Pennington County Jail – Thief River Falls, MN

Pennington County Jail is located in Pennington County, Minnesota and is the primary correctional facility for that area. Are you looking for someone in jail at Pennington County Jail? This site will tell you info about everything one might want to know about Pennington County Jail,such as: Learn how to locate an inmate. Find mugshots and inmate photos. The jail’s phone number and address. Bailing out of jail. Intake procedures. Court information. And much, much more.

The prospect of going to jail is a daunting and scary idea, not only for whoever gets locked up, but also their family and friends. The purpose of this guide is to give info that you need to make helping a friend or family member get out of jail a lot easier. If you have specific questions, please feel free to ask them, and any comments or feedback that might be a benefit to other people in the same situation will be appreciated.

Do you have a family member or friend in jail and want to find out where they are?

Do you know someone that has been arrested and you don’t know how to find out what jail they’re in?

In order to see who is in jail at Pennington County Jail you will have to navigate to their web site and use the inmate search.

The Pennington County Jail Inmate Roster has information on people who have been arrested and are in custody, including status, bail amount, and visiting schedule. Also, you are able to get the same information about anybody booked or discharged in the last 24 hours. Prisoners are listed in alphabetical order by last name. You can locate the information fast if you have their first and last name, birth date, or arrest number.

If the person you’re searching for may be incarcerated at a different jail you should look here: List of all county jails in Minnesota

A mugshot, also called a jail processing picture, is the photograph that the jail takes when you are booked into jail. They take one full face and a side picture. Your full name and booking number will appear on the pictures, and they are kept on file.

Mugshots of Pennington County Jail prisoners are on the Pennington County Jail website, or you can go in person to the Pennington County Jail. When you search for mugshots online you have to enter their full name, and a booking date, if you know it.

Trying to figure out how to get your mugshot erased from the Pennington County Jail site? This is difficult, since your mugshot is public record. To get your mugshot taken down you have to file a Petition to Expunge in court. What this means is that the record of your arrest would be sealed, so no one will be able to access them. Unfortunately, this happens very rarely.

For more information about getting your mugshot removed, the different mugshot sites, and the mugshot removal websites: How To Remove Your Mugshot from the Internet

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If you are in jail, your main thought is about when you get out. After you’ve gone through the intake process, your bail amount will be determined using the bail schedule or the magistrate will decide it. In cases where no bail is set this can mean that you will either get released, pending trial, or you must remain in jail until your trial.

If you do bail out of jail you must promise to go to your court date, and until then you are not allowed to leave the county.

In most cases, an inmate in the Pennington County Jail are given time off in exchange for good behavior when they don’t break the rules and area a good inmate while in jail.

If you prove to be trustworthy, you may be allowed to do work release. Either you will have to return to jail each day when you’re finished with work, or you may be permitted to move to a halfway house instead of living at the jail.

Bail is the amount of money that you will be required to pay to get out of jail pending trial. The amount of bail that is set is dictated by how serious your charges are. You or someone you know will have to put up 10 percent of the total that was determined so you are able to bail out of jail. If you miss court, whoever paid your bail won’t get their money back.

You must call the jail or the county courthouse. If you have all the person’s info, like name, address and date of birth, they’ll tell you how much their bail is. Also, you can see the bail amount online.

Having to bail someone out of jail is never a fun thing, but usually, it’s really easy. First, you need to find out if it is a “Cash Bond Only”. If so, you can’t use a bail bondsman. Bail can only be paid by cash – they can’t take a check. When you’ve paid bail, the person will be discharged. If this person doesn’t violate any of the terms of their release, the bail money you posted will be returned to you.

If their bail has been set too high, or you just don’t have the money, you should look into the services of a bail bondsman. Bail bondsmen will usually charge a fee of 10 to 15 percent of the total amount of bail set, and in most cases charge a minimum charge of $100. The amount you pay to the bondsman will not be returned to you and has to be paid in cash. If their bail has been set particularly high, the bondsman may use your personal assets as collateral for the bond.

To talk to a local bail bondsman click here: Bail bondsman

Have you ever used the services of Bail Bondsman to bail someone out of jail? If so, leave a comment below and tell your story, and let us know how things turned out.

Speak Your Mind

• Time Off For Good Behavior
• Work Release Programs
• Get Out For Time Served
• Be Released on a Pre-Trial Release Program
• House Arrest
• Be Released on Your Own Recognizance

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The jail intake process is made up of the following steps:

• You will get put in a holding cell. If the jail is busy, you will have to wait a while to get processed.
• The first step is that you must answer a bunch of questions, such as your full name, home address, date of birth and an emergency contact.
• They’ll also ask you about your psychological and medical history.
• You’ll be given an inmate ID number.
• Your fingerprints will be taken.
• You will have your mugshot taken.
• All of your personal property will get taken away from you and stored until you get discharged from jail.
• They will allow you to make a phone call so you can talk to family, friends, or bail bondsman.
• If you think you will get released quickly, you might be allowed to keep wearing your own clothes, but if you are not expected to make bail quickly you will be given a jail uniform.

Have you ever been booked into jail? If you have, you should share your experience. How long did you have to wait? What was your treatment like? Can you tell us things that will help other people to get through the process?

Speak Your Mind

When you pay your bail, you will be allowed to go home after you get discharged. Getting discharged takes between 15 minutes to hours or even all day long. Or, simply, the quicker you post bail, the faster you will get discharged. Also, it can depend on if you’ve been given a cash bond or if a judge must figure out your bail amount. For minor charges, you will be booked and then released on your recognizance without having to pay bail. When you have served out your jail sentence and are given a discharge date, you should expect to be released that morning.

If the sheriff has a, or if you need to begin your sentence in jail, you should do the right thing and turn yourself in. In the case of an outstanding warrant, report to the jail, and tell them that believe that there could be a warrant out for your arrest. They will check to see if you have a warrant, and if so, you will be taken into custody. If you have a jail sentence to serve, report at the time and date that the sentence order lists. Be sure that you are not late. Make sure that you only bring required items when you go, like a driver’s license or state issued ID, any prescription medication you might take, along with your doctor’s prescription, and a sentencing order from court.

To have visitors, you must provide each visitor’s name to the jail in advance. Your visitor’s information will be entered in the log as an authorized visitor. All visitors must provide a photo ID when visiting. Anyone showing up late or that is not on the visitation list will not be allowed to visit the inmate.
The Pennington County Jail visitation procedures can change, so it would be wise to check the official site before you go.

All phone calls from jail are with a pre-paid phone card or account, or are collect calls . Phone calls made in jail are generally more expensive than phone calls made outside of jail. Inmates are able to make phone calls, with restrictions on when and how often you can use the phone, but inmates must keep in mind that a long line can form at the phones, because everyone wants to use the phone, too. If you are disciplined for an infraction, your ability to use the phone might get reduced or forbidden.

The Pennington County Jail phone number is: 218-681-6161

All mall sent to inmates is required to be mailed using the actual US Postal Service. You cannot use any other type of mail or package delivery. Clearly print the prisoner’s name, inmate ID, and jail address on the outside of the letter that you send. Do not send anything in a package or box, padded envelope, plastic bag, or an envelope containing metal parts. All mail is opened and examined by the staff, and will be returned to the sender if deemed inappropriate.

If you would like to send a letter to an inmate at Pennington County Jail, use this address:

Pennington County Jail
102 1St St W
Thief River Falls, MN 56701

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Pennington County Jail
102 1St St W
Thief River Falls, MN 56701

The Pennington County Jail mail policy can change, so we suggest that you check the official website before you send a letter.

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When you get arrested, you have particular rights, one of these being the right to request a lawyer. You won’t get many phone calls in jail, so it is important to get a friend or relative to find a lawyer for you. I know you’re probably asking yourself right now ‘do I really need a lawyer?’ While you are not required to have one, a criminal attorney will make sure you know your rights, help protect your best interests and guide you through the complicated legal system. The quicker you hire an attorney to represent you and work on your criminal case, the better off you’ll be.

For more info on how to find an attorney, click here: How to Find an Attorney

If you’ve been arrested and cannot afford a lawyer, you will get a public defender. The Public Defender has access to investigators, experts in forensics as well as case workers. You should be reassured that Public Defenders are licensed attorneys who are admitted to the State Bar and are completely licensed to practice law and represent you in court.

Have you ever had to use a court appointed attorney or Public Defender? What was your experience?

Pennington County court records are public and available to anyone who requests them. Court records contain a court case file with a sheet called a docket sheet and all documents in your case. You have the ability to access the records and documents in your court case using the internet service, or at the Clerk of Court.

A Clerk of Court is a member of the court who maintains court records and controls access to them. The Clerk of Court also administer the oath in a court case, and also read the verdict when the jury makes their final decision. All records and documents from your court case are maintained at the Pennington County Clerk of Court.

Court fees are the charges and fees associated with your case, such as filing charges, motion and claim fees, and court appearance fees. If you can’t afford to pay these fees and have been assigned a Public Defender, you will not be responsible for these fees.

The Pennington County magistrate is the person that will preside on your case. Magistrates do a number of things, which include setting your bail amount, writing arrest warrants, and overseeing preliminary court proceedings and detention hearings.

A pre-sentencing report is prepared with information about your background and information about the arrestee’s life, which the magistrate will review and take into account when deciding on the sentence. Information and personal details will be requested from the person on trial, his or her family members, and in some cases the victim of the crime. Be sure to remember you can ask to get your own copy of this report before you are sentenced, so you can go over it and correct any mistakes in it.

When you are convicted of a crime, you will then get sentenced. There are a number of different options, ranging from community service to probation, to prison or jail time. Depending on how serious your crime was, you could be taken into custody, right there in court, or given a date that you must go to jail to serve out your sentence.

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Do you want to find out if somebody you know is currently in jail, or has ever been locked up?

To do this, you should go to the jail website and do an inmate search, and do a search using:

• The inmate’s name.
• Birthdate.
• Approximate booking date.
• or inmate ID.

If you’re not sure if this person is in jail, you can call the jail to find out.

If you have a warrant out for your arrest, you can check court records on the Pennington County court website or call the court. You have to have their first and last name. Or, you can just go down to the jail and ask the officer in charge. Bear in mind that if you do have an outstanding warrant, you should be prepared to get taken into custody immediately.

If you know a person’s name, and their arrest date, contact the jail, by phone, go there in person, or look online. An arrest is in the public record and this is available to anyone.

Civil processes are when someone has been served with papers, which can be a court order. You can access civil process orders by getting in touch with the Pennington County Sheriff’s office, on their website or by phone.

All convicted sex offenders must be registered and listed on a sex offender database. The people on these databases have been convicted in a court of law of a sex crime. You can access these listings on the internet, but keep in mind that you will not be able to get the street address, but rather the neighborhood block they live on.

Court Records are public records. They include a court case file that includes a docket and any of the filings and documents filed in the court case. You can access your court records via the internet, or at the clerk’s office of the court in the jurisdiction where the case was filed.

Every state keeps a record of their state citizen’s criminal background. These state databases are all linked so you are able to track criminal convictions from another state. You are able to go to the Pennington County Courthouse and check in person or you can check online. It helps to know which county the crime occurred in, and in the event that the crime was in a totally different state, you may have to pay for a more comprehensive search.

A search of someone’s criminal history you are able to find out if a person has ever been arrested, charged or convicted for these crimes:

• DUI.
• Drug crimes like possession or trafficking.
• Kidnapping.
• Rape or other sexual assault.
• Violent crimes like assault or murder.
• Theft.

During a criminal records search, in most cases will not discover if that person had:

• Speeding tickets.
• Lost their driver’s license or license revoked or suspended.
• Traffic accidents.
• Minor infractions or moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To search for this information, you must do a driving records search.

Have you ever had to search for criminal records of someone you know? How easy was it? Was your search online or did you call the Pennington County courthouse? Was it correct? There are plenty of reasons that folks look up criminal records, and your story might help other people.

Click here to leave a comment

Most Wanted

For Federal crimes, the FBI has their list of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. In Pennington County, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Department keeps their own list of most wanted criminals and fugitives.

FBI Ten Most Wanted List: Link


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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

Just the thought of spending time in Pennington County Jail is very scary, you will soon get used to the daily routine. Inmates get a wake-up alarm each morning at 6:00AM, and then you’ll have roll call. You will then have breakfast. When you finish eating breakfast participate in the program that has been assigned to you. This could be working in the kitchen, laundry, or some sort of manufacturing job. While this may seem tedious, it may help you when you leave jail, as you are gaining experience in a certain field of work. Other inmates go to school, while some take part in mandated treatment programs. After lunch, there will be another roll call, then back to work. Your evening will be spent either in your cell or a common room. During this time dinner is served and you will be expected to take a shower. After another roll call, it’s lights out. Even though you will be confined to your cell, there may be enough light to read or write letters. Then again, most inmates welcome lights out, and try to get as much sleep as they can.

Most people are frightened at the idea of jail because they don’t know what to expect. If you have spent any time in Pennington County Jail, your experiences would be welcomed, if it can help another person to deal with it.

Dress Code

When incarcerated, all inmates are expected to wear the Pennington County Jail uniform. This is normally a jumpsuit or scrubs. Of note to anyone visiting an inmate – you must be properly dressed. Any clothing considered inappropriate will not be permitted.

How To Send Money to an Inmate

You will have your own ‘bank account’ while in jail. This money is used to purchase items from the Commissary. Family and friends can deposit money into this account for you, and any money you earn while in prison will also be deposited into your account. Outside money can be paid in to your account via a money order, cash or check. If someone sends a check or money order, make sure that they write your inmate ID on it. The maximum amount you are allowed in your account is $290 per month.

The process for sending money to someone in jail at Pennington County Jail changes, so we suggest that you check the official Pennington County Jail site when you send money to an inmate there.


Commissary

The commissary is the jail store. You can purchase a number of things here, such as toiletries, snacks and writing supplies. Bear in mind that you will probably want to use the commissary daily, and any infractions will get that privilege taken away from you.

Inmate Medications

If you are on any type of prescription medication, you will be allowed to continue taking it while in jail. When you are first processed, you will be asked what medication you take. You will then be referred to the jail nurse or doctor who will be in charge of monitoring your health and prescribing your medication.

Meals

You will get three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. As expected, they are very basic, but healthy. A typical breakfast might be cereal, toast, coffee and fruit. Lunch might be spaghetti, salad, bread and milk. Dinner could be chicken casserole, rice, vegetables, dessert and milk. Contrary to popular belief, prison food has greatly improved over the years, and you might find that it’s not much different from what you would eat at home.

Pods / The Yard

The jail is designed in a ‘pod’ layout, with self-contained housing arranged around an outdoor yard. Each pod has a central control station and a common room, and the inmates take turns in using the yard. The jail is designed this way to keep certain inmates together, and others away from the general population.

Gangs

As with life in general, gangs are a part of prison life. Obviously it is best to avoid becoming a part of this environment as it will only lead to trouble. When you first enter prison, you might find yourself being ‘primed’ to join a gang, or worse, you might get their attention in a negative way. The best thing to do is keep your head down and don’t get involved.


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News and Media

News

Photos / Pictures

Videos


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Jobs

Types of Jobs at Pennington County Jail

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Pennington County Jail, overseeing the day to day operations and administration of the jail. An inmate is unlikely to have much interaction with the Deputy Sheriff, unless they have committed an infraction. Detention Officers are responsible for the custody and care of the inmates. They maintain order in the jail, and handle security. A Detention Officer is assigned to a certain pod, and therefore is responsible for the same inmates each day. They get to know the inmates on a certain level and are well equipped to handle any problems that may occur.

Apply for a Job at Pennington County Jail

Requirements:

• You have to be over the age of 21.
• You have to possess a High School Diploma or GED
• You have to be a US Citizen.
• You have to pass a Criminal, Credit and Driving History background check.
• You have to pass a drug test.
• You have to have a good level of fitness.
• You have to be in good health.
• You have to have a valid Driver’s License
• An applicant for Deputy Sheriff must possess a Law Enforcement Certification.


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Family Resources

There are resources for families of both the perpetrator of the crime and the victim. The social and emotional impact of crime is far reaching, affecting many. Families can receive professional counseling, court related assistance, social services assistance and help in navigating the criminal justice system.

If you are a family member, which resources did you find to be particularly helpful? Please let us know, as this will be helpful to other families in the same situation.

Click here to tell about all about it


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Victim Resources

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.

Victim’s Rights

The Victim Rights Act grants victims the following rights:

• Victims have the right to protection from the accused.
• Victims have the right to notification.
• Victims have the right to attend proceedings.
• Victims have the right to speak at criminal justice proceedings.
• Victims have the right to consult with the prosecuting attorney.
• Victims have the right to restitution.
• Victims have the right to a speedy trial.
• Victims have the right to be treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

The definition of victim includes:

• Spouses and children of all victims.
• Parents and guardians of minor victims.
• Parents, guardians and siblings of mentally or physically incapacitated victims or victims of homicide.
• Foster parents or other caregivers, under certain circumstances.

There are a number of services and programs designed to help victims and their families. You can find out about these services by contacting the courthouse, or local law enforcement agency.

Victim Notification

The Department of Justice Victim Notification System (VNS) is a system that provides victims with information pertaining to their case and/or any defendants in the case. You will receive a Victim Identification Number (VIN) and a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that will allow you to access VNS via the internet or by phone. Here, you will find information about future court hearings, historical court events, and detailed information about the defendant. This will include criminal charges filed, the outcome of charges, sentence imposed, custody location, projected release date and any other release information. The VNS website is updated daily. You will also receive any ongoing information by mail or email.

Have you, a family member or friend ever used the Victim Notification System? If so, was it effective? Did you get the information in a timely manner? Was the system difficult to use? We would like to hear from you, so please post any comments here.

Click here to tell about all about it

Sex Offender Information and Search

All people registered as sex offenders are registered on either a national or state sex offender database. The people on these databases have been convicted of a sex or kidnapping crime. You can access this information online, but bear in mind that you will not get the exact address, rather the block that they live on.

Domestic Violence

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are services to help you. Your county will have a Domestic Violence Services office. They provide free and confidential services, such as emergency shelter information, legal advocacy, support groups and domestic violence education. They will work to help you create a safe and violence-free life, and heal from the trauma of abuse.

Important Note: If you, or someone you know, are in immediate danger, call 911.


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Reviews

Reviews of this Jail

Have you ever been a prisoner in this jail? Do you have a friend or family member that is a prisoner there? Have you ever visited a prisoner at this jail?

If you have, then you should write a review about it. Write about your experience so that others can find out what to expect.

Things you might want to write in what you write:

• Conditions at the jail.
• Jail, yard and pod facility and layout
• Guards and jail staff
• Food and commissary
• Visitors
• The other inmates – what are they like?
• Prisoner safety
• Gang activity
• Programs and activities


Write Your Review

Tell Your Story

Everbody that’s been incarcerated has some stories about their time ‘inside’. Why’d you end up in jail? Were you fairly treated? How was day to day life at Pennington County Jail? What about the other inmates? How has this experience impacted your life?

Click here to tell your story about Pennington County Jail

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Did you make friends in jail? Are you trying to reconnect with a friend from jail? Write your message below.

Send a message to someone at Pennington County Jail


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