Traverse County Inmate Population
The Traverse County inmate population is reported through a mix of county jail records, sheriff annual-report figures, and state or federal locator systems. Official county sources identify one local detention facility: the Traverse County Jail / Traverse County Detention Center, operated by the Traverse County Sheriff's Office. It is a local jail, not a Minnesota state prison and not a federal detention center. The jail handles booking, short-term custody, local sentences of one year or less, work release or Huber placements, sentence-to-serve cases, and accepted holds for other agencies.
That local role shapes the Traverse County inmate population. A person may appear in the Wheaton jail after an arrest by a Traverse County deputy, a Wheaton officer, another local agency, a bench warrant, a probation hold, or an outside-agency transfer. Once a person is committed to the Minnesota Department of Corrections, the county jail roster is no longer the main lookup source. Federal sentences move to the Bureau of Prisons locator, and immigration custody moves to ICE systems. The county roster and the annual report are therefore best read as local jail data, not as a full count of every person with a Traverse County case.
Traverse County Inmate Population Statistics
The clearest published figures come from the Traverse County Sheriff's Office page and the 2025 Sheriff's Annual Report. The sheriff page states that the county jail houses up to eleven inmates. The annual report's year-in-review page lists 155 inmates booked, 155 released, 51 arrests, 2,501 calls for service, 1,834 officer cases, and a 5.41 average daily population for 2025. A separate jail-review page states that 158 inmates were held in custody during 2025. Those two annual booking-style figures are close but not identical, so they should be read as annual-report categories rather than a single master count.
The sheriff's annual report image is one of the strongest sources for the current Traverse County inmate population numbers. The county's 2025 Year in Review page shows the booking, release, arrest, call, case, and average-daily-population totals used here.
Those figures help separate a daily jail count from annual jail activity. A small jail can average only a few people per day while still booking and releasing many more people over a full year.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year |
|---|---|---|
| Rated local capacity | 11 inmates | Traverse County Sheriff's Office page, current 2026 site text |
| Average daily population | 5.41 | 2025 Sheriff's Annual Report |
| Inmates booked | 155 | 2025 Sheriff's Annual Report Year in Review |
| Inmates released | 155 | 2025 Sheriff's Annual Report Year in Review |
| Held in custody during year | 158 | 2025 Sheriff's Annual Report Jail Review |
| Derived jail-population rate | About 138 ADP per 100,000 residents | Derived from 5.41 ADP and county population of 3,911 |
Traverse County Inmate Population Trends
Published trend data is limited, but the available official figures are enough to show the scale of the Traverse County inmate population. Board minutes cited in the research reported a 60 percent jail census for August 2022 and 38.54 percent occupancy for September 2024. The 2025 annual average of 5.41 people against an 11-bed capacity equals about 49 percent of capacity. The June 18, 2026 roster reviewed during research listed five records, close to the 2025 daily average, but that PDF is a point-in-time roster and not an annual measure.
| Period | Population Measure | Local Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| August 2022 | 60% jail census | About 6.6 of 11 beds if applied to the listed capacity |
| September 2024 | 38.54% occupancy | About 4.24 of 11 beds if applied to the listed capacity |
| 2025 annual | 5.41 average daily population | Below the 11-bed rated capacity on average |
| June 18, 2026 | 5 records on current roster PDF | A daily roster count, not a trend average |
No official-source sweep found a recent Traverse County jail consent decree, state overcrowding order, closure plan, or new jail construction proposal. The available record points to small-facility operations, interagency holding, and routine county reporting rather than a public overcrowding litigation record.
Traverse County Inmate Population Makeup
The 2025 demographic page gives more detail about who moved through the Traverse County inmate population during the year. The highest offense-level chart listed felony, gross misdemeanor, misdemeanor, and probation or release-condition categories. The same annual report page showed male and female booking percentages and age bands. Because this is annual booking data, it does not mean all groups were held at the same time. It describes the flow of people through the jail during 2025.
The county's 2025 jail demographics page is the source for the age, sex, offense-level, and jail-incident figures below.
The annual-report chart also confirms that medical and behavioral events are tracked by corrections staff, which matters when reading public roster data. Public fields do not disclose medical, mental-health, or classification details.
- Offense level: The chart showed felony 52, gross misdemeanor 11, misdemeanor 28, and probation, release-condition, or out-of-state warrant 67.
- Sex of bookings: The annual report showed 119 male bookings and 39 female bookings, or 75 percent and 25 percent.
- Age bands: The largest published bands were 40 to 49, 30 to 39, and 20 to 29.
- Jail incidents: The report listed 98 incident reports, including medical, behavioral, rule-violation, contraband, check-in, miscellaneous, and refusal categories.
Traverse County Jail Capacity
The Traverse County inmate population must be read in light of the jail's size. The sheriff's office says the jail houses up to eleven inmates. The 5.41 average daily population reported for 2025 means the jail averaged about half of its listed capacity, although a daily count can change with arrests, court orders, warrants, transfers, and agency holds. Small jails can feel full quickly because one court transport, one work-release placement, or one outside-agency hold can shift the count by a large share of available beds.
The county annual report also explains why the roster may not look purely local. In 2025, agencies held for included Traverse, Stevens, Grant, Big Stone, Cass, Codington, Douglas, ICE, Mahnomen, McLean County, Minnesota State Patrol, Otter Tail, Pope, Rock County, Sherburne, and Wright. That interagency pattern is important. A person held in Wheaton may have a Grant County District Court bail reference, a Stevens County agency line, or an ICE hold even though the person is physically in the Traverse County jail.
Traverse County Jail Record Laws
Minnesota public-record law is the reason many jail records and booking facts can be viewed or requested. The local roster is not the only source. Traverse County's Data Practices Policy says county information is public unless classified otherwise by law, public data requests must be in writing, copies may carry fees, and denials should identify legal authority when requested. State law also draws lines around detention data, so a public inmate record can show name, booking, charge, bail, and agency fields while withholding medical, financial, security, or safety-sensitive information.
Key Minnesota Rules:
Minn. Stat. 13.03 says government data must be kept accessible for public use unless a law classifies it otherwise.
Minn. Stat. 13.82 covers law-enforcement data and treats booking photographs as public data unless temporary withholding is allowed for an active investigation.
Minn. Stat. 13.85 governs corrections and detention data, including private or confidential limits for sensitive jail information.
Minn. R. 2911 sets minimum standards for public and private correctional facilities used for detention or confinement.
Search Traverse County Jail Inmates
The current Traverse County inmate population is posted through the sheriff's inmate-roster page and a linked PDF roster. It is free and does not require a login. It is also not a searchable database with typed fields, filters, profile buttons, or pagination. The roster reviewed during research was printed June 18, 2026 and showed five total records. Because the roster is a PDF, the practical search tool is the browser or PDF reader find function. Search by last name, first name, agency, statute number, or charge phrase.
The sheriff's Inmate Roster page is the official starting point for the county PDF roster.
The landing page matters because the direct PDF location can change. Starting at the sheriff's page reduces the risk of using an old bookmarked copy.
- Open the sheriff's inmate-roster page and follow the current roster PDF link.
- Check the print date at the top because the file is a point-in-time list.
- Use the PDF find command to search a name, agency, statute number, or charge phrase.
- Read across the roster columns for mugshot, name, age, booking date, held-for reason, bail, sentence end date, agency, and charges.
- If the person is not listed, call the jail, check court records, and use DOC, VINE, BOP, or ICE when facts point outside local custody.
Traverse County Roster Fields
The Traverse County roster is better described as a fielded PDF than as a search portal. It has no public login, no name-entry screen, and no inmate profile pages. The visible fields still give useful custody detail. The roster can show whether a person is held on a bench warrant, held for another agency, or held under a listed charge, and some entries can show bail information tied to a court outside Traverse County.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Mugshot | PDF column | Not user-entered | The roster format includes a front mugshot column. |
| Last, First Middle Name | PDF column | Not user-entered | Names are listed in roster format, usually last name first. |
| Age | PDF column | Not user-entered | Shown as a number. |
| Booking Date | PDF column | Not user-entered | Observed format was MM/DD/YY. |
| Held For | PDF column | Not user-entered | Examples include Bench Warrant and Holding for Another Agency. |
| Conditional Bail Amount | PDF column | Not user-entered | May show cash/surety amount and the court setting it. |
| Agency and Charges | PDF detail text | Not user-entered | Can list sheriff offices, statute numbers, and charge text. |
Past Traverse County Inmate Records
Released or transferred people may not remain visible on the current PDF roster. The research did not find a public archive of historical Traverse County booking PDFs, and no official source stated a fixed retention period for public display. For a past booking record, the safer route is a written data-practices request. Start with the sheriff or jail for booking records, booking photographs, and jail records. For a formal county data issue, the county policy lists the county attorney as responsible authority and says requests for public data must be in writing.
Court records are a separate track. Once the prosecutor files charges, Minnesota Court Records Online can show the Traverse County District Court case, register of actions, hearings, dispositions, and public documents where remote access is allowed. A person who was sentenced to state prison after a Traverse County case should be checked through the Minnesota DOC public locator, not the county roster.
Traverse County Jail vs Prison
The most common lookup error is using the right name in the wrong system. The Traverse County jail roster covers local jail custody. It does not cover every person with a Traverse County charge after release, and it does not replace the Minnesota DOC locator after state commitment. Federal and immigration custody also sit outside the county roster, even when a county annual report shows that the jail held someone for ICE or another agency during the year.
| System | Who It Covers | Where to Search |
|---|---|---|
| Traverse County Jail | Current local custody, short sentences, warrants, Huber, sentence to serve, and accepted agency holds | Sheriff roster page |
| Minnesota DOC | Adults committed to the Commissioner of Corrections, including prison and supervision | MNDOC public viewer |
| Federal BOP | Federal inmates from 1982 to present after BOP commitment | BOP inmate locator |
| ICE | Current ICE detainees or CBP custody over 48 hours | ICE detainee locator |
| Minnesota VINE | Custody or case-status notifications | Minnesota VINE |
Traverse County Custody Terms
Roster terms can be brief. A short definition helps avoid mistaking a booking charge for a conviction or a hold for a sentence.
- Booking
- Administrative jail intake after arrest, warrant pickup, court order, or transfer.
- Held for
- The agency or legal reason keeping the person in custody, such as a bench warrant or another county hold.
- Conditional bail
- Money and release conditions set by a court; the roster may show cash or surety language when available.
- Detainer
- A request or hold from another agency before release or transfer.
- DOC
- The Minnesota Department of Corrections, which is separate from the county jail.
Traverse County Detention Facilities
Official sources identified one locally operated detention facility in Traverse County. The sheriff's office operates the jail and communications/corrections function at the county law-enforcement center in Wheaton. No separate city jail, state prison, federal prison, or ICE detention facility was located in official Traverse County sources.
- Traverse County Jail / Traverse County Detention Center - Local county jail for current inmates, pretrial detainees, short local sentences, work release or Huber placements, sentence-to-serve cases, and accepted outside-agency holds.
Traverse County Inmate FAQ
How large is the Traverse County inmate population? The 2025 Sheriff's Annual Report listed a 5.41 average daily population, while the sheriff's office page lists capacity at eleven inmates. The current roster reviewed on June 18, 2026 showed five records, but a roster PDF is only a daily snapshot.
Where is the current Traverse County jail roster? The sheriff publishes an inmate-roster landing page with a link to the current PDF. It is free and does not require a login. Use the PDF find function because there are no public search fields.
Why would a non-Traverse agency appear on the roster? The jail can hold people for other agencies. The 2025 annual report listed Traverse, Stevens, Grant, Big Stone, and several smaller agency categories, including one ICE listing.
Are mugshots part of the Traverse County inmate population record? The roster and warrant formats include a front mugshot column. Minnesota law treats booking photographs as public data unless temporary withholding is allowed for an active investigation.
What if a person is not on the roster? Call the jail at 320-422-7800, search MCRO for court records, check MNDOC for state custody, register through VINE for notifications, and use BOP or ICE if federal or immigration custody is plausible.