nicasa), and other services to help detainees become productive upon reentry.
• New programs for inmates at the Lake County Jail that include financial literacy classes, substance abuse classes, addicted treatment program through the local ATP office, anger management course in conjunction with Wellpath and Driving 160 that will assist inmates to get their CDL license upon release from custody.

“The result of our annual inspection highlights the hard work of our correctional officers and staff, as well as our continued investment in safety, security, and rehabilitation," Sheriff John D. Idleburg said. "From maintaining full compliance with security checks to expanding programming and implementing safeguards to prevent contraband, our team is focused on running a jail that serves both public safety and long-term community well-being.”

Through November of 2025, the jail received more than 4,800 new inmates and had an average daily population of 597 inmates. Correctional officers have successfully conducted more than 11,500 inmate transports to court hearings and other court-ordered trips.

The jail has served over 450,000 meals to inmates so far this year, according to a news release.