Lyon County Sheriff’s Office
Lyon
#147:
Jail Administrator;
Lyon County Sheriff’s Office
Email: BradMarks@co.lyon.mn.us
#140: Bob Meyer
Corrections
Sergeant; Lyon County Sheriff’s Office
Email: BobMeyer@co.lyon.mn.us
#145: Steve Erickson
Corrections
Sergeant; Lyon County Sheriff’s Office
Email: SteveErickson@co.lyon.mn.us
#155: Mike Portinga
Corrections Officer; Lyon County
Sheriff’s Office
Email: MikePortinga@co.lyon.mn.us
The Lyon County
Jail is located at
For questions
regarding the current Jail operation please call (507) 537-7666 and ask to
speak with Steve Erickson. During the
construction Sergeant Erickson has been appointed as the interim Jail
Administrator.
For questions
regarding the new Jail facility and/or construction of the new Jail please
contact Jail Administrator
For questions
regarding work or school release programs please contact Sergeant Bob Meyer at
(507) 537-7666. Sergeant Meyer handles
all release programs and is able to assist and answer questions as needed.
For questions
regarding medical issues for an inmate please contact Officer Mike Portinga at
(507) 537-7666. Officer Portinga is able
to assist with medical/dental/mental health issues in relation to the Lyon
County Jail.
The Lyon County
Jail was constructed and began operations in 1979. The Jail operates 24 hours a day and 7 days a
week. The original designed maximum
capacity for the facility was 25 beds.
An additional 12 beds were added in mid 90’s to bring the maximum number
of beds to 37.
Like every
other facility built in this era our detention facility was constructed and
operates as a linear style facility, and as with all other continual operation
facilities, this constant operation has taken a toll on the physical plant infrastructure
and operations. The term “linear” refers
to the surveillance method used in the facility, as dictated by the
construction. In a “linear” style design
staff surveillance of inmates is intermittent because of the physical
separation and segregation of all detention areas from one another. Although the design is “linear” and this
design promotes separation simply by the nature of the construction, our operating
philosophy is modeled on individual accountability and responsibility, where staff
and inmates are encouraged to interact in a positive and constructive manner through
the use of good interpersonal communication.
There is
construction currently underway for the Jail addition. The Jail addition will be completed in 2
phases and will offer a total of 87 beds for detention use. The 1st phase is the new
construction of the housing units and will be completed in approximately
September of 2009. The 2nd phase
is the refurbishment of the existing facility and that is scheduled for
completion in approximately March of 2010.
The Lyon County
Jail provides for the safe, secure, and humane detention of offenders in
To fulfill this
responsibility the Lyon County Adult Detention Facility shall follow the
standards established by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, Minnesota
State Statutes, and the United States Constitution.
The staff is
our greatest resource and we will provide training to accomplish a safe,
secure, and humane environment.
We are
committed to the embracing the following ideals:
·
All
persons are held accountable for their behavior.
·
Staff
is our greatest resource and we will provide training to accomplish a safe,
secure and humane environment.
·
The
preservation of basic human rights and dignity of the public, staff, and
inmates.
·
An
atmosphere that encourages positive behavior and the integration of responsible
individuals who are returning to our community.
The Lyon County
Jail is an integral part of the criminal justice system. We strive to cooperate with other agencies,
promote mutual respect, and welcome community involvement. We are a credit to our profession and a
source of pride to
Visiting Hours:
The following rules will apply to all professional and personal
visits. Violations of visiting rules and
regulations by an inmate or visitor may result in the loss of visiting
privileges. Violations of visiting rules
and regulations by a visitor may result in the visitor being removed or banned
from the facility. These rules have been
established to provide for the safety and security of the Detention Facility,
inmates, staff, and visitors. Visits may
be denied and/or terminated for any of the following reasons:
·
Eating
or drinking is not allowed in the visiting rooms.
·
No
use of cell phones within the facility during visiting.
·
No
passing of materials to an inmate except for legal materials, which has already
been inspected and approved by a Correctional Officer.
·
A
visitor(s) under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
·
A
visitor refuses to submit to search procedures.
·
A
visitor refuses or fails to produce required identification or provides false
identifying information.
·
Visitor(s)
prevent their children from disturbing others.
·
Visitor(s)
engage in inappropriate activity or inappropriate dress.
·
When
visitor(s) conduct is deemed by Correctional staff as disruptive to the order
and operations of the facility or the safety and security of the facility.
·
Visitor(s)
fails to follow facility rules or staff directives.
PROFESSIONAL VISITATION:
Professional
visiting is reserved for visitors entering the facility in a professional
capacity. This may include Clergy,
Probation/Parole Officers, Law Enforcement Officers, Attorneys, Bail Bondsman,
Social Workers, medical professionals, and mental health professionals. All
professional visitors must provide proper identification, as directed by the
facility staff. Professional visitors
will be allowed to visit 7 days a week during the following hours.
8:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Administrative Lockdown
1:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Administrative Lockdown
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
PERSONAL VISITATION:
Inmates will be allowed visits with family or friends on the
following days: Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Visitation times will be from 1:00 PM to 4:00
PM. There is no visiting on Monday or
Friday.
The following rules will apply:
·
One
visit per day, per inmate. Two persons maximum allowed in visit.
·
The
visit will be approximately thirty-(30) minutes in duration.
·
Switching
of visitors during the visit is not allowed.
·
One-(1)
child will be allowed in the visit, when the other visitor is over the age of
18.
·
The
visitor must be at least 18 years old.
·
The
visitor(s) must present a picture ID before being able to visit.
·
The
visitor must not have been incarcerated within the last 60 days. If so, they must have permission to visit
from the Jail Administrator, prior to the visit.
·
You
may sign up for a visit 24 hours in advance by phone or in person; although
this is not required. You must still
show a picture ID when you come to visit prior to visiting
·
If
your visitor(s) is not here by 10 minutes after the beginning of the scheduled
visit time the visit will be cancelled.
For instance, if the scheduled visit time is 3:00 and the visitor(s)
show up at 3:15, the visit will be cancelled.
All visitors
must present picture identification to the front desk and be logged in to by a
staff member, in order to visit.
Money Drop-Off:
Money may be
dropped for an inmate at any time during the day or night. To drop off money for an inmate come to the
main entrance to the
Fingerprints:
The Lyon County
Jail will complete fingerprint cards for applicant fingerprints. The fee is $10.00 per card. Fingerprints are taken on Mondays and Fridays
from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
Pay
For Stay:
The
Minnesota Legislative session of 2001/2002 passed a law that allows
All convicted
inmates will pay $20.00 per day, to include credited days. An invoice will be mailed to or sent along
with the inmate at the time of release for any unpaid balance. The inmate will be responsible to either pay
in full the amount due within 30 days or arrange payments within 30 days of
release from custody. As long as payment
arrangements have been made and payments are being received the account will
remain active until paid. If, after 30
days from release of custody, no payments have been made, in part or in full,
and/or the inmate has not contacted the Facility Administrator at # (507)
537-7666 or
Work Release, Education
Release, STS, etc…
Offenders that
are afforded the privilege of a release program must meet with the Correctional
Sergeant prior to reporting to for the start of their sentence. An inmate that does not report prior to
beginning their sentence will be held in until employment and paperwork are
verified and completed. You may contact the Correctional Sergeant at
(507) 537-7666.
Bail:
Bail may be posted by coming to the
front lobby of the Jail after normal business hours. Between the hours of 8:00 and 4:30 bail is to
be posted at the Court Administrator’s office on the 3rd floor of
the courthouse. When
posting bail at the Jail request to speak with the on duty Sergeant or
Correctional Officer and they will then begin the process of paperwork.
Bail must be in the form of Cash, money order, or cashier check (no personal
checks will be accepted). You may also utilize a bail bondsman, if that
is an option allowed by court order. Bail Bonds are located in the
telephone book in the yellow pages under Bail Bonds.
Inmate Release Times:
Sentenced inmates are released at approximately
8:00 am on their scheduled release date. They can be picked up in the
front lobby of the jail anytime after 8:00 am. Please note that they may
not get out right at that time, but we will try to ensure a timely release.
Please be patient with our release process.
Facility Address and Message Information:
All incoming mail should be addressed as follows:
C/O
“Inmate
Name”
611
No envelopes will be allowed to be mailed out of the facility if
the envelope has writing or drawings on it, other than the address
required. There are no exceptions to
this rule. All outgoing mail must have
the inmate’s name clearly printed on the envelope.
You may have friends, relatives, or your attorney call (507)
532-8973 and leave a message for you. It
is your responsibility to get your messages and return the calls. The Detention Facility will not accept
collect calls, nor will staff pass messages to inmates.
The Roles of Jails in
Communities:
Detention facilities have a far greater significance in our
communities than most of us realize.
They are a primary responsibility for local governments. They are a critical component of the criminal
justice system and they play an integral role in providing safety and security
in our communities.
When a community recognizes the importance of it’s
local operation and supports the detention facility operation with adequate
resources the community as a whole will benefit.
Detention facilities receive newly arrested people directly from
the street, amongst others. Many are in
a state of physical or mental crisis when they enter a Jail. They may be angry, afraid, intoxicated,
and/or ill. Detention facilities cannot
choose whom they will accept. Ultimately
a facility will take all arrestees brought to their door no matter what their
condition, attitude, or frame of mind.
Contrary to common belief community detention facilities are
much different than prisons.
·
Detention facilities receive and process people
immediately after they are arrested for a crime.
·
Detention facilities hold people in pre-trial detention;
not as punishment, but instead to ensure their appearance in court if bail is
not posted or if bail is not obtainable for the crime committed.
·
Detention facilities incarcerate people who have been
convicted of misdemeanor and felony offenses for up to one-(1) year.
·
Detention facilities hold people when they have been
sentenced to State prisons and are awaiting transfer when they violate
probation or parole and when they are being detained for other
jurisdictions.
·
But most importantly, detention facilities are operated
and financed at the local level with local tax dollars. They are significant legal and financial
responsibility for communities.
Prisons on the other hand incarcerate only those people who have
been tried and convicted of serious felony crimes and sentenced to long terms
of incarceration. Also, prisons are run
by state or federal agencies using state or federal funds.
So, compared to prisons detention facilities handle a much wider
spectrum of offenders, and for shorter less predictable stays.