Stearns County MN Jail

Stearns County MN Jail – FAQ

Inmates may purchase a jail calling card from the canteen program. Local calls are MUCH cheaper than long distance calls.

The Stearns County Jail, a medium/maximum security jail, is licensed by the State of Minnesota to house inmates for up to one year after final disposition. The jail houses inmates who are pending in the court process; who have been arrested but not yet convicted and sentenced. Most are housed full-time while some are Huber/Work Release inmates who are housed nights and weekends but allowed to work. Anyone taken into custody within Stearns County is booked into this Jail, even if the arrest was made by a local police department.

The jail currently has 108 beds in six different housing units, 12 holding cells, 8 separation cells and 2 medical cells. The Work Release/Huber section is minimum security, and has 60 beds in a dormitory-style setting. (Note: holding, separation, and medical cells cannot be computed in licensed capacity.) Due to ongoing changes in technology and sentencing options, more Huber inmates are now serving their time through at-home monitoring rather than being housed in the jail. So the demand for those beds has lessened.

Stearns County insures that deaf and hard-of-hearing inmates have full and equal enjoyment of its services, privileges, facilities, advantages and accommodations, and it will provide auxiliary aids and services to insure effective communication with these inmates. Free sign language and oral interpreters, TTYs and other services are available to deaf and hard-of-hearing inmates. Ask us for help or contact the Jail Program Coordinator for Stearns County.

Phones

Telephones are provided in all housing units and can be used whenever inmates are not on lockdown status.

• Inmates may make collect calls or may purchase a jail calling card from the canteen program. Any calls made to their lawyer are free. Instructions for making these calls are at each phone. Credit card, 3-way and toll-free calls cannot be made from housing unit phones.
• Inmates should be aware that all non-attorney calls will be recorded and that local collect calls are much more expensive than direct-dial calls.
• To afford all inmates equal opportunity for telephone usage, all telephone calls are limited to 15 minutes per call.
• Inmate damage to telephones may result in loss of telephone privileges, disciplinary action and/or criminal charges.

Incoming telephone calls cannot be forwarded to housing units and only those messages that are a verifiable emergency or from legal counsel will be forwarded to inmates.

Mail

All incoming mail should be addressed as follows:

Inmate's Name
P.O. Box 217
St. Cloud, MN 56302

All incoming mail will be processed through the U.S. Postal Service and will be delivered to the housing units within 12 hours of receipt.

• Inmates may send and receive unlimited and uncensored letters daily except where there is reliable information of a threat to order and security or that they are being used in the furtherance of illegal activity.
• All mail content is read and if necessary may be rejected (returned to sender) or stored until the inmate's release. The exception to this is legal material mailed between attorney and client.
• Paper and post-paid envelopes can be purchased through inmate supply. Upon request, indigent inmates may receive three prepaid postcards per week.
• Mail addressed to an inmate who has been transferred or released will be returned to sender.

Money

In most cases, inmates are only allowed money and no outside belongings. Money for inmates can be deposited three ways:

• Deposit money online using a credit card at inmatecanteen.com
• Mail cashier’s check or money order made payable to inmate (do not mail cash)
• Deposit cash in kiosk on second floor of Law Enforcement Center

Personal and payroll checks are not accepted. After payment of a mandatory $25 booking fee, inmates may use their money in two ways:

• order supplies like toiletries, art materials and mail envelopes from the Canteen
• use a debit card at vending machines for snacks and beverages

Work Release/Huber

Huber inmates will obtain additional information through the screening process. If you are sentenced to serve time in Stearns County Jail on the Work Release/Huber program, please report directly after court for the necessary paperwork. If you failed to do this, contact the Assistant Programs Coordinator as soon as possible at (320) 259-3778.

Other Programs

The jail relies on volunteers to support many of its inmate programs. The total number of volunteers varies throughout the year; the average number of volunteers at any one time in 2012 was 168. The total number of volunteer hours in 2012 averaged 142 hours per week or the equivalent of three full-time staff positions.

• Basic high school instruction is provided up to 24 hours each week to assist inmates with preparing for the GED process.
• The Jail provides a library for inmates. Last year 2,781 inmates used the library, checking out a total of 4,625 books.
• Employment skills and job interview training prepare inmates for re-entry into the workforce upon their release.
• Inmates utilize a gymnasium and work with recreation coordinators to stay active and improve their health.
• Volunteer groups provide faith ministries, art & craft sessions and self-help meetings.
• Release Advance Planning Team