Minnesota Correctional Facility - Lino Lakes

MCF-Lino Lakes is a state prison for male inmates that is located in Lino Lakes, Minnesota. It consists of medium-security and a minimum-security unit with a population of 1,300 adult males. 

This facility has the highest concentration of educational and treatment programs in the state of Minnesota. In many cases, offenders serve the final phase of their sentence at Lino Lakes so they can obtain the services they need to prepare for release.

Lino Lakes is the intake facility for most of the state's release violators returning to prison after violating parole conditions. Many will serve for an additional 30–365 days as a consequence for violating. 

Notable features of MCF-Lino Lakes include:

  • Substance abuse programming is provided in TRIAD, a 306-bed therapeutic community.
  • Lino Lakes Sex Offender Treatment Program is 270-bed program providing treatment for sexual offending, substance abuse, and mental health in an integrated manner. Research suggests that participants in the program commit new offenses at a significantly lower rate than untreated offenders.
  • Lino Lakes is also the site of a Prison Fellowship Academy, a faith-based program, funded and operated by Prison Fellowship through a partnership with the corrections department.
  • The facility opened in 1963 and originally served as a juvenile facility. In 1978, Lino Lakes was remodeled and converted to an adult facility.

The original juvenile cottages are still used, making this a “campus style” prison, with more than a dozen one or two-story buildings. The facility is fenced by a high-security double fence topped with razor wire.

Buildings on campus include three of the five original cottages and a new state of the art "K" shaped building that can house 400 offenders. Also on campus is a school and library for offenders working toward a GED or in the adult basic education program. Health Services, a gymnasium, administration, physical plant, chow hall/kitchen, and other housing/treatment units make up the remainder of the buildings.

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Visiting Hours and Rules

Inmates at MCF-Lino Lakes are allowed 24 visiting hours per month. There is no visiting on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or State holidays. One or two hour visits are available on weekdays. 

All weekend visits and non-contact visits are one hour in length. Registration ends one hour before the end of the visiting day. Visits may consist of up to four people (children under the age of 2 and under will not count toward this number).

Hours of Visiting:

General population

Thursday and Friday

11:45 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Registration is closed from 3:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Registration closes at 8 p.m. 

Saturday and Sunday

8:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Registration is closed from 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and from 3:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Registration closes at 5 p.m.

Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday

No visiting

Holidays (see below)

No visiting

Note: Visitors for offenders in TRIAD, West A, West D, South A, and South B - Registration will begin at 4:45 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays. 8:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Visitors for offenders in South C, or South D are allowed visits from 11:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Must be registered by 5:30 p.m.) on Thursdays and Fridays. 8:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. 

Restrictive Housing population

Saturday and Sunday

9 a.m. to 10 a.m. or

10 a.m. to 11 a.m. or

12 p.m. to 1 p.m. or

1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Note: All restrictive housing visits are non-contact. Call (651) 717-6100 x436 on Thursday or Friday to schedule a restrictive housing visit for the weekend.

 

Minimum Security

Mayo Visiting Hours:

Tuesday and Thursday

6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Saturday

3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Sunday

6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Sibley Visiting Hours:

Wednesday and Friday

6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Saturday

6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Sunday

3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Visiting Staff Contact: Information recording available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week (651) 717-6100 ext 437. All other calls, please limit to visiting hours only. Information regarding the status of applications will not be provided over the telephone.

Visiting Regulations: Please read the Inmate Visiting Information prior to visits.

There is no visiting on the following State recognized holidays:

  • New Year's Day
  • President's Day
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
  • Memorial Day
  • July 4 (Independence Day)
  • Labor Day
  • Veterans Day
  • Thanksgiving and the following Friday
  • Christmas Day

Visiting Applications

You can find Visiting Application Forms in English and Spanish by clicking here. You will need to print off the application and mail in the application.

All visiting applications must be sent to :

MCF-Rush City
Attn: Visiting Unit
7600 525th Street
Rush City, MN 55069

If you have questions about the visiting applications, please contact the Rush City Visiting Unit at 320-358-0400.

General Visiting Rules

There is a limit of four visitors per visiting session with the exception of an additional two children under the age of two. A non-contact visit is limited to two visitors with the exception of an additional child under the age of two. 

An offender photographer may be available to take pictures in the visiting room. Everyone is responsible for knowing and abiding by the rules governing photos. Failure to abide by these rules may result in the forfeiture of the pictures and/or a disciplinary report. During non-contact visiting status, no photos may be taken. 

The restroom areas are off limits to both inmates and their visitors during the course of the visit. Restrooms are available in the lobby. If you leave the visiting room for any reason, the visit is considered terminated.

Visits are limited to one visit with the same offender per visitor per day.

Personal Property Rules in the Visiting Room

Visitors are not allowed to bring any items in or out of the visiting room without staff approval. 

The introduction of contraband to a facility or its grounds is an offense punishable by law. The exchange of any item in the visiting room, without prior approval, may be treated as a smuggling offense. 

Dress Code

Conservative clothing is required for all ages. Clothing must cover the upper body to include shoulders, upper and lower back, midriff and cleavage. Visiting staff have the authority to refuse admission to anyone whose attire violates the visiting dress code. 

Additional guidelines include, but are not limited to: 

  • See-through clothing, sheer fabric material, sleeveless clothing, and clothing with holes or lace that would expose any part of skin is prohibited. 
  • Tight or form fitting clothing that is revealing is prohibited. 
  • All pants, jeans, or slacks must be worn at waist level. 
  • Undergarments must be worn at all times and must prevent from revealing anatomy. Underwire bras containing metal are not allowed. 
  • All skirts and dresses must cover the knee when seated. 
  • All shorts must cover no less than mid-thigh when seated. 
  • No hooded garments are allowed inside the visiting room. 
  • No hats, scarves, bandanas, or headgear of any kind. Religious headgear must not interfere with verification of identity and is subject to search. 
  • All blazers, suit jackets, and sweaters must be removed and will be searched prior to coming in.
  • No outdoor jackets, vests, or coats (this includes ponchos, shawls and jean jackets). 
  • Footwear must not present a security or safety concern. Boot height must not exceed midcalf. No sunglasses of any kind are allowed. 
  • All clothing must pass metal detection.

Video Visitation

Video visitation is available at all Minnesota DOC facilities. This allows people to visit an offender from any location with a computer that has a camera. To participate in a video visit with an offender, you must be on the offender's approved visitors list. 

To schedule a video visit with an offender, go to www.Jpay.com. If the visitor has not already done so, he or she will have to establish an account with JPay. Video visits are 30 minutes long and cost $9.95.

Video visiting scheduling is unique to each facility and each living unit. The JPay website is set up so you can only schedule a visit when the kiosk is available in the offender's living unit.

All video visits are recorded and subject to monitoring. 

Joining a video visitation
Scheduling a video visitation
Testing a webcam for a video visitation
Troubleshooting video visitations
Video visitation FAQs
Video Visitation Rules

Physical Address

Minnesota Correctional Facility - Lino Lakes
7525 Fourth Avenue
Lino Lakes, Minnesota 55014

Driving Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/qko9JyjxGUhL4onr7

General Phone Number

​(651) 717-6100

Inmate Mailing Address(es)

Inmate Name and DOC Number
Minnesota Correctional Facility - Lino Lakes
7525 Fourth Avenue
Lino Lakes, Minnesota 55014

All incoming mail is opened and reviewed by officers for the presence of contraband (i.e. drugs, tobacco, weapons, pornography). Incoming mail must include the offender's commitment or department recognized legal name and Offender Identification (OID) number.

Incoming mail may include: paper with words/drawings; photographs (Polaroid photos must have the backing removed); periodicals and published materials shipped from the publisher; and clippings or photocopies of published materials that meet criteria. 

Signed commercial greeting cards and postcards are allowed, however cards that play music or have electronically recorded material on them are prohibited.

Incoming mail is limited to 16 ounces per item. A maximum of 20 photographs are allowed per envelope. Polaroid photographs must have the backing removed.

Email

The Minnesota Department of Corrections has an online email system for inmates via JPay. To send an email to an offender, please visit JPay to create an account and send letters electronically.

Before you can send an email, you will need the inmate's ID number.

Videogram

Videograms are 30-second videos that you can record on your computer or smartphone and send to an inmate. Visit www.jpay.com for more information on how you can send videograms.

Videograms are reviewed by JPay employees to ensure they meet MN DOC criteria before they are delivered to the inmate. Click here to view the videogram rules. If your videogram is rejected, you will not receive a refund.

How to Call an Inmate

You can’t call an inmate at the Minnesota Correctional Facility - Lino Lakes, but they do have access to phones and are allowed to make monitored outgoing calls during approved hours. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Minnesota, please click here.

How to Send Money

Each facility provides inmates with all of the essential food, clothing, and medical care necessary. However, there may be some personal care items and toiletries that the offender may wish to purchase on their own. Additionally, inmates can buy snacks and items such as TV's, radios, and hot pots at the facility canteen.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections uses JPAY and MoneyGram for inmate money services. 

How to send money:

  • JPAY Website
  • MoneyGram locations (including CVS and Walmart). Receive Code is 1279.
  • Money Orders and cashier's checks mailed to the lockbox - no charge, however must be mailed with a money order deposit form. Payable to Jpay: PO Box 246450, Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
  • Click the links below to download the money order deposit form.

Programs For Inmates

Many of the inmates at MCF - Lino Lakes are in one of three main types of treatment programs: Sex offender, chemical dependency, and the faith based InnerChange Freedom Initiative.

The Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) treats and houses 270 of the state's most serious sex offenders. The program takes at least two years to complete and includes a one-year chemical dependency treatment program for sex offenders with chemical dependency issues.

The Triad unit houses and provides chemical dependency treatment to 306 offenders, and it offers a "therapeutic community" approach to treatment. It is also home to the "Special Needs" program for inmates who are cognitively disabled and/or significantly mentally ill. 

The InnerChange Freedom Initiative (IFI) is run and staffed by Prison Fellowship, an organization started by former Nixon chief counsel Chuck Colson. Open to members of all faiths, it uses a Christian approach to reentry/rehabilitation for felony offenders.

There are a few inmates at MCF - Lino Lakes who are non-release violators or involved in treatment/therapy. Instead, they work full-time in support jobs such as cooks, janitors (swampers), maintenance, grounds crew, etc.

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Careers at Minnesota Correctional Facility - Lino Lakes

If you are interested in a career with the Minnesota Department of Corrections at the Minnesota Correctional Facility - Lino Lakes, you can find job listings by clicking here

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