Jail Division

About Washington County Jail

The Washington County Jail is a 228-bed direct supervision facility that was opened in June of 1993.

The jail holds male and female offenders, houses both pre-trial and sentenced inmates, and operates a temporary eight day juvenile holding facility.

In addition to a fully operational laundry and kitchen facility, the jail also has it’s own medical unit with several exam rooms, and a dentists office.

The jail houses a transport unit that operates five days per week.

What is a "Book in Motion" or "Order for Booking"?

If you received a letter or notification from Washington County Court Administration, or a city agency, that your fingerprints are required for a court order, you will need to schedule a Book in Motion appointment.

Before you sign up for your booking, please email the jail to verify that a booking is required for your criminal charge.

Please email WCSO-BookingMotions@washingtoncountymn.gov and provide your:

• Full name.
• Birthdate.
• Charges.
• Court file number.
• Email address and phone number.

Staff will then contact you to confirm whether you need to be fingerprinted or not. If fingerprints are needed, you may then schedule an appointment online. 

What to bring to your appointment

• You will need a valid government-issued form of identification.
• A copy of your notification letter.
• Or, your court file number.

Appointments are Tuesdays and Thursdays,  10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Civil applicant fingerprints

Adult fingerprinting services are available for applications, employment, adoptions, licensing, and permits.

What to bring

• You will need a valid government issued identification.
• Fingerprint cards if issued (FD-258 cards only).
• Any documentation or forms that require staff to verify your identification.
• You will need to supply your social security number.

Appointment hours

Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. to noon.

All fingerprinting services require an appointment.

Schedule your appointment.

About the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Temporary Juvenile Holding Facility

• The Sheriff’s Office Jail Division operates an 8-day, 5-bed temporary juvenile holding facility licensed by the MN Department of Corrections.
• Juveniles that have been charged with a delinquent offense (a criminal charge for an adult) may be held here for up to 8 business days (not including day of arrest, weekends or holidays) pending court disposition.
• The temporary juvenile holding facility cannot and will not hold juvenile status offenders (i.e. runaways or liquor offenses) unless prior court action has been taken.
  

Secure Detention Criteria / Guidelines

MN statutes provide broad legal criteria for the use of both non-secure and secure detention. In addition to the legal requirement of a current or prior delinquent offense, at least one of four subjective non-offense criteria listed below must also be met prior to a child being legally eligible to be detained in secure detention.

The child is a danger to self or others:

• This criteria most clearly comes into play if the offense and/or offenses involve actual, potential, or threatened physical harm to other people.
• Current or prior incidents of suicide attempts or threats, life threatening drug or alcohol overdose, or running behavior that places a child in situations of danger or abuse often fall into this category.

Prior history of not returning for court hearings:

• The child has a prior history of failure to appear for court, previous patterns of running away from situations, or threats to runaway will usually be considered under this category. 
• The child is a runaway or is not willing to remain in the care or control of lawful custodian.
• Prior or threatened runaway behavior is a prime factor in using this criteria. Also, a recent pattern of defiant, out of control behavior including, but not limited to frequent prior delinquent offenses will be considered under this criteria.

The child’s health or welfare would be immediately endangered:

• Although this criteria is primarily used relative to non-secure shelter for CHIPS youth, it can be applied to delinquent youth.
  This will usually occur when the risk of the child’s running away or out of control behavior would place them in situations that would endanger their health or welfare, and this usually duplicates criteria 1, 2, or 3.
• It is also conceivable that the anticipated anger and conflict between a child and parent in response to an offense might meet this criteria, as could the anticipated response of a victim or victim’s family and friends constitute such a danger.

Please note: All juvenile information is private and may not be given out over the phone or to anyone other than verified parent / legal guardian, legal counsel, or probation / social service personnel.

If a warrant has been issued for your arrest, you can turn yourself in at the main lobby of the Jail Division at the Jail window no later than 5:45 a.m. on a weekday, (excluding holidays).

The Sheriff’s Office will make every attempt to get you on the court docket for that day, however due to varying circumstances in the courts and the Jail, we cannot guarantee same day appearances.

If a judge has set a bail amount on the warrant, you must turn yourself into the jail to be booked and processed.

Once you have been booked and processed, you may pay the bail at the Jail or post bond through an approved bonding agency.

Once bail has been paid or bond posted, a court date will be assigned and you will be released from custody.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services

• Inmates in custody at the Washington County Jail will be provided full and equal access to services and programs.
• The County will use its best efforts to provide inmates effective auxiliary aids and services that will permit deaf and hard-of-hearing inmates to have the ability to communicate with people outside of the jail that other inmates have.
• The Washington County Jail has policies and procedures in place that it will provide appropriate auxiliary aids (including ASL interpreters and Video Remote Interpreting) to allow effective communication with all deaf and hard-of-hearing inmates.
• Sign language, oral interpreters, video remote interpreting, texting, TTYs and other auxiliary services are available to deaf and hard-of-hearing inmates free of charge.
• The Washington County Jail will not retaliate against, or coerce in any way, any person who exercises or attempts to exercise his or her rights to services and programs while in custody.
• If you are planning to visit an inmate at the Washington County Jail and need auxiliary aids or services to communicate effectively, please contact the Jail’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Coordinator at 651-430-7927. Advance notice of a visit is appreciated to set up services.
• If you have questions about deaf and hard of hearing services, or any other jail questions, please call 651-430-7900.

Due to COVID-19 concerns, the jail has suspended tours to protect our staff and offenders.