Cook County, Illinois sentencing data
As of June 30, 2026, according to Illinois Department of Corrections records, 12,340 people sentenced in Cook County were held in Illinois state prisons. Their median sentence is 12 years, longer than the statewide median of 10 years. 43% are serving 20 years or more, compared with 33% statewide. The most common offense is murder/intent to kill/injure.
Sentences by offense: Cook County vs. Illinois
Offenses with 10+ people. Median of the longest sentence from each person's most recent sentencing; life and death sentences not included.
| Offense | People | Cook median (yrs) | Illinois median (yrs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murder/Intent To Kill/Injure | 2,491 | 40 | 40 |
| Uuw-Felon Poss/Use Firearm Prior | 920 | 5 | 6 |
| Attempt Murder/Intent To Kill/Injure | 746 | 25 | 25 |
| Agg Battery/Discharge Firearm | 493 | 12 | 12 |
| Pred Crim Sex Asslaut/Victim <13 | 444 | 11 | 14 |
| Armed Habitual Criminal | 361 | 8 | 8 |
| Armed Robbery/No Firearm | 358 | 10 | 12 |
| Murder/Strong Prob Kill/Injure | 266 | 36 | 40 |
| Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault | 230 | 15 | 18 |
| Agg Crim Sex Assault/Bodily Harm | 199 | 15 | 15 |
| Murder/Other Forcible Felony | 177 | 35 | 35 |
| Agg Discharge Firearm/Occ Veh | 160 | 6.5 | 7 |
Race
| Group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Black | 8,904 | 72% |
| Hispanic | 2,319 | 19% |
| White | 1,004 | 8.1% |
| Other | 64 | 0.5% |
| Asian | 37 | 0.3% |
| Indigenous | 12 | 0.1% |
Groups with fewer than 10 people are not shown.
Other Illinois counties
About this data
Source: Illinois Department of Corrections public inmate records. People currently in state prison custody whose longest sentence was imposed in Cook County, one record per person, using the longest sentence from their most recent sentencing. Criminal history is not in the data, so differences between counties can reflect prior records as well as sentencing practice.