Jail History

Hennepin County, situated in the U.S. state of Minnesota, was established in 1852 and named after the 17th-century explorer Louis Hennepin. Encompassing Minneapolis, the state’s largest city, Hennepin County has grown significantly over time, with its population and economy playing a major role in shaping the region. This growth led to the need for a county jail to maintain law and order and to provide for the rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals.

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The Hennepin County Jail was established to serve multiple purposes, including ensuring public safety, punishing offenders, and offering opportunities for rehabilitation through various programs and services. The jail has evolved over the years, adapting to the changing needs of the community and the criminal justice system.

Origins:

The origins of the Hennepin County Jail can be traced back to the early days of Minneapolis, when law enforcement was still in its infancy. In 1851, the first jail in Hennepin County was built on a site near the intersection of Hennepin and Washington Avenues. This facility was a simple wooden structure, but it was soon replaced by a larger, brick jail in 1864.

Expansion:

As the population of Minneapolis grew, so did the need for a larger and more modern jail. Over the years, the Hennepin County Jail underwent several changes, including expansions and improvements to its facilities and security measures. Inmate labor was utilized in various capacities, positively impacting the local community through public works projects. In 1931, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners approved plans for a new jail, which would be built on a site adjacent to the Hennepin County Courthouse. The new jail was designed to be a state-of-the-art facility, with modern amenities and advanced security features.

Renovation:

Over the years, the Hennepin County Jail underwent several renovations and upgrades to keep pace with changing standards and regulations. In the 1980s, the jail underwent a major renovation, which added more than 300 new beds and updated the facility’s infrastructure.

Expansion and Overcrowding:

Despite the addition of new beds, the Hennepin County Jail continued to face issues with overcrowding. In response, the jail underwent another expansion in 2004, which added 444 new beds to the facility. Even with this expansion, the jail remains one of the most crowded in the state of Minnesota.

Inmate Programs:

In recent years, the Hennepin County Jail has implemented a number of programs aimed at reducing recidivism and helping inmates successfully reintegrate into society. These programs include educational and vocational training, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services.

Famous Inmates of Hennepin County Jail:

Over the years, the Hennepin County Jail has housed a number of high-profile inmates, including celebrities, politicians, and infamous criminals. Here are some of the most famous inmates to have been housed in the facility:

1. Larry Craig: The former Republican Senator from Idaho was arrested in 2007 for soliciting sex from an undercover police officer in a men’s restroom at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to ten days of unsupervised probation.
2. Amy Senser: The wife of former Minnesota Vikings player Joe Senser was convicted of vehicular homicide in 2012 for a hit-and-run accident that resulted in the death of a man on a Minneapolis freeway. She was sentenced to 41 months in prison and served time in the Hennepin County Jail before being transferred to a state prison.
3. Christopher Darden: The former prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder trial was arrested in 1996 in Minneapolis on suspicion of domestic assault. He spent one night in the Hennepin County Jail before being released on bail.
4. Richard Wershe Jr.: Known as “White Boy Rick,” Wershe was a teenage drug dealer and FBI informant in Detroit in the 1980s. He was arrested in 1987 in Minneapolis for possessing eight kilograms of cocaine and sentenced to life in prison. He was transferred to a Michigan prison in 2017 after serving more than 30 years in the Hennepin County Jail.
5. Floyd Mayweather Jr.: The world champion boxer was arrested in 2011 in Las Vegas on a warrant from Hennepin County, where he had been accused of assaulting the mother of his children. He was extradited to Minnesota and spent two months in the Hennepin County Jail before being released on bail.