Yellow Medicine County Inmate Search
Yellow Medicine County inmate population records are maintained by the Sheriff's Office in Granite Falls, a small southwestern Minnesota community. The county is rural with a modest population, and the jail handles a limited number of bookings each year. Inmate population data is public under Minnesota law, and the Sheriff's Office is the main source for local custody information. State databases cover people who have been sentenced to prison and left county custody. This page explains how to access Yellow Medicine County inmate records and the legal rules that apply.
Yellow Medicine County Overview
Yellow Medicine County Sheriff
The Yellow Medicine County Sheriff's Office handles all inmate population records for the county. The office is based in Granite Falls and covers patrol, detention, investigations, and civil process across a rural area in southwestern Minnesota. Staff manage bookings from all local arrests and maintain the records as state law requires.
Call the Sheriff's Office to check on someone in custody. Provide the person's name and date of birth. Staff can verify whether the person is currently held at the Yellow Medicine County jail or has been transferred to another facility. For historical records or more detailed data, a written request under the Minnesota Data Practices Act may be needed.
Yellow Medicine County sits in a part of the state where counties are large geographically but have small populations. The jail handles fewer bookings than metro-area facilities, but every booking generates the same types of records. The Sheriff's Office still has to meet the same reporting deadlines and data classification requirements as any other county in Minnesota.
| Office | Yellow Medicine County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Granite Falls, MN |
| Judicial District | 8th |
| Emergency | 911 |
Searching Inmate Population Records
The fastest way to check Yellow Medicine County inmate population data is a phone call to the Sheriff's Office. Staff can verify current custody status right away. This method works best for real-time checks.
For people who have entered the state prison system, the Minnesota DOC Inmate Locator is the main search tool. It tracks individuals committed to the Commissioner of Corrections. If a Yellow Medicine County case resulted in a prison sentence, the person shows up in this database. Search by name or DOC number. The DOC Search Portal adds fugitive search features and victim alert registration.
Court records from the Minnesota Judicial Branch provide case details for Yellow Medicine County. You can find sentencing information, probation terms, and case outcomes. Court data connects to inmate population records by tracking what happened legally after the arrest and booking.
Data Practices for Inmate Records
Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, arrest data from Yellow Medicine County is always public. The person's name, charges, arrest time and place, the arresting officer, and holding location are all available to anyone who requests them. The Sheriff's Office must release this information.
Medical records from the jail are private. Mental health evaluations and financial information about inmates are also restricted. Minn. Stat. 13.85 classifies corrections and detention data based on whether its release could create security risks or invade privacy. Information from open court is generally treated as public. Yellow Medicine County applies these rules to every records request, even though the county gets fewer requests than urban areas.
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension keeps criminal history records for the state. Yellow Medicine County arrest data feeds into this system. BCA background checks are available, with some types needing fingerprints and a fee.
Booking and Jail Operations
The booking process at the Yellow Medicine County jail follows standard state procedures. Staff collect fingerprints, photos, and personal information from each arrested person. They run warrant checks and log all charges into the system. This data enters the inmate population records immediately.
Under Minn. Stat. 641.14, inmates must be separated by gender, and juveniles cannot be housed with adults. The jail provides meals, medical care, and communication access. Reporting to the courts is required weekly under Minn. Stat. 641.05, and arrest data goes to the BCA. Minnesota bans private prisons under Minn. Stat. 641.015, so the Yellow Medicine County jail is run only by county staff.
Discharge planning under Minn. Stat. 641.155 is required before inmates are released. Staff must connect people with community resources. In rural southwestern Minnesota, those resources may be spread thin. The jail still has to document the effort and make referrals to whatever regional programs are available.
State Corrections and Yellow Medicine
The Minnesota Department of Corrections manages all state prisons under Minn. Stat. Chapter 243. When a Yellow Medicine County case leads to a prison sentence, the inmate transfers from the county jail to a state facility. Both systems maintain records of the transfer, keeping a continuous trail of the person's custody history.
Victims of crimes in Yellow Medicine County can register for DOC notification alerts. The system sends automatic updates when an offender is released, transferred, or has any change in status. This service is free and covers all state prison inmates in Minnesota.
Additional Inmate Population Resources
Yellow Medicine County is part of the 8th Judicial District. The district court handles all criminal cases from the county, and court records are an important part of tracking inmate population data over time. Public defenders working through the district take on cases for people who cannot hire their own attorney. They can provide case-specific details about inmates and their legal situations.
The county attorney in Granite Falls prosecutes local cases and keeps records about charges and outcomes. Those records connect to the inmate population by showing the legal reason behind each booking. For a complete view of any Yellow Medicine County case, combining Sheriff's Office data, court records, and county attorney files gives you the most thorough picture available.
Nearby Counties
Yellow Medicine County borders several other southwestern Minnesota counties. Inmates may transfer between these facilities as needed.