Red Lake County Inmate Population
Red Lake County inmate population records are maintained by the Sheriff's Office in Red Lake Falls, the county seat located in northwestern Minnesota. Red Lake County is the smallest county in the state by land area and has a population of about 4,000 people. It is a quiet, rural area with farms, small towns, and limited local services. The jail has limited capacity, which means inmates are sometimes held at facilities in neighboring counties. Booking data from Red Lake County arrests is public under state law. If you need to check on someone in custody or look up records from a past booking, the Sheriff's Office is the place to start.
Red Lake County Overview
Red Lake County Sheriff's Office
The Red Lake County Sheriff's Office handles all inmate population records for the county. The office provides law enforcement across the entire county, which includes Red Lake Falls and a handful of other small communities. With such a small population, the department is lean. Deputies patrol rural roads, respond to calls, and transport prisoners to the jail or to court hearings. The Sheriff also provides court security for the local courthouse.
Red Lake County holds the distinction of being Minnesota's smallest county by area. That small size does not change the legal requirements for how the jail operates or how records are handled. The same state laws that govern Hennepin County's 500-bed jail also apply here. Every booking creates a record that must be stored and reported. Every inmate has rights under Chapter 641 of Minnesota Statutes.
The jail has limited capacity. Many small Minnesota counties face the same issue. When the jail cannot hold everyone, inmates get boarded at other facilities through agreements with neighboring counties. Pennington County and Polk County are nearby and may take overflow inmates. The booking record stays with Red Lake County even when the person is physically housed elsewhere. If you are trying to find someone arrested in Red Lake County, contact the Sheriff's Office first.
| Office | Red Lake County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Red Lake Falls, MN |
| Judicial District | 9th |
| County Size | Smallest in Minnesota by area |
Finding Red Lake County Inmates
Call the Sheriff's Office to check on someone in custody. Give the person's full name and date of birth. Staff can tell you if the person is at the Red Lake County jail or if they have been boarded at another facility. For formal records requests, submit them in writing under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. The county must respond within a reasonable time.
State databases help with broader searches. The Minnesota DOC Inmate Locator covers people in state prison. If someone from Red Lake County received a prison sentence, they will appear in this system after processing. Search by name or DOC ID. The DOC Search Portal includes fugitive lookups and victim notification sign-ups.
Court records from the Minnesota Judicial Branch cover Red Lake County cases in the 9th Judicial District. Look up charges, case status, and sentencing details. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension keeps statewide criminal histories that include Red Lake County booking data. Background checks through the BCA may require fingerprints and a fee.
Note: Red Lake County's small jail may not have an online roster. Calling the Sheriff's Office is typically the fastest way to check if someone is in custody.
Inmate Data Access Rules
Arrest data in Red Lake County is public. Under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13, that includes the name, age, sex, and address of anyone booked. The charges, bail amount, arresting agency, and holding facility are public too. No reason is needed to ask for this data. The county cannot charge more than the actual cost of making copies.
Private data includes medical records, mental health information, and financial details about the inmate. Security-related data stays restricted. Under Minn. Stat. 13.85, corrections data is classified to protect safety and facility operations. Information from open court proceedings is public. Victims have special access to certain inmate data under state notification laws, even when that data would not normally be released to the public.
Booking and Jail Standards
Booking at the Red Lake County jail follows the same procedures as any county jail in Minnesota. Staff take the person's photo and fingerprints and log all charges. Warrant checks go through national and state systems. The fingerprints feed into the BCA criminal history database, creating a permanent record. Under Minn. Stat. 641.05, the jail reports population data to the state.
Minnesota law requires gender separation under Minn. Stat. 641.14. Juveniles must be housed apart from adults. Every inmate gets meals, medical care, and access to legal counsel. The state bans private prisons under Minn. Stat. 641.015. Red Lake County's jail is county-operated. Before release, Minn. Stat. 641.155 requires discharge planning to connect inmates with community resources. In a county this small, those resources may be limited, but the legal obligation remains.
The small size of the jail means that the inmate population at any given time is low. But every person who passes through gets the same protections and generates the same types of records as someone booked in a large metro facility. The data is public, the reporting is mandatory, and the standards do not change based on county size.
Local Resources
Legal Aid of Northwestern Minnesota serves the Red Lake County area. They help with criminal case questions and inmate rights issues for people who qualify based on income. The Minnesota State Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service at mnbar.org. LawHelpMN at lawhelpmn.org has free court forms and self-help guides.
Victims can register for alerts through the DOC victim services program when an offender enters the state prison system. This covers people after they leave the county jail. Sign up through the DOC website or call victim services. The notification system tracks transfers, release dates, and other changes in custody status for state prison inmates.
Cities in Red Lake County
Red Lake County includes Red Lake Falls and a few other small towns. All local arrests go through the county jail system. No cities in the county meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site.
Nearby Counties
These counties share borders with Red Lake County. Inmates are often boarded at neighboring facilities due to limited local jail capacity.