Ward County Jail COVID-19 Coronavirus Visitation Policy

Ward County Jail

Address:
204 Front Street
Minot, ND 58702

Phone:

701-857-6530

New Visitation Policies in Ward County Jail Due to COVID-19 Coronavirus

Because of concerns for the safety and wellness of both staff and inmates at the Ward County Jail in Minot, North Dakota, contact visits of any type may be suspended. Even if they have visits, from time to time, face masks may be required.

Approved Non-contact visits with family, friends and the inmate’s lawyers may still be allowed when at-home or onsite video visitation is not available, however given that new guidelines are changing daily please check the visitation page or call 701-857-6530 for updates.

Video Visitation at Ward County Jail

At-home and onsite video visitation guidelines for Ward County Jail, when this service is available, can be found by going to the visitation information page.

We highly recommend that you call 701-857-6530 first for any changes due to staff shortages or other unforeseen circumstances, including whether your inmate has become ill and is unable to be in the general population where video kiosks are available.

How Long Will These Changes Last?

Experts in the study of the COVID-19 are anticipating that spread of the virus will be a ongoing concern for Ward County, the state of North Dakota and the entire United States until well into 2024 and maybe even beyond. We are witnessing the virus becoming more contagious, but less deadly over time. Many people think that the 'more contagious, but less deadly' variants will infect so many people that a higher level of natural immunity for the majority of Americans will be the end result.

Will the Inmates in Ward County Jail Be Safe from Getting Sick With COVID-19 Coronavirus?

Whether the inmates are safe from contracting the coronavirus depends entirely on two things:

  1. The Virus being introduced into the facility by a staff member or inmate who is unaware that they have it.
  2. How easily it spreads.

At this stage most people who get the coronavirus show very few symptoms beyond what you might experience with a bad cold or a mild case of the common flu. Newer variants are turning out to be less deadly than the common flu we experience every year.

Studies that have been done are showing that the hardest hit are those 60 years of age and older, those with pre-existing medical issues like diabetes, leukemia or obese individuals. Young men and women rarely become very ill, and when they do, seem to recover quickly.

Given the close proximity of inmates and staff to each other in this lockup, it is going to be very difficult to prevent the spread of COVID-19 once it is introduced into the facility as the virus can spread via the microscopic vapor that we release every time we speak, cough or sneeze.

We will continuously update this page as the virus changes and new policies are instituted.

How Do You Schedule and Visit an Inmate in Ward County Jail?

To set up an account to schedule and visit your Ward County inmate, follow these instructions:

  • Register and set up a new account with RELIANCE, or log in if you already have an account.
  • Select Ward County Jail, then select your inmate who you will be visiting.
  • Your identity will have to investigated and approved by the Ward County staff.
  • Once approved, you can schedule a visit.

For all the information you need in order to schedule and visit your Ward County inmate, or to assist them in visiting with others, including instructions, fees, cost of each visit, requirements for free visits, tablet rentals that can be used for visits, payment methods and times that your inmate can have a visit, check out our Visit Inmate Page.
NOTE: All of your visits with your inmate will be monitored and recorded. Use discretion when discussing sensitive information about their pending case.


 

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

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Ward 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 North Dakota, then Ward 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: Ward 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 Ward County Jail, or to see how deposit money so that your inmate can purchase their own commissary, check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Ward County.


 

How Do Inmates in Ward County Jail Make Phone Calls?

To set up your Ward County inmate to make to make phone calls to you and others, follow these instructions:

For all the information you need in order to receive phone calls from your Ward County inmate, or to assist them in making calls to others, including instructions, fees, cost of calls, payment methods and times that your inmate can use the phone, check out our Inmate Phone Page.
NOTE: All of your communication with your inmate will be monitored and recorded. Use discretion when discussing sensitive information about their pending case.


 

How Do Inmates in Ward County Jail Send and Receive Texts and Emails?

To set up your Ward County inmate to make to send and receive texts and emails to you and others, follow these instructions:

For all the information you need in order to send and receive texts and emails from your Ward County inmate, or to assist them in sending and receiving secure messages to and from others, including instructions, fees, cost of each message, tablet rentals, payment methods and times that your inmate can send messages, check out our Text/Email an Inmate Page.
NOTE: All of your communication with your inmate will be monitored and recorded. Use discretion when communicating sensitive information about their pending case.


 

How to Have Remote Video Visits with an Inmate in Ward County

To register and sign up for a remote visitation account with Inmate Canteen to communicate with your Ward County Jail inmate, follow the instructions below:

  • Register and create an account with your Ward County inmate using Inmate Canteen.
  • Inmate Canteen has excellent quality video visits between your home device and a video terminal in the inmate's housing area at Ward County Jail.
  • You can also send and receive secure messages and use them to make and receive phone calls with your Ward County inmate.
  • This is a fee based service.

Instructions for Inmate Video Visitation:
- Register or Log in to your account
- Select Ward County Jail and the inmate you wish to visit.
- Select the "Video Visit an Inmate" option
- Follow the prompts on screen to schedule the visit.

For all the information you need to know, including instructions, policies, tips and solutions to possible issues regarding visiting with an inmate (both at the jail and remotely) in Ward County, visit our full page guide

NOTE: All video visits are recorded and stored. Whatever you talk about, can and will be used against your inmate in court. Never discuss their pending criminal case!
Also, be warned that some video visits providers are collecting voice prints for a database which law enforcement agencies are building.