Minnesota State Departament Of Corrections Inmate Search

Minnesota State has 10 state prison facilities and 82 jail facilities. As of 1st January, the prison population was 10,101, with a parole population of 7,381 and a probation population of around 100,076. The State employs at least 4,300 personnel to help with the day-to-day running of the entire prison system, which functions with an annual budget of $654,000,000. 

The prison system is divided into security classes from 1-5, with different facilities designated either male or female. 

Minnesota Offender Lookup Tool

Searching for an inmate across a whole state may prove to be a daunting job, which is why the state's DOC has come up with several ways you can search for the inmate.  

For a smooth search, you will need some information at hand to help narrow down your search. You can get information about the inmate physically at the specific facility, online, or via phone. The more you know, the easier it will be to locate the inmate. 

Most search sites will ask for the inmate's name and id and any other distinguishing factors that may help locate the inmate. 

Minnesota uses the department of corrections offender's lookup tool to provide search information for free. If you cannot locate the inmate, you can call the facility where you suspect the inmate is being held and use this method to track down the inmate. In the worst-case scenario, you can physically visit the facilities you suspect the inmate is being held. This should be the last resort. 

Contacting an Inmate  

Once you find the location of your inmate, the next thing to do is figure out how you can get in contact with your loved one. There are a variety of ways the Minnesota correctional department facilitates communications. 

One of the main ways is by adding money to the inmate's calling account, which allows the inmate to make any pre-approved calls. Some facilities will also allow for collect calls, which means you pay for the phone call should you accept it.  

Inmates are also allowed to receive and send back mail through Corrlnks.com. The emails are printed and provided to the inmate, as they do not have access to the internet. 

Sending Money to An Inmate in Minnesota 

Inmates will need some money to run their day-to-day lives behind bars. This means they either participate in a paying activity or get funded by friends and loved ones. Most facilities will provide inmates with essentials such as food, clothing, and medical facilities, but specific personal care items are left to the inmate to cater. 

According to the DOC rules, incarcerated inmates are not allowed to get money from other incarcerated inmates, those in paper supervision, or patients in secure facilities. 

The DOC enlists the services of JPay to handle money transfers to the inmate's commissary accounts. You have various options for sending money to the inmate, including money orders and electric money transfers. 

Visiting an Inmate 

Visiting inmates was limited during the covid period; however, Covid rules are easing up, and inmates can be visited by their friends and loved ones. Inmate visitation is essential in increasing the recidivism rate by providing contact with the outside world and promising life after incarceration. 

Each facility has its own specific rules on visitation, but the general rules you can expect across the board include: 

• Visitors have to fill out a Minnesota visitor application form 
• Visitors must list any minors accompanying them and provide copies of their birth certificate. If you are listed as the minor's parent or guardian, you must fill out the Minnesota minor escort authorization form and get it notarized. 
• Send the application to the facility and have it approved before making the trip. This may take anywhere between a week to a couple of weeks. 
• The inmate will be informed whether the application has been approved, and it will be upon the inmate to notify the potential visitor that they have been allowed to visit. If the visitation is denied, the applicant will receive a letter explaining why the permission was not granted. 
• Visits are generally between 1-2 hours long, but special arrangements can be made for people visiting long distances. 
• You must provide ID or other valid credentials, including a passport and military id. 
• No recording devices, cell phones, and cameras are allowed inside the facility. 
• All visitors are searched and will pass through metal detectors to ensure they bring no contraband into the facility. 
• All visitors proven to be under the influence of drugs will be barred from the visit. 
• A maximum number of visitors allowed per visit is four. Non-contact visits are also allowed but limited to two visitors with additional two children per visit.