Stearns County Jail, MN Bail & Bonds

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Stearns County Jail

Address:
807 Courthouse Square
St. Cloud, MN 56302
Phone:
320-259-3760

Paying an Inmate's Bail or Bond in Stearns County

The Stearns County Sheriff recommends that you use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Stearns County.

You can pay a cash bond yourself, or use your home in Stearns County, or in some cases the state of Minnesota, but the benefit of using a bail bond agent is that they take responsibility for making sure the inmate shows up for court in Stearns County, and if they don't, then they take the financial responsibility.
The typical fee for a bond will be between 10-20% of the bail amount; usually 15%. So if an offender has a bail of $10,000.00, their bond will be $1500.00.

Call 320-259-3760 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Stearns County inmate locator.

Who do I call to find out the Bond for an Inmate?

Please call the jail at 320-259-3760 for the type of bond and any information that is required for a particular individual at Stearns County Jail.
A bond is set according to a court-approved schedule.
The purpose of the bond is to assure the offender's appearance in court.

Instructions on how to post Bail or Bond in Stearns County

Because Stearns County and Minnesota can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Stearns County Jail at 320-259-3760, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, right after an arrestee has been booked.

Ask the staff at the Stearns County Jail or the Stearns County Court Clerk these specific questions:

Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
Where do I go to pay it?
Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released.

This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.

Option 1 - How to Post Bail using Cash for a Defendant at Stearns County Jail

The first option, a cash bond, is to pay the full bail amount in cash, cashier's check, or money order. Personal Checks are not accepted.

Depending on the crime, this amount could be anywhere from $100 to $75,000 or more.

To pay a cash bond, go to Stearns County Jail or to the court where the bail hearing occurred. Going directly to the jail will quicken the release of the defendant as any bail paperwork processed at the court will have to be transferred to the jail.

Cashier's Checks and Money Orders may be made out to Stearns County Jail where the defendant is being held, but usually to the Stearns County Sheriff's Office or to the Stearns County Court.

To purchase money orders visit any Western Union, Moneygram or Post Office.

Option 2 - How to Post a Private or Surety Bond for a Defendant at Stearns County Jail

In the event that someone does not have the full bond amount available to him or her, there is what is called a private bond or surety bond.

This is an agreement made with a bail agent or bondsman who will post the full bail amount. In return, the defendant and/or cosigner will pay a premium to the bail agent. This premium will be 10-15% of the full bail amount.

For example, if bail is posted at $5,000, then the premium will cost approximately $500-$750.

A bail agent will often require some form of collateral, for example, a lien on a house, a car or jewelry. This is to ensure that if the defendant skips bail, or does not appear in court, the bail agent has some sort of compensation for the full bail amount being paid.

Remember, by making an agreement with a bail agent the signatory takes responsibility for paying the full bail amount if the defendant does not appear in court.

Option 3 - How to Post a Property Bond for a Defendant at Stearns County Jail

If you are a landowner in Stearns County you may be able to post a property bond. Property within Stearns County may be used as collateral to bail someone out. All owners of the property must be present to sign the bond in order for this to happen.

To find if property located outside of Stearns County can be used as collateral, call a local bail or bond agent or contact a defense lawyer.

Click here for additional information on how to post bail at Stearns County Jail.

Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Stearns County Jail?

Anyone over the age of 18 who can produce a valid government-issued photo ID can post bail. Accepted forms of ID include a Photo Driver's License, Passport, or Motor Vehicle issued ID.

In many circumstances, if the defendant has the resources, they can post their own cash bail from jail.

Surety Bonds are arranged by a third party, typically a Minnesota state licensed Bail Bond firm.

Juveniles may only be bailed or bonded out of custody by a parent or legal guardian.

Stearns County Justice System Flowchart

When will the Cash Bail or Collateral be returned to me?

Money or collateral will not be returned until the defendant's court case is finished, so realistically it could take several months to years, depending on the severity of the charges. If a defendant posts his or her own bail, Stearns County Court may retain whatever amount of fines or fees have accumulated throughout the trial.

What happens to my Bail or Collateral if the Defendant misses Court?

The Stearns County Judge may order a failure to appear warrant for the person's arrest or the Judge may order a Bail Commissioner's Letter be issued that will be sent to the person with a new court date.

If cash bail was paid, the entire amount may be forfeited.

TextBehind enables you to communicate with your incarcerated loved ones located inside the United States from anywhere in the world using text letters, kids' drawings, and custom greeting cards. Unlimited inmate reply letters are processed for electronic delivery to your smartphone and email at no extra charge.
The cost to send an electronic letter is approximately $1.00.

Here’s how it works for Stearns County Jail:
1.   All offender mail (paper and electronic) is addressed and delivered to TextBehind. Electronic mail is sent through the apps (iphone, Google Play). Paper mail is sent to the address below:
Inmate Name and Inmate Number
Stearns County Jail Minnesota (note: please do not abbreviate the name)
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
2.   If it was sent via TextBehind's app (iphone, Google Play), TextBehind can process it within one business day.
3.   An additional step is involved in processing mail that is sent using the U.S. Postal Service. TextBehind will use a scanner to make digital files of the contents of the mailing—including cards, photos or artwork.
4.   All digital files are then forwarded to the offender’s assigned prison.
5.   Stearns County Jail mailroom prints approved pages and delivers them to the inmate.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

TextBehind does not deliver any mail to the inmate directly, nor do they guarantee delivery of your letters to the inmates by the courier, jail or prison staff. Once they process your mail and ship them out on your behalf, they are out of the loop entirely. However, at times they may offer to resend your letters under certain strict conditions as a courtesy.
Inmates do not receive any invites when you add them, and neither do they need to accept the use of TextBehind service. Once you add the inmate, you can create letters for them.

Here’s what happens when TextBehind receives a letter from an inmate:

Upon receiving, TextBehind staff open their letters, scan, and upload high-quality images to your TextBehind account as a complimentary service. You are not required to have any money or credits balance in your TextBehind account to receive inmate letters.
Next, you will receive a text and email alert to notify you of any new incoming reply letters. At that time, you can log into the TextBehind website or mobile app and view letters in your CONTACTS >> Click on Conversation Icon.

YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS...

Inmates do require a stamp to send out their letters to TextBehind using Postal Service.
The cash or credit balance from your TextBehind account will not be shared with inmates as a substitute for the stamps.
All letters printed and shipped by TextBehind nationwide to virtually any jail or prison facility are delivered to the jails/prisons by couriers such as the USPS or FedEx as their standard process.
After the shipments, TextBehind has no control over the process.
The delivery of your letters depends on couriers and prison staff taking necessary action on time.

IMPORTANT TextBehind LINKS:
Register / Log in with TextBehind
Contact TextBehind with Questions
Add an Inmate to your list of Contacts

** Address to Mail letters using TextBehind **
Inmate Name and Inmate Number
Stearns County Jail Minnesota (note: please do not abbreviate the name)
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131

Why is TextBehind used by Lockups?
Due to the problem of letters and postcards containing, or soaked in contraband (drugs), TextBehind electronic and physical letters is replacing the former policy of allowing mail to be sent directly from inmate’s friends and family members, and vice versa.

Stearns County Bail Bond Information

Ask the staff at the Stearns County Jail or the Stearns County Court Clerk these specific questions:

Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
Where do I go to pay it?
Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.

Stearns County Jail Inmate Mail Guidelines

Postcards
The Stearns County Jail allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature.

Envelopes
The Stearns County Jail also allows envelopes to be mailed to inmates.

Postcards and envelopes MUST be mailed to the following address:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Stearns County Jail
PO Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131

Legal Mail

Send all legal Mail to this Address:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Stearns County Jail
PO Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131

Newspapers
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher.

Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.

Books
The Stearns County Jail allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address below.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Stearns County Jail standards will be disposed of. No more than three books may be shipped at any one time.
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.

All newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Stearns County Jail
PO Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Stearns County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Stearns County Jail follow these steps:

Register to create an account, or Log in to your account at Inmate Canteen if you already have one.
Select Minnesota, then Stearns County Jail, and then the inmate you wish to purchase commissary items for.
Select the "Purchase Commissary Items" option.
Follow the prompts on screen to purchase items for an inmate.
Maximum spend is $125.00.
NOTE: Stearns County Jail may at times only allow online deposits for your inmate to purchase their own commissary locally.

For all information, tips and to see the hundreds of available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Stearns County Jail, or to see how deposit money so that your inmate can purchase their own commissary, check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Stearns County.

How Do Inmates in Stearns County Jail Make Phone Calls?

To receive phone calls from inmates in Stearns County, or to assist them in making phone calls to other people, follow these steps:

Stearns County Jail uses the services of HOMEWAV.
Register with them online or call them at 844-394-6639.
Agents are available from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and speak both English & Spanish.
Services for Stearns County inmates and their families and friends include Collect Calling, PIN Debits or Purchasing Calling Cards.

For all the information regarding phone calls with Stearns County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, video, messaging, time limits and more, visit our Inmate Phone Page.

How to Visit or Email an Inmate in Stearns County Minnesota or visiting an inmate at the jail

To visit or email an inmate in Stearns County follow these steps:

In addition to visiting inmates at the jail, Stearns County Jail uses a video visitation service called HomeWav.
Register and Sign Up Here.
Complete all steps of the registration process to get full access to Stearns County Jail inmate communication services.
Add ‘Talk to me Funds’ to your account using your credit or debit card.
Then you just wait for your Stearns County inmate to communicate.
How do you add Funds to your account?
Once you are logged in, click “Add Talk to Me Funds".
Type in the amount of dollars you want to add to your account.
Click “Update”.
Choose a way to pay (Credit, debit, or prepaid card).

Who do you contact if you are having any problems arranging the remote video visit, phoning or emailing of an inmate in Stearns County?
Call HomeWav support at 314-764-2872, or toll free 844-394-6639.
Monday – Friday
9:00AM to 6:00PM EST
Saturday – Sunday
8:00AM to 6:00PM EST

NOTE: All communications between you and your inmate at Stearns County Jail will be recorded and stored. Do not discuss your inmate's case or other sensitive information as it can be used against them (or you) in court.

For full instructions on all the benefits of using Homewav to visit a Stearns County inmate, visiting an inmate at the jail itself, email and texting an inmate, rates, policies, rules, dress codes, bringing children, attorney and clergy visits and more, go to our official Visit Inmate Page.