McLean County Jail

An employee at the McLean County jail is charged with possession of child sexual abuse material. He's now being held at a different jail in Champaign County.

The fund came under scrutiny in 2024 when town and city elected officials learned of a $20 million balance, leading to calls for an audit. Normal and Bloomington temporarily paused sharing the tax revenue from April 2026 through June 2026.

The county-led program, in place since 2019, has contributed to fewer jail bookings for participants, including a steep decline in DUI and traffic charges.

Jon Albee is running unopposed to replace Sheriff Matt Lane, who is retiring. The Sheriff's Office runs the county jail, which draws heavily from a shared sales tax agreement.

The average across Illinois since the Pretrial Fairness Act took effect in 2023 shows people are placed on pretrial supervision at a 2-to-1 ratio when they are charged with a crime. In McLean County, more people are jailed while awaiting trial.

In his monthly report to the county's Justice Committee, Sheriff Matt Lane said his department has kept up with transfers to prison and mental health facilities. But the state still has a dire shortage of mental health beds for people in the criminal justice system.

After an initial decline in beds filled at the McLean County jail, numbers have creeped back up since cashless bail began in Illinois. Experts say pretrial release violations are to blame.

Normal Mayor Chris Koos said if the county board does not act on an amendment to pause sales tax sharing that lasts at least a year, it would chill conversation among the town, city, and county over potential changes to an intergovernmental agreement.

McLean County Sheriff's Lt. Jon Albee is looking to replace retiring sheriff Matt Lane next year. Albee says his role as lieutenant in multiple divisions has prepared him to lead the department.

McLean County Board Chair Elizabeth Johnston says she’s encouraged to hear the City of Bloomington reaffirm its commitment to mental health, but the county is resisting efforts by the city and Town of Normal to suspend sharing tax revenue for the mental health and public safety fund.