Steele County Inmate Mugshots: Jail Roster & Booking Search

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Steele County, Minnesota · Owatonna Jail Lookup

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Find Steele County Jail Roster, Mugshots & Current Booking Details

If you are trying to find someone arrested in Owatonna or elsewhere in Steele County, Minnesota, start with the official Steele County Sheriff’s Office inmate roster. The county publishes the roster as a PDF showing current detainees and available booking information, including booking photos, booking dates, arresting agencies, hold reasons and charges.

Open Official Jail Roster Detention Center Website
Important: This guide covers Steele County, Minnesota, where the county detention center is in Owatonna. Do not confuse it with Steele County, North Dakota. A booking record or mugshot also does not establish guilt; court records should be used to verify the final case outcome.

Fastest Way to Check Who Is in Steele County Jail

Current county custodyUse the Steele County Sheriff’s Office inmate roster PDF first.
State prison custodyUse the Minnesota Department of Corrections individual search if the person has moved into state corrections custody.
Criminal court caseUse Minnesota Court Records Online or contact Steele County District Court.
Urgent custody confirmationCall the Steele County Detention Center at 507-446-7000.

What Information Appears on the Steele County Inmate Roster?

The official roster is designed primarily to show people currently held at the Steele County Detention Center. Depending on the entry, the PDF can provide the following information:

Roster fieldWhat it tells you
Booking photographThe booking image associated with the detainee’s current roster entry.
Inmate nameThe name used in the detention record.
BookedThe date the person was booked into custody for the listed detention.
AgencyThe law-enforcement or corrections agency connected with the booking or hold.
Hold reasonWhy the facility is holding the detainee, such as a new offense, warrant, probation/parole matter, sentence or another-agency hold.
ChargesThe offenses or statutory charge descriptions associated with the custody record.

The roster can also include people held for another county or state/federal agency. Therefore, seeing an outside agency in the roster does not necessarily mean the original arrest occurred in Steele County.

A jail roster is not a complete criminal-history report. It is mainly a current custody record and should not be used to determine whether a person was convicted, acquitted, had charges dismissed or later obtained expungement.

Why Someone May Not Appear in the Steele County Jail Roster

A missing name does not automatically mean the arrest information you received was wrong. Work through these possibilities:

  • The booking is very recent. Intake processing can occur before the public roster reflects the person.
  • The person was released. The current inmate roster is not intended to serve as a permanent archive of every prior booking.
  • The person was transferred. A detainee may move to another county, Minnesota Department of Corrections custody, federal custody or another facility.
  • The name is different. Try the legal last name, former name, alternate spelling or suffix.
  • The person is in state corrections custody. Search the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
  • You need an older booking record. Contact the Steele County Sheriff’s Office Records Department instead of relying on the current roster.

For a wider explanation of the difference between county jail and state custody, see our state jail inmate search guide.

Steele County Detention Center Location & Contact Information

FacilitySteele County Detention Center
Address2500 Alexander St SW, Owatonna, MN 55060
Detention Center phone507-446-7000
Facility operation24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Rated capacity154 beds
Sheriff’s Records Department507-444-3800
Records email[email protected]
Steele County District Court111 E. Main Street, Owatonna, MN 55060 · 507-686-7012

The current Steele County Detention Center opened in 2003. It houses male and female pre-sentence and sentenced detainees and can also house people for other counties and state or federal agencies.

How to Check Charges, Bond, Court Dates & Case Results

The jail roster is the best first source for current custody, but it is not the final court record. For the criminal case itself, use the Minnesota Judicial Branch.

  1. Write down the inmate’s full name and any court file number shown in available records.
  2. Open Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO).
  3. Use Case Search when the case is available for remote public access.
  4. Review the Register of Actions for filed events, available documents and case disposition.
  5. If you cannot locate a pending criminal case by defendant name, use the case number or citation number when known.
  6. For records that are not remotely available, call Steele County District Court at 507-686-7012.
Pending-case search limitation: Minnesota’s MCRO system restricts defendant-name searching for pending criminal cases. A case number, citation number or attorney information may be needed until a conviction exists. This is one reason a jail booking can appear before a name-based court search does.

Bond or release conditions can change after a hearing. If the amount or release status affects an immediate decision, confirm it with the jail or court instead of relying on an old screenshot or third-party listing.

Steele County Jail Visitation

The detention center currently uses video visitation rather than face-to-face visiting. An Inmate Canteen account is required for video visiting, and the county advises that account approval can take up to 24 hours.

Visit typeCurrent county-listed hours / cost
Lobby video visitMonday-Sunday, 12:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Lobby visits are listed as free.
Remote video visitMonday-Sunday, 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. during non-lockdown periods.
Remote visit costThe county currently lists $0.39 per minute.
Visit lengthA detainee may have two 20-minute lobby visits per day.

Create the account through Inmate Canteen. Staff do not notify the detainee that a visit is waiting, and a visit may not connect if all available stations are in use.

Visitors should also know that cell-phone use, food and beverages are prohibited in the visiting area, minors must be supervised, and visits can be denied or ended for safety, disciplinary or conduct reasons. Visits are recorded.

Phone Calls, Messaging, Mail & Inmate Funds

Phone calls

Detainees need available account funds to place ordinary calls. The county states that indigent detainees receive 10 minutes of call time per week without charge. Calls other than private attorney calls are subject to recording and monitoring. Hearing-impaired detainees can request Purple VRS access at no fee.

Electronic messages

Friends and family can use Inmate Canteen messaging. Steele County currently lists messages at approximately $0.13 to $0.25 per message. Messages entering or leaving the facility are subject to monitoring and review.

Adding money

The county lists these deposit methods:

  • Cash or credit-card deposit through the detention center lobby kiosk.
  • Online deposit through Inmate Canteen.
  • Cash sent to the facility, which staff deposit into the detainee’s account under the county’s mail procedures.

Mailing address

Use this format:
Inmate’s Name
2500 Alexander St SW
Owatonna, MN 55060

Incoming mail is inspected for contraband and content. The jail accepts approved money orders issued by a post office or bank. Personal checks, unapproved money orders and cashier’s checks are not deposited and are instead placed into the detainee’s personal property.

Mail may be rejected when it is scented, written with crayon or marker, has watermark-like markings or graffiti, or otherwise violates facility rules. Magazines and newspapers are placed with the inmate’s personal property rather than kept in the housing unit.

Steele County Detainee Release Times

The county publishes general release windows, although exact times can change because of court processing, transportation, emergencies or other operational needs.

Type of releaseTypical county-listed window
Sentenced detaineesApproximately 6:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m.
Detainees arraigned on new chargesApproximately 2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

If you are picking someone up or need to know whether release paperwork is complete, call 507-446-7000 before traveling. A scheduled court release does not always mean the person physically exits the facility immediately.

Steele County Warrants & Older Booking Records

The Sheriff’s Office also maintains an active Steele County warrant page. The county states that its web warrant database is updated Monday through Friday at 9:00 a.m.

Do not act on a web warrant listing alone. Steele County warns that warrants must be confirmed by the issuing agency because court activity and the online database may not update at exactly the same time. Questions can be directed to the detention center or Steele County District Court.

Requesting an older arrest, booking or sheriff record

If the person is no longer on the current inmate roster, the Sheriff’s Records Department is the better route for records maintained by the sheriff.

  1. Open the Steele County Sheriff’s Records page.
  2. Download or complete the county’s Data Request Form when a formal records request is needed.
  3. Identify the person, approximate incident or booking date and the specific record you are requesting.
  4. Submit the request according to the Sheriff’s Records instructions.
  5. If you need clarification, call 507-444-3800 or email [email protected].

The Sheriff’s Office currently lists copy charges of $0.25 per page for requests under 100 pages, while larger requests may be charged at actual retrieval and copying cost. Check the current county fee information before ordering a large record set.

Steele County Jail Roster & Mugshots FAQs

1. Is the Steele County jail roster free to search?
Yes. The Steele County Sheriff’s Office publishes its inmate roster as a public PDF. You do not need to create an account to open the county roster.
2. Does the Steele County inmate roster show mugshots?
The official roster can display booking photographs along with the inmate’s name, booking date, agency, hold reason and charges. Availability can depend on the current roster entry.
3. How can I tell whether the jail roster is current?
Check the printed date shown on the official PDF. If a person’s custody status may have changed recently, refresh or reopen the file and call the detention center at 507-446-7000 when immediate confirmation is important.
4. Why is someone I know was arrested not on the roster?
The booking may still be processing, the person may already have been released or transferred, or the record may use a different name or spelling. A person moved to state prison should be checked through the Minnesota Department of Corrections search.
5. Does a Steele County mugshot mean the person was convicted?
No. A mugshot or jail booking only documents detention or booking. Charges can later be changed, dismissed or resolved in court. Use Minnesota court records to verify the case outcome.
6. How do I find a Steele County inmate’s court case or bond information?
Start with Minnesota Court Records Online and the Steele County District Court. Pending criminal cases may not be searchable by defendant name in MCRO, so a case number, citation number or court contact may be necessary.
7. What are the Steele County jail visiting hours?
The county currently lists lobby video visits Monday through Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Remote visits are listed from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. during non-lockdown periods.
8. How can I put money on a Steele County inmate’s account?
Deposits can be made with cash or credit card at the detention center lobby kiosk or online through Inmate Canteen. The county also states that cash received through inmate mail can be deposited into the detainee’s account.
9. What address should I use to mail a Steele County inmate?
Address the mail to the inmate’s name at 2500 Alexander St SW, Owatonna, MN 55060. Review the county’s current mail rules before sending anything other than ordinary correspondence.
10. What time are inmates normally released from Steele County jail?
The county says sentenced detainees are typically released between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., while detainees arraigned on new charges are typically released between 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Times are subject to change.

Official Sources

Custody status, visitation availability, vendor pricing, release timing and court information can change. Recheck the linked official source when taking an action such as visiting, sending money, posting bond or arranging transportation after release.

About the Research: This article was written by a real person, not an AI. To ensure this guide is helpful, I personally tested the official search portals mentioned above. The screenshots you see are from my actual search session. My goal is to save you time by filtering out broken links and confusing menus, pointing you directly to the official government sources that actually work.

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