Find Released Inmates in Houston County

Houston County released inmate records are managed by the Houston County Sheriff's Office in Caledonia, Minnesota. The county maintains an online in-custody list that shows current inmates with arrest dates, mugshots, charges, bail amounts, and other booking details. This page covers how to find released inmate data in Houston County, how to use the VINE notification system and state offender tools, and where to find court records tied to local arrests.

Houston County In-Custody List

The Houston County Sheriff's Office publishes an in-custody list on the county website. The roster shows individuals currently held at the Houston County Jail, including arrest date, mugshot photo, charges, bail amount, booking number, release date where applicable, and any warrants associated with the individual. This is the primary public resource for checking who is in custody in Houston County at any given time.

Access the in-custody list at Houston County Sheriff's In-Custody page. The page is updated regularly. For real-time confirmation of a person's custody status, call the jail or sheriff's office directly.

The in-custody list is a snapshot of the current jail population. For someone who has already been released, VINE and the DOC offender locator are the better tools.

Houston County Sheriff's Office Contact

The Houston County Sheriff's Office is located at 304 S. Marshall St., Caledonia, MN 55921. The main phone number is (507) 725-3379. The fax is (507) 725-2238. The Houston County Jail is located at 306 South Marshall Street, Caledonia, MN 55921, just one address number down from the sheriff's office. Both are in the same part of downtown Caledonia and easy to find.

Caledonia is the county seat of Houston County. The county sits in the far southeastern corner of Minnesota, bordered by Wisconsin to the east and Iowa to the south. The area is rural, and the jail serves a relatively small population. Staff can generally answer basic custody and release questions by phone during business hours. The sheriff's office handles law enforcement for all of Houston County, including cities and unincorporated areas.

For mail sent to inmates, address the envelope to the inmate's full name and the Houston County Jail address on South Marshall Street. Check with the jail for specific mail rules before sending anything, as policies can change.

VINE Victim Notification

Houston County jail records are searchable through VINELink. You can search by name or offender ID to check custody status at the Houston County Jail. VINE also provides automatic alerts when an inmate's status changes, including releases, transfers to other facilities, and scheduled court movements. The service is free and open to anyone who registers.

Sign up at VINELink.com or call 1-877-664-8463. Registration is confidential. The person being tracked is not notified that you have registered. VINE works across Minnesota's county jails and DOC facilities, so if someone moves from Houston County to a state prison, your VINE registration stays active and continues sending alerts. This makes it more reliable than checking the local roster manually, especially for extended periods following a release or transfer.

VINE is the recommended tool for anyone who cannot call the jail every day but needs to know about custody changes in a timely way.

Minnesota DOC Offender Locator

If someone convicted in Houston County was sentenced to a state prison rather than a county jail term, the local in-custody list will not show them. The Minnesota Department of Corrections offender locator covers all adults under state supervision, from active prison sentences to post-release supervision and probation. It is the right tool when you are tracking someone after they have left the county jail system.

Search the MN DOC Offender Locator by name or offender number. No account is required. Results show the offender's current facility or supervision status, along with projected release information where available. The tool is updated regularly and is free to use. Many individuals who are first booked at the Houston County Jail end up in state custody after conviction on felony charges.

For county-level jail tracking, use VINELink or the Houston County in-custody list. For state-level tracking, use the DOC offender locator.

Court Records for Houston County

Houston County is served by the Third Judicial District. Court records for criminal, civil, and family cases in the district are publicly accessible through the Minnesota Court Records Online system. MCRO shows case filings, charges, court dates, and dispositions for most adult cases. Juvenile records and sealed proceedings are not available through the public portal.

Visit publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us to search by name or case number. If someone is listed on the Houston County in-custody list, a related court case may be searchable in MCRO. The two systems are independent, so you need to run searches in both places separately. Court records often show more detail about charges, outcomes, and sentencing than what appears on the jail roster.

For certified copies of court documents or help with case records, contact the Houston County District Court clerk in Caledonia. Basic case information through MCRO is free. Certified copies and some other document requests may involve a fee.

Predatory Offender Registry

The Minnesota Predatory Offender Registry is managed by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and lists individuals convicted of qualifying sex offenses who must register their address under Minnesota Statute 243.166. Anyone released from the Houston County Jail who was convicted of a qualifying predatory offense may appear on this registry. The registry is separate from the jail roster and applies only to individuals with specific offense histories.

Search at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicRegistrantSearch. Results include name, photo, current address, offense type, and registration tier. Community notification rules under Minnesota Statute 244.052 set how local law enforcement communicates with the community about high-risk registrants. The registry is a public resource available to anyone with internet access.

Minnesota Public Records Law

Minnesota Statute 13.82 makes basic arrest and booking data public. The name of the arrested person, date and time of arrest, charges, and arresting agency are all public records. The Houston County Sheriff's Office follows these standards when posting the in-custody list and responding to records requests. Some data is protected, including active investigation details and victim information in sensitive cases.

For background check services or certified criminal history records, contact the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The BCA maintains statewide criminal history data and provides services to authorized requestors. For data practices questions or complaints, contact the Minnesota Department of Administration. Minnesota Statute 13.85 governs prosecutorial records and criminal complaint data at the county level.

Cities in Houston County

No cities in Houston County meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page. The county seat is Caledonia. For released inmate records in this area, use the Houston County Sheriff's Office resources listed above.

Nearby Counties

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