Minnehaha County Jail & Inmate Roster
Minnehaha County, South Dakota operates the local jail and publishes the booking roster for arrests in its jurisdiction. If you are looking for someone held after an arrest in this county, the sheriff's roster is the first place to check.
Minnehaha County jail and sheriff
| County | Minnehaha County |
|---|---|
| Population | 208,639 (2024) |
Where a field is blank, the county does not publish that detail on an official source we can cite.
How to find someone in the county jail
- If the charge is federal, search the Bureau of Prisons system, which is separate from both.
- Call the jail directly if the name does not appear; online rosters lag behind actual bookings.
- Search the county's official roster for the person's full legal name.
- If the person has already been sentenced, search the state corrections offender locator instead.
- Have their date of birth ready — it is the detail that separates people with common names.
Cities in Minnehaha County
1 city in Minnehaha County is covered, each with its own inmate search and bail information.
The South Dakota state prison system
Sentenced prisoners in South Dakota are held by the state corrections department, not by Minnehaha County. A person stops appearing on the county roster once transferred.
How the Minnehaha County jail system works
County jails handle pretrial detention, which means most people inside have not been convicted of anything. They are also the intake point for the state prison system, so a transfer is the usual next step after sentencing.
After a booking, the next fixed point is a first appearance before a judge, where release conditions are set. Until that happens, the jail holds the person on the arresting agency's authority.
What to ask when you call
A single call to the jail or the sheriff's office can answer most of what a family needs to know in the first days. Having the questions ready makes the call much shorter.
- Whether the person is currently in custody, and under what booking number.
- When the first appearance is scheduled and which court will hear it.
- What the exact charges are as recorded at booking.
- What the current bail amount is, if one has been set.
- What the facility's visiting rules are and whether visits must be booked ahead.
- Whether the person has any medical or mental-health needs the facility should know about.
Bail in South Dakota
Bail for arrests in Minnehaha County is set under South Dakota law. The governing provisions are listed below.
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S.D. Code § 23A-30-3
Recommitment or admission to bail after arrest of judgment--Discharge if evidence insufficient.
If from the evidence introduced at a trial there is probable cause to believe a defendant is guilty, and a new indictment or information can be framed upon which he may be convicted, a court may order him to be recommitted to the officer of the proper county or admitted to bail anew to answer the…
South Dakota Codified Laws (official, South Dakota Legislature) (opens in a new tab) -
S.D. Code § 23A-4-4
Advice to defendant and admission to bail when initial appearance before another magistrate--Initial appearance without warrant--Transmittal of files to appropriate court.
Subject to §§ 23A-17-1 to 23A-17-4, inclusive, if a defendant is taken before a committing magistrate who did not issue the warrant, or in case no warrant has been issued, the committing magistrate shall inform him of the matters set out in § 23A-4-3 and admit the defendant to bail as provided by §…
South Dakota Codified Laws (official, South Dakota Legislature) (opens in a new tab)
Bail in South Dakota
-
S.D. Code § 23A-30-3
Recommitment or admission to bail after arrest of judgment--Discharge if evidence insufficient.
If from the evidence introduced at a trial there is probable cause to believe a defendant is guilty, and a new indictment or information can be framed upon which he may be convicted, a court may order him to be recommitted to the officer of the proper county or admitted to bail anew to answer the…
South Dakota Codified Laws (official, South Dakota Legislature) (opens in a new tab) -
S.D. Code § 23A-4-4
Advice to defendant and admission to bail when initial appearance before another magistrate--Initial appearance without warrant--Transmittal of files to appropriate court.
Subject to §§ 23A-17-1 to 23A-17-4, inclusive, if a defendant is taken before a committing magistrate who did not issue the warrant, or in case no warrant has been issued, the committing magistrate shall inform him of the matters set out in § 23A-4-3 and admit the defendant to bail as provided by §…
South Dakota Codified Laws (official, South Dakota Legislature) (opens in a new tab)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · retrieved 2026-09-16
Frequently asked questions
Where are people arrested in Minnehaha County held?
At the county jail, operated by the county. Cities within the county generally do not run their own long-term jails, so bookings are transferred to the county facility.
How do I find someone in Minnehaha County jail?
Contact the Minnehaha County sheriff's office directly. Where no public online roster is published, a phone call is the only reliable route.
What is the county seat of Minnehaha County?
Minnehaha County publishes its county seat, as does the U.S. Census Bureau.
How do I post bail in Minnehaha County?
Bail is set by a judge under South Dakota law and is normally paid to the court or the county, not to the jail. Confirm the accepted payment method and the exact amount with the court before travelling.
Does Minnehaha County publish mugshots?
Some sheriffs publish booking photographs and some do not. Where a roster is published, the sheriff's own site governs what is shown and for how long. We do not republish individual records.
How long are people held in Minnehaha County jail?
That depends on the case. People awaiting trial are held until bail is posted or the case concludes; people serving a sentence are held for its duration, then transferred or released.
Last reviewed and updated: