Martin County Jail Overview
The official Martin County Jail page places the jail within the Martin County Sheriff's Office operation in Fairmont. The jail is the main local detention facility for Martin County arrests, people waiting for a first court appearance, short local sentences, local agency holds, and some transfer situations. It is operated by the Martin County Sheriff's Office and sits in the Law Enforcement Center on the downtown justice campus near the courthouse.
The jail should be framed as a local adult detention facility. It is not a state prison and it is not a federal or immigration detention center. A person sentenced to Minnesota Department of Corrections custody may leave the Martin County Jail roster after transfer and should then be searched in the Minnesota DOC public locator. Federal and immigration custody use separate systems. That distinction matters because a name missing from the Martin County Jail roster does not prove the person is free.
The source image below comes from Martin County's official jail information page, which is the county source for visits, inmate money, mail, phone, commissary, fingerprinting, and VINE details.
The same page is the best official place to confirm visitor rules and inmate-service vendors before using a lobby kiosk, sending mail, or arranging video communication.
Martin County Jail Capacity
The latest researched jail capacity data comes from the Minnesota DOC 2026 Martin County Jail inspection report. DOC identified the facility type as Jail and listed authority to operate from May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027. The approved capacity is 32 secure coed beds. Minnesota DOC also listed 25.60 operational beds using its 80 percent operational-capacity calculation.
The public roster snapshot reviewed in the research file had 18 numbered entries as of June 18, 2026 at 6:10 a.m. That is a current roster count, not an average daily population. Official sources reviewed for Martin County did not publish annual bookings, average daily population, average length of stay, or a full race and sex breakdown for the jail population. The public roster shows age, but not date of birth, sex, race, housing unit, or booking photo.
Martin County Jail Roster Lookup
The current Martin County Jail inmate lookup is a PDF report, not a searchable web database. The county links the Martin County Jail Roster Report PDF from county and sheriff pages. It is free to open, has no public login, and should be checked by its "Current as of" timestamp before relying on a booking entry.
- Open the direct roster PDF or start from the official sheriff jail page.
- Use the browser or PDF find tool, usually Ctrl+F or Command+F, and search the last name first.
- If no match appears, try a partial last name or first name because the PDF has no wildcard or phonetic search.
- Read the roster fields for booking date and time, name, age, arresting agency, charges, status, projected release date, and bond amount.
- If the person is missing, use the jail phone, Sheriff's Records Department, VINE, Minnesota DOC, BOP, or ICE channels as the facts require.
A roster entry can lag a new booking, and a release, transfer, DOC commitment, federal hold, or immigration hold can move the search away from the Martin County Jail PDF. The roster is strongest for current local custody. Older booking records, arrest reports, or booking photos that are not published in the PDF should be requested through the sheriff's records channel.
Martin County Jail Contact
The jail and sheriff functions are tied to the Law Enforcement Center in Fairmont. Use the jail line for jail-specific questions, the jail administrator for jail administration matters, the sheriff or dispatch path for warrant and non-emergency routing, and the records counter for reports or records releases. Records requests may require photo identification, and active investigations cannot be released.
Martin County Jail
201 Lake Avenue
Fairmont, MN 56031
507-238-3150
Jail appointment line; county contact 507-238-3124; sheriff, warrant, and non-emergency path 507-238-4481.
Jail Administrator
Tanya Rathman
Martin County Sheriff's Office
507-238-3153
Use for jail administration and visitation-rule questions when the jail page directs contact to the administrator.
Martin County Jail Visits
Martin County Jail public visits are video visits. The jail page says rules are posted outside the visitation room and rule violations can end visitation privileges. Visitors over 18 must bring a valid government photo ID that shows age, such as a driver's license, state ID, military ID, or passport. Work, school, and check-cashing IDs are not accepted. Visitors must be at least 18 unless they are an inmate's underage children and are accompanied by a legal guardian or another adult approved by the jail administrator.
| Day | Hours | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | 1 p.m.-4 p.m. | Video visitation |
| Saturday | 1 p.m.-4 p.m. | Video visitation |
| Sunday | 6 p.m.-8 p.m. | Video visitation |
Visits are limited to 20 minutes, and each visitor may visit once per day. The jail page also warns that inmates attempting a second visit or attempting to visit through a jail window may lose good time as determined by the jail administrator. Because the public schedule is narrow, call before travel when weather, holidays, court movement, or facility operations may affect access.
Martin County Jail Mail Money Phone
Mail for a Martin County Jail inmate must come through the United States Postal Service and use the inmate's name with the jail address. All mail is subject to inspection by corrections staff. Visitors cannot leave stamps or envelopes for inmates, though inmates may buy those items at the jail.
| Service | Provider or Detail | Fee or Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Mail address | Inmate's Name, 201 Lake Ave, Fairmont, MN 56031 | USPS mail only; subject to inspection. |
| Lobby deposits | Lockdown kiosk in the Video Visitation area of the Martin County Security Building | Cash fee $3.25; credit card fee $3.25 or 10 percent. |
| Online deposits | JailATM web deposits | Used for inmate accounts, phone cards, and canteen items. |
| Deputy money intake | Correctional deputies | Deputies do not accept money directly unless the kiosk is not working. |
| Phone cards | Jail kiosk in inmate cell, JailATM, or Reliance Telephone | The jail phone system accepts these phone cards. |
| Inmate messages | Inmate Message System, 507-320-1163 | Messages are not confidential; deputies do not take messages. |
| Video and iPod communication | Reliance Telephone and lobby visitation equipment | Messages and texts are not confidential. |
Martin County Jail Booking Intake
Martin County does not publish a full local booking manual, but Minnesota jail rules and DOC inspection findings describe the required intake functions for a local adult detention facility. Booking starts when a person is arrested or committed by a local agency, then transported to Martin County Jail or another lawful holding point. Staff verify the warrant, citation, court commitment, complaint, or other legal authority for detention before housing the person.
Intake also includes search and property inventory, emergency medical information, medical and mental-health screening, phone access before housing assignment, shower and hygiene steps, clothing and bedding, photo and fingerprints, identity interview, initial classification, and housing assignment. Classification means the first safety and housing review that helps staff decide where the person can be held inside the jail. A detainer or hold means another agency has a legal or administrative reason that may prevent release even when a local bond amount appears on the roster.
Minnesota Rule of Criminal Procedure 4 supplies the broad court-timing rule after arrest. A defendant who is not released must be brought before a judge without unnecessary delay and within the rule's 36-hour framework, excluding the day of arrest, Sundays, and legal holidays. Martin County's public roster may show "Pending," "Bail Set," "Sentenced," or other status text, but the roster does not explain all court conditions or holds.
Martin County Jail Conditions
Minnesota DOC inspections provide the best official source for Martin County Jail conditions. The 2026 report said the jail was in substantial compliance but remained on annual inspection status because of physical-plant concerns. The 2024 report identified non-ADA compliance, poor sight lines, lack of visibility into living spaces, and outdated security electronics. Later reports noted narrow corridors, potential ligature points from cell bars, and a medical office that lacked enough space for inmate care in some situations.
Those inspection findings should be read with the improvements also documented by DOC. The 2025 report said the jail remained well maintained and did not present immediate health or safety concerns tied to the physical plant. It also noted added cameras, emergency call buttons, workout equipment, leisure activities, and a program schedule. The 2024 inspection described religious options, AA/NA groups, GED programming, recreation space, and updated equipment for active and passive recreation.
Note: Confirm custody, visitation status, and entrance instructions with Martin County Jail before traveling to the Fairmont justice campus.
Martin County Jail Directions
Martin County Jail is at 201 Lake Avenue in Fairmont, on the downtown justice campus with the Law Enforcement Center and nearby courthouse functions. A jail visit, records request, court hearing, or county attorney question can all point toward the same campus, but not always to the same door or floor. Confirm whether the destination is the Law Enforcement Center, the Security Building, court administration, or a courtroom before arriving.
The Minnesota Judicial Branch page for Martin County District Court says free surface-lot and on-street parking are available at the courthouse complex. The jail page does not publish a separate visitor-parking lot, rate, or overflow plan. For non-driving access, Prairie Lakes Transit serves Martin County and Fairmont, with weekday county service and limited Fairmont evening or Saturday service. Call 507-235-5558 or 1-800-382-RIDE for route and demand-response details.
Accessibility should be confirmed ahead of arrival. The official jail page does not publish a visitor ADA entrance instruction, and the 2024 DOC inspection noted non-ADA compliance among the aging physical-plant issues. Ask the jail or county contact line which entrance to use, especially when mobility access, video visitation, records counter service, or court timing is involved.