What Are Minnesota Inmate Records?

Minnesota inmate records refer to data compiled by the correctional facilities located in the state of Minnesota. These records contain details on individuals that have been booked, detained, or incarcerated in the state. The Minnesota Department of Corrections maintains the records of inmates in the state’s correctional facilities. On the other hand, the local sheriff’s offices maintain inmate records for individuals that are incarcerated in county jails.

As stipulated by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minnesota inmate records are public records and may be accessed by interested members of the public. It should be noted that even though inmate records are public records, some of the information contained in them are considered confidential. Access to this type of information is statutorily restricted.

Inmate records obtained in the state of Minnesota typically contain the following details:

• The inmate’s mugshot
• The inmate’s MNDOC Offender ID
• The inmate’s name and date of birth
• The inmate’s current status. (This includes the correction facility where the inmate is currently located)
• The inmate’s sentence date and the inmate’s sentence expiration date
• The inmate’s current offense information. (This includes the highest-ranked offense committed by the inmate and the inmate’s court file number).

How To Find An Inmate In Minnesota?

Members of the public that wish to locate an inmate in the state of Minnesota may do so through the offender locator web page provided by the Minnesota Department of Corrections. This page allows interested parties to locate inmates by performing searches based on the inmate’s name or the inmate’s MNDOC offender ID. In addition to this, interested parties also have the option of searching for registered predatory offenders residing in the state and viewing a list of wanted Minnesota Department of Corrections fugitives.

Members of the public who wish to locate an inmate incarcerated in a Minnesota county jail may do so by contacting the sheriff’s office in the county where the jail is located. Most counties usually provide online search tools that can be used to locate inmates incarcerated in their jurisdictions. For example:

• Hennepin County provides members of the public with an inmate search website to locate individuals booked or held at the Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Jail. 

• Dakota County allows interested parties to access information on individuals that are currently incarcerated in the Dakota County Jail through a jail inmate search webpage.

How To Find A Federal Inmate In Minnesota?

Federal inmates incarcerated in the state of Minnesota are under the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Parties interested in finding these federal inmates may do so by contacting any of the following federal correctional facilities located in the state:

FPC Duluth

4464 Ralston Drive

Duluth, MN 55811

Phone: (218) 722–8634

RRM Minneapolis

300 South 4th St.

Suite 1210

Minneapolis, MN 55415

Phone: (612) 332–5030

FMC Rochester

2110 East Center Street

Rochester, MN 55904

Phone: (507) 287–0674

FCI Sandstone

2300 County Rd 29

Sandstone, MN 55072

Phone: (320) 245–2262

FCI Waseca

1000 University Dr, SW

Waseca, MN 56093

Phone: (507) 835–8972

Alternatively, interested parties that wish to locate federal inmates may do so through the inmate locator webpage provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Through this webpage, searches for inmates can be performed based on the inmate’s name or the inmate’s ID number. However, it should be noted that only information on federal inmates incarcerated from 1982 to date is available via this webpage.

How Do I Find Inmate Records In Minnesota?

Minnesota inmate records can be gotten online through the Minnesota Department of Corrections’ offender locator webpage. To access these records, interested parties will be required to provide either the inmate’s name or the inmate’s MNDOC offender ID.

Inmate records can also be obtained by contacting the Records Management Division of the Minnesota Department of Corrections via (651) 361–7330 or by email.

It is important to note that even though inmate records are public records, certain information, such as an inmate’s medical records, are considered private. Access to this private information is restricted, and parties interested in viewing or obtaining copies of them will be required to submit an Authorization for Release of Information form. This form must be signed by the subject named on the required records. 

Members of the public that wish to access Minnesota county jail inmate records may do so by contacting the sheriff’s office in the county where the inmate is incarcerated. Contact information for county Sheriff’s offices can be gotten from each county’s website.

Requestors should note that the payment of a fee may be required before copies of Minnesota inmate records can be obtained.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often make searching simpler, as they are not limited by geographic location, and search engines on these sites may help when starting a search for a specific or multiple record(s). To begin using such a search engine on a third-party or government website, interested parties usually must provide:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the record or person involved. This includes information such as the city, county, or state that the person resides in or was accused in

Third-party sites are independent of government sources and are not sponsored by these government agencies. Because of this, record availability on third-party sites may vary.

How To Put Money On Jail Inmates Book In Minnesota?

Parties that wish to deposit money into the account of an inmate incarcerated in a Minnesota Department of Corrections facility may do so through the services of JPay. 

JPay, a financial services company, offers depositors with three options through which funds may be added to an inmate’s account:

• Electronic Funds Transfers. To use this method, depositors will be required to create a user account on the JPay website, using the inmate’s MNDOC offender ID. A service fee is charged based on the amount of money being transferred.

• Money Order Deposits via mail. To fund a Minnesota Department of Corrections’ inmate’s account via money order, depositors will be required to complete a Money Order Deposit Slip. The deposit slip should be completed using either blue or black ink. Ensure that the money order is made payable to “JPay.” Depositors should also include the inmate’s name and MNDOC offender ID on the ‘memo’ or ‘used for’ line when preparing the money order. Enclose the completed money order and the deposit slip in an envelope and mailed to:

                     JPay

                     P. O. Box 246450

                     Pembroke Pines, FL 33024

There is no service fee charged when this method is used to fund an inmate’s account.

• Cash deposits via MoneyGram. Interested parties can fund an inmate’s account by making cash deposits at any nearby MoneyGram location. Depositors will be required to complete a blue ExpressPayment service form using either black or blue ink. When filling the form, the number “1279” should be used as the receive code. Depositors should use the inmate’s MNDOC offender ID plus the inmate’s last name (with no spaces in-between) as the account number.

Note, a transfer fee is usually charged when using this service. Once the transaction is done, a reference number will be generated. Depositors are advised to save this number as it may be required later. Deposits made via this method typically reach the inmate by the next day.

Queries related to any of these deposit methods should be directed to (800) 574–5729.

It is important to note that, the Minnesota Department of Corrections inmates are not permitted to receive funds from the following parties:

• Another inmate
• Non-incarcerated individuals that are currently on paper supervision
• Individuals that are patients in other secure treatment facilities located in the state

Family, friends, and other interested parties that wish to fund the account of an inmate currently incarcerated in a county jail may do so by contacting the sheriff’s office in the county where the jail is located.