About the Watonwan County Jail
The Watonwan County Jail is operated by the Watonwan County Sheriff's Office and housed inside the Watonwan County Courthouse at 715 Third Avenue S, St. James, MN 56081. The mailing address for all official correspondence is P.O. Box 168, St. James, MN 56081. The main jail line is 507-375-1206, and the facility fax is 507-942-1006. Jail administration is led by Jail Administrator Julie Carr, under Sheriff Jared Bergeman.
The facility is classified as a 90-day lockup with a rated capacity of 20 secure coed beds and an operational capacity of 16. It is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Administrative office hours run Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The jail's most recent 2026 inspection placed it on biennial inspection status with two mandatory non-compliance findings noted.
Watonwan County Inmate Search
Use the search bar above the live roster to look up anyone currently held at the Watonwan County Jail. Type a full or partial last name, a booking number, or a charge statute to filter results in real time. The roster is synced directly from official booking data, so the results you see match what the Sheriff's Office has on file.
The public roster fields include inmate name, charges, held-for agency, booking date, projected release, and bail amount. You may see status notations such as "No bond," "Hold without bond," or "Cash bail"; these reflect the court's current release conditions for that individual. If you do not see an inmate listed, they may have been released, transferred to another facility, or booked too recently to appear in the current sync.
Visitation at Watonwan County Jail
Visitation is on-site and follows a fixed weekly schedule. Each visit is limited to 20 minutes, and visits may be recorded and monitored.
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. |
| Thursday | 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. |
| Sunday | 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
A single visitor may visit the same inmate only once per day, and each inmate is allowed two visits per visitation session. You must be on the inmate's approved visitor list before arriving; unapproved visitors will be turned away. All adult visitors are required to present a valid government-issued photo ID. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Dress and conduct rules are enforced strictly: no revealing clothing, no gang-related attire, and no disruptive behavior inside the visitation area. Anyone released from Watonwan County custody within the last 30 days is not permitted to visit. Because visits can be recorded and monitored, do not discuss anything you would not want used in court.
Sending Money to an Inmate
Watonwan County Jail does not accept cash directly from the public, and personal checks are not accepted. All deposits must go through the approved electronic channels below.
| Method | How it works | Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Lockdown kiosk (in lobby) | Deposit cash or card in person | $3.25 cash; $3.25 or 10% for card |
| JailATM | Deposit online or by phone using the inmate's name and facility | Varies by deposit amount |
Funds posted through either method are credited to the inmate's commissary account and can be used for canteen purchases, phone time, and messaging services.
Inmate Phone Calls, Messaging, and Texting
All inmate calls are outgoing only; you cannot call into the jail to speak with an inmate. Phone time is funded through phone cards, which can be purchased at the lobby kiosk, loaded onto the inmate's iPod, or funded through JailATM or Reliance Telephone.
To leave a voicemail-style message for an inmate, use the Inmate Message System at 507-229-0122. Text messaging and iPod content funding are handled through Reliance. Commissary and canteen orders are placed through JailATM on the inmate's behalf.
Sending Mail to an Inmate
All inmate mail must come through the U.S. Postal Service; no hand-delivered or courier mail is accepted. Address envelopes this way: Inmate's Full Name, P.O. Box 168, St. James, MN 56081.
Include your full return address on every piece of mail. Contraband, polaroids, stickers, and any correspondence that violates jail mail policy will be rejected.
Posting Bail and Release
When a warrant is active, bail can be paid at the local law enforcement agency holding the individual or directly at the Watonwan County Sheriff's Department at 710 2nd Avenue S, St. James, MN 56081. The Sheriff's Department can be reached at 507-375-3121.
Bonds can be delivered to the court administrator during regular business hours. Outside of business hours, bonds are accepted by the custodian of the jail. Release is available through cash bail or a surety bond posted by a Minnesota-licensed bail bond agent; the state maintains an official list of approved agents. Once a release order is issued, it is processed promptly and release cannot be delayed.
2026 Watonwan County Jail Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Booking fee | $25.00 |
| Huber (work release) - Watonwan County inmates | $20 per day |
| Huber - out-of-county inmates | $60 per day |
| Prison Board (housing for other agencies) | $60 per day |
Pretrial Monitoring and Probation
Watonwan County operates a Pretrial Monitoring Program for defendants released under standard pretrial conditions. Probation and pretrial intake are located in the basement of the Watonwan County Courthouse at 710 2nd Ave. S., St. James, MN 56081. The probation office phone is 507-375-1294.
Watonwan County Court Information
Criminal cases involving inmates held at the Watonwan County Jail are heard at the Watonwan County District Court inside the Watonwan County Courthouse.
Court Administrator Jodie Geerdes oversees court operations. The court administrator can be reached by phone or through the official Contact Court by Email web form.
The courthouse provides public access terminals for in-person records review. A public court calendar is published every business day at 7:00 a.m. and updated hourly throughout the day. Calendar entries display Party Name, Hearing Location, Hearing Date/Time, Judicial Officer, Hearing Type, Connection Type, and Case Number. Note that the court calendar and the jail roster are not the same; the roster lists who is currently in custody, while the calendar lists scheduled hearings.
Remote hearings are conducted by telephone conference call or Zoom. Under Policy 525, certain adult criminal initial appearances are scheduled as remote by default. The hearing notice is the most binding source for when, where, and how a defendant is expected to appear; always follow the notice. Members of the public who wish to observe a remote hearing should contact the court directly for access instructions.
- Court
- Watonwan County District Court
- Address
- 710 Second Avenue S., St. James, MN 56081
- Phone
- (507) 621-6005
- Court Administrator
- Jodie Geerdes
Watonwan County Sheriff's Office
The Sheriff's Office maintains a current list of active warrants and is the point of contact for warrant questions, bail payment outside court hours, and general jail inquiries.
- Agency
- Watonwan County Sheriff's Department
- Address
- 710 2nd Avenue S, St. James, MN 56081
- Phone
- 507-375-3121