Houston County Jail Overview
Houston County Jail is inside the Houston County Justice Center at 306 S. Marshall Street, Caledonia, MN 55921. The Houston County Sheriff's Office operates the jail. County materials identify the sheriff as the chief law enforcement officer and state that the sheriff is in charge of the county jail. That role covers custody, booking, jail administration, detainee programs, video visitation, inmate phone service, canteen, mail, and local records issues.
The jail is a county jail and local adult detention facility, not a Minnesota state prison. It holds pretrial detainees, sentenced local inmates, male and female prisoners, work release participants, inmate workers, and Sentence to Service participants when approved. The Minnesota Department of Corrections inspection report also notes delinquent juvenile hold approval for 24 hours exclusive of weekends and holidays.
The Houston County Sheriff's jail source captured from the official Sheriff's Office page shows the jail administration, visitation, phone, canteen, mail, programs, and history tabs used for local facility details.
That official county page is the main facility source for day-to-day jail services, while the DOC inspection report is the main source for capacity and compliance status.
Houston County Jail Contact
The public jail contact point is the Houston County Sheriff's Office and jail main number. Use the same number for custody checks, roster problems, and facility questions unless a court or prosecutor question is involved. Court files, bond financial records, and hearings are handled by Court Administration, while charging decisions are handled by the County Attorney.
Houston County Jail
306 S. Marshall Street
Caledonia, MN 55921
507-725-3379
County Justice Center hours listed by the county: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Jail Administrator Rachel Meyer is listed by the county at extension 4120. Volunteer and program questions also route to 507-725-3379 ext. 4120. The published county page lists Sheriff Brian L. Swedberg at extension 4101 and Chief Deputy Bill Hargrove at extension 4102, while the 2024 DOC inspection exit interview listed a different chief deputy name. For that reason, role-based contact through the main number is the safest route.
Houston County Jail Capacity
The strongest current capacity source is the 2024 Minnesota DOC Houston County Jail Facility Inspection Report. It lists Houston County Jail as facility type "Jail" under Minnesota Rule 2911. The report gives 40 approved secure coed beds, effective September 1, 2016. It also states that 90 percent operating capacity is 36 operational beds. The authority to operate runs from December 1, 2024 through November 30, 2026.
County history gives a different historical number for the building's opening. Houston County says the current Justice Center opened on October 31, 2011 and was licensed to house 30 male and female prisoners. The same history says the building was constructed with 41 unit cells with double-bunk capability. Use the 2024 DOC inspection for current regulatory capacity and the county history for the building story.
Houston County Jail Inmate Lookup
The official county route is the Houston County In Custody page. During research on June 18, 2026, that page displayed a roster area, but the embedded custody iframe target returned 404 when requested directly. Because no public roster entries or fields were visible from the official endpoint, do not assume that the online page will always show a searchable list, charges, bond, booking numbers, housing, or booking photos.
- Open the official Houston County In Custody page and check whether the roster frame loads.
- If the roster loads, use only the visible current-custody entries from that official source.
- If the roster does not load, call Houston County Jail at 507-725-3379 for custody verification.
- For releasable arrest information or jail records, use the Sheriff's records request process under Minnesota data-practices law.
- Use Minnesota VINELink for custody notification, MNDOC for sentenced state prisoners, BOP for federal custody, and ICE for immigration detention.
The successful capture from the official Houston County in-custody page shows the county page and embedded roster area.
That image supports the lookup route, but the research gap remains important: the embedded roster endpoint did not provide visible inmate records during inspection.
Houston County Custody Channels
Houston County Jail is the right search path for local jail custody. It is not the right search path for every person with a Houston County connection. A sentenced felony prisoner committed to the Commissioner of Corrections is searched through the Minnesota DOC Locator. A federal sentenced prisoner is searched through the BOP Inmate Locator. Immigration detention uses ICE's Online Detainee Locator System.
| Situation | Where to Look | Important Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Current Houston County Jail custody | Houston County In Custody page or 507-725-3379 | The embedded roster iframe returned 404 during direct inspection on June 18, 2026. |
| Custody notification | Minnesota VINELink | Notification service, not a full court or warrant database. |
| State prison or supervised release | MNDOC Locator | Newly sentenced people can take several business days to appear. |
| Federal criminal custody | BOP Inmate Locator | Separate from county jail and Minnesota district court records. |
| Immigration detention | ICE Online Detainee Locator | Search by A-number or name with country of birth and date of birth. |
No official Houston County, Minnesota Sheriff mobile app with roster, warrant search, most-wanted list, or jail records portal was located in the research. The official access channels remain the county website, phone, in-person Justice Center counter, records request, VINELink, MCRO, MNDOC, BOP, and ICE.
Houston County Jail Visitation
Houston County Jail uses video visitation only. The Sheriff's Office says there is no face-to-face contact between visitor and detainee. Visitors must have a Turnkey account through secure.inmatecanteen.com before visiting. If a visitor lacks computer access, the county says account setup is available on site before the visit. Visitation is first come, first served.
| Day | Hours | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | 5:15 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. | Video visitation |
| Thursday | 12:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. | Video visitation |
| Sunday | 5:15 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. | Video visitation |
A pictured identification card or pictured driver's license is required at each visit. Children under 18 must be with a parent or guardian and supervised at all times. Confirm the visit window before travel, especially during courthouse holidays or if jail operations change.
Houston County Jail Mail and Money
Houston County publishes a specific mail format for inmates. Mail rules beyond that address format were not located in official county text, so do not assume postcard-only mail, scanned mail, photo limits, book-vendor rules, stamp rules, or envelope limits without a current jail confirmation. Money can be deposited through the jail lobby kiosk or online through InmateCanteen. The research did not locate exact fee amounts in official county text.
| Service | Provider or Format | Known Detail |
|---|---|---|
| "The Inmates Name" C/O Houston County Jail 306 South Marshall Street Caledonia, MN 55921 | Use the county-published address format. | |
| Money deposit | Lobby kiosk | Cash or credit card deposits accepted at the jail lobby kiosk. |
| Online canteen | InmateCanteen / Turnkey | Online deposits and Turnkey visitation account route. |
| Phone time | Reliance Telephone, 1-800-896-3201 | Call for phone problems or to buy phone time. |
Because fee amounts were not published in the official Houston County jail text found during research, check the vendor screens and jail staff instructions before depositing funds or buying phone time.
Houston County Jail Booking
Houston County does not publish a long booking-process manual, but the local records show the normal path. Arrests may come from the Sheriff's Office, Caledonia Police Department, Hokah Police Department, Houston Police Department, La Crescent Police Department, or another agency. If local custody is required, the person is transported to Houston County Jail for intake, identification, property inventory, safety screening, medical or mental-health screening, classification, and housing assignment.
Booking is also where a jail record may begin. The County Attorney later reviews law enforcement evidence and decides what formal charges to file in court. A booking charge and a filed court charge can differ. For court charges after booking, use MCRO and Houston County District Court, not only the jail roster.
- Booking
- The jail intake record created after arrest.
- Classification
- The jail's housing and security decision after intake screening.
- Detainer
- A hold or request from another agency that may prevent release.
- Work release
- Approved release from custody for work under jail rules.
Houston County Jail Programs
Houston County lists a broad set of jail programs and services. The current Justice Center history says the facility offers inmate recreation, inmate programming, canteen, full-service kitchen, inmate laundry, and inmate phone service. Published program names include Alcoholics Anonymous, Adult Basic Education, religious services, chemical dependency, job search and job skills, Narcotics Anonymous, library, recreation time, inmate worker program, work release program, and Sentence to Service.
Volunteers assist with programming. The 2024 DOC inspection found a documentation issue: the jail did not have written and signed documentation that volunteers agreed to follow facility rules and policies. Corrective action required signed documentation from all volunteers by December 31, 2024. That finding does not erase the published programs, but it shows that program access is tied to jail rules and state inspection standards.
Houston County Jail Inspection
The 2024 Minnesota DOC inspection report is the key official conditions source. The inspection included a walk-through, staff and inmate interviews, staff and inmate file review, facility document review, and video footage review. The jail remained on biennial status and received a "Substantial Compliance" rating. For mandatory Chapter 2911 rules, the report listed 126 total rules, 123 applicable rules, one noncompliance item, two concerns, and 99.21 percent compliance. For essential rules, it listed 98 total rules, 97 applicable rules, one noncompliance item, and 98.98 percent compliance.
| Inspection Item | Finding | Corrective Action |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency plan | No documentation of a written disaster plan or annual emergency drill. | Disaster plan and scheduled or completed drill required by December 31, 2024. |
| Volunteer documentation | No written and signed volunteer agreement documentation. | Signed documentation from all volunteers required by December 31, 2024. |
| Food service concerns | Food handling and food-service review wording concerns. | Health inspection documentation and direct compliance wording were addressed at inspection. |
State oversight comes from the Minnesota Department of Corrections under Minn. Stat. 241.021 and Minnesota Rules chapter 2911. No ACA accreditation, DOJ consent decree, federal investigation, or active jail-capacity lawsuit was found in the official research sources.
Houston County Jail History
Houston County's jail history is unusually specific. The original historic jail was built in 1875 and housed male and female prisoners. The county says the sheriff, his wife, and family lived in the historic jail into the 1970s. The building was later remodeled, placed on the state and national historic registries, and licensed by the Minnesota Department of Corrections as the oldest operating jail in Minnesota before it closed in October 2011.
The current Houston County Justice Center opened on October 31, 2011. County history identifies Klein/McCarthy Architects of St. Louis Park as the architect and Knutson Construction of Rochester as the construction manager. The building was designed as a multiagency justice hub, not just a jail. The jail, sheriff, district court, court administrator, county attorney, victim services, emergency management, and local corrections/probation functions are all in or associated with the Justice Center.
Note: Confirm custody, visit availability, and lobby access with Houston County Jail before traveling to the Justice Center.
Houston County Jail Directions
The jail is at the County Justice Center in Caledonia. Use 306 S. Marshall Street, Caledonia, MN 55921 for navigation, not a postal box. County text says the sally port is on the north side of the facility off South Marshall Street. Visitors should use the public Justice Center entrance, not the sally port or intake route.
Public parking is listed along East South Street for the Justice Center and Historic Courthouse. The Minnesota Judicial Branch Houston County District Court page also says public parking is available in the lot on the north side of the courthouse and on the street. From MN-44 or MN-76, route into the downtown courthouse area. From MN-16 or US-61 near the Mississippi River side of Houston County, follow local routing into Caledonia and look for the county offices and Justice Center block.