Kandiyohi Co Jail in Wilmar, MN is a county detention facility operated by the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office. Most people here are awaiting trial or sentencing - this is not a prison, and most stays are measured in days or months, not years. If someone you care about was just booked here, you have questions. Start with the one that matters most right now.
If you are not certain they are there, the fastest way to confirm is the Kandiyohi County inmate search or InmateAid's inmate locator, which searches across Minnesota facilities by name.
Booking takes time - sometimes several hours after arrest. If the search comes back empty, wait a few hours and try again before assuming they have been transferred somewhere else. You can also pull their arrest record and booking details to confirm the charges and facility assignment. For the most direct answer, call Kandiyohi Co Jail at 320-235-1260.
Most people booked at Kandiyohi Co Jail appear before a judge within 24 to 48 hours. At that first appearance the judge sets the bail amount - or denies bail - based on the charges, the person's history, and whether they are considered a flight risk.
If bail is set, your family member can be released by paying the full amount or by using a bail bondsman, who typically charges 10 percent of the total as a non-refundable fee. If bail is denied or the amount is unaffordable, they remain at Kandiyohi Co Jail until the case resolves. InmateAid's bail and bond guide walks through every option including what to do if you cannot afford a bondsman.
Right after arrest, your family member goes through intake at Kandiyohi Co Jail - identity verification, medical screening, property inventory, and classification. Classification places them in a housing unit based on the charges, prior record, and intake behavior. It is not a punishment. It is how the facility manages a population that ranges from people picked up on minor warrants to individuals facing serious charges.
For the first 24 to 48 hours, phone access and visitation are typically unavailable while booking completes. Once they are assigned to a housing unit, those channels open up. InmateAid's what happens in jail guide covers the full intake process step by step so you know what to expect.
Your family member calls you - you cannot call them. Calls from Kandiyohi Co Jail go through Securus Tech® and all calls are recorded except attorney calls. Set up a Securus Tech® account before the first call so the connection goes through without delay.
Phone contact is more important than most people realize going into this. A regular call - even a short one - makes a measurable difference in how someone holds up inside. Do not let the setup friction stop you. Visit InmateAid's jail calls page for step-by-step account setup, current rate information, and tips for keeping funds available.
Visitation hours at Kandiyohi Co Jail are set by the facility and can change without much notice. Before making the trip, call 320-235-1260 to confirm current hours, any advance registration requirements, and what you are allowed to bring.
The most common mistake families make is showing up without confirming first - and that results in a wasted trip and a missed visit for your family member. General rules across most Minnesota county jails: dress conservatively, avoid colors that resemble inmate uniforms, leave your phone in your car, and bring valid government-issued ID. Children may be permitted with specific requirements depending on the facility. InmateAid's visitation guide has a full checklist you can run through before you go.
Visitation Information - Kandiyohi County Jail
Facility Contacts
ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer: 612-409-7799 Program Staff for attorney visits: 320-214-6700 ext. 3616, ext. 3665, or ext. 3633 Virtual attorney visit email: jail-programs@kcmn.us Video visit registration: InmateCanteen.com Money drop-off online: InmateCanteen.com or SecurusTech.net
Visiting Format
Friend and family visits are by video. Visits can be done either remotely from home or on-site at the lobby visitation stations.
Lobby visits are free; remote visits cost $0.39 per minute. Visitors only pay for the minutes used, not the full 30 minutes.
For remote visits, you need a computer or phone with a camera. Visitors must register at InmateCanteen.com with a valid email address and ID number.
Standard Video Visiting Hours
Daily, including weekends and holidays, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., except for these blocked windows:
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
No lobby visits on Friday after 4:30 p.m.
Each detainee gets 30 minutes of video visitation every 8 hours.
ICE Extended Visits
ICE detainees and Department of Corrections inmates also get extended visitation on Saturday and Sunday. Each extended visit runs at least one hour and is a non-contact, behind-the-glass visit. Only one visit per day. Schedule an appointment to skip the wait inside.
Who Can Visit
Visitors 18 and older must register with a valid email address and a current valid ID. Children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and must be supervised at all times.
Anyone on probation must get signed approval from their probation officer before visiting.
Visiting Rules
All friend and family visits are non-contact.
Visitors and detainees must be appropriately dressed during the visit, at the jail supervisor's discretion. Only registered visitors are allowed at the visitation booths or cameras. Anyone who violates jail rules will be removed and banned from future visits.
For health and safety: Do not enter if you have a fever, cough, or feel ill. Maintain 6 feet of distance. No loitering. If a booth is not open, wait in your car. Wear a facial mask if you are not vaccinated. Masks are not provided. No handshaking or unnecessary contact. Wash your hands before entry.
For in-person entry to the facility, every visitor is subject to a bag inspection and metal scan. Refusing a search means you will not be admitted. No firearms or weapons of any kind. No electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, radios) in secure areas.
Adding Money to a Detainee's Account
You can drop off money at the kiosk inside the jail entrance. The kiosk accepts bills only, no coins. Funds are applied to the detainee's account immediately.
You can also add money online at InmateCanteen.com or SecurusTech.net. If using InmateCanteen, do not use the "Communications Account" if you want the money to go directly to the detainee.
Attorney Visits
Attorney visits are arranged through Program Staff. All visits are non-contact unless otherwise approved. Setting up an appointment helps the facility schedule efficiently around lockdowns and formal counts.
To contact Program Staff, call 320-214-6700 ext. 3616, ext. 3665, or ext. 3633.
A list of pro bono legal organizations is posted in every housing unit and updated quarterly. Detainees are responsible for contacting these organizations to schedule appointments.
Virtual Attorney Visits and Legal Calls
Attorneys can request video teleconference (VTC) meetings or confidential legal phone calls by emailing jail-programs@kcmn.us. Kandiyohi Program Staff will reply with a confirmed date and time. Zoom meeting information will be provided to the attorney.
Appointments must be requested at least 24 hours in advance. Sessions run daily, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., in 30 to 60-minute blocks, contingent on availability. Appointments will not be scheduled during routine or emergency lockdowns. There is no cap on how many appointments an attorney can request, but no attorney can have more than one 60-minute meeting with the same detainee in a single day.
The email request must include: the attorney's full name and contact info (phone, email), the detainee's name and A-number, several proposed dates and times, a scan of the attorney's government ID, proof of legal status (bar card, attorney license, paralegal license, or similar), and a scan of the eFiled G-28 unless this is a pre-representational visit. If a legal assistant is joining alone, attach a letter of authorization on firm letterhead and a scan of the assistant's ID.
Only legal representatives, legal assistants, and interpreters are allowed on these calls. No family, no friends. The attorney can use outside interpretation services during the session. Calls are confidential; an officer stays within sight but out of earshot and will knock 5 minutes before the cutoff.
Consular Visits
Consular officials can meet with their nationals at any time. Call the ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer at 612-409-7799 to make arrangements when possible, and bring credentials.
Clergy Visits
Clergy can visit at any time but must arrange the visit ahead of time through the Chaplain's Office.
Money on the books - also called the commissary or trust account - gives your family member access to hygiene items, snacks, phone time, and postage. It is one of the most practical things you can do and it has a direct effect on their daily comfort.
Kandiyohi Co Jail accepts deposits through approved channels that typically include online deposit, phone deposit, or a kiosk at the facility. Use your family member's full legal name and booking number exactly as they appear in the jail's system - any error in the name or number will delay or reject the deposit. InmateAid's send money page lists the specific deposit methods accepted at Kandiyohi Co Jail and walks through the process.
A letter or a printed photo costs almost nothing to send and means far more than most people outside appreciate. Kandiyohi Co Jail accepts incoming mail addressed to your family member at 2201 23rd St NE Suite 101. Put their full legal name and booking number on every piece of mail.
Standard rules at most Minnesota county jails: plain white paper only, no staples, no glitter, no stickers, no colored ink. Photos should be standard print size with nothing written on the back. Mail that does not meet the facility's standards will be rejected - and the facility may not notify you that it was. Keep it simple.
InmateAid's send mail service lets you write and send directly from your phone or computer. We print on approved stock and mail it for you, so rejection for formatting is not a risk.
Books and magazines must come new, ordered directly from the publisher or through an online retailer - not shipped from your home address. Facilities require this to prevent contraband. Order through Amazon or directly from the publisher. Anything shipped from a personal address will be turned away.
County jail procedures, visitation rules, phone rates, inmate search tools, bail processes, and what happens at release all vary by state. Minnesota has its own rules and its own agencies, and what applies in one state does not always apply here.
InmateAid's Minnesota prison resources hub covers all of it - written specifically for families navigating the Minnesota system. Start there when you need answers that go beyond what this facility page covers.
County jail time is hard in a way that is different from anything else. The uncertainty - not knowing how long, not knowing what comes next - wears on everyone. What you can control is the connection. Calls, letters, visits, money on the books. Every one of those things tells your family member that someone out here is paying attention and is not going anywhere.
InmateAid was built for exactly this. Use us.