Individuals who are arrested in Douglas County are usually brought to the jail for booking. Once they arrive at the jail, the arresting officer will complete paperwork, interviews and any tests that may be required. Then the arrestee is processed for intake or release by the jail. If you know of someone who has been arrested, please wait 1 to 2 hours after the initial arrest to contact the jail to see if they are in custody. You are welcome to call 320-762-2139 to check on the status of a new arrest, however, we are statutorily prohibited from releasing information on an individual until he/she has completed the booking process. This may take several hours. They will be allowed access to the phone after they are booked in to notify people of their arrest and to make appropriate arrangements.
The booking process includes gathering demographic data, digital fingerprints, photographs of the individual, and allowing the initial phone call. The intake and booking process can take anywhere from half an hour up to two hours or more, depending on how cooperative the arrested individual is being. If the individual being booked in is not eligible for immediate release, all of their property is inventoried and placed in a secure storage area. The individual is then given the jail uniform and bedding and assigned to a housing unit.
You are encouraged to check in with Court Administration at 320-304-6050 for more information about a particular inmate's hearing status. If an inmate is arrested over the weekend, then they will generally see the judge on Monday mornings. The jail has no control over when an individual may go before the judge. For specific information, please call the Court Administration at 320-304-6050.