Redwood County Inmate Records
Redwood County inmate population records are kept by the Sheriff's Office in Redwood Falls, the county seat in southwestern Minnesota. The county has about 15,000 residents spread across farming communities and small towns along the Minnesota River valley. The Sheriff's Office runs the county jail and handles all bookings from local arrests. Most booking data is public under Minnesota's data practices laws. If you need to check on someone currently in custody at the Redwood County jail or look up records from past bookings, the Sheriff's Office can help. State databases also track inmates who have moved from the county jail into the prison system after being sentenced.
Redwood County Overview
Redwood County Sheriff's Office
The Redwood County Sheriff's Office operates the county jail and maintains all inmate population records. The department handles patrol, investigations, court security, and civil process across the county. Redwood Falls is the main hub for county services, and the jail there processes all local bookings. Staff can confirm whether someone is in custody when you call with a name and date of birth.
Southwestern Minnesota is agricultural country. Redwood County sits along the Minnesota River, with farmland making up most of the landscape. The county includes the Lower Sioux Indian Community, which has its own law enforcement. Arrests by the county sheriff, city police, and state patrol all funnel through the county jail for booking. Each booking creates an inmate population record that gets stored locally and reported to state agencies.
The jail has limited capacity, which is common for counties this size. When the facility fills up, the county boards inmates at other jails through agreements with nearby counties. Brown County, Lyon County, and Cottonwood County are all potential boarding sites. The booking record belongs to Redwood County regardless of where the person is held.
| Office | Redwood County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Redwood Falls, MN |
| Judicial District | 5th |
| Region | Southwestern Minnesota |
Finding Redwood County Inmates
Contact the Sheriff's Office to check on someone in the Redwood County jail. Provide the person's full name and date of birth. Staff can confirm custody status by phone. For older records or detailed booking information, submit a written data request under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. The county must respond within a reasonable period.
The Minnesota DOC Inmate Locator shows people committed to state prison. If someone from Redwood County was sentenced to prison, they appear in this database after the DOC processes them. Search by name or DOC number. The DOC Search Portal has tools for fugitive lookups and victim notification alerts. These free tools cover all inmates in the state system.
Court records through the Minnesota Judicial Branch show case details from the 5th Judicial District. Charges, hearing schedules, and sentencing outcomes are available. Court data does not show who is in jail right now, but it fills in the story of what happened after the arrest. Combine court records with the DOC locator and local jail data for the most complete picture.
Inmate Population Data Access
Redwood County follows the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act for releasing inmate records. Arrest data is public. That includes the person's name, age, sex, address, charges, bail amount, and the facility where they are held. The arresting agency is public too. You do not have to explain why you want the data.
Medical and mental health records are private. Financial details stay private as well. Under Minn. Stat. 13.85, corrections data is classified based on safety and security concerns. Information presented in open court becomes public. Victims have special rights under state law to access certain inmate data for notification and restitution purposes. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension keeps statewide criminal histories that include Redwood County arrest records.
Jail Operations and Booking
When someone is arrested in Redwood County, they go through booking at the county jail. Staff take a photo, collect fingerprints, and log all charges. Officers check for warrants through national and state databases. The fingerprints go to the BCA, linking the person to their criminal history statewide. This booking record becomes part of the inmate population data that gets reported under Minn. Stat. 641.05.
State law under Minn. Stat. 641.14 requires gender separation. Juveniles stay apart from adults. Every inmate receives meals, medical attention, and access to counsel. Minnesota bans private prisons under Minn. Stat. 641.015, so the Redwood County jail is run entirely by county staff. Discharge planning under Minn. Stat. 641.155 helps inmates connect with services before release. In a rural county, those services may be spread thin, but the legal requirement applies all the same.
Local Inmate Population Resources
Southwest Minnesota Legal Services covers the Redwood County area. They can help with criminal case questions, inmate rights, and records requests for people who qualify based on income. The Minnesota State Bar Association has a lawyer referral service at mnbar.org. LawHelpMN at lawhelpmn.org provides free court forms and self-help guides.
The DOC victim services program tracks offenders in the state prison system. Victims can register for custody status alerts when someone from Redwood County enters the prison system. The notification covers transfers, release dates, and other status changes. Sign up online through the DOC website or call victim services directly for help setting it up.
Cities in Redwood County
Redwood County includes Redwood Falls, Lamberton, Morgan, and other small communities along the Minnesota River valley. All arrests in the county are processed at the county jail. No cities in Redwood County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page on this site.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Redwood County. Inmates may be boarded at neighboring jails when local capacity is reached.