Kandiyohi County Jail Records and Released Inmates

Kandiyohi County released inmate records are accessible through the county jail's online in-custody roster and through statewide tools run by the Minnesota Department of Corrections. The Kandiyohi County Jail in Willmar is a medium-security facility housing roughly 150 inmates at any time, and the public roster is updated regularly so you can see current and recent custody status for people booked into the facility.

Kandiyohi County Jail In-Custody Roster

The Kandiyohi County Jail publishes an online in-custody list at www2.kcmn.us/LETG/custody/custody.html. The roster shows photo, MNI number, name, sex, age, booking number, intake date, charges, and bail or bond status. This is one of the more detailed county jail rosters in Minnesota and gives you a clear snapshot of who is currently in custody.

The jail is at 2201 23rd St. NE, Willmar, MN 56201. The main phone is 320-214-6700. For inmate information specifically, call extension 3600. If you need fingerprint appointments, use extension 3670. For programs and appointments, extensions 3616, 3665, or 3633 can help. Medical inquiries go to extension 3673. Lobby visits are open; call the main line to confirm hours and schedule. The mailing address for sending mail to an inmate is their full name and A-Number, Kandiyohi County Jail, 400 Benson Ave SW, Willmar, MN 56201. Note the mailing address differs from the physical jail address.

The Kandiyohi County Jail is a medium-security facility that houses males and females across a range from minimum to maximum security levels. Capacity is around 150 inmates. Free public parking is available at the facility, and it does not discriminate against individuals with special needs. The jail also holds ICE detainees at times; for ICE detainee information, call the Field Office at (612) 843-8600 or search at locator.ice.gov.

The county also maintains a separate active warrant listing. This is not the same as the jail roster. If you want to know whether someone has an outstanding warrant in Kandiyohi County, the warrant list is a different source from the in-custody roster. Both can be useful depending on what you need to find.

Minnesota DOC Offender Locator

When someone serves time in a Minnesota state prison rather than a county jail, their records appear in the MN DOC Public Viewer. This is separate from the county jail roster and covers people sentenced to state facilities for more serious offenses.

The MN DOC Public Viewer is at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer. You can search by name or offender ID. The viewer shows current status, facility location, release date information, and supervision type for people in the state system. If someone was prosecuted in Kandiyohi County and sentenced to a state prison, they will appear here rather than on the county jail roster. Using both tools together gives a fuller view.

The DOC viewer is free and does not require creating an account. It is updated regularly as custody status changes.

VINE Notification Service

VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) gives people a way to track when an inmate is released, moved, or escapes from custody. It covers the Kandiyohi County Jail and all Minnesota state facilities. The service is free and open to anyone.

Search current custody status and register for notifications at vinelink.com or by calling 877-664-8463 any time of day. You will need the person's name or offender ID to register. VINE can send alerts by phone, email, or text message. This is a practical tool for victims, family members, attorneys, or anyone who needs to know when a person is no longer held in a Kandiyohi County facility. The phone line is available around the clock.

VINE is a national system that works consistently across Minnesota counties. If you have trouble with the online portal, the 877 number is the simplest fallback.

Sex Offender Registry and Predatory Offender Search

Minnesota's Predatory Offender Registry is maintained by the Department of Corrections and lists individuals who must register their address following conviction for certain offenses. Many of these people are not in custody; they are living in the community and checking in with authorities as required by law.

Search the registry at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicRegistrantSearch. You can search by name or by location to find registrants near a specific address in Kandiyohi County. The registration requirement is set by Minnesota Statute 243.166. The three-tier risk classification system is established under Minnesota Statute 244.052. Level 3 offenders are those judged most likely to reoffend, and they are subject to community notification. Level 1 and Level 2 registrants are in the database but not typically subject to broad public notice.

The Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office can also answer questions about registrants in the county. The registry is updated as people move, register new addresses, or have their status changed by a court.

Court Records and Criminal History

Kandiyohi County court cases are part of the state's public court system. Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us gives you access to criminal, civil, and other case types filed in Kandiyohi County District Court. You can search by name, case number, or filing date.

Criminal case records in MCRO show charges, hearings, verdicts, and sentencing. This can help explain the charges listed on the county jail roster. Some records are available free of charge; document copies may have fees. Juvenile records are restricted by state law. For formal background checks, the Minnesota BCA at dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca processes certified criminal history requests used by employers and landlords.

Minnesota Public Data Laws

Jail and arrest records in Minnesota are governed by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. Specifically, Minnesota Statute 13.82 defines what law enforcement data must be made public, and Minnesota Statute 13.85 covers corrections data. Together these laws set the boundaries for what counties like Kandiyohi can share online and what stays private.

Under these statutes, basic booking information is public: name, arrest date, charges, and bail status. Investigation details and data on juveniles are protected. The Kandiyohi County Jail roster reflects these rules. The data shown is what the law allows to be public, and the county cannot share more than what the statutes permit. If you need records beyond what the public roster shows, a formal data request to the county may be required.

Cities in Kandiyohi County

Willmar is the county seat and largest city in Kandiyohi County. No cities in Kandiyohi County reach the 100,000 population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

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