Lake of the Woods County Inmate Population
The Lake of the Woods County inmate population is centered on one local detention facility: the Lake of the Woods County Jail in Baudette. Official research did not locate a separate county work-release annex, regional jail, state prison, federal prison, or ICE detention center inside the county. The jail is operated by the Lake of the Woods County Sheriff's Office and is described in Minnesota DOC inspection records as a 72-hour holding facility.
That means the Lake of the Woods County inmate population is not the same kind of population found in a large full-service jail. It includes adult arrestees, short-term detainees, people held on Lake of the Woods County warrants or commitments, and sheriff-approved Huber or work-release participants. Sentenced felony prisoners from Lake of the Woods County move into the Minnesota Department of Corrections system, and federal or immigration custody uses separate federal tools.
The county's small custody scale affects search strategy. A person may be in local holding for a short period, appear through court records once charges are filed, receive VINE notification coverage, or show in MNDOC only after sentencing. No official online Lake of the Woods County jail roster was located, so the strongest local path starts with the jail phone and sheriff records process.
Lake of the Woods County Inmate Statistics
Population figures for Lake of the Woods County are unusually precise because Minnesota DOC inspection and performance documents report a very small facility. The 2025 DOC inspection lists 5 approved secure coed beds and 4.00 operational beds at the 80 percent operating-capacity calculation. The FY2025 MNDOC Performance Report lists an average daily population of 1.17 for the local facility. Those figures describe a short-term holding site, not a jail with a large daily census.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Approved secure coed capacity | 5 beds | Lake of the Woods County Jail MNDOC inspection, inspected Aug. 14-20, 2025. |
| Operational capacity | 4.00 beds | 2025 MNDOC inspection, 80 percent operating capacity. |
| Average daily population | 1.17 | FY2025 MNDOC Performance Report. |
| Operating cost | $366,340.00 | FY2025 MNDOC Performance Report. |
| Cost per inmate per day | $857.84 | FY2025 MNDOC Performance Report. |
| 2013 local prisoner count | 6 local prisoners | Prison Gerrymandering Project Census 2020 vintage table, survey date 12/31/2013. |
Lake of the Woods County Inmate Trends
The Lake of the Woods County inmate population trend is best read through capacity and inspection records rather than broad demographic reports. The county jail remained a 5-bed approved secure coed facility in the 2023, 2024, and 2025 inspection material. The FY2025 average daily population of 1.17 is consistent with a low-volume holding facility where many people are released, moved to court, or transferred before a long jail stay develops.
| Year or Report | Capacity or Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 survey | 6 local prisoners | Older point-in-time local correctional population count. |
| 2023 DOC inspection | 5 approved secure coed beds | 72-hour holding facility with staffing-related capacity note. |
| 2024 DOC inspection | 5 approved / 4 operational | Annual inspection, physical plant concerns, no juvenile hold approval. |
| FY2025 MNDOC performance | ADP 1.17 | Low average daily population for a Class I facility. |
| 2025 DOC inspection | 5 approved / 4 operational | Authority approved through Sept. 30, 2026, with substantial compliance. |
Who Is Counted Locally
The researched sources did not locate a Lake of the Woods County jail demographic breakdown by race, age, sex, charge level, or pretrial status. The capacity category is secure coed, but that is a bed classification, not a public demographic count. What can be stated from official sources is narrower and more useful: the local count is built around adult custody in a 72-hour holding facility.
- Adult arrestees: People arrested locally may be booked into the Lake of the Woods County Jail.
- Warrant and commitment holds: The jail may hold people on local warrants, court commitments, or report-to-jail orders.
- Huber or work release: Sheriff-approved participants may serve eligible sentences while maintaining employment.
- Juveniles: DOC inspection comments state the facility has no juvenile hold approval.
- State prisoners: Sentenced felony prisoners are counted through MNDOC after commitment, not the county jail population.
Lake of the Woods County Jail Capacity
The 2025 MNDOC inspection report is the strongest capacity source. It lists the Lake of the Woods County Jail as secure coed, 5 approved capacity, effective date Aug. 1, 2002, with 80 percent operating capacity and 4.00 operational capacity. The same report says the facility type is 72 Hour Holding and that the authority to operate is approved from Oct. 1, 2025 through Sept. 30, 2026.
The 2025 report found substantial compliance, with 122 applicable mandatory rules and 6 noncompliant items. It also listed 95 applicable essential rules and 1 noncompliant item. Findings included admissions-process issues, orientation timing, daily inspection documentation, and medical or dental release-of-information forms. The 2024 report noted physical plant concerns, and the 2023 report included a staffing-related note about capacity. Those details support a careful reading of population data: the county jail is small, inspected, and tied to short stays.
Laws for Lake of the Woods Jail Data
Minnesota law controls access to jail, booking, arrest, and detention data. The Sheriff's Records Division says records are classified as confidential, private, and public, and staff decide release under Minnesota Data Practices guidelines. Public data can be requested, but private, confidential, and non-public data is released only as allowed by law.
Key Statutes:
Minn. Stat. 13.03 states the general rule that government data are public unless another law classifies them differently.
Minn. Stat. 13.82 covers law-enforcement data, including arrest data, incident data, warrant data, and booking photographs.
Minn. Stat. 13.85 defines corrections and detention data connected to lawful confinement or detainment.
Minn. Stat. 641.05 requires every sheriff to keep a permanent record of people committed to the jail under the sheriff's charge.
Minn. R. ch. 2911 sets Minnesota local adult detention facility standards, including admission and records requirements.
Inspection and Safety Notes
The local jail population is also shaped by inspection findings and facility conditions. The 2024 Health and Safety in Correctional Facilities report showed Lake of the Woods values of 0 uses of force, 2 medical transports, and 0 restrictive housing entries in the captured local-facility tables. The 2025 inspection found substantial compliance but required corrective action on several documentation and admission topics.
These figures should be read as public oversight data, not as a substitute for current custody confirmation. They help explain the size and operation of the Lake of the Woods County inmate population, but a person-specific search still depends on the Sheriff's Office, VINE, court records, or state and federal locators.
Search Lake of the Woods County Inmates
No official public Lake of the Woods County jail roster was located on the county or sheriff website. The Detention Center and Jail page documents custody-related services, but it does not show a searchable current-inmate list. A Lake of the Woods County inmate search therefore begins with the documented fallback chain instead of a roster form.
- Call the Sheriff's Office or jail at 218-634-1143 for immediate local custody questions.
- Use Minnesota VINE / Minnesota Haven for custody-status and release notifications.
- Request public booking or arrest records from the Sheriff's Records Division by form, email, mail, or lobby request.
- Search MCRO Case Search after court charges are filed, using the Lake of the Woods case-number prefix 39 when needed.
- Use the MNDOC, BOP, or ICE locators when custody is state prison, federal prison, or immigration detention.
Current Lake of the Woods Inmate Lookup
A current local custody check is strongest by phone or VINE because no official roster search fields were found. The county jail page defines VINE as an online portal that lets victims and concerned citizens see custody status changes and criminal case information. The county lists a VINE service number and TTY number, and MNDOC describes Minnesota Haven notifications by email, U.S. Mail, and phone for escape notification needs.
| Lookup Channel | Fields or Inputs | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Lake of the Woods County jail phone | Name and identifying details | Current local custody, visitation, bail, or warrant questions. |
| VINE / Minnesota Haven | Person lookup and notification registration | Custody-status updates and release notifications. |
| Sheriff Records Division | Incident number, date, location, names, DOB, request detail | Public booking and arrest records not posted online. |
| MCRO | Case, citation, person, attorney, or bar number | Court records after charges are filed. |
The county jail page is the official source for the local VINE, visitation, Reliance, bail, work-release, and warrant guidance.
The screenshot supports the local custody path because it shows the jail page that carries the county's public detention instructions.
Past Lake of the Woods Inmate Records
Released or past inmate records are not handled by an online county archive in the researched sources. The Sheriff's Records Division is the local route for public booking and arrest data. Requestors can use the public data request form, visit the sheriff lobby, email LE.Records@co.lotw.mn.us, or mail the Records Division at the sheriff's address. The form says processing can take up to ten business days depending on the type of information.
For older court outcomes, MCRO and the local court administrator are separate from the jail. The court administrator page instructs users to choose Find Court Records, then Access Trial Court Records, accept the terms, choose Criminal/Traffic/Petty Case Records, and search by case, defendant, citation, or attorney. Pending criminal cases may not return by defendant-name search until conviction, so the case number or citation can matter.
What Lake of the Woods Records Show
Because no public county inmate profile was located, record fields should be discussed from official intake, records, and court sources. Minnesota intake standards and the 2025 inspection material describe legal detention papers, emergency medical documentation, property inventory, health screening, phone calls, identification photos, fingerprints, identity interview, classification, housing assignment, and a booking number. Public release may be narrower after Data Practices review.
- Booking
- The jail intake step that creates the local custody record.
- Detainer or hold
- A legal basis from another agency that may keep a person in custody.
- Classification
- A jail assessment for custody level, health, safety, housing, and special needs.
- DOC commitment
- A sentence stage where the person moves into Minnesota Department of Corrections jurisdiction.
County Jail vs State Prison Lookup
Lake of the Woods County jail custody and Minnesota state prison custody use different systems. A local arrest, warrant hold, or short sentence starts with the sheriff. A sentenced felony commitment moves to MNDOC. Federal and immigration custody are also separate. No state prison, BOP facility, or ICE detention center was found inside Lake of the Woods County in official sources.
| County Jail | State Prison | Federal or ICE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run By | Lake of the Woods County Sheriff's Office | Minnesota Department of Corrections | BOP, USMS, or ICE |
| Who It Covers | Short-term local custody, warrants, commitments, work release | Adults committed to the Commissioner of Corrections | Federal sentenced inmates, federal pretrial custody, or immigration detention |
| Where to Look | Jail phone, VINE, records request | MNDOC Public Viewer | BOP, USMS district contacts, or ICE ODLS |
Lake of the Woods County Detention Facility
The facility map resolves to one local detention facility. Other custody systems may affect Lake of the Woods County cases, but no separate local regional jail, work-release building, state prison, federal facility, or ICE detention site was located inside the county.
- Lake of the Woods County Jail - the county's short-term adult holding facility, operated by the Lake of the Woods County Sheriff's Office.
Lake of the Woods County Inmate FAQ
How big is the Lake of the Woods County inmate population?
The FY2025 MNDOC Performance Report lists an average daily population of 1.17 for the county facility. The 2025 DOC inspection lists 5 approved secure coed beds and 4 operational beds. Those figures show a very small short-term holding population.
Is there an online Lake of the Woods County jail roster?
No official online county roster or searchable inmate profile page was located in the researched county sources. The documented local path is the jail phone, VINE, and the sheriff records request process.
Where do sentenced prisoners appear?
Sentenced felony prisoners from Lake of the Woods County use the Minnesota Department of Corrections locator once they are committed to DOC jurisdiction. Newly sentenced people may take several business days to show in that system.
Are jail mugshots posted online?
No official Lake of the Woods County mugshot gallery or roster photo page was located. Booking photos may be requested through the sheriff records process when public under Minnesota law.
Who verifies warrants?
During court business hours, contact Lake of the Woods County Court Administration. After court is closed, on weekends, or on holidays, the county jail page directs warrant verification to the Sheriff's Office.
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