Kane County Jail F.A.Q.'s

When was the current jail built?
     The current jail was opened in 1975. Additions were opened in 1984, 1989, and 1996 in response to increases in inmate population. In January 1976 then County Board Chairman Phil Elfstrom declared the jail to be full, just three months later.

How much did it cost to build the current jail?
     It cost $15 million to build the current jail. This does not include the cost of the subsequent additions.

How big is the current jail?
     The current jail is approximately 73,803 square feet. There is a ground floor and a floor below ground level.

How many inmates can the jail hold?
     When opened in 1975, the jail could hold 102 inmates. The current capacity is 398. This was achieved through the additions and double bunking.

How many inmates are in the jail today, compared to when it was first opened?
     The Average Daily Population for the year 2003 was 559 inmates. When the jail first opened it housed less than 102 inmates.  In August of 2002, the jail set a record of having 700 inmates in custody.

With the jail being so crowded, where else are inmates being housed?
     Due to the overcrowding, inmates are currently being housed in Dekalb Co., Kendall Co., McHenry Co. For the last few years inmates have been housed in other counties including Boone, DeWitt, Ford, Grundy, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jo Daviess, Lee, Marion, McDonough, Montgomery, Saline, Sangamon, Schuyler, Stephenson, White, Whiteside, and Williamson counties in Illinois. (Click here to see map)

What does it cost to house inmates in other counties?
     Other counties' charges from $50.00 to $70.00 dollars per inmate per day. In FY2003 Kane County spent $1.8 million dollars to house inmates in other counties.

How many people are brought to the jail each year?
     The latest figures from FY2003 show that 8,119 people came to the jail that year. There were 16,585 bookings that same year. (Note: Some persons had multiple bookings.)

Exactly where is the current jail located?
     It is located at 777 East Fabyan Parkway in Geneva, IL between Rt. 25 and Kirk Rd. The jail is located approximately six (6) miles from the Judicial Center.

With the jail so far away, how do the inmates get to court?
     The Sheriff’s Department has a combined Booking & Transportation Unit staffed by Corrections Officers. These Officers, using specially equipped vans drive small groups of inmates to and from the Judicial Center in St. Charles. An average of 40-50 inmates attend court each day; the drive takes approximately twenty (20) minutes. The latest figures from FY2003 show that 14, 969 inmates were taken to and returned from the Kane County Judicial Center for court. Inmates are also transported to branch courts in Aurora and Elgin each day.

Why is a new jail needed?
     The current jail has old out dated equipment. Its design is unsafe as there are many blind spots where Officers cannot see inmate activity. The lateral design of the jail includes long hallways to go from cellblock to cellblock. Security equipment is outdated and in need of constant repair. In recent years, Kane County has been known as one of the fastest growing counties in Illinois. The 1990 census showed that there were 317,471 residents. In 2000 the census showed that there were 404,119 residents in the county. It is now estimated that as of 2003 Kane County has approximately 457,122 residents. (Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau)

Can another addition be added to the current jail?
     The current jail is somewhat landlocked. The Settler’s Hill golf course and landfill is behind the jail to the north and east, and a large communications antenna is to the west.

What about the infrastructure of the current jail, is it sound?
     With the jail being almost thirty (30) years old, the plumbing, electrical and other utilities are deteriorating. There are leaks in the roof, and the boilers and chillers need constant repair to keep them in operation.

Why not build a new jail and keep the old one open too?
     If this were to happen, both jails would need to be staffed properly. The old jail will still need to be maintained, heated, air conditioned which could be costly and outweigh the benefits of having just the new jail building.

What kind of criminals will be housed in the new jail?
     By state law any criminal offender violating state law could be remanded to the custody of the Sheriff and housed in the jail. These offenses range from traffic charges such as speeding and drunk driving to more serious offenses such as sexual offenders and persons charged with murder.

If the jail is bigger, will it help our justice system be more just? (In other words will Judges put more criminals in jail instead of granting early releases or home monitoring?)
     No one can predict how Judges will rule in a case before them, but with a bigger jail those that deserve to remain in custody will do so. This will lessen the chance that a serious offender will be placed on home monitoring.

Page Modified 06/15/2005