Houston County Booking Reports
Houston County Booking Reports are produced by the Houston County Sheriff's Office every time someone is booked into the Houston County Justice Center in Caledonia, Minnesota. These records are public under Minnesota law and show who is in custody along with the charges that brought them there. This page explains how to access current and past Houston County Booking Reports, what the records contain, and which state tools can supplement local jail data.
Houston County Booking Reports
Houston County Justice Center and Booking Records
The Houston County Justice Center opened on October 31, 2011. It replaced an older facility and was built to handle male and female inmates in a single modern building. The jail holds up to 30 people at a time, making it one of the smaller county lockups in southeastern Minnesota.
Sheriff Brian Swedberg leads the department. Chief Deputy Bill Hargrove and Jail Administrator Rachel Meyer handle day-to-day operations. Booking records created at the Justice Center are public under Minnesota Statutes Section 13.82. Contact the Sheriff's Office at (507) 725-3379 or visit them at 306 South Marshall Street, Caledonia, MN 55921 to request records or check on an individual's custody status.
The Houston County Sheriff's website has department contact information, service descriptions, and links to related public safety resources. If an online inmate roster is available, it will be linked from that page.
Sheriff's Office Contact and Facility Details
| Facility Name | Houston County Justice Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 306 South Marshall Street, Caledonia, MN 55921 |
| Phone | (507) 725-3379 |
| Sheriff | Brian Swedberg |
| Chief Deputy | Bill Hargrove |
| Jail Administrator | Rachel Meyer |
| Opened | October 31, 2011 |
| Capacity | 30 (male and female) |
| Video Visitation | Turnkey |
| Fingerprinting | $10/card, by appointment |
Visitation at the Houston County Justice Center follows a set schedule. Visitors are welcome Thursdays from 12:15 to 4:15 p.m. and on Wednesday and Sunday evenings from 5:15 to 9:45 p.m. Video visitation is handled through the Turnkey platform. If you are trying to visit someone in custody, confirm the schedule by calling the jail before making the trip.
What Booking Reports Show and What They Don't
Each booking report in Houston County records the subject's name, the date and time of booking, the charges cited, and the arresting agency. Bail status may also be listed if bond was set at intake. These facts are captured at the moment of arrest and do not change as the case moves through the courts.
Booking reports do not show what happened after the arrest. A charge listed on the booking report may later be dropped or reduced. The person may have been acquitted at trial. To find out how a case ended, you need the court record. Houston County cases go through the First Judicial District, and case records are available through Minnesota Court Records Online. Search by name or case number at no cost.
Note: The First Judicial District covers Houston and several neighboring counties. A single search on the MCRO portal can pull records from multiple counties in the district.
Minnesota Statewide Booking and Offender Resources
Houston County booking data is local. For a statewide picture, several Minnesota agencies publish searchable databases that go beyond any single county.
The BCA Criminal History Search aggregates records from law enforcement agencies across Minnesota. A search there can turn up arrest and prosecution history from Houston County and dozens of other jurisdictions. The BCA service charges a modest fee for some record types.
If someone was sentenced to a state prison after a Houston County prosecution, they will appear in the Minnesota Department of Corrections' offender locator rather than the county jail system. The DOC tool is free and searchable by name.
Victim advocates and interested parties can use VINE to receive automatic notifications when a person's custody status changes. Registration is free. You can sign up online or call 1-877-664-8463. VINE covers state prisons and county jails in Minnesota.
Requesting Records from Houston County
Houston County follows the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. Booking records that qualify as public data must be made available on request. To get records not posted online, contact the Sheriff's Office by phone at (507) 725-3379 or visit in person at 306 South Marshall Street in Caledonia.
Written requests help ensure you get exactly what you need. Include the subject's full name, an approximate date or date range, and the specific record type. The office may charge for copies, but you have the right to inspect public records on-site without a copy fee. Response times depend on staff workload and how complex the request is.
For fingerprinting services, call ahead to make an appointment. The fee is $10 per card. This service is separate from the records request process but is handled by the same office.
Data Practices Rules for Houston County Booking Reports
Under Minn. Stat. ยง 13.82, basic arrest data is public. The name of the person arrested, the charges, the arresting unit, and the time of the arrest are all public. The Sheriff's Office cannot withhold these fields from someone who asks for them.
However, some data in a booking record is private. Medical evaluations, mental health assessments, and information about juvenile detainees are protected. The Sheriff's Office is required to tell you which law covers any data it withholds. If you think a withholding is improper, the Minnesota Department of Administration handles Data Practices Act disputes.
Section 13.87 governs criminal history data maintained by criminal justice agencies. It covers how that data is stored, who can see it, and how it can be shared with other agencies. Houston County must comply with both statutes when handling booking records.
Nearby Counties
Houston County sits in the far southeast corner of Minnesota. It borders Winona County to the north and Fillmore County to the west. La Crosse County, Wisconsin, is directly to the east across the Mississippi River.