Mckenzie County Jail – Watford City, ND

Mckenzie County Jail is located in Mckenzie County and is the primary jail for this county. Do you know somebody locked up at Mckenzie County Jail? This page tells you information about everything you might need to know about Mckenzie County Jail,such as: How to locate an inmate. Find mugshots. The jail’s phone number and address. How to post bail. Intake procedures. Court information. And much more…

The thought of going to jail is a scary and daunting idea, not only for the person who gets locked up, but also that person’s family, friends, and loved ones. This guide is meant to give you info that you’ll need to make going to jail easier. If you have a specific question, feel free to ask it in the comment section below, and please leave any comments or tips that could be a benefit to other people in the same situation will be welcome.

Do you have a friend or family member in jail and want to contact them?

Do you know somebody that’s been arrested and you need to find them?

To look up who’s in jail at Mckenzie County Jail you should visit their web site and perform an inmate search.

The Mckenzie County Jail Inmate Lookup is a list of persons who are in jail, including custody status, how much their bail is, and schedule for visitation. Also, you are able to get info for anybody arrested and processed or released in the last 24 hours. Prisoners are shown in alphabetical order by last name. You can locate the information faster if you’ve got the arrestee’s first and last name, date of birth, or arrest number.

If the person you are looking for may be at a different jail you should look here: North Dakota County Jails

A mugshot, also known as a jail processing photograph, is a photo that the police take when you are processed at the jail intake. A mugshot is actually two photos one frontal photo and one profile photo. Your name and intake number will appear on the photos, and they will be kept on file.

Mugshots of inmates can be searched on the website, or you can see them in person at the Mckenzie County Jail. When you search for mugshots on the website you need to input the person’s legal name, and the booking date.

Trying to figure out how to have your mugshot removed from the Mckenzie County Jail website? This is difficult, because the mugshot is a matter of public record. To get your mugshot taken down you must file a ‘Petition to Expunge’. This means that the record of your arrest would be sealed, so no one will be able to access them. Depending on your situation, this may be a longshot.

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

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Naturally, if you are in jail, your primary thought is about how to get out. After booking, your bail amount is determined either through a preset bail schedule or a magistrate. If you don’t get a bail set this may mean that you will either be released on your ‘own recognizance’ until your court date, or you have to stay in jail until your trial.

If you are released from jail you will have to promise to be in court on your court date, and you can’t leave town.

Usually, inmates will earn an early release in exchange for good behavior when they don’t break the rules and act right while incarcerated.

If you do exhibit good behavior and the jail believes you can be trusted, you might be allowed to participate in work release. You will either have to stay the jail at the end of the day when you’re finished at your job, or you may be allowed to move into a halfway house when you are not working.

Bail is how much money that you are required to pay to get out of jail until your trial. The amount you will have to pay is dictated by the seriousness of your charges. Someone you know will need to put up 10 percent of the total amount that was set so you are able to be released. If you fail to show up for your scheduled court date, the person that bailed you out of jail will lose that bail money.

You need to call the Mckenzie County Jail. If you’ve got the pertinent information, including name, address and date of birth, they’ll tell you how much their bail is. You can also find out how much their bail is on the Mckenzie County Jail site.

Needing to bail someone out of jail is never fun, but thankfully, it is very simple to do. To start with, you need to know if their bail is a Cash Only Bond situation. If it is, you will not be able to get a bondsman. Take cash only to the jail – the jail won’t accept checks. Once you have paid the bond, the person will be released into your care. If they don’t violate the terms of their bail, you will get this money back.

If the amount of bail set is large, or you just can’t afford to pay it, you should hire a bail bondsman. Bondsmen will usually charge you a fee of 10-15% of the total amount of bail set, and in most cases have a minimum fee of $100. The money you pay to the bail bondsman is non-refundable and must be paid in cash. If the bail is extremely high, the bondsman may request to use assets as collateral for the bond.

To contact a bail bondsman visit our page about: Bail bondsman

Have you ever used the services of Bail Bondsman for yourself, a family member or friend? If so, please leave a comment below and tell about your experience and let us know how it worked out for you.

Click here to tell your story

• Time Off For Good Behavior
• Work Release
• Time Served
• Pre-Trial Release Programs
• Released On House Arrest
• Own Recognizance

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The jail intake process includes these steps:

• You will be placed in a waiting area or cell. If the jail is busy, you may not be processed immediately.
• The first step is that you must answer some simple questions, such as your full name, street address, date of birth and an emergency contact person.
• You will also be asked about your medical and psychological history.
• You’ll be given an inmate ID number.
• You will be fingerprinted.
• You will get your mugshot taken.
• Any personal property you have will be taken from you and will be stored until you are released.
• They will allow you to make a telephone call to contact a member of your family, friend, or bail bondsman.
• If you are expected to be released shortly, you will be allowed to wear your own clothes, if not you will have to change into a jail issued jumpsuit.

Have you ever been arrested and gone through processing at jail? If you have, you should share your experience. How long did you have to wait in the holding cell? How were you treated? Can you share any secrets that could help other people that get arrested get through the process?

Click here to leave a comment

When you post bail, you will get discharged from jail. Getting discharged takes from 15 minutes to all day. In other words the quicker you post bail, the quicker you can get released from jail. Also, it will depend on whether or not you’ve been given a cash bond amount or if a magistrate must decide on the amount of bail to be set. For minor charges, you will simply be booked and then released on your recognizance without having to pay bail. When you have served your sentence and know the date of your release, expect to get released between 9am and noon.

for your arrest, or if you need to start your sentence, you really should follow the law and turn yourself in willingly. If it is for a warrant, go to the jail intake center, and let them know that think that there is a warrant for your arrest. They will check their system to see if there are any outstanding local, state or federal arrest warrants out for you, and if they verify that you have one, they will take you into custody and begin the intake process. If you have a jail sentence to serve, report at the time and date that the sentence order requires you to. Be very careful that you are not late to report. Only bring necessary items when you go to jail, such as a driver’s license or even ID, prescription medication, and a official sentencing order.

In order to have visitors, inmates have to give the name and date of birth of each visitor to the jail in advance of any visit. Your visitor’s information will be put in the visitors log for the requesting inmate. All visitors will be required to provide identification. Visitors arriving late or that is not on the visitation list will not be allowed to attend visitation.
Jail visitation policies are always changing, so we suggest that you visit the jail site before you go to the jail to visit.

The only phone calls that inmates are allowed to make are collect calls or through a pre-paid phone account. Calls made in jail are usually more expensive than phone calls made at home. There is no limit to how often you can use the phone, but you should keep in mind lots of people want to use the phone – so you have to share. If you break the jail rules, phone privileges may be limited or cut altogether.

The Mckenzie County Jail phone number is: 701-444-3654

All inmate mail is required to be mailed using the actual US Postal Service, and not courier or delivery, or hand delivered. You cannot use any other method of mail or package delivery. You should write the inmate’s name, inmate number, and the address of the jail on the letter. Don’t send a box or package, padded envelope, bag, or an envelope with metal in it. All mail received by the jail gets opened and read by the jail staff, and the mail will be returned to the sender if they decide it is inappropriate.

Use this address when sending a letter to someone incarcerated at Mckenzie County Jail:

Mckenzie County Jail
Po Box 591
Watford City, ND 58854

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Mckenzie County Jail
Po Box 591
Watford City, ND 58854

The mail policy at Mckenzie County Jail can change, so double check the site when you send a letter to an inmate there.

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If you have been arrested, you have particular rights, the first of which is the right to request a lawyer. You only get so many phone calls when you get arrested, so it is a good idea to have a friend or relative locate a lawyer when you call. I know you’re probably asking yourself right now ‘why do I need an attorney?’ You are not required to have an attorney for some criminal charges, a criminal lawyer will advise you about your rights, protect your interests and help you understand the legal system. The sooner you hire a lawyer to represent you and work on your case, the better.

To read more about the benefits of hiring a lawyer, click here: Find an Attorney

If you cannot afford a lawyer, a Public Defender will be assigned to you. In addition, the Public Defender Office has access to private investigators, crime scene and forensics experts as well as case workers. You should be reassured that Public Defenders are bona-fide lawyers who are members of the State Bar and are fully licensed to practice law.

Have you or someone you know used a court appointed attorney? Do you think that they did a good job of defending you?

All court records are public and available to anyone who requests them. They have a file containing a docket and each of the motions, documents, and evidence filed during your court case. You, and anyone else, can access your court records using the online service, or at the Clerk’s office of the Court where the case was filed.

A Clerk of Court is an officer and clerk of the court who manages access to court records. The Clerk of Court also administer the oath for any court participant who must be under oath, and also read the court verdict when the jury has finished deliberations. All court records from your court case are kept at Clerk of Court.

Court costs and court fees are the costs from your court case, such as for example filing fees, motion and claim fees, and court charges. If you can’t afford to pay these fees and have a court appointed attorney, you may not have to pay them.

The Mckenzie County court magistrate is the judge who presides over your case. Magistrate judges do a number of things, which include setting your bail amount, writing arrest warrants, and acting as the presiding judge over first court appearances and detention hearings.

A defendant’s pre-sentencing report is put together to include information about the defendant’s background and information about the arrestee’s life and history, which the magistrate will consider when determining the sentence. Information, details, and character witnesses will be requested from the person on trial, their family, and, if applicable, the victim of the crime. Be sure to remember you are allowed to request to get a copy of the pre-sentencing report before your sentencing, so you get the chance to review it for accuracy and completeness, and correct any mistakes.

When you are convicted of a crime, you will then get sentenced. The judge will have several different options when sentencing you, including community service to probation, to prison or jail time. Depending on the severity of the crime, you might get locked up immediately, or given a date to turn yourself into jail to serve your jail term according to your sentence.

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Want to find out if somebody you know is locked up, or has gone to jail in the past?

This is pretty simple to do, just you should query the jail website and do an inmate search, and search by:

• Their name.
• Birthdate.
• Their booking date.
• and their jail ID.

If you’re not sure if this person is in jail, you should call the jail find out if they’ve been arrested.

If you have an outstanding warrant, you can access arrest warrants inquiry online or you can call the jail directly. You have to have the person’s first and last name. Or, you can just go down to the jail and ask them. You should be clear that if there is an arrest warrant out for you, you should be prepared to get taken into custody immediately.

If you know the person’s first and last name, and the date of their arrest, contact the jail, on the phone, in person, or check online. Arrest records are in the public record and this is available to anyone.

Civil processes are when you are served with legal papers, like a court order. You can access civil process orders by getting in touch with the Sheriff’s office, either by phone or through their website.

All registered sex offenders are required to be listed and registered on the sex offender databases required by the area they live in. Those listed on these databases have been convicted of a sex crime. You can access these listings on the website, but remember that you can’t find the precise address, rather the neighborhood block they live on.

Court Records are public, and are accessible by anyone. These records include a court case file that includes a docket and all filings and documents filed in your court case. You can access your court records online, or at the clerk’s office of the court where the case was filed.

Each and every state keeps a record of people’s criminal history. These state databases are all linked and you can track criminal convictions from any other state. You are able to go to county courthouse and check in person, or you can check online. It helps to know which county the crime occurred in, and if it was in a different state, you may have to pay a fee for a more complete search.

When you look up someone’s criminal record you can get a report detailing any arrests, charges, or convictions that may be on a person’s record for any of the following crimes:

• DUI or DWI.
• Drug Possession of Drug Trafficking.
• Kidnapping.
• Sex offenses which could include rape, and sexual assault.
• Violent crimes like assault or murder.
• Property crimes like theft or larceny.

But, when you do a criminal records check, you generally will not find if someone had:

• Speeding.
• Lost their driver’s license or license revoked or suspended.
• Been in a traffic accident.
• Other moving violations.
• Parking Tickets.

To get driving histories, you must do a search for their driving record.

Have you ever searched for criminal records? Was it easy? Did you search online or did you have to make a phone call to the Mckenzie County courthouse? Was the information you received correct? There are many reasons that folks search for criminal records, and your story may make it easier for others.

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Most Wanted

Everyone knows that the FBI has a list of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. In Mckenzie County, the Sheriff maintains their own list of the top most wanted criminals in the county.

FBI Top Ten Most Wanted List


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Life In Jail / What Its Like

Daily Life

Everyone knows that getting locked up in the Mckenzie County jail is very scary, soon you will become accustomed to the routine that is set for you. All inmates get an alarm for wake-up at about 6am, and then you’ll have roll call. After roll call you will eat breakfast. Following breakfast you will be required to work in the work program or other activity that you are assigned. 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 Mckenzie 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 Mckenzie 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 rules for sending funds to people in jail could change, so it would be best to double check the the Mckenzie County Jail website when you send money to an inmate.


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 Mckenzie County Jail

The Deputy Sheriff is the second in command at the Mckenzie 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 Mckenzie 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 comment


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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 leave a comment

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 spent any time in Mckenzie County Jail? Do you have a friend or family member that spent time there? Have you ever visited a prisoner at Mckenzie County Jail?

If you have, then you should tell us about it. Write down your jail experience so that other people can find out what to expect.

What to put in your comment:

• Conditions at the jail.
• Jail facility and layout
• Staff and guards
• Commissary and food
• Having Visitors
• Other Inmates.
• Safety
• Gang activity
• Inmate activities and programs


Click here to write your review of Mckenzie County Jail

Tell Your Story

Everyone’s who has been put in jail has a story to tell. Why’d you get arrested? Did you experience fair treatment? How was day to day life at Mckenzie County Jail? How did you get along with the other inmates? How did going to jail affect your life?

Tell your story about when you did time at Mckenzie County Jail

Send a Message to Your Cell Mate

Did you meet some cool folks in jail? Do you want to talk to someone from jail? Leave a message for them here.

Post a message to people incarcerated at Mckenzie County Jail


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