But he offers no apology for demanding to know who is asking for jail information. Inmates may be victims of crimes, he said. Or the people requesting the information may have sinister motives. Knowing who is asking the questions is the responsible thing to do, he said. Itasca County also doesn't keep a handy roster of who is in the jail.
State law allows public officials to charge only the actual cost of copying information.
Viewing such information should be free. It's just absurd. It borders on parody. You don't know whether to laugh or cry at the end.'' In some cases, however, officials acknowledged their mistakes. Isanti County Sheriff Chief Deputy Mike Lewis said his jail administrator was wrong not to release information on who they arrest and lock up.