Minnesota Department of Corrections (MN DOC) — Inmate Records & Recent Arrests

Minnesota DOC: Offender Locator, Visits, Money & Mail

This page holds the inmate records we have on file for the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MN DOC), which operates roughly ten state prison facilities. The person you are looking for could be housed at any of them and may be transferred during their sentence. Minnesota's system is relatively small compared with the largest states, but it spans a range of security levels and specialized facilities, from close-custody prisons to facilities focused on treatment and reentry. The records below are a historical directory of custody entries we hold — a starting point for identifying the right person and taking the next step — not a live count of any single facility, so confirm anything current against the state's official search. For more on this facility — history, programs, and what to expect — see our full facility profile.

How to find someone in MN DOC

Minnesota provides an official offender search where you look someone up by first and last name or by their MNDOC offender ID. The results include people currently in prison as well as those released but still under supervision, which is useful for tracking a person through the later stages of a sentence. On this page you can also browse the records we hold by last name (A–Z), gender, or age to narrow a common name, then confirm the current facility and offender ID through the state search. Because people are transferred between Minnesota facilities as their classification changes, a record here can lag behind a recent move, so verify before you plan anything. Our inmate search guide for this facility walks through this in more detail.

Getting approved to visit

Visiting in Minnesota begins with a visitor application. You fill out the form, list any minors who will visit and provide copies of their birth certificates, and — if you are the minor's parent or guardian — complete a notarized minor escort authorization form before sending it to the facility. Processing can take a week or two, so start early. Visits are generally one to two hours long, though special arrangements can sometimes be made for people traveling long distances. Confirm the facility's specific days and hours once you are approved, bring valid photo identification, and plan for screening at the entrance.

Sending money: three options

Minnesota gives you three ways to deposit money. You can use an electronic funds transfer through a JPay account, entering the person's MNDOC offender ID (a service fee applies); mail a money order made payable to JPay with the person's name and MNDOC offender ID on the memo line; or make a cash deposit via MoneyGram using the receive code 1279 and the person's MNDOC offender ID plus last name as the account number. Funds let a person buy commissary items and cover communication costs. Always double-check the offender ID so the deposit reaches the right account, and allow processing time before the balance is available. Keeping your transaction confirmation or money-order stub until you see the balance update is a good habit, especially for a mailed deposit that takes a few days to post.

Mail rules, including 30-day retention

Minnesota lets families and friends write to people in custody, but there are specific rules worth knowing. All original mail is retained for 30 days as a safety and anti-contraband measure, incoming items are limited to about 16 ounces each, and there is a maximum of roughly 20 photos per mailing. Address your letter with the person's committed name and MNDOC offender ID, include a clear return address, and keep enclosures within the limits and simple — no stickers, glitter, or adhesive. Because the 30-day retention means the physical letter is held, your loved one may receive a copy rather than the original; that is normal. Our letter service formats and sends mail so it meets these rules.

Phone calls and messaging

Calls are placed by the incarcerated person out to numbers on their approved list, so set up and fund an account with the facility's phone provider in advance and make sure your number is approved so their calls connect. Many Minnesota facilities also offer tablet-based messaging, which can be faster than paper mail for short notes. For families who talk frequently, lower-cost calling arrangements can meaningfully reduce the expense over a long sentence, and pairing calls with visits and steady mail keeps the connection strong.

Programs, reentry, and staying involved

Because MN DOC holds sentenced people, many families are also navigating classification, program participation, and release planning rather than a pending trial. Minnesota emphasizes education, treatment, and work opportunities intended to prepare people to return to the community. Staying closely involved — encouraging participation and helping line up the practical pieces of reentry, such as housing and identification — is one of the most effective things a family can do, and consistent contact is associated with smoother transitions back to the community.

What the records here can and cannot tell you

A directory like this reflects custody entries captured from public data at a point in time, not a live feed from inside a facility. Because Minnesota's prison system moves people between institutions as their classification and program needs change, a person may appear here after a transfer or release, and individual fields can be incomplete — a middle name dropped, an ID recorded differently, or an age tied to an earlier booking date. None of that reflects anything about the person; it reflects the limits of the public source. Use an entry as a strong lead, then confirm the current facility and status through the state offender search. If someone you expect to find does not appear, they may still be in county custody, in transit, or newly received, so wait a day and check again or search by last name only.

Next steps

Confirm your loved one's MNDOC offender ID and current facility through the state search, then use this page to keep track and take the next step — submit your visitor application early, choose a money-deposit method that works for you, and open a steady line of mail within the size and photo limits. Everyone listed here is presumed innocent or is serving a sentence after conviction; a listing here is not a judgment. Verify anything time-sensitive with the facility before you travel or send anything.

Sources: www.jpay.com/Agency-Details/Minnesota-Departm..., minnesotacourtrecords.us/criminal-court-recor...