Hopefully, an Illinois notary can help you out, but from what I've read here on NR, every jail has its own thing going. I often went to one jail in particular. and their policy was you went online to view the list of all inmates. Then you got the inmate number, filled out an online request form with that number, and were told what day and what hours you could see the inmate. Then I took printout to office on correct day and time, and despite my following all the rules, they acted like they didn't know what I was doing and were hostile and uncooperative. Cocky, like you said. I eventually learned from the defense attorneys how to play the game, and after a while the guards got used to me showing up. They will undoubtedly put you through a metal detector (don't wear an underwire bra) and sometimes they just sent me loose in general population (very scary) and other times acted like I wanted to see the Unabomber. One time they sent me down this long concrete hall to a tiny, bare room where I sat on one side of a grate and inmate sat on another and we passed docs under the grate. The floor was flooded with bread crusts floating around. Yuk. They're also paranoid (with good reason) about pens. Likely let you take in only one.
The big problem was getting an acceptable ID from the inmate. The sheriff's deputies told me many of them lie about their identity so you couldn't rely on their wrist bracelets. And, of course, they don't have their DL with them. Have to get it from a relative. You'll never get from the guards.
So good luck! |