Jail
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Sentence to Serve (STS)
Sentencing to Service (STS) is a Department of Corrections (DOC) program that provides a sentencing alternative for non-violent offenders. STS crews are closely supervised by Crew Leaders to work on projects that benefit the community and surrounding areas.
*Sentence to Serve (STS) Information Sheet
Work Release Program
"The Work Release Program provides a structured transition period for offenders returning to the community with the intent of better preparing them for a successful, crime-free life. Selection criteria include current and prior criminal behavior, institutional adjustment, and alcohol and chemical dependency history. Offenders are eligible for work release during the last eight months prior to their supervised release date. The program contracts with public and private agencies for residential work release services. Programs provide structured living and close supervision and surveillance.”
-Minnesota Department of Corrections
Huber Program
The Huber program allows eligible offenders the opportunity to maintain their employment or education status while incarcerated.
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The Pennington County Jail Administrator and its staff make every effort to plan for the constructive scheduling of prisoner time to enhance safety and order of the jail. Programs offered in the jail are, but not limited to:
Religious Services and Counseling, Educational Services, Substance Abuse Meetings, and Work Assignment Programs. If you are interested in volunteering to offer inmate programming, contact the Program Coordinator Travis Black by phone at 218-416-7082 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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The Pennington County Jail has a zero-tolerance for sexual abuse. The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 is a federal law that seeks to eliminate sexual assaults and sexual misconduct.
PREA Overview
The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was passed in 2003 with unanimous support from both parties in Congress. The purpose of the act was to “provide for the analysis of the incidence and effects of prison rape in Federal, State and local institutions and to provide information, resources, recommendations and funding to protect individuals from prison rape. (Prison Rape Elimination Act, 2003.) In addition to creating a mandate for significant research from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and through the National Institute of Justice, funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the National Institute of Corrections supported major efforts in many state correctional, juvenile detention, community corrections and jail systems.
The act also created the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission and charged it with developing draft standards for the elimination of prison rape. Those standards were published in June 2009, and were turned over to the Department of Justice for review and passage as a final rule. That final rule became effective August 20, 2012.
In 2010, the Bureau of Justice Assistance funded the National PREA Resource Center to continue to provide federally funded training and technical assistance to states and localities, as well as to serve as a single-stop resource for leading research and tools for all those in the field working to come into compliance with the federal standards.
The Pennington County Jail has a zero tolerance policy toward all forms of sexual abuse and sexual harassment in our facility, under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) 2003. We will enforce all federal, state and local laws pertaining to inmate sexual misconduct. All reports will be fully investigated, which includes both allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment, by the Pennington County Jail and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office investigative Division.
The Pennington County Jail’s continued commitment to maintain an organizational culture of zero-tolerance toward all forms of sexual abuse and harassment through annual staff training, contractor and volunteer training, notification to all professional visitors and inmate education is supported by comparing the final statistics for the previous years. The Pennington County Jail redacts all personal identifies when reporting annual statistics.
Inmates who are currently being sexually assaulted are encouraged to talk to a staff member. This will allow for the quickest response.
If you suspect that an inmate is the victim of sexual assault/harassment, it can be reported in 1 of the following ways:
• Contact the Pennington County Jail Administrator during regular business hours at 218-416-7095.
• Call the Pennington County Jail and request to speak with a Jail Sergeant to make a report at 218-416-7098.
• Call Sexual Assault Services at 218-681-0881 with the option to remain anonymous.
PREA Coordinator
The Pennington County Jail has a designated PREA Coordinator. That person is charged with the development, implementation, and oversight of the efforts to comply with the PREA standards. The PREA Coordinator is responsible for overseeing efforts to eliminate sexual abuse and sexual harassment in the Pennington County Jail.
PREA Audit Reports
PREA Complaints 2021
| Inmate on Inmate Complaint | Sexual Abuse | Sexual Harassment |
| Unfounded Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Unsubstantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Staff on Inmate Complaint | Sexual Abuse | Sexual Harassment |
| Unfounded Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Unsubstantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Substantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
PREA Complaints 2020
| Inmate on Inmate Complaint | Sexual Abuse | Sexual Harassment |
| Unfounded Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Unsubstantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Substantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Staff on Inmate Complaint | Sexual Abuse | Sexual Harassment |
| Unfounded Allegations | 0 | 1 |
| Unsubstantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Substantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
PREA Complaints 2019
| Inmate on Imate Complaint | Sexual Abuse | Sexual Harassment |
| Unfounded Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Unsubstantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Substantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Staff on Inmate Complaint | Sexual Abuse | Sexual Harassment |
| Unfounded Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Unsubstantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Substantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
PREA Complaints 2018
| Inmate on Inmate Complaint | Sexual Abuse | Sexual Harassment |
| Unfounded Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Unsubstantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Substantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Staff on Inmate Complaint | Sexual Abuse | Sexual Harassment |
| Unfounded Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Unsubstantiated Allegations | 2 | 0 |
| Substantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
PREA Complaints 2017
| Inmate on Inmate Complaint | Sexual Abuse | Sexual Harassment |
| Unfounded Allegations | 0 | 1 |
| Unsubstantiated Allegations | 0 | 1 |
| Substantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
| Staff on Inmate Complaint | Sexual Abuse | Sexual Harassment |
| Unfounded Allegations | 1 | 0 |
| Unsubstantiated Allegations | 1 | 0 |
| Substantiated Allegations | 0 | 0 |
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The mission of the Pennington County Jail is to protect the community by securely holding persons who are determined by the courts to pose a threat public safety and/or persons that have been sentenced to serve their time in our jail. It is the ethical and legal obligation of the Pennington County Jail and its Correctional Officers to provide secure, safe, and humane confinement.
Subcategories
New Direct Phone Numbers
The new Corrections (Jail) Phone Number is 218-416-7097. Please call this number for any inmate related questions.
Inmate voice mail line is 218-416-1120.
Sentence to Serve (STS) / Wade Cota - 218-683-7001
Jail Administrator / Dave Casanova - 218-416-7095 * Assistant Jail Administrator / Jo Williams - 218-416-7098 * Jail Programmer / Travis Black - 218-416-7082
Quick Links
Links of Interest
Contact Us
218-681-6161
218-683-7006 - Fax
Correctional Facility- 218-416-7097
Pennington County Law Enforcement Center
102 1st Street West
PO Box 484
Thief River Falls, MN 56701
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