Access Traverse County Released Inmates

Traverse County released inmate records are managed by the Traverse County Sheriff's Office in Wheaton, which runs the county Detention Center and handles all custody matters for the county. Traverse County is one of the smaller and more rural counties in western Minnesota along the North Dakota border. The Sheriff's Office is the main point of contact for anyone looking to find someone recently booked into or released from county custody. Statewide tools including VINE and the Minnesota DOC Offender Locator cover individuals moved to state facilities.

Traverse County Sheriff's Office and Detention Center

The Traverse County Sheriff's Office is located at 2109 E. Highway 75 in Wheaton, MN 56296. The main phone number is (320) 563-4242. The fax is (320) 563-4243. For emergencies, call 911. Detention Center Administrator Mary Theisen can be reached at mary.theisen@co.traverse.mn.us for administrative inquiries. The Sheriff's Office handles all county detention services and is the central contact for released inmate questions in Traverse County.

Traverse County is a small, rural county in the far western part of Minnesota. The Detention Center operates at a scale suited to the county's population. Staff are typically familiar with current and recent inmates, which means a direct call can often get you a quick answer. For custody status questions, call the Sheriff's Office at (320) 563-4242 during business hours for the best response.

The Traverse County Sheriff's Office website is the starting point for any online resources the county makes available. Because Traverse is a smaller county, the online resources may be more limited than those in metro counties. A phone call is usually more reliable for getting real-time custody information.

The Minnesota DOC Offender Locator covers individuals transferred from the Traverse County Detention Center to state prison or placed on supervised release statewide.

About the Traverse County Detention Center

The Traverse County Detention Center provides all detention services for the county. It books and houses people who are arrested in Traverse County, whether by the Sheriff's Office or local police. People awaiting trial, serving short sentences, or held on warrants and detainers from other counties are all processed through the same facility. There is no separate municipal jail in Wheaton or any other community in the county.

The facility operates 24 hours a day. The administrative side of the operation works standard business hours, but custodial staff are always on duty. If someone is arrested and booked after hours, the booking still happens. Bail can typically be posted at any time, so release from custody can happen at any hour depending on the circumstances of the case.

Traverse County occasionally has inter-county agreements to house inmates from neighboring jurisdictions when space is needed, or to place overflow inmates in nearby counties. This is common in rural Minnesota. If someone is not found at the Traverse County Detention Center, they may have been transferred to a neighboring county facility or a state DOC facility depending on the sentence length.

Public Data Rules for Traverse County Jail Records

Jail booking data in Traverse County is public information under Minnesota Statute 13.82. The law requires that basic booking information, including name, charges, booking date, and arresting agency, be available to anyone who asks. A call to the Sheriff's Office is typically all that is needed for standard custody inquiries. You do not need to go through a formal legal process to get basic booking data.

Some records are protected. Medical data, mental health information, and certain investigative files are classified as private under Minnesota Statute 13.85. If you want records beyond what the Sheriff's Office shares informally, file a written data practices request. Minnesota law requires the office to respond within a set number of business days and to either provide the records or explain why they are withheld.

For court records tied to Traverse County criminal and civil cases, the Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) system provides free access. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) handles statewide criminal history requests for those who need a broader record check.

Statewide Tools for Released Inmate Searches

When a Traverse County inmate is transferred to a state prison or placed on supervised release, the Minnesota DOC Offender Locator is the tool to use. It tracks all individuals in the DOC system statewide and shows current facility, sentence length, and projected release date. The tool is free and updated regularly. Search by name at coms.doc.state.mn.us/PublicViewer/.

VINE provides free custody tracking for the Traverse County Detention Center. Check status at vinelink.com or call 877-664-8463. You can register to receive automatic alerts when a specific person's custody status changes. VINE is confidential and available at all hours. Alerts can come by phone call, text, or email depending on your preference.

VINE covers the Traverse County Detention Center and sends free, confidential custody change alerts for anyone registered in the system.

Sex Offender Registry for Traverse County

The Minnesota Predatory Offender Registry covers registrants statewide, including those who report addresses in Traverse County. Individuals must register under Minnesota Statute 243.166. The registry is searchable online by name and location and is updated as registrants report new addresses. Check the registry to see who is currently registered in Traverse County.

Risk levels are set under Minnesota Statute 244.052. A Level III designation means the Sheriff's Office is required to notify the community when that offender moves into Traverse County. For Level I and Level II, notification is more limited in scope. The Sheriff's Office at (320) 563-4242 can answer questions about specific registrants in the county.

Court Records and Background Checks

The MCRO system provides free access to Traverse County district court records. Search by name, case number, or attorney to find criminal, civil, and family filings. Results show case status, charge details, hearing dates, and outcomes. This system is a useful supplement to jail records because it shows what happened in court after a booking.

For broader statewide criminal history checks, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) processes formal background check requests. The BCA has records for all Minnesota court cases and law enforcement contacts. Their service covers gaps that local records do not address, particularly for individuals who have records in multiple Minnesota counties.

Certified copies of court records must be requested from the court administrator for the 8th Judicial District directly. MCRO allows you to view and print records informally, but only the court administrator can certify them for official use in legal proceedings, employment checks, or licensing applications.

Cities in Traverse County

Wheaton is the county seat of Traverse County. No cities in Traverse County meet the population threshold for a dedicated released inmate city page on this site.

Traverse County is one of the smallest counties in Minnesota by population. Communities include Browns Valley and Wheaton. All jail and released inmate records for residents of these communities are handled through the Traverse County Sheriff's Office at 2109 E. Highway 75 in Wheaton.

Nearby Counties

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