Hennepin County Inmate Search
According to Section 629.30 of the Minnesota Statutes, an arrest involves taking an individual into custody for questioning about an offense. A law enforcement or peace officer can arrest an individual with a warrant or without one if the offense was committed before the officer. A private person can also make an arrest, per the law.
Following the arrest of an adult offender in Hennepin County, Minnesota the offender will likely be taken to the Hennepin County Jail run by the local sheriff's office (youth offenders may be taken to the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC)). At the jail, the arresting officer will record the arrestee's details and the facts surrounding the arrest (this is the booking process). The offender will then be given a booking number and jailed until their arraignment. On the day of arraignment, the arrested person will be escorted to a court with jurisdiction to preside over the case. There, the offender will hear the criminal charges and go through a trial (if they plead "not guilty").
Granted, not all persons will be arrested for a crime, jailed, and brought to their arraignment. Some are cited or summoned and given a date when they must appear to answer the charges in court. Others may be released from jail and told when to appear in court. Suppose a court sentences an individual for a crime in Hennepin County. In that case, such a person may be incarcerated in the county jail or state prison, depending on the offense's severity and the sentence's length.
Individuals serving sentences over a year are taken to state prison, where the Minnesota Department of Corrections will supervise them. Meanwhile, those serving a year or less are confined in the county jail, which is operated by the Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCCR). These persons are called "inmates" or "residents".
Interested members of the public can carry out a Hennepin County inmate search or look up Hennepin County inmate records through the Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation and the county sheriff's office. Information regarding Hennepin County inmates are deemed part of Hennepin County, Minnesota Public Records, unless otherwise determined by law or judicial order.
Inmate records are considered public in the United States and therefore are made available by both traditional governmental agencies as well as third-party websites and organizations. Third-party websites may offer an easier means to search, as these services do not face geographical limitations. However, because third-party sites are not government-sponsored, the information obtained through them may vary from official channels. To find inmate records using third-party aggregate sites, requesting parties must provide:
- The location of the sought-after record, including state, county, and city where the inmate resides.
- The name of the person listed in the record, unless it is a juvenile.
Hennepin County Crime and Incarceration Statistics
According to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, the Hennepin County Jail had 18,208 bookings in 2021, a 14% decrease from the total bookings (21,173) in 2020. The average number of bookings per day was 50 persons, and the average length of stay at the jail was 11 days. The average number of inmates jailed at the facility prior to their trial was 558, a 5% increase from 2020.
Based on the statistical data collated by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office in 2021, common offenses for which persons were charged included drug offenses, obstruction of justice, gun possession/use, assault, and weapon violations.
In 2021, the median daily population of adult persons convicted and incarcerated in the Hennepin County corrections system was 105. The Juvenile Detention Center - where youths aged 10-17 years old and, sometimes, youths 18 years or older are detained pre-adjudication - had a median daily population of 24 persons.
Members of the public who wish to obtain more recent crime and incarceration statistics for the jail, detention, and correctional facilities in Hennepin can request the data from the appropriate supervisory body, which may be the sheriff's office or DOCCR.
Hennepin County Prison System
The Hennepin County prison system is overseen by two agencies: the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation.
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail, also known as the Adult Detention Center. The jail has two locations situated across the street from each other. One facility is located inside City Hall, and the other is in the Public Safety Facility. Deemed the largest in Minnesota, the Hennepin County Jail is the primary institution where persons accused of a crime are confined before trial.
The Hennepin County Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCCR), on the other hand, runs the county's corrections system, which consists of two correctional facilities:
- Adult Corrections Facility
- Juvenile Detention Center
The Adult Corrections Facility, or ACF, is a secure facility that offers custody, support, and programming to adults sentenced to a year or less in prison for a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and felony offenses. The facility has a 477-bed design capacity (78 beds in the women's section and 399 beds in the men's section). It has over 5,000 bookings annually.
The Juvenile Detention Center, or JDC, is a secure pre-adjudication facility that is operational 24 hours a day. It has an 89-bed capacity and detains individuals aged 10 to 21 that have been charged and are awaiting court disposition or placement.
The objective of the Hennepin County correctional facilities is to aid community safety, lower recidivism, and help offenders reintegrate into society after release. The Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation has a staff of 996 persons and 400 community volunteers who serve the citizens of Hennepin County in over 20 locations. These locations include probation reporting offices, correctional facilities, and occupational training centers.
Offenders released on probation or parole are also placed under the supervision of DOCCR until their sentence is complete. Where a parolee or probationer commits another offense or violates their court order, such an individual can be sent back to prison or the Adult Correctional Facility.
Members of the public curious about how DOCCR works can read the agency's handbook or factsheet.
How to Find an Inmate in Hennepin County
Members of the public can find out whether a person was arrested or incarcerated in Hennepin County in the following ways:
- Contact the county sheriff's office at (612) 348-51129 or sheriff.jailinfo@hennepin.us if the court has not yet sentenced the person.
- Contact the Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation at doccr@hennepin.us or (612) 596-0001 for persons convicted of offenses in Hennepin County.
- Use an inmate search tool like the ones provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation.
An inquirer will often need to provide an inmate's full name, ID number, or arrest date to obtain the inmate's location details.
How Does a Hennepin County Inmate Search Work?
Per Minn. Stat § 13.03, records produced or maintained by government agencies are accessible to members of the public. Thus, individuals have the right to request inmate records in Hennepin County and obtain information such as:
- Inmate's full name
- Age
- Race
- Booking number
- Personal identification number
- Mugshot
- Custody status
- Housing location
- Name of the presiding court
- Date of Commitment
- Release date and reason
- Physical description of the inmate, including height, body piercing (if any), etc.
- Arresting agency
- Charges
Where to Find a Hennepin County Inmate Locator
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office has a jail roster that the public can use to locate inmates in the county jail. This roster, available on the sheriff's website, can be searched in two ways: by name or custody status.
A Search by Name uses an inmate's first and last name as search parameters, although the roster can still bring up information with an inmate's last name alone. Meanwhile, a Search by Custody Status uses inmates' custody status (in custody or released) and a booking date range to find a list of inmates that fit the inputted search criteria. Notably, the online records are only kept for the current date and 90 days prior. Individuals who seek older inmate records should submit a data request to the sheriff's Office Data Practice Request Unit. Guidelines for completing the data request process can be found on the sheriff's website.
Besides the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office inmate locator, individuals can access the Adult Corrections Facility (ACF) roster to find persons incarcerated in the county. Each inquirer requires an offender's last or first name to complete a search. Notably, the ADC locator can find inmates in the ACF and county jail.
If a Hennepin County defendant or inmate was transferred to a state or federal prison, one could use the MN DOC's inmate locator or Federal Bureau of Prisons locator, respectively, to obtain their incarceration records. Both tools can be searched with an offender's name or identifying number. However, inquirers should note that it may take some days for a newly sentenced offender's information to be displayed on the MN DOC locator.
Interested persons can also find inmate locators on several third-party sites. These independent inmate locators can be searched with an inmate's first and last name, but a charge often applies to use them. The pricing differs by the site.
How to Send Money to a Hennepin County Inmate
How a person sends money to a Hennepin County inmate depends on the facility where the offender is being held.
Inmates at the Hennepin County Jail can receive money online, via mail, or in person.
- Online: Individuals can deposit money into an inmate's account via a third-party vendor.
- In-person: Money can be deposited at the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility or City Hall. To deposit at the Public Safety Facility, one should go to the cash deposit machine in front of the lobby (see address below). Deposits can be made at any time of the day. However, depositors should ensure to input the correct spelling of an inmate's name and their personal identification number (PAK). An inmate's name and PAK can be copied from the daily roster in the facility's lobby.
On the other hand, deposits at City Hall can only be made on weekdays during official working hours. Depositors must use the cash deposit machine in the public visiting area and ensure to input the correct name and PAK of the inmate.
- Mail: Individuals can send a money order or cash payable to an inmate to the following address:
401 South 4th Avenue
Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Note: Mail deposits may be held for verification before being released to an inmate. Also, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office charges a transaction fee when an inmate withdraws money from their account. The charge is 10% of the transaction or a $10 maximum. This fee does not apply to initial deposits, money deposited for bail/bond, or final withdrawals.
Friends and family of inmates at the Adult Corrections Facility can deposit money in person at the kiosks maintained in the men's and women's facility lobbies. They may also deposit money in person at an approved private vendor's location or online/via telephone through a third party. More information can be obtained from the county government's website.
How to Visit a Hennepin County Inmate
Interested members of the public can visit an inmate in the Hennepin County Jail via video call. No in-person visit by family and friends is allowed. However, in-person visits may be allowed for an attorney or the police.
Video visits are conducted via a third-party app (accessible from the sheriff's website) and can last up to 20 minutes. It costs $4 for each 20-minute session. Inmates can have visitors once a day and up to three times per week. One can find the visiting hours on the sheriff's website.
On the other hand, inmates incarcerated at the Adult Corrections Facility can be visited in person or online. An inmate can receive two types of visitors:
- Personal visitors (friends & family) and
- Professional visitors (attorneys, probation/parole officers, law enforcement officers, clergy, case workers, guardians ad litem)
However, each visitor must schedule at least 24 hours in advance. Personal visits can be scheduled two weeks in advance.
Any visitor to the facility must present a valid government-issued identification card and be properly dressed. They must also arrive at least 10 minutes before the visit begins and follow all other visitation rules. These rules, the visitation hours, the designated phone number for scheduling professional visits, and a link to the third-party scheduling platform can be obtained from the ADC's web page.
How to Send Jail Mail in Hennepin County
Individuals can send mail to an inmate in the Hennepin County Jail using the following address:
[Inmate's full name]
Hennepin County Public Safety Facility
401 South 4th Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Note that packages must be sent through U.S. mail. Further, packages can only be sent to an inmate directly from an attorney, court official, publisher, or mail-order bookseller. When friends or family send a package, it must be an item necessary for a court appearance or an inmate's release from jail (for example, clothes).
Individuals who want to send mail to an inmate in the Adult Corrections Facility should use the following address format, regardless of the inmate's gender:
[Resident Name]
c/o ACF
1145 Shenandoah Lane
Plymouth, MN 55447
Senders should note the following:
- Cash and checks cannot be received and will be returned to the sender
- Mail must be sent through the U.S. mail. No visitor to the correctional facility can give an inmate a package.
- All incoming mail is inspected, and any restricted item received will be stored in an inmate's property and given to them upon release.
- Inmates can only receive publications from a publisher via U.S. mail.
Hennepin County Jails and Prisons
Below are the names, addresses, and contact information of all jail and correctional facilities in Hennepin County, Minnesota:
Adult Corrections Facility (ACF)
ACF Men's Section
1145 Shenandoah Lane
Plymouth, MN 55447
Phone: (612) 596-0001
Fax: (612) 321-3801
ACF Women's Section
1355 Shenandoah lane
Plymouth, MN 55447
Phone: (612) 596-0001
Fax: (612) 321-3801
Juvenile Detention Center
510 Park Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone: (612) 348-8122
Fax: (612) 348-2296
Hennepin County Jail locations
Hennepin County Public Safety Facility
401 South Fourth Avenue
Suite 100
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone: (612) 348-5112
Minneapolis City Hall
350 South Fifth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone: (612) 348-5112
