Pennington County Jail Overview
The Pennington County Corrections page describes the jail as an indirect-supervision facility for sentenced and pretrial adult male and female offenders. It is operated by the Pennington County Sheriff's Office from the Law Enforcement Center in Thief River Falls. The same facility is described in local materials as Pennington County Jail and Pennington County Correctional Facility, so both names can refer to the county's main jail.
The jail holds the local part of the Pennington County inmate population. That includes new arrests awaiting first appearance, defendants held on bond or warrants, sentenced local inmates, people approved for Huber or work release, and some boarded inmates from other counties. It is not a state prison. Once a person is committed to the Minnesota Department of Corrections after a state-prison sentence, the MNDOC locator becomes the correct search tool.
The official jail page shows the county's correctional facility contact and service information.
The screenshot matches the facility page's role as the local source for jail contact, capacity, visitation, phones, programs, and inmate services.
Pennington County Jail Capacity
The Minnesota Department of Corrections 2025 inspection classifies Pennington County Jail as a local adult jail governed by Minnesota Rule 2911. The report lists 92 approved secure coed beds and an operational capacity of 82.80 beds, which is calculated at 90 percent of approved capacity. The sheriff's page lists seven housing units, each with video visitation, telephones, common television, gaming and dining tables, and natural light.
The 2025 inspection reported 98.41 percent mandatory-rule compliance and 100 percent essential-rule compliance. It placed the jail on biennial inspection status through May 31, 2027. A corrective action letter later accepted the county's response to inspection findings and stated that MNDOC would continue monitoring compliance.
Look Up Pennington County Jail Inmates
The correct lookup tool for this facility is the Pennington County Inmate Search. It is the official current in-custody roster for people housed at the county jail. The search screen accepts last name, first name, gender, and DOB year. The visible results grid can show booking number, name, height, and weight, with more fields available in the row source and detail panels.
- Open the official Pennington County Inmate Search.
- Search by last name, first name, gender, or DOB year.
- Review the result grid for the booking number and name.
- Open the row details for charges, court date fields, bail or fine labels, holds, custody status, and the image link if available.
- If the person is not listed after sentencing, check the MNDOC public locator.
Call the jail at 218-416-7097 if a person was just arrested and is not yet listed. Intake includes identity checks, property, medical screening, housing assignment, and creation of custody records. A roster delay does not prove release.
Pennington County Jail Contact
The jail contact block should be used for custody questions, visit checks, inmate phone or canteen issues, and current facility rules. Records requests for copies or reports are handled through the Sheriff's Records Division, while court dates and bond conditions should be verified with Pennington County District Court or MCRO.
Pennington County Jail / Pennington County Correctional Facility
102 1st Street West
Thief River Falls, MN 56701
Mailing address: PO Box 484, Thief River Falls, MN 56701
Jail: 218-416-7097
Sheriff main: 218-681-6161
Fax: 218-683-7006
Jail Administration
Jail Administrator Dave Casanova: 218-416-7095
Assistant Jail Administrator Jo Williams: 218-416-7098
Program Coordinator Travis Black: 218-416-7082
Sentence to Serve contact Wade Cota: 218-683-7001
Visit Pennington County Jail Inmates
Visitation requires initial approval. The sheriff's jail page says visitors can submit the request through a kiosk in the main lobby of the Law Enforcement Building or through the online remote visitation system. Remote visits are handled through inmatecanteen.com. Visits are limited to 20 minutes, and a visitor may have no more than two visits per day unless otherwise approved.
| Visitation Item | Official Detail |
|---|---|
| Approval | Visitor must submit a request for initial approval. |
| Kiosk | Kiosks are in the main lobby of the Law Enforcement Building. |
| Remote visits | Remote visitation is through inmatecanteen.com. |
| Visit length | Visits are limited to 20 minutes. |
| Daily limit | No more than two visits per day per visitor unless approved. |
| Disciplinary status | Non-professional visits are not allowed for inmates on disciplinary status, while attorney, clergy, and other professional visits continue. |
The research located an older temporary schedule with broad blocks Monday through Wednesday, including morning, afternoon, and evening windows. Because that schedule was temporary, call the jail before traveling or scheduling a remote visit.
Pennington County Jail Mail and Money
The sheriff's pages do not publish a detailed current mail policy. Use the jail address only after confirming the required format with staff, since many facilities require an inmate name, booking number, and exact mailing format. The research recommends confirming with 218-416-7097 before sending mail or packages.
| Service | Provider / Detail |
|---|---|
| Mail address | Confirm format before use. Research suggests Inmate Name, Pennington County Jail, PO Box 484, Thief River Falls, MN 56701 only after calling. |
| Phone access | Newly admitted inmates receive one free calling card. More cards can be bought through canteen or inmatecanteen.com. |
| Voicemail | Inmate voicemail line: 218-416-1120. Officers do not take routine messages except emergencies. |
| Canteen | Inmate Canteen is linked for visits, calling cards, and canteen support. |
Pennington County Jail Fees
The 2025 Corrections Fee Schedule lists several costs that may affect committed, Huber, work-release, or boarded inmates. These are not bond amounts. Court bond and release conditions should be checked with the court, the jail, or the case record.
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Booking fee | $25.00 |
| Huber | $35.00 per day |
| Out-of-county Huber | $65.00 per day |
| Huber meal | $11.00 each for breakfast, lunch, or supper |
| Inmate nurse request | $10.00 |
| Public applicant fingerprints | $25 resident / $35 non-resident |
| Inmate boarding from another county | $75.00 |
| High-risk offender boarding | $150.00 |
Booking at Pennington County Jail
Pennington County does not publish a separate booking workflow page, but the roster fields, jail pages, MNDOC standards, and county attorney material show the local path. After arrest, the person is brought to the jail at the Law Enforcement Center. Intake creates a booking number, records identity and demographic fields, collects property, opens the custody record, performs medical screening, determines housing, and starts access to phone, visitation, and account systems.
Minnesota Rule 2911.2525 requires written admissions policies. The 2025 MNDOC inspection cited two inmate files that lacked signed property sheets and noted medical-screening issues that were corrected after inspection. Those findings show that intake is a formal records process, not just a name being added to a public roster.
After booking, court timing moves through Pennington County District Court and the County Attorney process. A charge can begin as a ticket or a long-form written complaint. For gross misdemeanor or higher offenses, the first appearance commonly addresses release conditions, including bond.
Pennington County Jail Programs
The sheriff's jail page says staff make every effort to plan constructive prisoner time. Programs include religious services and counseling, educational services, substance-abuse meetings, and work assignment programs. The jail has also hosted Sentence to Serve, Huber work release, AA/NA sessions for minimum-security inmates, music class, parenting class, and other volunteer programming in sheriff-hosted local material.
- Huber / work release
- A custody status that may allow approved employment or education while the person remains under jail control.
- Sentence to Serve
- A supervised work alternative for selected nonviolent offenders, with projects that benefit the community.
- Guardian RFID
- A non-implantable inmate-worn device system the sheriff says is used to manage and track in-custody inmates in real time.
Note: Confirm custody, visitation approval, mail format, and canteen rules with the jail before traveling or sending funds.
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