How to send messages, photos, and packages
Dakota County Jail handles phone and video services through Securus. You've got a few payment options: AdvanceConnect lets you fund a prepaid calling account you control. You can also add money directly to the incarcerated person's Securus Debit account, which they use to pay for Securus services at their location. Securus offers Direct Bill too—this bills calls monthly to the recipient, but requires a credit check to qualify. These services are vendor-run and outgoing from the incarcerated person. Expect calls and video sessions to be monitored or recorded.
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
Mail rules can feel nitpicky, but getting the basics right prevents most delays and returned letters. Here's the mailing address for Dakota County Jail and answers to the questions families ask most.
Phone calls from Dakota County Jail go through Securus, which lists several payment options. You can use AdvanceConnect, add funds to the person’s Securus Debit account, or apply for Direct Bill (monthly billing to the recipient with a required credit check).
AdvanceConnect is Securus’s prepaid calling option that helps you manage and control spending. You add funds in advance, and your incarcerated contact uses that balance when placing outgoing calls through the vendor system.
Yes—vendor-run phone, video, and electronic messages are routinely monitored or recorded for security. Sessions are outgoing from the incarcerated person, and you’ll need to accept the call or video session to connect.
Daily schedules in jail can feel unpredictable from the outside. But a few routine events shape when your loved one can move around, make calls, and handle basic hygiene. Here's what the Dakota County Jail handbooks say about standing counts, overnight lockdown, and razor distribution—plus how those routines affect phone access.
Minnesota VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) is the statewide automated system for custody notifications. Dakota County's inmate-search page directs you here when you want updates about someone's custody status, location, or release. Looking for the "alerts" option on the county site? This is it—you register through Minnesota VINE.
Visiting someone at Dakota County Jail takes some planning. The key thing: you have to call ahead, and available times depend on which pod the person is housed in.
