MN Dept. of Corrections grants extension for Hennepin Co. Jail to reduce inmate population

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) was given an extension after being ordered to reduce its jail inmate population by noon on Thursday, Nov. 14.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) served a conditional license order (CLO) saying the jail has not met the required ratio of custody staff to inmates.

County officials are disputing the CLO and say they intend to appeal it, which could bring the matter to court.

READ MORE: Hennepin County jail must reduce population by 200+ this week

What we know 

HCSO was given until noon on Thursday, Nov. 14 to reduce its jail population to 600 inmates, but was granted an extension after that deadline passed.

The Minnesota DOC announced Thursday afternoon that Hennepin County was granted a new deadline of noon on Dec. 5, which is the date requested by the sheriff's office. 

By noon on Thursday, the Hennepin County dashboard showed a total of 878 inmates in custody, with 723 inside the HCSO facility and 155 annexed by outside agencies. 

The CLO is citing a number of past incidents, including the deaths of seven inmates at the jail between Sept. 2022 and Sept. 2024.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections said an overall lack of staff is the underlying issue, adding that the jail has not met the required ratio of custody staff to inmates.

The sheriff’s office said Thursday it has more than 150 detention deputies, about 40 fewer than it needs. The agency said it has the budget to fill the openings but has struggled to find qualified candidates.

Ten new hires are undergoing training, with another training class set to start in the new year, the agency said.

The advertisement for the position, which has a starting salary ranging from $63,772.80 to $83,735.69 per year, includes a questionnaire that reflects the demanding nature of the job. One question asks applicants: "Are you able and willing to work with inmates who are hostile and difficult at times?"

READ MORE: Hennepin County settles lawsuit for wrongful death of inmate by paying $3.4 million  

Hennepin County is now going through an administrative appeal process, which could end up being argued in court.

Extension requests

The HCSO sent a request to the Minnesota DOC asking for the deadline to be moved from Thursday, Nov. 14, to noon on Thursday, Dec. 5 twice.

The first letter states that in order to move the inmates, another correctional facility is required to formally agree to the terms and conditions that come with housing them.

This process, according to HCSO, requires more time than the "8.5 business days" that the DOC initially provided to Hennepin County. Other counties also have their own process for accepting outside inmates that "may take several weeks to accomplish", according to the letter. 

The initial request was denied on Nov. 12, and the sheriff's office filed another request on Nov. 13, again citing the need for a "responsible transfer of inmates."

HCSO said in the second letter that it currently has five agreements with other counties, but that it needs time to sign agreements with at least 15 other agencies to handle all the inmate transfers.

What they're saying

Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt also claims parts of the CLO violate state law and DOC training, adding that she intends to appeal the order and "seek review by a court if necessary."

Sheriff Witt also said she has been working with the DOC for months to address issues at the jail.

Minnesota Sheriff's Association Executive Director James Stuart said the noon Nov. 14 deadline would be "nearly impossible" to accomplish.