Search St. Cloud Released Inmates

St. Cloud released inmates are held at the Stearns County Jail, the primary detention facility serving all of Stearns County. When the St. Cloud Police Department makes an arrest that requires more than short-term holding, the person is transferred to Stearns County Jail custody. St. Cloud is unusual among Minnesota cities in that it maintains a small city jail at the police department for temporary holds, but nearly all bookings move to the county facility for extended detention. With around 68,000 residents, St. Cloud is the largest city in central Minnesota and the county seat of Stearns County.

Finding Someone Arrested in St. Cloud

The Stearns County Jail is the main place to look for someone who has been arrested in St. Cloud. The jail is located at the Stearns County courthouse area in St. Cloud. For inmate searches, call the jail line at 320-259-3760. The county also provides an online inmate search tool at stearnscountymn.gov/561/Inmate-Warrant-Searches. This system lets you look up current inmates, past inmates, outstanding warrants, and most wanted individuals. It is one of the more complete county jail search tools in Minnesota.

The Stearns County Sheriff's Office administration line is 320-259-3702. The jail administration number is 320-259-3750. For warrant-related questions, call 320-259-3955. The Sheriff's Office is located at 807 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud, MN 56303. Jail Administrator Mark Maslonkowski can be reached at mark.maslonkowski@co.stearns.mn.us. If you need records from the Sheriff's Office Records Division, call 320-259-3700.

The St. Cloud Police Department is at 101 11th Avenue North, St. Cloud, MN 56303. Their main number is (320) 345-4444. For questions about a police report or arrest made by city officers, contact the department directly. The Records Division can confirm whether a report is ready and what the process is to get a copy.

Stearns County Jail Details

The Stearns County Jail is licensed by the State of Minnesota as a medium/maximum security facility. It is authorized to house inmates for up to one year after final disposition of their case, which is the maximum for county jails under state law. The jail processes all booking for Stearns County, including arrests from St. Cloud, Waite Park, Sauk Rapids, and other cities in the county. After a person is booked, bail can be posted at the jail lobby after 4:30 p.m. and on weekends and holidays.

For inmate calls and deposits, Stearns County Jail has standard procedures. Inmates can make collect calls or calls funded through prepaid accounts. Family members looking to put money on an inmate's account should check directly with the jail for current procedures, as these can change. The online search at stearnscountymn.gov shows current booking status and is the fastest way to confirm whether someone is in custody.

The MN DOC Offender Locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer/ is the right tool for people who have moved from county jail into state prison. St. Cloud is also home to the Minnesota Correctional Facility - St. Cloud (MCF-St. Cloud), a state prison operated separately from the county jail at 320-240-3000. If someone received a state prison sentence, they may be housed at MCF-St. Cloud or transferred to another state facility. The DOC Offender Locator will show which facility they are at.

VINE and Victim Notification

VINE is the service to use if you want automatic alerts about a St. Cloud area inmate's custody status. VINE covers county jail inmates and is free to use. Call 877-664-8463 or register online at vinelink.com. Once registered, you will get a call, text, or email when the person's status changes. This includes release from the Stearns County Jail. VINE operates around the clock and is widely used by crime victims and family members.

For DOC inmates, Minnesota Haven is the right notification service. This is run by the DOC Victim Assistance Program and covers people sentenced to state prison. You can register by contacting the Victim Assistance Program at 1-800-657-3830 or emailing victimassistance.doc@state.mn.us. Minnesota Haven covers custody changes, release notices 60 days in advance, early release programs, and escape notifications. Given that St. Cloud has both a county jail and a state prison, knowing which system the person is in matters for choosing the right notification service.

Court Records for St. Cloud Cases

Criminal cases from St. Cloud are handled at the Stearns County District Court, which is part of the Seventh Judicial District. Court records are searchable through the Minnesota Court Records Online system at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. The system is free to use for case summaries and the register of actions. You can search by the defendant's name or by case number. Documents filed after July 1, 2015 are generally accessible online, with some requiring a small fee.

MCRO guest access shows party names, charges, case status, and hearing dates. For older cases or certified copies, you will need to contact the Stearns County Court Administrator directly. The courthouse is at 725 Courthouse Square, St. Cloud, MN 56303. Court records reflect the legal proceedings but not real-time custody status, so always check the jail roster or VINE for current information on where someone is held.

St. Cloud State University is located in the city, which creates a more complex local law enforcement environment. The university has its own police department that handles on-campus incidents, though arrests by campus police also route through the county jail system.

State Inmate Records and the DOC

People convicted of felony offenses in St. Cloud may serve time in a Minnesota state prison. The DOC Offender Locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer/ covers both those in prison and those on supervised release. Search by name or DOC offender ID. Results include current facility, conviction offense, sentence details, and supervised release expiration dates. If the person has completed their sentence and is off supervision entirely, they will not appear. For DOC records questions, call (651) 361-7330.

The Minnesota Predatory Offender Registry covers people required to register under Minnesota Statutes Section 243.166. St. Cloud Police Department maintains local registration records for offenders living in the city. Level III offenders are listed publicly on the DOC registry at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicRegistrantSearch/. For questions about specific registrants, contact the DOC Community Notification Unit at (651) 361-7340 or toll-free at (866) 396-9953.

Arrest Records and Data Practices

Minnesota law requires law enforcement to make certain arrest data public. Under Minnesota Statutes Section 13.82, the name of the person arrested, the time and date of arrest, the charges, and the arresting agency are public data. You can request this information from the St. Cloud Police Department or the Stearns County Sheriff's Office. The corrections data law at Minnesota Statutes Section 13.85 governs what jail records are public. Both agencies follow the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.

For statewide criminal history records, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is the right agency. Learn more at dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca. The BCA maintains criminal history data covering convictions across all Minnesota counties. Formal background check requests require identity verification and may involve a fee. BCA records are used by employers, landlords, and licensing agencies throughout the state.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near St. Cloud. Each uses the county jail system for custody records.