Rush City Prison Overview
Minnesota Correctional Facility - Rush City is operated by the Minnesota Department of Corrections. It is physically located in Chisago County, but it is not a Chisago County Sheriff's Office jail and it does not use the county inmate locator. The DOC identifies Rush City as a Level 4 Close custody facility, which means a high-security prison setting for sentenced adult males committed to the Minnesota Commissioner of Corrections.
The official DOC facility page says Rush City opened in 2000 as the department's newest facility and can house up to 1,000 adult males. The Minnesota DOC 2025 Performance Report listed Rush City with a population of 967 on July 1, 2025. People sentenced from Chisago County District Court may eventually be assigned there, but county sentencing does not guarantee a Rush City placement because DOC reception, classification, bed space, custody level, and program needs affect prison assignment.
The DOC's Rush City facility page is the matched source for the facility image, address, visiting schedule, capacity, and directions.
The DOC facility page is the best public starting point for visiting rules and facility-level details, while the DOC locator is used for a named prisoner's custody record.
Rush City Prison Population
Rush City is one of the Minnesota Department of Corrections facilities counted in the state prison population, not in the Chisago County Jail average daily population. The DOC reports statewide prison figures separately from county jail statistics. For July 1, 2025, the DOC Performance Report listed 8,286 adult incarcerated people statewide and 967 at Rush City. The facility page states a capacity of up to 1,000 adult males.
These numbers should not be read as a county jail count. Chisago County Jail holds pretrial and local custody populations, while Rush City holds sentenced adult males under state jurisdiction. A person can move from a county jail record to a DOC record after conviction and prison commitment, and the change may take several business days before it appears in the public DOC locator.
Lookup Rush City Inmates
Use the Minnesota DOC Locator for Minnesota Correctional Facility - Rush City inmate lookup. The locator searches adults committed to the Commissioner of Corrections who are still under DOC jurisdiction, including prisoners and people on post-prison supervision. It is the correct channel for Rush City because the county roster only covers Chisago County Jail custody. A person who was just arrested in Chisago County should be checked in the county jail locator first unless there is reason to believe that person is already in state prison custody.
- Open the Minnesota DOC Locator and choose a name search or MNDOC Offender ID search.
- Enter first and last name, or enter the full six-digit MNDOC Offender ID if known.
- Review matching results and confirm the current facility, custody status, and identifying details.
- If the person does not appear after a new sentence, allow for DOC processing time and check again later.
- For a current county jail booking, use the Chisago County Inmate Locator instead of the DOC locator.
Name searches in the DOC locator include names associated with criminal convictions and return names beginning with the typed letters. The DOC locator also links victims and the public to custody-status notification resources. Chisago County Sheriff's materials also point to VINELink for custody notification, but VINELink is not a substitute for the DOC locator when trying to confirm a prisoner's state facility.
Rush City Prison Contact
Facility-level questions should go to Minnesota Correctional Facility - Rush City or to the Minnesota Department of Corrections, not the Chisago County Jail. The DOC facility page lists the main phone number, fax, facility email, and warden. The prison is reached from Interstate 35 by taking the Rush City exit, going east into town, crossing the railroad tracks, turning left onto Highway 361 at the four-way stop, and following the signed road to the facility.
Minnesota Correctional Facility - Rush City
7600 525th St.
Rush City, MN 55069
320-358-0400
State prison facility contact for general information.
Rush City Visiting Appointment Line
7600 525th St.
Rush City, MN 55069
320-358-0481
Restrictive housing teleconference appointments as documented by DOC.
Rush City Prison Visits
Rush City visiting follows DOC rules rather than county jail social visitation rules. Visitors must be on the approved visitor list, and applications may take several business weeks. General population visits are available Thursday through Sunday, with different maximum visit lengths on weekdays and weekends. The front desk closes registration at 7 p.m. Restrictive housing visits use teleconference television at set times and require an appointment by phone at least 24 hours ahead on Fridays. Holidays have no visiting.
| Population | Days and Times | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General population | Thursday-Friday 11:15 a.m.-8:30 p.m. | Visits up to 2 hours; registration closes 7 p.m. |
| General population | Saturday-Sunday 11:15 a.m.-8:30 p.m. | Visits up to 1 hour; registration closes 7 p.m. |
| Restrictive housing | Saturday-Sunday 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. | Teleconference television; call 320-358-0481 for appointment |
| Holidays | No visiting | DOC lists no visiting on state-recognized holidays |
Four visitors are allowed per incarcerated person under the Rush City visiting information located in the research. Approval status and visit availability can change, so visitors should confirm the current DOC rules before traveling.
Rush City Mail and Money
Mail, phone, and money procedures for Rush City are DOC procedures, not Chisago County Jail procedures. The Chisago research file did not locate a facility-specific Rush City commissary fee table or a named money-deposit vendor. Because the prison is a state DOC facility, families should use current Minnesota DOC instructions for approved correspondence, account funding, phone accounts, and any restrictions that apply to the individual's custody status or discipline. Do not send funds or mail through the county jail for a person housed at Rush City.
| Service | Provider or Detail |
|---|---|
| Mail address format | Use the incarcerated person's DOC name and MNDOC Offender ID with Minnesota Correctional Facility - Rush City, 7600 525th St., Rush City, MN 55069, and confirm current DOC mail rules first |
| Phone | Use current Minnesota DOC prison phone instructions; no Rush City-specific vendor was documented in the Chisago research |
| Money deposits | Use current Minnesota DOC account funding instructions; no Rush City-specific fee table was documented in the Chisago research |
State prison mail is often screened for safety, contraband, and rule compliance. The exact rules can change across DOC policy updates, so the safest path is to confirm the current mailing and deposit instructions through the DOC before sending letters, publications, checks, money orders, or electronic deposits. For a person who remains in Chisago County Jail, use the county jail's Turnkey, InmateCanteen, and Reliance systems instead.
Rush City vs County Jail
The most common search mistake is using the wrong custody system. Chisago County Jail is operated by the Sheriff's Office and handles local arrests, pretrial detainees, sentenced local inmates, walk-in warrants, and Huber or work-release participants. Minnesota Correctional Facility - Rush City is operated by the Department of Corrections and houses sentenced adult males after prison commitment or DOC transfer. The two facilities share a county, but their records, visitation rules, phone systems, and mail rules are separate.
When an arrest is recent, start with the Chisago County jail roster and then check court records for formal charges. When a felony sentence sends someone to prison, the controlling lookup becomes the DOC locator. If a DOC profile does not show Rush City, the person may be at another Minnesota prison, in reception or classification, released to supervision, or not yet visible after a recent sentence.
- County jail
- Local custody for booking, pretrial detention, warrants, local sentences, and county court holds.
- State prison
- DOC custody for people sentenced to prison and committed to the Minnesota Commissioner of Corrections.
- Close custody
- A high-security prison custody level used by DOC for people who need more secure housing and supervision.
Rush City Transfer Records
A person arrested in Chisago County may move through several record systems before any Rush City record exists. The county jail roster can show booking number, custody date, bail, holds, and preliminary charge information. Chisago County District Court and MCRO show formal court records after the prosecutor files charges. If the case ends in a prison sentence, the person becomes a DOC prisoner after commitment and intake. DOC then controls the public prison profile, facility placement, release date information, and post-prison supervision status.
This change can create a short gap for families. The county roster may stop being useful after transfer, while the DOC locator may not show a newly sentenced person for several business days. During that gap, confirm the case status through court records, counsel, or the relevant custody agency. For state custody, do not rely on the county inmate locator to confirm a Rush City placement.
Note: Confirm custody, visitor approval, and the current DOC visiting calendar before traveling to Rush City.