How to Find Recently Released Hennepin County Inmates
The fastest source for a recent Hennepin County jail release is the official Sheriff jail roster at jailroster.hennepin.us. The roster shows people released in the last seven days on the landing-page view. The app keeps records for today and the prior 90 days, so a search that uses date filters can still surface a record after the seven-day window. The roster is updated hourly and operates under Minn. Stat. § 641.05.
The jail register statute is the legal source for the public roster. It governs what information is published and how the Sheriff keeps the jail register. The image above shows the statute on the Minnesota Revisor site. The roster filter uses a Custody Status dropdown with three options: Show All, In Custody, and Released from Custody.
- Open the Hennepin jail roster.
- Choose Released from Custody in the Custody Status dropdown.
- Enter a full or partial name. Partial matches return sequential matches anywhere in the full name.
- Use Received Date or Released Date ranges to widen the time window beyond seven days.
- Click a booking number to read the detail page with case type, charges, bail, and release time.
- For people transferred to state prison, switch to the Minnesota DOC locator.
- For federal custody, switch to the BOP locator.
Setting Up Release Notifications
The VINELink victim notification service sends phone, text, or email alerts when a person is released from local jail or state prison custody. VINE works in Minnesota and other states. Registration is free. Users can register multiple offenders and choose the alert method.
The VINELink portal is dynamic and the search interface loads in a single-page application. To register, pick Minnesota as the state, search for the offender by name or ID, and add a phone or email contact. VINE confirms registration with a PIN that should be saved. The notification system pulls release data from the Hennepin Sheriff and the Minnesota DOC. Victim advocates with the Hennepin County Attorney's Office Victim Services Division can help walk a victim through registration.
Searching State and Federal Released Inmates
Sentenced state prisoners do not appear on the Hennepin jail roster. The Minnesota DOC Offender Locator is the right tool for people committed to the Commissioner of Corrections, including those on supervised release. Federal inmates appear on the Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator.
| DOC Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search method | Tab | Yes | Name or MNDOC Offender ID. |
| First Name | Text | Optional | Prefix matching; searches all conviction names. |
| Last Name | Text | Optional | Prefix matching; includes AKA names. |
| MNDOC Offender ID | Text | Yes for ID method | All six digits required. |
| Reset Search | Button | N/A | Clears the form. |
The BOP locator above supports both number and name search methods. The Find By Number tab requires a Type of Number such as BOP Register Number, DCDC, FBI, or INS. The Find By Name tab requires First and Last name, with optional Race, Age, and Sex filters.
| BOP Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of Number | Dropdown | Yes for number tab | BOP Register, DCDC, FBI, INS. |
| Number | Text | Yes for number tab | BOP Register Number format #####-###. |
| First Name | Text | Yes for name tab | First name. |
| Last Name | Text | Yes for name tab | Last name. |
| Race | Dropdown | Optional | American Indian, Asian, Black, White. |
| Age | Number | Optional | Numeric age. |
| Sex | Dropdown | Optional | Male, Female. |
Verifying a Hennepin Release in Person or By Phone
When online tools are unclear or when a person may still be in intake, call jail information at 612-348-5112. Have the booking number, full name, and date of birth ready. The Public Safety Facility at 401 South 4th Avenue keeps a 24/7 in-custody records window for cash bail, in-person record questions, and bond posting.
Hennepin Jail Information Line
Public Safety Facility
401 South 4th Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-348-5112
24/7 in-custody records
HCAO Victim Services
Hennepin County Attorney's Office
300 South 6th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55487
The Sheriff's Office posts a scam alert: the office will never call to demand payment from a family member of a person in custody or recently released. Hang up and call 612-348-5112 if a caller pressures you for payment tied to a release.
The Minnesota Sex Offender Registry
Minnesota does not run a fully public sex offender map. The BCA Predatory Offender Registry is mostly closed to the public. The Minnesota DOC Public Registrant Search shows the limited subset that is subject to public notification under Minn. Stat. § 244.052.
| Registrant Search Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search Method | Tab | Yes | City, County, Name, Zip Code. |
| 5-digit Zip Code | Text | Optional | ZIP search. |
| First Name | Text | Optional | Prefix matching; do not enter middle/suffix. |
| Last Name | Text | Optional | Prefix matching. |
| City | Dropdown | Optional | Includes Minneapolis, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Bloomington. |
| County | Dropdown | Optional | Hennepin is listed. |
| View all registrants | Link | Optional | Public-notification registrants currently in Minnesota. |
| Address unknown | Link | Optional | Public registrants whose address is currently unknown. |
The DOC posts public-notification information within 48 hours of authorization from law enforcement. The full POR is for law enforcement and is not searchable by the public, except for the limited public-notification list and non-compliant registrants.
Parole and Probation Information
Minnesota does not use traditional parole boards for most adult cases; instead, the Minnesota DOC supervises people on supervised release. The Hearings and Release Unit at DOC handles risk reviews and conditions. Hennepin County also supervises probation cases at the county level through Community Corrections and Rehabilitation. Conditions of release typically include reporting to a probation officer, no new criminal violations, no contact with victims, drug or alcohol testing, treatment requirements, and travel limits.
The Minnesota DOC Offender Locator shows the current status of supervised people and lists the supervision agency. A released-from-prison person remains under DOC jurisdiction during supervised release. Hennepin County probation officers can be contacted through Hennepin Community Corrections; a public defender or private attorney handles questions about conditions of release.
Supervised release in Minnesota is the back-end of a prison sentence. A judge sets the executed sentence at sentencing, and the DOC then sets the actual prison time based on good time and statutory rules. The remaining portion of the sentence is served under supervision in the community. Violations of supervised release can return a person to prison without a new conviction. Hennepin County hosts the largest set of supervised-release files in Minnesota because the Fourth Judicial District handles about 40% of state case filings.
Reentry Resources in Hennepin County
Reentry from a Hennepin jail or state prison release involves several services. Identification, housing, jobs, treatment, and benefits programs are the most common starting points. The Minnesota Judicial Branch Self-Help Center lists statewide resources for criminal expungement, family law, and other matters that often come up after a release.
- Volunteer Lawyers Network: free legal services for low-income clients, including bankruptcy, expungement, conciliation, debtor-creditor, employment, family, housing, and immigration.
- Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid: civil legal aid for Hennepin-area low-income residents.
- Legal Rights Center: Minneapolis-based nonprofit with criminal defense, restorative justice, and legal support.
- Hennepin County Bar Association lawyer referral: 612-752-6666 for private attorney referrals.
- Mitchell Hamline Self-Help Center clinics: free clinics for family law, criminal expungement, and eviction expungement.
Voting rights in Minnesota were restored to people with felony convictions who are not incarcerated for the felony. Verify the current rule with the Minnesota Secretary of State before relying on it. Firearm rights are not automatically restored by an expungement; restoration is a separate process.
Civil Rights Restoration After Release
Civil rights restoration after a Hennepin County release covers several distinct rights. Voting rights are restored when a person is not incarcerated for a felony. Firearm rights are not restored automatically; a separate petition under Minnesota and federal law may be needed, and a felon should consult counsel before possessing a firearm. The right to serve on a jury is restored once the person is discharged from felony custody. Public employment, occupational licensing, and immigration status are governed by separate state and federal rules. Expungement under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 609A can seal records and help with employment and housing checks but does not restore firearm rights.
Noncitizen Hennepin residents should plan immigration-related questions carefully. Expungement does not erase immigration consequences. Pull MCRO case details, BCA criminal history, and any sentencing or probation discharge order before consulting immigration counsel. The Minnesota State Law Library and the Hennepin County Law Library hold treatises and form resources for civil rights restoration questions.
What "Released" Means on a Hennepin County Roster
A Released Date on the Hennepin jail roster does not always mean a full release from custody. The release event might be a transfer to another facility, a release on bail or bond, a release to a treatment program, a release after a court order, or a release after a sentence completion. The Sheriff's roster does not always show the reason. To learn the reason, read the case in MCRO or call the jail at 612-348-5112.
A transfer to state custody moves the person off the Hennepin roster and onto the Minnesota DOC system. A federal transfer moves the person off both the Hennepin and DOC rosters and onto the BOP system. Each transfer can put a person back into custody under a different agency, so a "Released from Custody" status on the Hennepin roster is not the same as "released to the community."
The roster also distinguishes between full release and an annex. The Sheriff's jail data dashboard defines Annex as a transfer to another detention or correctional facility while custody remains under the Hennepin Sheriff. An annexed person may not be at the Public Safety Facility or City Hall location but is still in HCSO custody.