Watonwan County Jail Roster Search
The Watonwan County jail roster lists everyone currently held at the county jail in St. James, Minnesota. You can search this roster to find inmate names, numbers, and photos. Watonwan County is a small, rural county in the south-central part of the state. The Sheriff's Office runs the jail and maintains the inmate list. Both VINELink and a direct inmate list are available for searching. Checking the jail roster is free and open to anyone under Minnesota public data laws.
Watonwan County Overview
Watonwan County Inmate Lookup
Watonwan County maintains its own inmate list in addition to participating in VINELink. The inmate list shows each person's number, name, and photo. This gives you a quick way to identify who is in custody at the Watonwan County Jail. VINELink adds the option to search by name or offender ID and set up automated release notifications.
To search VINELink for Watonwan County, go to www.vinelink.com and select Minnesota. Pick Watonwan County from the dropdown. Enter a name and hit search. If the person is in custody, their status shows up. You can register for free alerts by phone, email, or text if you want to know when someone gets released. Call 1-877-MN-4-VINE (1-877-664-8463) to use the phone version instead.
Under MN Stat. § 13.82, booking and arrest data is classified as public in Minnesota. The county has to make it available.
Watonwan County Jail Details
The Watonwan County Jail is at 715 Third Ave. S in St. James. The facility runs around the clock, every day. Gene Brown serves as Jail Administrator and handles the day-to-day operations. You can reach him at gene.brown@co.watonwan.mn.us. The main phone for the Sheriff's Office is (507) 375-3121.
When someone gets arrested in Watonwan County, the booking happens here. Each booking creates a record that goes on the jail roster. The record includes the person's name, an inmate number, and a photo. Under MN Stat. § 641.05, the sheriff is responsible for the care and custody of all inmates. That includes keeping accurate records and responding to public data requests about who is being held.
Watonwan County is a smaller county, so the jail population stays fairly low. Still, the same public access rules apply here as they do at larger facilities across the state.
Watonwan County Jail Roster Screenshots
The Watonwan County website provides information about government services and departments, including the sheriff's office.
Through the county website, you can find links to the sheriff's office and jail-related pages where inmate information is posted.
Watonwan County Jail Contact
| Facility | Watonwan County Jail |
|---|---|
| Address | 715 Third Ave. S St. James, MN 56081 |
| Phone | (507) 375-3121 |
| Fax | (507) 375-1246 |
| Hours | 24 hours a day, 7 days a week |
| Jail Administrator | Gene Brown |
| gene.brown@co.watonwan.mn.us |
Data Access and Records
The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act covers all jail records in Watonwan County. MN Stat. § 13.82 makes arrest information public. That means names, charges, booking dates, and where someone is held are all open to anyone who asks. You don't need to give a reason for checking. The jail must share this data when requested.
Private data like medical records and juvenile information is excluded from public access. If you want records beyond what the roster shows, file a request with the Watonwan County Sheriff's Office at (507) 375-3121 or mail it to 715 Third Ave. S, St. James, MN 56081. Standard copy fees apply. Under MN Stat. § 13.85, the county must respond within a reasonable amount of time.
Posting Bail in Watonwan County
To post bail for someone in the Watonwan County Jail, call the Sheriff's Office at (507) 375-3121. Staff can tell you the bail amount and explain payment options. Local bail bond agents serve the St. James area for larger amounts. Bond agents typically charge a percentage of the full bail. Under MN Stat. § 387.03, the sheriff oversees all jail operations and the bail posting process. Once bail is paid, the inmate's status on the jail roster updates to show the release.
How VINELink Works for Watonwan County
VINELink is a nationwide service that started as a notification tool for crime victims. It has grown into a general-purpose inmate search system that anyone can use. The service is free and works around the clock. Watonwan County participates in the program, so the jail sends data to VINELink regularly. When you search for someone on VINELink, the system checks the most recent data from the Watonwan County Jail.
You can set up alerts if you want to know when someone leaves custody. These notifications come by phone, email, or text at no cost. The phone number is 1-877-MN-4-VINE (1-877-664-8463). You just need to know the person's name or their offender ID to run a search. VINELink covers most counties in Minnesota, so it works if you are checking multiple jails at once. That can be helpful if an arrest happened near a county border and you are not sure which jail processed the booking.
Note: VINELink data reflects what the Watonwan County Jail reports, so there may be a short gap between a booking and when it shows up online.
Watonwan County Court Records
After someone appears on the Watonwan County jail roster, their court case proceeds through the Fifth Judicial District. You can track the case using Minnesota Court Records Online. Search by name to find case numbers, hearing dates, and outcomes. This system covers all Minnesota counties and works well with jail roster data to give you a complete view of what happened after an arrest in Watonwan County.
Nearby Counties
These counties are close to Watonwan County. If the person you are looking for is not at the Watonwan County Jail, try searching one of these.