Hennepin County Council Votes to Temporarily House Dakota County Jail Inmates

Officials plan to relocate some Hennepin County inmates to Dakota County due to concerns about overcrowding at the downtown Minneapolis jail.

The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners voted on the measure at its meeting Tuesday afternoon. The agreement is expected to last through the end of 2026 at a maximum cost of $560,000.

Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS last week that the adult detention center was trying to offload 180 inmates to reach its operating capacity of 755. Witt said Hennepin County already has agreements in place with Wright and Scott counties and other metropolitan jails are under consideration.

County Administrator David Hough recommended approval of the agreement, which was unanimously adopted as an agenda item.