Stearns County Released Inmates
Stearns County released inmate records are handled by the Stearns County Sheriff's Office in St. Cloud, which operates the county jail and maintains a searchable online roster of current and past inmates. The jail search system at stearnscountymn.gov lets you look up individuals by name and see booking details, outstanding warrants, and most wanted listings. If you need to find someone recently released from the Stearns County Jail or want to know their current status, the online tool and the statewide VINE system are the two best starting points.
Stearns County Overview
Stearns County Inmate and Warrant Search
Stearns County provides one of the more detailed online inmate search tools among Minnesota counties. The system is hosted at stearnscountymn.gov and includes four separate search categories: current inmates, past inmates, outstanding warrants, and most wanted. This setup means you can check whether someone is actively in custody, look up a past booking, or see if a person has an outstanding warrant all from the same site. Most counties only offer one or two of these options online, so Stearns is more transparent than average.
To use the search, go to the Inmate/Warrant Searches page and enter the name you are looking for. Results show booking date, charges, and custody status. For current inmates, the record will show the facility they are held at and the arresting agency. For past inmates, you can see when they were booked and when they left custody. The warrant search lists people with active warrants in Stearns County, including the charge and warrant type.
The jail administration phone is (320) 259-3750. For warrants, call (320) 259-3955. The main Sheriff's Office administration line is (320) 259-3702. The Sheriff's Office is located at 807 Courthouse Square in St. Cloud. Jail Administrator Mark Maslonkowski can be reached at mark.maslonkowski@co.stearns.mn.us for administrative matters.
The Stearns County Sheriff's Office website provides access to the county's inmate search, warrant list, and most wanted database for released inmate lookups.
Inmate Warrant Searches at stearnscountymn.gov
The Stearns County online search system covers more ground than a basic roster. The current inmate list is updated regularly and shows everyone in county custody. The past inmate section lets you look back at prior bookings, which is useful if you know someone was released but want to confirm when. The outstanding warrants list is public data under Minnesota law, and Stearns County makes the full list available rather than requiring you to call and ask.
The most wanted section is a separate listing for individuals who have active warrants and are believed to be at large. If you have information about someone on the most wanted list, the Sheriff's Office asks that you call (320) 259-3955 to report it. Anonymous tips are accepted.
The Stearns County Inmate and Warrant Search page at stearnscountymn.gov is the most direct way to look up current custody status, past bookings, and active warrants for anyone connected to Stearns County.
About the Stearns County Jail
The Stearns County Jail is a medium and maximum security facility. The state of Minnesota licenses it to hold inmates for up to one year after final disposition of a case. It serves all of Stearns County, including the city of St. Cloud and all smaller communities in the county. When St. Cloud Police arrest someone, they are typically transported to the Stearns County Jail for extended detention, though the city maintains a small holding area for short-term custody.
The facility provides standard detention services including booking, inmate housing, medical care, and access to rehabilitation programs. The jail operates around the clock. If someone is arrested late at night or on a weekend, the jail will still process the booking. Bail can be posted at the jail lobby after 4:30 p.m. and on weekends and holidays. During regular business hours, the jail administration handles bail through normal channels.
All municipal police departments in Stearns County coordinate with the Sheriff's Office for detention and regional law enforcement operations. If someone is arrested by a Stearns County city police department, they will likely end up at the county jail. The online inmate search will show the arresting agency, so you can see whether it was the Sheriff's Office, St. Cloud Police, or a smaller department that made the arrest.
Public Data Rules for Stearns County Jail Records
Jail booking data in Stearns County is public under Minnesota Statute 13.82. The law requires that basic information, such as name, charges, booking date, and arresting agency, be available to the public. Stearns County meets this obligation through its online search tool. You do not need to file a formal request to view what the search already shows.
Certain records stay private. Medical data, mental health treatment records, and some investigative details are not public. Minnesota Statute 13.85 sets out what is classified as private in the corrections context. If you need records beyond what the online search provides, you can submit a formal data practices request to the Sheriff's Office.
For court records tied to Stearns County cases, the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) system is free and covers all district court filings. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) handles statewide criminal history requests for broader background information beyond individual case filings.
Statewide Tools for Released Inmate Searches
When someone is transferred out of the Stearns County Jail to a state prison or placed on supervised release by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, the local jail roster will no longer show them. At that point, the Minnesota DOC Offender Locator is the tool to use. It tracks all individuals in the state corrections system and shows current facility, sentence details, and expected release date. The search is free and works by name.
VINE, the Victim Information and Notification Everyday service, covers the Stearns County Jail along with all other connected Minnesota facilities. You can check custody status online at vinelink.com or call 877-664-8463. VINE also lets you register for alerts so you receive a notification if a specific person's custody status changes, including if they are released from the Stearns County Jail. There is no charge for the service.
For sex offenders released in Stearns County, the Predatory Offender Registry lists registrants required to report under Minnesota Statute 243.166. Risk level classification under Minnesota Statute 244.052 determines the level of community notification when a registrant is released in the county. Level III offenders trigger active notification by the Sheriff's Office.
VINE and Victim Notification in Stearns County
VINE is a free service that connects to the Stearns County Jail system. Victims and others who want to track an individual's custody status can register online or by phone. Once registered, you get an automated alert any time that person is booked, released, transferred, or escapes. The phone number for VINE is 877-664-8463. The website is vinelink.com.
Registration is confidential. VINE does not share your identity with the inmate or the jail. This makes it a practical option for people who need to know when someone leaves custody but do not want to call the jail directly. The service runs around the clock and sends alerts by phone call, text, or email depending on how you set it up.
VINE covers the Stearns County Jail and provides free custody status alerts for anyone who registers, including notifications when an inmate is released or transferred.
Cities in Stearns County
St. Cloud is the county seat of Stearns County and is the only city in the county that meets the population threshold for a dedicated released inmate city page on this site.
Other communities in Stearns County include Waite Park, Sauk Centre, Albany, Cold Spring, and Kimball. All jail and released inmate records for residents of these communities are handled through the Stearns County Sheriff's Office at 807 Courthouse Square in St. Cloud.
Nearby Counties
These counties are near Stearns County. Each has its own released inmate records.