The Kandiyohi County Jail provides for the safe, secure and humane detention of offenders in Kandiyohi County.   

To fulfill this responsibility, the Kandiyohi County Jail shall follow the standards established by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, Minnesota State Statutes, and the United States Constitution. 

We are committed to the following principles:

• ·     Staff is our greatest resource and we will provide training to accomplish a safe, secure and humane environment.

• ·     All persons are held accountable for their behavior.

• ·     The preservation of basic human rights and the dignity of the public, staff and inmates.

• ·     An atmosphere that encourages positive behavior and the integration of responsible individuals who are returning to our community.

The Kandiyohi County Jail is an integral part of the criminal justice system.  We strive to cooperate with other agencies, promote mutual respect, and welcome community involvement.  We are a credit to our profession and source of pride to our county.

VISITING HOURS:

The Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office has Video Visitation for jail inmate visits. The visitor will come to the lobby of the jail and go into a booth that contains a video monitor and phone handset.  The prisoner has the same equipment in the pod area that he/she is housed.  This system saves correctional officers time as the correctional officers do not have to physically move prisoners to the visiting rooms.  This also allows more visiting time as you can see by the hours listed below. 

The hours for our Video Visitation are as follows:   

·         Visitation will be held daily (Monday – Sunday) including weekends and holidays, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. with the exception of the following times daily:  11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. No Visits Friday after 4:30 p.m.   

·         Each inmate will be allowed 30 minutes of visitation per day. 

·          The visitation for the Department of Corrections inmates will stay the same. 

All visitors shall complete the Application Process before they will be allowed to visit, giving names, addresses, and relationship to the inmate. Offenders can send applications to family members and friends, or applications can be picked up at the facility or accessed online at the link below.  All adult visitors (18 years and older) must complete the application and mail it to the visiting unit of the facility the visitor wants to visit.  It is important to completely fill out the application and answer all questions honestly.  Falsifying an application will result in the applicant being banned from the correctional facility for a period of 6 months. The applicant's approved visiting application must be on file prior to visiting. No applications will be approved during non-business hours.  If you have questions regarding the visitation application, call 320-214-6700, ext. 3670 or email 3670@co.kandiyohi.mn.us.

ANYONE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE MUST BE ESCORTED BY THEIR PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN.  Prior to the day of visiting, a copy of each minor’s state/county certified birth certificate (not the hospital copy) must be presented to confirm identification before the minor will be allowed to visit.  If children are escorted by an adult other than their parent or legal guardian, a signed and notarized authorization by the child’s parent(s) must accompany the birth certificate.
 

Jail Visitation-Registration Form - Microsoft Word Format

Jail Visitation-Registration Form  - Adobe Acrobat PDF Format

Juvenile Parental Permission Form – Microsoft Word Format

Juvenile Parental Permission Form – Adobe Acrobat PDF Format

MONEY DROP OFF:

To drop off money for an inmate, please come to the entrance of the Kandiyohi County Jail and follow into the building.  There is a money Kiosk that accepts bills only, no coins can be accepted. This money will be applied to the Inmates account immediately.  Money can also be placed on accounts online at www.inmatecanteen.com. 

PAY FOR STAY:

Pay for Stay is a fee that is charged for any “time” that an inmate does in jail once they are SENTENCED. When an inmate returns to the jail to begin their jail time, they will sign a form acknowledging that they understand that there will be a fee or $20.00 per day for every day that they are in jail.  There is an option of paying at the end of their jail time at a 20% discount if it is paid in full within seven days of release.  After the seven day grace period, it is then turned over to a collection agency.

HUBER QUESTIONS:

Offenders that are given the privilege of Huber- Work Release MUST meet the Program Staff prior to starting their jail time.  Any inmate that does not report prior to beginning their sentence will be held in until employment and paperwork are verified and completed.  You may contact Program Staff at 320-214-6700 X3616 or x3627 Monday through Friday.

BAIL:

Bail may be posted by coming to the front lobby of the jail.  Request to speak with the Sergeant on duty, as they will then begin the process of paperwork.  Bail must be in the form of Cash or Money Order (no personal checks will be accepted).  You may also utilize a Bail Bondsman if that is an option of the court order.  Bail Bonds are located in the telephone book in the yellow pages under Bail Bonds.

INMATE RELEASE TIMES:

Sentenced inmates are released at 9:00 am on his/her outdate.  They can be picked up in the front lobby of the jail anytime after 9:00 am.  Please note that they may not get out right at that time.  Please be patient with our release process.

ATTORNEY/PROBATION APPOINTMENTS:

JAIL ADDRESS FOR WRITING TO AN INMATE:

To write to an inmate or send money (money order or cashier's check only)

Follow the example below:

NOTE:            All inmate mail is screened daily with the exception of legal mail.

WHAT TO BRING WHEN REPORTING TO JAIL TO DO TIME:

We request that you bring as little with you as possible.  Body piercing jewelry, earrings, rings, keys, etc. would be better kept at home.  If you take any prescription medications we ask that you bring it in a prescription bottle.  If you are coming in for Huber or Community Service work while you are in jail, we ask that you follow the informational sheet that is given to you at the time of meeting with Program Staff. 

PUBLIC FINGERPRINTING

Public Fingerprinting is available daily for a $10.00 per Individual charge between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. with the exception of the following times daily:  11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. No fingerprinting is done on Fridays after 4:30 p.m. The agency requesting the Fingerprints will supply fingerprint cards.

TELEPHONE INFORMATION

We do not accept phone calls for inmates.  Only emergency messages will be relayed.  To set up pre-payment for telephone calls, you can call the Reliance Telephone company at 800-896-3201, or you can purchase pre-paid phone cards online at www.reliancetelephone.com.

What has been taking place in the jail during 2008?

In 2008, the Kandiyohi County Jail/courthouse processed and released 437 inmates and processed and held 2495 inmates.  Of those inmates, 1902 were male and 593 were female.

Our average daily population was 159 inmates per day. Average daily boarded population was 72.

All Kandiyohi County inmates, processed into the jail are required to pay a $10.00 booking fee at the time of processing.

Kandiyohi County charges convicted inmates $20.00 per day for a Pay for Stay fee.  If an inmate pays within seven days of when they are released, we collect only $16.00 per day.  If at the end of seven days the inmate has not paid in full the amount owed, we then send the bill to a collection agency, which we are under contract with.

Due to changes in the law requiring more employers to run background checks on prospective employees we began charging a minimal $5.00 fee for the expense of providing public fingerprinting. In 2008 we fingerprinted 300 people and generated $1500.00 in funds.

The Electronic Home Monitoring department had 125 clients during 2008 compared to 139 in 2007.

In addition, prior to inmates being approved for Huber or Community Service/STS, all must pass a drug screening test, which costs $30.00 for the first test and $8.00 thereafter if use is suspected or the inmate fails a UA.

The jail is contracted with the canteen company Turnkey Corrections.  Family members are able to put money on the inmates canteen account by mail, online or in person through a kiosk in our jail lobby.   Our total capacity is 190 inmates. 

The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office currently has 2 contracts for boarding inmates, the MN Department of Corrections for 40 inmates and Redwood County for 14 inmates.  

Since 2001, we have assisted 45 other counties and/or government facilities that are either suffering from overcrowded conditions or are having difficulty-handling inmates with special needs. With government cutbacks to the State Treatment Centers we’ve been assisting many facilities with housing high management-behavior needs inmates.  We understand the difficulties of dealing with these inmates in a small jail as we were in the same situation just a few years ago.  

The Kandiyohi County Jail utilizes the Department of Corrections 2911 to ensure that the jail is meeting all requirements. In the last fourteen years, the jail has not received less than 90% on the DOC yearly inspections.

Since our jail opened in 2001, we have received 99% or above in all categories of the inspection. 

The Kandiyohi County Jail staffs 54 full-time Correctional Officers 7 of these are Transport/Correctional Officers, 3 full-time Bailiff/Correctional Officers, and 3 Program Staff. In addition to these officers the Kandiyohi County Jail has five full-time Sergeants and one Programs Director.  Jail Administration receives the assistance of carrying out administrative duties by one secretary.

The Kandiyohi County Jail Program Department consists of four staff who work to encourage inmate participation in jail programs on a daily basis. Inmates are encouraged to take a self motivating role in bettering themselves upon release from jail. Program staff can offer numerous programs for inmates but it is ultimately the inmate’s responsibility to be prepared and ready for class when staff arrives to escort them to programs. The Program Department prides itself on utilizing local agencies to participate in providing supportive, informational and educational classes to inmates as well as program staff sharing their own talents with the inmates. This is a cost saving approach that is a win, win situation for the county, agencies, staff and inmates alike.  

The following is a list of the programs provided for inmates at the Kandiyohi County Jail:

Inmates also have the ability to receive information on applying for a Birth Certificate, Social Security card as well as detailed personalized requirements of what they will need to obtain a valid Driver’s License. Jail inmates can also be connected with contact information to the following community based programs such as the Women’s Shelter House, Heartland Community Action Agency as well as the Sexual Assault & Violence Center.

In 2008 inmates that learned how to use a loom to make knit scarves, knit hats and loomed a total of 126 scarves, 18 hats, 1 lap blanket and 1 afghan. A holiday tree was placed in the lobby of the jail with a sign posted “Kandiyohi County Jail Inmate Giving Tree” ~ Handcrafted by our inmates, the items on this tree are free and available to families/visitors of inmates of the Kandiyohi County Jail. Jail staff, Kitchen staff that desired to purchase items were charged $10.00 for each item bought. Proceeds in the amount of $355.00 were donated to the United Way. Additional scarves and hats were donated to Hope Pregnancy Center and inmates that participated in the project received a copy of the thank you note that was sent to the jail. The Shelter house received a donation of hand painted model cars, trucks, fleece tie pillows, fleece tie blankets as well as scarves and hats.

Education classes are provided through Willmar Public Schools / Adult Basic Education. We have one instructor that works approximately 20 hours, 5 days a week. In 2008, 2954 students logged approximately 867 student class hours. Students are required to pass five subject tests in order to obtain their GED. In 2008 52 official GED tests were administered to students at an average of 4.3 tests a month. A number of students begin the first steps to obtaining their GED while in jail by continually practicing on the subject until they can pass the GED pre-test. Once they have achieved an acceptable score on the pre-test they are ready for the official GED tests on that particular subject. For many students this is a huge accomplishment as it is just one step closer to accomplishing their goal and meeting the conditions of their court order. Students attending studied basic Math, Reading, Life Skills, Computer Skills and Career & College Exploration. Students that show a commitment to bettering themselves are given preference as jail inmate workers known as “inmate workers”.  

We have currently been boarding Minnesota Department of Corrections prison inmates for the past 5 years. It has been an exciting challenge to provide additional programs for these inmates. These inmates have learned how to make quilts, loom scarves, hats and blankets as well as fleece tie blankets and pillows. In previous years inmates have also painted wall murals in the gyms, duck decoys and made hunting lanyards which were donated to the Kandiyohi County United Way Auction. Citizens are intrigued by the work that the inmates do on projects that are donated. Inmates are provided such projects by money used from the inmate sundry fund and all donations for the work that they have done are donated to Kandiyohi County United Way. Inmates projects such as scarves and blankets have also been donated in the past to the Women’s Shelter as well as the Kandiyohi County Boy’s & Girl’s Group homes.  

The Assistant Program Director teaches a Cognitive Thinking program to DOC inmates. These inmates were targeted for the reason that it would be a 6-week course, 6 hours a week. It is difficult to offer such a program to county inmates as these inmates are not consistently here for the entire program due to the length of their sentences and other court ordered obligations that they are required to meet. Upon successful completion of the Cognitive Thinking program, inmates are allowed the opportunity to expand on what they have learned and participate in the Tier II group. This group challenges the inmates to put to work what they’ve just learned from the previous class and begin to figure out how they will enact their new skills in their life.  

In order to encourage inmate participation we conduct surveys that allow inmates to critique the programs that are currently being provided for them. The Program Department also uses this as a tool to review current programs and to make any necessary changes in either adding or canceling certain programs. Inmate responsibility is the key ingredient to attendance in jail programs and all jail programs are behavior based i.e. negative behavior in the housing unit disqualifies inmates for programs.  

Our Training Officer provides a monthly training letter that keeps the jail volunteers informed of any changes that are made. It also provides us an opportunity to thank the volunteers for all their time and talents. The jail is very fortunate to have approximately 73 volunteers that have accumulated nearly 2876 hours in 2008 and so many people volunteer their free time to come and work with the inmates and staff. These volunteers are a tremendous asset to the jail programming budget.

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