The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office thrives on professionalism and hold its officers to the highest of ethical standards, as noted within our Judiciary Code of Conduct. If your experience is to the contrary, we would like to hear from you. Please direct all complaints of unethical behavior by U.S. Probation Officers and/or other employees to the Deputy Chief, by contacting our main office at 612-664-5400. You may also submit your complaint, in writing, to the following email address: mnp_complaints@mnp.uscourts.gov. All complaints will be reviewed and addressed accordingly.
Code-A-Phone is a random urinalysis system that requires participants to call the hotline on a daily basis, listen for a designated number and report to the required location on the specified day for submission. You are to remember your designated number to ensure you report on the proper day.
The drug test line phone number is 651-848-1274.
You are eligible to request early termination from probation or supervised release under the following circumstances:
- After you have completed at least one year of supervision;
- After you have completed one half of your term of supervision, you can request early termination through your U.S. Probation Officer;
- Please contact your probation officer for instructions on how to request early termination.
If you have been convicted of a serious felony and/or have a history of violence, your case will not be considered for early termination.
The individual in custody must request transfer of jurisdiction through his/her Bureau of Prisons Case Manager. When the request is made by the case manager, the U.S. Probation Office will conduct an investigation to determine whether the individual in custody may transfer and report its findings to the Bureau of Prisons. The transfer of jurisdiction may only occur with approval from the district that would receive and supervise the individual in custody.
The U.S. Probation Office is restricted from disclosing information to the public. However, most convictions are generally available in public records. These records are maintained by the U.S. District Court Clerk.
Individuals on supervision are required by the Court to abide by certain rules. These rules are called the conditions of supervision. They are basically the same whether the person is on probation, parole, military parole, mandatory release, or supervised release.
For a list of conditions, see the standard conditions of probation.
The District of Minnesota is comprised of the whole state of Minnesota. Travel throughout the state of Minnesota is permitted. However, all travel outside of the District of Minnesota needs to be preapproved by the Court or the U.S. Probation Officer. Failure to get permission to travel outside the state may result in violation of your supervision.
Once released from custody, you are required to report to your assigned Probation Officer within 72 hours of release, which includes weekends and holidays. Please call (612) 664-5400 between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, for instructions on where to report. If you have been convicted in another district, please contact the U.S. Probation Office in the district in which you have been convicted.
Failure to report will constitute grounds for a violation of supervised release.
The U.S. Probation Office is restricted from disclosing information to the public, which includes family members. However, most convictions can be found in public records. These public records are maintained by the U.S. District Court Clerk.
An individual convicted of a felony offense is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Possession of a firearm by a family member living in the same residence as a convicted felon could constitute constructive possession, which may violate federal law.
Federal convictions cannot be expunged. However, you may apply for a Presidential Pardon. Any person convicted of a felony in Federal court is eligible to file a petition for a Presidential Pardon under the following circumstances, although some exceptions may apply:
- The individual is no longer serving the sentence and is not under parole, probation, or supervised release;
- Five years have passed since release from confinement or if confinement was not imposed, five years from the date of conviction; and
- A waiting period of seven years is required for more serious offenses, including violations of narcotic laws, income tax laws, perjury, violation of public trust involving dishonesty, violent crimes, gun control laws, fraud involving substantial sums of money, violations involving organized crime, and other crimes of a serious nature.
It is strongly recommended that you consult with an attorney to assist you with the process. Pardon applications may be obtained by making a written request to the Office of the Pardon Attorney, at the following address:
Office of the Pardon Attorney United States Department of Justice 1425 New York Ave NW, Suite 11000, Washington, DC 20530.
In all but two states (Vermont and Maine), voting age citizens convicted of a felony are barred from voting for at least some period of time. Restrictions on a felon's right to vote are summarized below:
Voting rights retained while incarcerated for a felony conviction in: Maine and Vermont.
Voting rights restored automatically upon release from prison in: The District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Utah.
Voting rights restored automatically once released from prison and discharged from parole (probationers can vote) in: California, Colorado, Connecticut, New York, and South Dakota.
Voting rights restored automatically upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation in: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Voting rights restoration is dependent on the type of conviction and/or the outcome of an individual petition or application to the government in: Alabama, Delaware, Mississippi, Nevada, Tennessee, and Wyoming.
Voting rights can only be restored through an individual petition or application to the government in: Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, and Virginia.
See our Office Locations.
Presentence investigation occurs after a defendant enters a plea of guilty to a federal offense or is convicted by trial. During this phase, a probation officer interviews the defendant to gather information on the defendant's background. From the interviews and investigation, the probation officer prepares a presentence report for the judge to use to determine the appropriate sentence for the defendant.
Read more about presentence investigation.
Supervision in the federal system is:
- A core responsibility of U.S. probation and pretrial services officers, along with investigation.
- A way to monitor the activities and behavior of people released to the community by the federal courts or paroling authorities.
- An opportunity to help offenders reintegrate into the community following a period of incarceration.
- In the case of probation, a punishment that is less severe than imprisonment, but still holds people accountable for breaking the law.
- An alternative to jail or prison that costs less than incarceration and gives people charged with or convicted of federal crimes the opportunity to live with their families, hold jobs, and be productive members of society.
Read more about supervision.
You can find information on federal judges (district and magistrate judges) on the District Court of Minnesota's website.
An individual convicted of a felony offense is prohibited from possessing a firearm under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), but is not prohibited from hunting consistent with state regulations.
Probation/supervised release conditions typically prohibit the possession of a dangerous weapon. Therefore, hunting with bows and/or black powder is generally not permitted.
Most likely the judge has ordered a presentence report that will be used at your sentencing hearing. Your case will be assigned to a U.S. Probation Officer for the preparation of the presentence report, which will include a personal interview with you.
You may request a certified copy of a document by contacting the clerk’s office. Contact information for the clerk is found on the Locations page.
If your friend/family member was convicted in Federal court, he most likely is held in a prison operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This information is publicly available via the Federal Bureau of Prisons website with the Inmate Locator.
The U.S. Probation Office is not authorized to release information regarding payments received and distributed by criminal defendants. Please contact the U.S. District Court Clerk for information if you believe you are owed court-ordered restitution.
All payments for fines, restitution and special assessments ordered by the judge in your case are to be paid to the U.S. District Court Clerk in the district in which you were convicted. Please include your name and case number on your cashier’s check or money order.
If you were released on bond with pretrial supervision, you are still required to report to your U.S. Pretrial Services Agency Officer until you report to prison. Failure to abide by these conditions after sentencing could result in arrest and remand for immediate service of the sentence.
Guided by constitutional principles such as the presumption of innocence and right against excessive bail, pretrial services is committed to maintaining the balance between personal liberty and community safety. Officers work to facilitate the judicial process, protect the public, and reduce unnecessary detention. Pretrial services is the front door to the federal criminal justice system and has a unique opportunity to lay the foundation for each defendant's success, not only during the period of pretrial supervision, but beyond. Officers strive to work with each defendant in such a manner to lay the foundation for success so this contact will be the defendant's last, thereby helping prevent the front door from becoming a revolving door. The manner in which an officer interacts with defendants and others can influence perceptions of the federal court, regardless of outcome. Officers set a tone for what a defendant may expect from the system by acting with integrity and respect, providing clear expectations, and responding appropriately to the struggles and needs of the defendant.
The mission of pretrial services is twofold: to investigate and inform the Court regarding the release or detention of defendants arrested for a federal criminal offense, and if release is recommended, recommend appropriate conditions of release; and, once on supervision, to implement and monitor compliance with conditions of release using strategies that are sufficient, but no more restrictive, than necessary to execute the Court's order. Pretrial supervision practices are designed to address a defendant's risk of nonappearance and any danger posed to the community. Pretrial services has the fundamental goal of preventing unnecessary detention when conditions of release are available to reasonable ensure a defendant's appearance in court and the safety of the community. The desired outcome of pretrial supervision is to have the defendant successfully complete the period of supervision by complying with conditions of release, not violating any new laws, appear for all scheduled court hearings, and report for service of any sentence of imprisonment imposed.
While there is input on this decision from U.S. Pretrial Services, the prosecutor and defense counsel, the U.S. Magistrate Judge is ultimately responsible for determining whether a defendant should be released or detained. The bond investigation and report completed by U.S. Pretrial Services is an integral part of this process since it provides the Judge a great deal of information about the defendant's background and risks to be considered in the release/detention decision.
Each case is unique and has many factors that can influence the length of time it takes to reach sentencing. For example, whether a defendant pleads guilty or proceeds to trial; how many co-defendants are charged in the same case; the complexity of the case, etc. So, while the time on supervision can vary widely, it can take around 18 months on the average from arrest to sentencing.
The conditions imposed can vary widely and are uniquely fashioned to address the background of the defendant and the risks presented. Common conditions include pretrial supervision and reporting requirements; a requirement a defendant reside in a particular location, including a halfway house; assignment of a third party custodian (someone legally responsible for helping ensure compliance); location monitoring (electronic monitoring, e.g. GPS); drug testing/assessment/treatment; mental health assessment/treatment; employment requirements or restrictions; travel restrictions; reporting contact with law enforcement; and restrictions from possessing firearms or other dangerous weapons.
The responses to non-compliance will depend on the nature and frequency of the violation(s) and the additional risks presented by the non-compliance. Depending on the circumstances, a defendant may receive verbal/written reprimand, a notification to the Court, modifications to the conditions of release, or revocation of pretrial release. Typically, every effort is made to respond to the non-compliance in a manner focused on gaining compliance and addressing any correctional needs of the defendant in an effort to avoid revocation if possible.
While the federal sentencing guidelines dictate to some degree the sentencing options available, the sentencing judge has a great deal of discretion in imposing a sentence. Compliance with pretrial release is reported to the Court and is considered in the sentencing decision and whether a defendant should be detained or release pending designation to a federal correctional facility if a term of imprisonment is imposed.