The Saint Paul and Ramsey County Domestic Abuse Intervention Project

SAFETY ALERT: Your abuser can monitor your use of your computer and the Internet. If you are in danger, please use a safer computer, call 911, the St. Paul & Ramsey County Intervention Project at 651-645-2824, or the Minnesota Domestic Violence Crisis Line at 1-866-223-1111 if you are in Minnesota. If you live outside of Minnesota call the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

To better understand the steps of working with the criminal justice system in matters of domestic abuse, click on The St Paul Blueprint for Safety.

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What happens when someone is arrested and brought to jail?

The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office operates the Adult Detention Center, commonly referred to as the Ramsey County Jail.  The jail is located at 425 Grove Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101. The phone number is 651-266-9350. The jail holds persons who have been arrested. It holds suspects before their trials until released. At times, it holds defendants during trial. Sometimes it holds defendants until they are sentenced.

Once an individual is arrested, the officer brings the person to the jail. The inmate’s property will be collected and inventoried. The inmate reviews the inventory sheet and signs it.

The inmate’s fingerprints will be taken and sent to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). Different data bases will be checked to see if the inmate has warrants or other holds. Photos are taken.

You can get information about the inmate by looking at Booking Reports which are on the Ramsey County Jail website or by calling the jail at 651-266-9350. Jail staff can give out only limited information, such as if a person is in jail, arrest time and date, what charge the person was arrested for, when the next court appearance is, bail amount, and release time and date. The jail does not give out victim information.

If you don’t speak English, jail staff can access the Language Line to help you communicate with the jail.

Once the inmate is released from jail, no information is available from the Sheriff’s office.


Court and Release

Every morning jail staff look at a list made up by court clerks of inmates that need to appear in court that day. A deputy brings the inmate to court. The arraignment or first court appearance is the beginning stage of the criminal court process. Bail and/or conditions of release may be ordered. If the inmate is to be released, jail staff make attempts to notify the person who is the victim of the crime of the inmate’s impending release by calling the contact information listed on the police report. If your contact number has changed or if you’re unsure if the jail has the correct number, call the jail 651-266-9350. You may also register your information with Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) at 1-877-664-8463 who will also contact you when the inmate is released from jail. VINE also has an app for your phone.


General Information about Bail and Bond

Bail is money provided to the court as a promise to appear in court. The bail amount is suggested by a prosecutor but a judge makes the final decision. Once the court has set the amount of bail, that amount, or a specified percentage, must be posted or paid to the court. Once the bail is posted, the court will issue a document or an order that shows that the defendant may be released. If the full amount of the bail is paid, it will be refunded (less a small administrative fee) when the case is over and all required appearances have been made.

If the individual can’t afford to post bail, a commercial bail bond agent (or bail bondsman) can be contacted to pay and ensure bond. A bond agent will charge a nonrefundable fee, usually 10 to 20 percent of the total bail. In return, the bail bond agent agrees to pay the remaining amount to the court if the defendant fails to appear for court proceedings.

In addition to the non-refundable fee, in some cases, the bondsman may require "collateral." This means that the person who pays for the bail bond must also give the bondsman a financial interest in some of the person's valuable property. The bond seller can cash in on this interest if the defendant fails to appear in court.

The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office cannot and does not recommend a bonding agency. 


Posting Bail and Bond for Someone in Jail on a Domestic Abuse Related Charge

Posting bail and bond allows an individual to remain out-of-custody/jail until their Court date.

• Bail and bond can be paid at the jail (425 Grove Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101)

• Bail is accepted at the jail lobby window 24 hours a day

• Only cash for the exact amount of the entire bail is accepted

• Credit cards, checks, or money orders are not accepted at the jail

In most domestic abuse related cases, a defendant will be held in jail until an appearance before a judge who will determine the amount of bail and/or the conditions of release.


Contact with an Inmate in Jail

Below is information about how to have contact with an inmate being held in jail if you chose to have contact. If there is a domestic abuse no contact order in place, visits, written communication and phone calls will not be permitted. If there is not a domestic abuse no contact order, it is jail policy to block your contact information from the defendant.

If you have a domestic abuse no contact order in place and you are contacted by the inmate, you can report the contact to the police, prosecutor’s office and your advocate.

If you don’t have a domestic abuse no contact order in place and the inmate contacts you, you can call the jail to report the contact and confirm that your contact information has been blocked. You may also want to let your advocate know that you have had unwanted contact from the inmate.

If you wish to have contact and there is not a domestic abuse no contact order in place, you can request contact with the defendant. You need to contact jail personnel and discuss your request for contact.

Below is general information about the rules to have contact with inmates in jail. As noted above, if the case is a domestic abuse related case, generally, contact with you is blocked.


Visiting at the Jail

Inmates who want to see visitors must first fill out a visitor list and then schedule the date and time of the visit.  Inmates may only schedule one 20-minute visit per visiting day.  All visitors must be listed on the inmate’s visitor list.  No walk-in visits are allowed.

All public visits are non-contact visits conducted via a video monitor located in the jail lobby (425 Grove Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota).

It is the inmate’s responsibility to let the visitor know when they can visit. Jail staff does not provide visiting information.

Public visiting is only allowed as follows:

Sunday: 9:00AM—11:00AM; 1:00PM—3:00PM
Tuesday: 1:00PM—3:00PM; 7:00PM—9:00PM
Thursday: 1:00PM—3:00PM; 7:00PM—9:00PM


Public Visiting Guidelines

Visitors to the jail must abide by the following rules:

• All visitors must present valid state or federally issued photo identification.

• All visitors must be appropriately dressed.

• Visitors will not be allowed to use cell phones in the visiting area. 

• Visitors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

If you don’t follow these rules you will not be allowed to visit. 


Phone Calls

The jail phone system can be used by inmates using a pin number. Phone calls are recorded and staff can hear the phone calls by searching for the pin number. Inmates are allowed outgoing calls only. Jail staff cannot take phone messages for inmates.


Mail Information

Inmates at the jail can send and receive mail via the United States Postal Service. All mail, except for mail from an attorney, received by the facility for inmates is opened and inspected for money, contraband, and unacceptable content.  All mail is subject to being read.  It may take up to 2-3 business days for the facility to process mail.

Mail can be addressed to inmates at

Inmates Full Name
Ramsey County ADC,
Inmate Mail
425 Grove Street,
St. Paul, MN 55101

Any mail not sent by U.S. Postal Service will be returned. Inmates may not receive packages.


Medication and Health Services

The staff at the jail will ask the inmate medical questions. If Health Services are needed, the Health Services staff of the jail will be notified. If the inmate is on prescription medication, the inmate may continue the medication, if verified and approved by medical staff. Prescription medications for inmates are accepted at the jail. Prescription medication must be in its original prescription container.

If you have medical concerns regarding an in-custody inmate, you can contact the Health Services Unit at 651-266-9414.


Picking Up Inmate Property

Once property is collected and inventoried, inmates may release their personal property.  In order to pick up an inmate’s property, the inmate must complete a property release form in advance.  Only the person designated by the inmate on the property release form may pick up the property. 

If the inmate had your property when arrested, you can contact your confidential SPIP advocate 651-645-2824 to assist you in seeing how and if you can get your property back even though the inmate is in custody. This is a different process than what is described here.

Inmate property can be picked up 24 hours a day at the jail (425 Grove Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota) public lobby window. Valid state or federally issued photo identification must be presented at the time the property is picked up.


NEXT: What happens if I am contacted by a police investigator? >>



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