Cottonwood County Mugshot Search

Cottonwood County busted mugshots are available through the Sheriff's Office jail roster in Windom. Sheriff Jason J. Parrington oversees a small 21-bed jail at 902 Fifth Avenue. The facility splits its beds between work release and standard housing. Despite the small size, the county posts a public jail roster online with booking data that anyone can access. Cottonwood County also houses prisoners from other counties when space allows. All booking records here are classified as public data under Minnesota statutes, which means mugshots and charges are open to the public.

Cottonwood County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Jason J. Parrington leads the Cottonwood County Sheriff's Office. The office and jail are at 902 Fifth Avenue in Windom. Call (507) 831-1375 to reach the office.

The jail is one of the smaller ones in Minnesota with just 21 beds. Ten beds are set aside for work release inmates, and the other 11 are for standard housing. Work release lets people keep their jobs while serving short sentences. They go to work during the day and come back to the jail at night. The county also takes in prisoners from neighboring counties when it has open beds. This inter-county housing arrangement helps both Cottonwood County and the counties that need extra space. Every person booked into the jail gets a mugshot, and that photo is public data per Statute 13.82.

Search Cottonwood County Busted Mugshots

The Cottonwood County jail roster is the best place to find current busted mugshots. The roster shows people who are in the jail right now. It publishes public data as required by Minnesota statutes. You do not need to log in or create an account.

The jail roster page from the Cottonwood County Sheriff gives you booking information for current inmates.

Check this page for current inmates with their booking photos and charges.

You can also use VINELink to search for inmates in Cottonwood County. The system covers all Minnesota county jails. Search by name and you can see who is in custody. VINELink offers notification alerts too. Sign up and the system will contact you when an inmate's status changes.

For criminal case records from the courts, try Minnesota Court Records Online. This free tool lets you search by name across all state district courts. Cottonwood County is in the Fifth Judicial District. Cases filed here show up in the state system with charges, hearing dates, and case results.

You can also call the Sheriff at (507) 831-1375 to ask about inmates. With a small jail, the staff usually know who is in custody and can answer questions quickly over the phone.

Note: With only 21 beds, the jail roster may show very few inmates at any given time. For past bookings, check the court records system.

Cottonwood County Booking Records Laws

Mugshots are public data in Minnesota. Statute 13.82, subdivision 26 says booking photographs are public. This applies to the Cottonwood County jail and every other jail in the state. The Sheriff must provide mugshots if you ask for them.

Criminal history records follow the rules in Statute 13.87. Conviction data is public for 15 years after discharge of sentence. After that, it becomes private. Arrest records that did not lead to a conviction are always private. The booking photo itself stays public while someone is in custody, but once they are released and if charges are dropped, access may be limited.

People with eligible convictions can seek expungement under Statute 609A.02. Wait times range from two years for misdemeanors to five years for certain felonies. A sealed record means the mugshot and all booking data are no longer public. But crimes requiring registration under Statute 243.166 can never be expunged.

Cottonwood County Jail Details

The 21-bed jail in Windom is one of the smallest in Minnesota. Ten beds are for work release inmates who leave during the day for their jobs. The other 11 beds are standard housing. Space is tight, but the jail meets state standards. The small size means the inmate population turns over fast. People cycle through on shorter stays, and the roster changes from day to day.

Cottonwood County will house inmates from other counties when beds are available. This inter-county housing arrangement helps neighboring counties that may be over capacity. It also brings in some revenue for Cottonwood County. The arrangement works both ways. If Cottonwood County ever needs extra space, it can send inmates to another county under a similar deal. All booking records follow the inmate regardless of where they are housed.

State Records for Cottonwood County

State-level tools give you more search options beyond the local jail roster. The DOC Public Viewer shows inmates in state prisons and people on supervised release. The BCA runs background checks and the state criminal history database.

For conviction history, the BCA public search at cch.state.mn.us covers all Minnesota courts. It shows conviction data within the 15-year public window. This is useful if you want to check someone's record across multiple counties, not just Cottonwood.

The Minnesota Judicial Branch website has forms, legal guides, and access to court records. Cottonwood County is in the Fifth Judicial District. All criminal cases from arrests in the county go through the district court in Windom. Court records show charges, plea agreements, sentences, and case dispositions for all cases processed through the system.

Nearby Counties

Counties that border Cottonwood County in southwestern Minnesota.