Steele County Jail Roster Overview
The official Steele County jail roster PDF is the county custody list for people held at the Steele County Detention Center. It is not an interactive portal. Use the PDF viewer's find function or scan the list, then confirm recent bookings, releases, transfers, warrant holds, or agency holds with the Detention Center at 507-446-7000.
The roster is a current jail list. It does not replace MCRO for court case records, the BCA for public conviction-history records, or the Minnesota DOC Locator for adults committed to the Commissioner of Corrections. Federal custody is also separate from the county roster.
The Steele County Sheriff's Office page identifies Sheriff Lon Thiele and the law-enforcement office that oversees detention operations.
That sheriff source is useful when a custody question also involves non-emergency dispatch, the county tip line, or law-enforcement records.
The Steele County Detention Center page is the local source for the jail facility and custody office.
Use the Detention Center contact information when the jail roster does not reflect a recent booking or release.
How to Use the Steele County Inmate Roster
The roster is published as a PDF, so search steps differ from a database form. The PDF may be easiest to search on a desktop browser, but it can also be reviewed on a phone if the PDF viewer supports text search.
- Open the official Steele County current jail roster PDF.
- Use the PDF search or find tool for last name, first name, or agency.
- Review the booked date, arresting or holding agency, hold reasons, and charges.
- Search MCRO by case number or citation number if the roster shows a court case reference.
- Call the Detention Center when custody status, bond, release, or transfer information is unclear.
Roster Search Fields
Because the county roster is a PDF, there are no required web-form fields. The useful search terms are the fields visible in the list itself.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inmate | PDF text | Primary search term | Roster snippets show full name in last, first, middle format. |
| Booked | Date | No | Shows booking date, not final court outcome. |
| Agency | Text | No | May list Sheriff's Office, Owatonna Police, State Patrol, DOC, or another agency. |
| Hold Reasons | Text | No | Examples include new offense, warrant arrest, under sentence, or probation/parole violation. |
| Charges | Text | No | May include statute number, offense label, pending status, or case reference. |
What an Inmate Profile Shows
Official roster snippets show a focused custody inventory. Do not assume the Steele County roster displays mugshots, bond, housing unit, or projected release unless the current PDF shows it or jail staff confirms it.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Inmate | Full name of the detainee in the current roster. |
| Booked | Date the person entered custody. |
| Agency | Arresting or holding agency. |
| Hold Reasons | Custody basis such as new offense, warrant arrest, sentence, or agency hold. |
| Charges | Statute number, offense description, pending status, or warrant case reference. |
| Mugshot | Not observed in official PDF snippets. |
| Bond | Not observed in official PDF snippets; call the jail or court. |
| Court date | Not observed in official roster snippets; use MCRO or the daily calendar. |
Steele County Jail Facilities
The Steele County Detention Center operates under the Sheriff's Office. It houses male and female pre-sentence and sentenced detainees, plus detainees from other counties, state organizations, and federal organizations. The current facility opened in October 2003 and has a rated capacity of 154 beds.
Steele County Detention Center
2500 Alexander St. SW
Owatonna, MN 55060
507-446-7000
Office hours Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; facility operates 24/7.
Steele County Sheriff's Office
2500 Alexander St. SW
Owatonna, MN 55060
507-444-3800
Exterior lobby open 24/7 with a phone to personnel.
The Detention Center facts page gives the building history behind the current jail.
The facts page explains the 154-bed capacity, October 2003 opening, 58,575-square-foot building, and 24/7 jail role.
Booking Process in Steele County
Booking information starts at the jail, while charges and hearings move through District Court after a case is filed. A person may appear on the roster before a name search works in MCRO, especially if the matter is pending and no conviction exists. Search by case number when the roster gives one.
Hold reasons can explain why a person remains in custody. A new offense differs from a warrant arrest, a probation or parole violation, an under-sentence status, or a hold for another agency. Court appearance and bond details should be confirmed with Court Administration or jail staff.
Visitation Hours and Rules
All public inmate visiting at the Steele County Detention Center is by video. The county says there is no face-to-face contact between visitors and detainees. A detainee may have two 20-minute lobby visits per day, and remote visits are available through Inmate Canteen during non-lockdown times.
| Day | Hours | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Monday-Sunday | 12:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | On-site lobby video, no cost. |
| Monday-Sunday | 7:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. | On-site lobby video, no cost. |
| Monday-Sunday | 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. | Remote online video during non-lockdown times, $0.39 per minute. |
The official inmate visiting page gives the video visit rules and denial conditions.
Those rules are important because visits can be denied or terminated for safety, discipline, intoxication, phone use, food, beverages, language, behavior, or attire.
How to Contact an Inmate
Inmate mail should be addressed to the inmate's name at 2500 Alexander St SW, Owatonna, MN 55060. Detainee mail is sent and received Monday through Friday, incoming mail is distributed Tuesday through Saturday, and all mail is inspected for contraband and content. Privileged legal mail is opened and inspected in the detainee's presence.
The official inmate mail page lists mail handling, privileged-mail rules, and banned items.
Mail rules affect families, lawyers, probation staff, and agencies that need to send approved correspondence to someone in custody.
Commissary and Inmate Funds
Inmate phone calls cost $0.21 per minute. Indigent inmates receive 10 minutes of call time per week at no fee, and Purple VRS access can be requested for hearing-impaired detainees. Calls not listed as private attorney calls are subject to recording and monitoring. Messaging uses Inmate Canteen and costs between $0.13 and $0.25 per message.
Funds can be deposited at the lobby kiosk, online through Inmate Canteen, or by mailing cash for account deposit. Canteen profits are used to offset program costs. The jail also offers programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Adult Basic Education, anger management, chemical dependency, parenting, work release, domestic abuse programming, and a library with donated books.
The official inmate phone page is the source for call rates and monitoring rules.
Phone and message costs are separate from court fines, bond, or restitution and should not be read as court-account information.
Confirming Release or Transfer
The roster is a current custody snapshot, so release and transfer questions should go to the Detention Center directly. If the roster entry changed, if the person moved to another county or agency, or if a court date is still pending, the jail is the best place to confirm the current status.
For state prisoners, the Minnesota DOC Locator is the right follow-up tool. For county detainees, the detention center phone and the sheriff's office remain the fastest confirmation channel. If a name is tied to a warrant arrest or probation hold, the warrant page and the court case number should be checked as well.