Chippewa County Jail Roster

The Chippewa County jail roster tracks who is currently held at the county jail in Montevideo, Minnesota. This is a smaller facility in southwest Minnesota. The sheriff's office keeps the roster updated with names, dates of birth, booking numbers, intake dates, and charges. You can search the roster online or call the sheriff's office directly for inmate info. Chippewa County may be small, but the jail still handles all local bookings. If someone was arrested here, the jail roster is your first stop for finding out if they are in custody and what they are charged with.

Chippewa County Jail Details

The Chippewa County Jail operates out of the Law Enforcement Center at 629 N 11th Street, Suite 14, in Montevideo, MN 56265. It is a small facility that serves a mostly rural part of the state. The sheriff's office runs the jail and handles all bookings. Call (320) 269-2121 to reach the sheriff or ask about inmates. The office keeps regular business hours, though the jail itself processes inmates around the clock when needed.

Montevideo is the county seat and the largest town in Chippewa County. The area sits along the Minnesota River in the western part of the state. The jail handles arrests from the entire county, including smaller towns like Clara City and Granite Falls (which actually sits partly in Yellow Medicine County). Because the facility is small, inmates facing serious charges may be transferred to a larger jail nearby.

Search the Chippewa County Jail Roster

The Chippewa County jail roster is available online through the county website. You can search by name, date of birth, booking number, or intake date. This gives you more search options than many small county jails offer. The roster shows each inmate's name, DOB, booking number, intake date, and the charges they face.

If you cannot find someone on the online roster, call the sheriff's office at (320) 269-2121. Staff can check the system and tell you if someone is in custody. They handle these calls during regular business hours. After hours, you may need to try again the next day or use VINELink.

VINELink is available for tracking inmates across Minnesota. Go to www.vinelink.com and pick Minnesota. Then look for Chippewa County in the list. You can search by name and set up alerts. If the inmate is released or moved, you will get a notification. Call 1-877-MN-4-VINE (1-877-664-8463) to use the phone-based version. The system updates every 15 minutes and costs nothing to use.

Note: Small jails may not always have the latest data online right away; calling the sheriff is the most reliable option for very recent bookings.

Chippewa County Inmate Data and Records

Jail roster information in Chippewa County is public under Minnesota law. MN Stat. 13.82 says that booking data, arrest logs, and custody status are open to anyone. You do not need a reason to view this info. The sheriff is required to provide it when asked. That is why the roster is posted online for everyone to see.

Not all jail data is public, though. MN Stat. 13.85 protects certain records from being shared. Medical files, mental health notes, and internal disciplinary actions are classified as private. If you need something beyond what the roster shows, you would have to submit a formal data request to the sheriff's office. They review each request and release only what the law allows.

MN Stat. 641.05 places the sheriff in charge of the jail facility. MN Stat. 387.03 defines the sheriff as the keeper of the jail. These statutes together mean the sheriff is responsible for both the inmates and all records related to them. The Minnesota Department of Corrections checks in on jail operations through regular inspections.

Contacting Inmates at the Chippewa County Jail

For visits, call the sheriff's office first to ask about the schedule and rules. Smaller jails often have limited visiting hours compared to bigger facilities. Bring a valid ID when you go. Most Minnesota jails require visitors to pass through a check-in process, and some run warrant checks on everyone who comes in.

Phone calls from inmates follow whatever system the jail uses. Contact the facility at (320) 269-2121 to find out which phone provider handles inmate calls and what it costs. Rules on mail vary too. Some jails only allow postcards. Others accept letters in plain white envelopes. Ask the jail staff for the current mail policy before sending anything.

Legal Framework for the Chippewa County Jail Roster

State law governs how jail rosters work in Chippewa County. The Government Data Practices Act under MN Stat. 13.82 and 13.85 sets the rules for what is public and what is private. The sheriff follows these rules when deciding what to put on the roster and what to hold back. Public data goes on the roster. Private data stays in internal files.

The Department of Corrections sets standards that every jail in Minnesota must meet. Chippewa County is no exception. Inspectors visit to make sure the facility complies with state rules on safety, sanitation, staffing, and record-keeping. These visits help keep the jail roster accurate and the facility running properly. If something is off, the DOC can require the county to fix it before the next inspection.

Cities in Chippewa County

Chippewa County includes Montevideo, Clara City, Milan, and several other small communities. None have their own jails. Every arrest in the county goes through the Chippewa County Jail in Montevideo.

Nearby Counties

If you did not find the person you are looking for on the Chippewa County jail roster, try these neighboring counties.