Cottonwood County Released Inmates

Cottonwood County released inmate records are available through the official county jail roster, which is generated twice daily at 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM Central Time. The Cottonwood County Sheriff's Office in Windom publishes this data publicly under Minnesota Statutes 13.82 and 13.85. This page covers how to access the jail roster, use the VINE notification system, find warrants, and search statewide tools for anyone who has passed through Cottonwood County custody.

Cottonwood County Jail Roster

The Cottonwood County jail roster is available at the county's official website at co.cottonwood.mn.us. The roster is generated at 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM Central Time each day, giving you two windows of updated data daily. This schedule is clearly stated on the roster page so you can gauge how current the information is. The county explicitly notes that this data is public under Minnesota Statutes 13.82, 13.85, and 641.05.

The Cottonwood County Law Enforcement Center and Sheriff's Office are both located at 902 5th Avenue, Windom, MN 56101. The main Sheriff's phone is 507-831-1375. The fax number is 507-831-1957. The Jail Administrator is Jason Rupp. For jail programs, contact Heather Janssen at 507-831-1375.

The county's roster also notes that jail staff do not take messages for inmates. If you want to leave a message for someone in custody, you can call the appropriate number for that purpose. For official confirmation of whether someone has been released, calling the Sheriff's Office is the best approach, especially between the twice-daily roster updates.

The Cottonwood County jail roster updates at 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM each day and is published as public data under Minnesota state law.

Active Warrant List

Cottonwood County maintains an online warrant list that shows individuals with active warrants, including dates of birth, warrant types, and the charges behind each warrant. This list is separate from the jail roster. People on the warrant list are not in custody; they have outstanding legal obligations and may still be in the community.

The warrant list is public data and is accessible through the county website. If you believe you have a warrant or want to check whether someone else does, the online list is a starting point. For confirmed warrant status, contact the Cottonwood County Sheriff's Office at 507-831-1375. The warrant list can change as new warrants are issued and existing ones are cleared, so check it directly rather than relying on older information.

VINE Notifications for Cottonwood County

Cottonwood County is part of the statewide VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) network. Register at VINELink online or call 877-664-8463 to get automatic alerts when someone at the Cottonwood County Jail is released or transferred. The service is free. You can choose notification by phone call, text message, or email.

Because the jail roster only updates twice a day, there can be a gap of up to 12 hours between a release and when it appears online. VINE bridges that gap. It monitors custody status directly through the jail system and issues alerts as events are recorded, not on a scheduled cycle. For anyone who needs to know quickly when a Cottonwood County inmate is released, VINE is the more reliable tracking method.

Register with VINE to receive free alerts when a Cottonwood County inmate's custody status changes, with notifications by phone, text, or email.

Public Records Laws

Cottonwood County explicitly cites the legal basis for its jail roster: Minnesota Statute 13.82, which covers law enforcement data, and Minnesota Statute 13.85, which governs corrections and detention data. These laws make basic booking information public, including names, charges, and custody status. The county also cites Minnesota Statute 641.05, which applies to county jail operations more broadly. You do not need to file a formal request to see the online roster. It is proactively published as a public service.

If you need records not available through the online roster, you can request them in writing from the Cottonwood County Sheriff's Office at 902 5th Avenue, Windom, MN 56101. Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, the office must respond within the required period. Some records, such as medical, mental health, and financial data, are classified as private under statute and will not be released.

Statewide Tools for Cottonwood County Records

When a person convicted in Cottonwood County is sentenced to a state prison, the local roster stops tracking them. Use the Minnesota DOC Offender Locator to find people in state custody or under supervised release. The tool is free and searchable by name. It shows current facility, sentence data, and projected release dates for all state-supervised offenders in Minnesota.

For sex offenders released in Cottonwood County, the Predatory Offender Registry is searchable by name or address. Registration is required under Minnesota Statute 243.166. Risk levels are assigned under Minnesota Statute 244.052. For court records in Cottonwood County cases, use Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO). For full statewide criminal history records, contact the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).

Cities in Cottonwood County

Windom is the county seat of Cottonwood County and the largest community in the area. No cities in Cottonwood County meet the population threshold for a dedicated released inmate city page.

Other communities in the county include Mountain Lake and Storden. All Cottonwood County residents are served by the Sheriff's Office at 902 5th Avenue, Windom, MN 56101. Bookings from across the county appear in the twice-daily online roster.

Nearby Counties

These counties are near Cottonwood County. Each has its own released inmate records.