Skip to main content
Turn on more accessible mode
Turn off more accessible mode
Skip Ribbon Commands
Turn off Animations
Turn on Animations
FollowFollow Focus on Content Focus on Content
Website input:
Help us make our website better. Give us your feedback in a short interview.
Dakota County Logo
  • Maps & Directions
  • |
  • Departments
  • |
  • About Us
  • |
  • Contact Us
Dakota County Logo
  • Government
      • Board of Commissioners
      • County Attorney
      • County Sheriff
      • Commissioner Meetings
      • County Manager
      • Budget & Financial Reports
      • Performance & Analysis
      • Land Use Planning
      • County Policies
      • Data Practices
      • Advisory Committees
      • Other Public Committees & Initiatives
      • Doing Business with the County
      • Information Technology
      • Jobs & Volunteering
      • Public Employee Training
      • Other Public Entities
      • Voting & Elections
  • Home & Property
      • Pay Property Taxes
      • Property Tax Statements
      • Property Tax 101
      • Property Tax Programs, Homesteads & Credits
      • Important Dates for Property Owners
      • Assessing Property
      • Recording Property Documents
      • Property Watch
      • Foreclosed Property
      • Tax-Forfeited Property
      • Online Property Maps
      • Online Property Records
      • Homebuyer & Homeowner Programs
      • Aggregate Tax
      • Evictions
      • Plats & Surveys
      • Taxing Districts & Tax Increment Financing
      • Selling Property
      • Maps & Mapping Services
  • Permits & Licenses
      • Service & License Centers
      • Birth Certificates
      • Death Certificates
      • Marriage Licenses & Certificates
      • Passports
      • Driver's License
      • Motor Vehicle Titles & Registration
      • Recreational Vehicle Licenses
      • Game & Fishing Licenses
      • Professional Licenses
      • Gambling Permits
      • Liquor Licenses
      • Cannabis Permits
      • Gun Permits
      • Assembly Licenses
      • Building & Land Use Permits
      • Business Hazardous Waste Licenses
      • Well Permits
      • Waste Hauler & Facilities Licenses
      • Highway Permits
  • Law & Justice
      • Most Wanted
      • Warrants
      • Criminal Complaint Search
      • Report a Crime Tip
      • Crime Prevention
      • Jail
      • Juvenile Detention
      • Crime Victim & Witness Support
      • Alternatives to Court
      • Service of Legal Documents
      • Law Library
      • Contact a Probation Officer
      • Probation & Community Programs
      • Conditions of Probation
      • Probation Fees & Restitution
      • District Courts
      • County Ordinances
      • Fingerprinting Services
      • County Attorney News Releases
      • County Sheriff News Releases
  • Health & Family
      • Healthy Living
      • Job Search Assistance
      • Parenting Help
      • Personal Finance
      • Public Assistance
      • Adult Protection
      • Child Care
      • Child Protection
      • Child Support
      • Adoption
      • Chemical Health
      • Foster Care
      • Mental Health
      • Aging & Disability Services
      • Emergency Preparedness
      • Health Services
      • Veterans Services
  • Environment
      • The Recycling Zone
      • Recycling Guide
      • Residential Recycling & Disposal
      • Business Recycling & Disposal
      • School Recycling & Disposal
      • Environmental Education Resources
      • Water Resources
      • Energy
      • Land Conservation
      • Sustainability
      • Environmental Funding
      • Environmental Reports & Studies
      • Report an Environmental Concern
  • Transportation
      • Current Road Construction
      • Planned Road Construction
      • Road Safety
      • Transportation Studies
      • Traffic Counts
      • Getting Around the County
      • Highways & Your Property
      • Transit
      • Contact Transportation
      • Transportation Planning
      • Sales & Use Tax
  • Maps & Directions About Us
    Departments Contact Us
Dakota County Home
County News
 
Search
  • Home
    • News
      • Pages
        • new-jail-unit

Contact

Sheriff's Office
651-438-4700
sheriff@co.dakota.mn.us


Dakota County celebrates new jail unit for specialized care

Page Image
Image Caption
3/10/2025
Page Content

Dakota County leaders were joined by state and local officials Monday, March 10 to celebrate the opening of an innovative addition to the Dakota County Jail.

The 26-person Integrative Health Unit provides unique offerings, including trauma-informed design features that promote wellness and healing for people experiencing mental health or chemical dependency crises. Minnesota Department of Corrections officials believe the unit to be the largest of its kind in the state.

“Take a moment and look around," Dakota County Board Chairman Mike Slavik said at the event, held inside the unit, where morning light shined through skylights. “You don't need to be a design expert to recognize you're not in a typical jail space. Rather, this specialized unit provides features that will reduce stress for inmates struggling with their mental health and other challenges."

The $14.4 million unit was funded through the American Rescue Plan Act. Features include:

  • Increased efficiency for county staff and medical vendors
  • Improved medical and therapy spaces
  • Dedicated resources in one location to best support the overall wellness of those being treated
  • Trauma-informed design features, including adjustable white light settings in cells, warm wall colors, wood-look finishes on doors, outdoor-themed murals and planters visible from dayrooms
  • Daylight visibility through skylights and dayroom windows

“This specialized and intentional support will enhance our effectiveness and our efficiency of this care," Dakota County Sheriff Joe Leko said. “It will increase the likelihood of success while in custody and after release — having an impact on individuals, families and our community."

Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said the unit serves as a reminder of how far the criminal justice system's mental health resources have come since he was a police officer in the 1980s.

“Dakota County's commitment to this project has turned vision into reality and created an example for how we address mental health needs," Jacobson said. “This facility that provides specialized care for potentially vulnerable inmates is certainly a testament to that."

State Rep. John Huot told attendees the jail project was the result of a multi-year effort first led by retired Dakota County Sheriff Tim Leslie.​​

“It really shows what Dakota County's about," Huot said. “Like (Commissioner Slavik) said, we aren't going to see this anywhere else in the state right now, which is really fantastic that we're being innovative."


Administration Center
  • 1590 Highway 55
  • Hastings, MN 55033
  • Ph: 651-437-3191
  • Toll free: 800-247-1056
  •  
  • See all County buildings
    Social Media
  • Facebook
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Next Door
  • Sign up for E-News
    Quick Links
  • Home
  • Accessibility
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Language Translation
  • Job Opportunities
  • Make a Payment
  • Privacy Policy
Dakota County, Minnesota
Sign In