How do I check whether someone is at the Brainerd jail?
Three checks work together here. The ICE Online Detainee Locator takes an A-number or a name, with country of birth, but can be 8 hours old. The county posts an In Custody List at crowwing.gov/1532/In-Custody-List. Then call (218) 822-7050, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the full name, aliases and date of birth. County pages put lobby hours at 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, yet also list kiosks to 10 p.m., so call before an evening or weekend trip. The Brainerd line on the ICE facility list names no one.
What does the NCIC account check involve?
Before any visit, the county requires an NCIC account for each visitor. You need valid government-issued ID, and the county runs a warrant check and a no-contact order check. You then request each inmate separately, and review can take up to 24 hours, with an answer by email. Accounts cannot be shared. Set one up at videovisit.ncic.com or by phone: ICE lists 1-800-943-2189, and the county's FAQ lists 1-844-724-2076. Family members worried about those checks should ask a lawyer before registering.
When are video visits, and what do they cost?
The county says all visits are by video, so on site means a lobby kiosk. Kiosks carry no charge and run Monday through Friday, except county holidays, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., with two 25-minute visits per visitor per day. Remote visits cost $0.30 per minute and run daily from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., with the same later blocks. Visitors must be 18 or older, and minors need a parent or legal guardian. Staff will not remind anyone of a visit, and the person may refuse it.
How do I send money and letters to Brainerd?
The lobby kiosk takes cash and credit cards around the clock, Inmate Canteen takes cards online for a fee, and money orders or cashier's checks can be mailed if payable to the inmate. Personal checks are refused. Address letters: Crow Wing County Jail, the person's full name, 313 Laurel Street, Brainerd, MN 56401, with a full return address. ICE adds the last 4 digits of the A-number. Scented mail, stickers, glitter, blank paper, stamps and clippings go into property until release. Magazines need a subscription in the person's name, directly from the publisher, and a place on the Approved Magazine List.
Who handles the case, and what about court?
ICE's list gives the St. Paul Field Office, which covers Minnesota, at 1 Federal Drive, Suite 1601, Fort Snelling, on (612) 409-7799, or (612) 843-8723 on weekends and holidays. ICE's jail page shows (612) 843-8600 as the main line. StPaul.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov takes case questions, not Stay of Removal applications or Case Appeals. EOIR's control list, updated October 1, 2026, omits this jail, so find the hearing from the notice. Attorneys schedule by pressing 0 at the jail line. See the bond hearing guide.