Benton County Booking Releases

Benton County booking releases are public records maintained by the Sheriff's Office in Foley, Minnesota. The county posts a current inmate list online, updated regularly, and you can search it free by the first letter of a last name. Records show the full name, booking date and time, and gender of each person held at the 102-bed facility.

Benton County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Troy Heck oversees the Benton County Sheriff's Office and the county jail. The office is located at 581 Highway 23 in Foley and handles all law enforcement, jail operations, court security, and prisoner transport for the county. Administrative hours run Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm.

The jail phone number for direct inquiries is 320-968-8180. If you need to speak with someone about a person in custody, this is the right line to call during office hours. For general sheriff business, use the main number listed above.

How to Find Benton County Booking Releases Online

The county posts a Current Inmate List on its official website at co.benton.mn.us. To use it, click "find current information" and then pick the first letter of the last name you are looking for. The system shows all people in custody with a last name starting with that letter. Each result includes the full name, the exact booking date and time, and gender. This tool works in Chrome, Edge, and Safari.

The Current Inmate List on the Benton County website is organized alphabetically and refreshes when new bookings are entered into the system.

The Jail Division page gives more context about how the facility operates, its capacity, and general policies. You can reach it at co.benton.mn.us/Jail-Division.

The Jail Division page covers facility policies, inmate services, and other details relevant to anyone with a family member or friend in custody.

The Minnesota Jail Roster site pulls Benton County booking data and lets you search by name rather than by last-name initial.

Active Warrants in Benton County

Benton County publishes an active warrant list on its website. The list is updated regularly and includes the warrant number, full name, date of birth, date the warrant was issued, offense level, and a description of the offense. You can find it through the Sheriff Information page at co.benton.mn.us/Sheriff-Information.

The Sheriff Information page is where you find the active warrant list as well as links to other public safety resources maintained by the county.

If someone you know has an active warrant and is taken into custody, they will appear on the inmate list shortly after booking. Warrant information is separate from the inmate roster, but both are public under the same state statutes.

What the Law Says About Benton County Booking Records

Three Minnesota statutes govern how the county handles and shares booking data. Minnesota Statute 13.82 classifies law enforcement data, including arrest records and booking information, as public. This means the name, time, date, and charges from any booking are accessible to anyone without a formal request or stated reason.

Minnesota Statute 13.85 extends that same transparency to correctional facility records. The inmate roster itself is covered by this statute, which is why the county posts it online at no cost.

Minnesota Statute 641.05 puts the duty on the sheriff to maintain a formal record of every person admitted to the jail. The record must note the time, cause of commitment, and the details of each release. This is the legal foundation for the inmate list you see on the county website. Together, these three statutes mean that Benton County both must keep these records and must share them with the public.

Visiting Inmates at Benton County Jail

Visits at the Benton County Jail are by appointment only. Call 320-968-8180, Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm, to set one up. You need to book at least 24 hours in advance. Visits are limited to 20 minutes. The person visiting must be on the inmate's approved list and must show valid ID. Visitors must be 18 or older.

Dress code is enforced. Cut-offs, tube tops, and half shirts are not allowed. Minors visiting must bring a birth certificate each time they visit, not just the first visit. These rules apply to every visit without exception.

To leave a voice message for an inmate, call 320-818-0338 and enter the first three letters of the inmate's last name. You have 20 seconds to leave your message. This is the only way to leave a message; jail staff do not take or relay messages on behalf of inmates.

To send money to an inmate, use the TurnKey Corrections kiosk in the lobby or go online through the Inmate Canteen website. Mail for inmates must go through the US Postal Service and be addressed to: Benton County Jail, [Inmate Name], P.O. Box 159, Foley, MN 56329. Drop-offs at the jail are not accepted for mail.

State and Statewide Resources

For custody alerts, use the VINE system. You can search by name or ID and sign up to receive a notification when an inmate is released, transferred, or has a change in custody status. VINE covers all Minnesota counties and is free to use. The phone number is 1-877-664-8463 if you prefer to access it that way rather than online.

For court case records tied to a booking, use Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO). This free state tool covers all 87 counties. You can search by name and see case filings, hearing dates, and case status. MCRO is separate from the jail roster, but the two together give a fuller picture of where a case stands.

The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) Criminal History database provides statewide conviction records for an $8 fee per search. This is useful for background checks or for getting historical data that goes beyond what the current inmate list shows.

Cities in Benton County

No qualifying cities (population 100,000+) have dedicated pages in Benton County. Residents use the Benton County Sheriff's Office for all booking release information. Foley is the county seat, and smaller cities like Sauk Rapids and St. Cloud are nearby but fall in neighboring counties.

Nearby Counties

Benton County borders several other Minnesota counties, each with their own booking release records.