About the Steele County Jail
The Steele County Detention Center is operated by the Steele County Sheriff's Office in Owatonna, Minnesota, and serves as the primary custody facility for arrests made by the Sheriff's Office, Owatonna Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol, and surrounding agencies. Sheriff Lon Thiele oversees the office, and Anthony Buttera serves as Jail Administrator. The facility houses both male and female detainees, including pretrial holds and sentenced inmates, and accepts transfers from the Minnesota Department of Corrections Work Release program, neighboring counties such as Rice and Waseca, and federal partners.
The detention center has a Minnesota DOC rated capacity of 154 beds with an operational capacity of 138.6, making it one of the larger jail facilities in the Third Judicial District. Beyond local arrests, the jail regularly holds individuals for outside agencies, including federal prisoners pending court disposition and DOC work release participants.
- Facility
- Steele County Detention Center
- Address
- 2500 Alexander St. SW, Owatonna, MN 55060
- Main Phone
- 507-446-7000
- Fax
- 507-446-7050
- Operated By
- Steele County Sheriff's Office
How the Steele County Inmate Search Works
The roster at the top of this page is the Steele County inmate search. It lists each person currently in custody along with their inmate name, booking date, holding agency, and full charge list including statute numbers and offense descriptions. You can filter the list by typing a name or charge into the search box, and clicking View Details opens the full charge breakdown for that inmate, including warrant numbers, hold reasons, and any additional offenses beyond the lead charge.
The Steele County roster shows every charge filed against an inmate, not just the most serious one, so a single person may appear with multiple statute citations such as 609-52 for theft or 169A for DWI offenses. Holding agency labels distinguish between Steele County Sheriff's Warrant Arrests, Owatonna Police new offenses, Minnesota State Patrol arrests, and out-of-county or federal holds. Booking photos, booking numbers, bail amounts, and date of birth are not published on the official Steele County roster and will not appear here.
The jail roster is a custody list, not a court docket. To check case filings, hearing dates, or judgments, use Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) at the Minnesota Judicial Branch, which maintains the public case file separately from the Sheriff's custody data.
Posting Bail at Steele County Jail
Bail in a Steele County case is set by a Third Judicial District judge under Minnesota Rule of Criminal Procedure 6.02, not by the jail. The amount, conditions, and bond type appear on the defendant's hearing notice or court order, and the Detention Center cannot change those terms. Common conditions include no-contact orders (DANCO/OFP), firearm surrender, abstention from alcohol and controlled substances in DWI cases, and pretrial release supervision.
Bail can be posted at the Steele County Detention Center lobby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or at the Steele County Court Administration office at 111 East Main Street during business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Before traveling to the jail, call 507-446-7000 to confirm the current bail amount, accepted payment methods, and whether a surety bond through a licensed Minnesota bail bondsman will be accepted on the case. After bail is posted and processed, the inmate is released subject to any conditions listed on the order.
Sending Money to an Inmate
Inmate accounts at the Steele County Detention Center are funded through Inmate Canteen / TurnKey Corrections at team3.inmatecanteen.com. The same account is used for commissary, phone calls, video visits, and messaging, so a single deposit can cover multiple services. The Detention Center lobby also has a deposit kiosk available 24/7 that accepts cash and credit cards.
Cash and approved money orders can be mailed to the inmate at: Inmate's Name, 2500 Alexander St SW, Owatonna, MN 55060.
Approved money orders, checks issued by other correctional facilities, county agencies, and the IRS are accepted and credited to the inmate's account. Personal checks and unverified cashier's checks are not deposited; they are placed with the inmate's stored property. Call 507-446-7000 to confirm current deposit limits or special handling requirements.
Inmate Communication
Inmate phone service at Steele County Detention Center is provided by TurnKey Corrections / Inmate Canteen, and outgoing calls are funded through an account at team3.inmatecanteen.com. Calls cost $0.21 per minute, and indigent inmates are entitled to 10 minutes of free phone time per week. Inmates cannot receive incoming calls, but family members can leave a voicemail for an inmate by calling the detainee message line at 507-451-0276.
Video calling is available from home through Inmate Canteen at $0.39 per minute, and text messaging through the same platform is billed at roughly $0.13 to $0.25 per message. All phone calls, video sessions, and messages are recorded and monitored, except for properly identified confidential legal communication with an attorney.
Mail can be sent to an inmate at 2500 Alexander St SW, Owatonna, MN 55060, addressed to the inmate's full legal name. Incoming mail is opened and inspected for contraband; legal mail from an attorney is handled separately under privileged-mail rules.
Visitation at Steele County Jail
The Steele County Detention Center uses video visitation for both lobby and remote visits. There is no contact or non-contact in-person visitation. All visits must be scheduled in advance by creating an account at team3.inmatecanteen.com, and account approval can take up to 24 hours.
| Visit Type | Days | Hours | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-site lobby video (free) | Monday-Sunday | 12:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. | 20 minutes per session |
| Remote video (paid, $0.39/min) | Monday-Sunday | 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. | 20 minutes per session |
Visitor Rules
Lobby visits are limited to two 20-minute sessions per day per visitor, and only one detainee can be seen per session. The same detainee may be visited twice in a day if scheduled in separate sessions. Visitors should plan around the following rules:
- Valid government-issued photo ID is required for adult visitors.
- Minor children must be supervised by an adult at all times.
- Visitors under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be refused for on-site visits.
- Cell phones, food, and drinks are not allowed in the visitation area.
- Inappropriate language, behavior, or attire can result in a visit being denied or terminated.
- All visits, on-site and remote, are recorded.
Visit privileges depend on the inmate's classification and current housing status, and visits may be cancelled during facility lockdowns. Call 507-446-7000 to confirm an inmate is cleared to receive visitors before scheduling.
Steele County Court Information
Criminal cases tied to Steele County arrests are heard at the Steele County Courthouse, part of the Third Judicial District of Minnesota, which also covers Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Wabasha, Waseca, and Winona counties. Court Administrator Stacy Ashley manages the courthouse calendar and case records.
The court handles arraignment, bail hearings, pretrial conferences, plea hearings, trial, and sentencing for criminal cases originating in Steele County. Under Minnesota Rule of Criminal Procedure 1.05, in-custody defendants may appear at first appearance, bail hearings, and arraignment via Interactive Video Teleconference (ITV); Zoom is the default remote platform for other proceedings, with telephone conference as a secondary option. The hearing notice issued by the court is the controlling document for the date, time, and format of any appearance.
Public case records are available through Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us, where the public can search filed cases and view hearing schedules through the MCRO Hearing Search tool.
- Court
- Steele County Courthouse
- Address
- 111 E. Main Street, Owatonna, MN 55060
- Phone
- 507-686-7012
- Fax
- 507-451-1265
- steelecourts@courts.state.mn.us
- Hours
- Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Judicial District
- Third Judicial District of Minnesota