Grand Forks County Correctional Center Inmate Search

Visitation

Inmate visitation is available for friends and family to visit individuals incarcerated at the Grand Forks County Correctional Center. Visitation sessions are limited to a maximum of 20 minutes each and begin on the hour, at 20 and 40 minutes after the hour.

Inmate visitation is available via video both onsite and offsite:

• Onsite: 1701 North Washington Street, Grand Forks, ND 58203
• Offsite: Worldwide via the internet

Visitation can be scheduled at many times of the day seven days a week, subject to availability of equipment and daily activities. No visitation will begin before 8:00 a.m. or be allowed after 10:00 p.m. Availability on any given day is determined by the availability of inmate and equipment within living quarters. Onsite visitation is also limited by the number of lobby kiosks available at any time. Onsite visitation is currently limited to be scheduled for the following hours:

• Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday – 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday – 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

All visitors must register and require approval before being able to visit with each inmate. Please allow up to 24 hours for the approval process.

• Registration can be done in either of the following ways: Onsite at the Grand Forks County Correctional Center M-F between the hours of 8-5 Offsite at www.inmatecanteen.com

To be approved for visitation you must:

• Include a clear picture of the registered visitor
• Must consist of a clear legible picture of the visitor’s driver’s license – must be able to read and verify.
• Verification of no existing reasons to keep individuals separate

History

The current Grand Forks Correctional Center was built in 2006. The first year was a little rough until the center's administrator Bret Burkholder came in and organized it for the acceptance of prisoners from the state and federal authorities. The building of the jail led to a lawsuit from Baukol Builders, who lost the bidding. Grand Forks County won the lawsuit.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Grand Forks County was expanding. As with many of the western cities, prostitution became a common crime. Several of the saloons were watched by the local citizens for their undue influence on the community. Several times, law enforcement was sent to raid where the prostitutes, or soiled doves, were. Several were taken to jail, but usually the punishment was banishment or fines. One of the biggest of these came in 1888, when there was a push for reform. Several people were arrested for selling alcohol and prostitution related charges. The county kept working to keeping the reforms in place.

In 1882, Charles Thurber was accused of sexually assaulting two women in the countryside of Grand Forks County. He went on the run, but was found. This caused there to be unrest among the residents. A mob gathered the morning after he was brought to the jail. The mob was able to get him out of the building and taken to a tree. There a noose was put over his head and he was lynched.

On March 9, 1952, Sheriff Henry Halvorson had taken transport duty for a prisoner to be taken to the state penitentiary in Bismark. During the trip, Halvorson had an accident and was killed.

In 2018, Samuel Nelson had been found at his apartment. The police were there to arrest him for five warrants, several for drugs. He held off law enforcement for five hours before he was taken. He had barricaded himself in an attic of the apartments. Paramedics cleared him at the scene. He was booked into the correctional center. An hour after his arrival, he was found unconscious. He was taken to a local hospital where he died. It was determined that he died from a combination of meth, exposure, and heat.