South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency

The Iowa Department of Corrections maintains a searchable public database of all of the inmates they have in custody.

The prison that an inmate is assigned to depends on factors such as security classification, remaining time of their sentence, gang affiliation, and location of their residence.

The Iowa State Prison System began in 1839.

Today the state of Iowa Prison System maintains 9 state prisons.

With a staff of 2,500 correctional workers, as of the end of 2023 they oversee approximately 8,300 inmates, with another 3,000 on parole, supervised release or absconded.

The following will explain the instructions, tricks and hacks you can use to find any inmate in custody with the Iowa Department of Corrections.

Iowa Department of Corrections Inmate Search Instructions

The Iowa Department of Corrections provides a limited amount of information you may want to know about any inmate in their system, however they do list every inmate. Inmates in custody have their crimes listed, as well as previous convictions. They also list all inmates who have been discharged.

There are multiple ways to look up an inmate in Iowa.

• You can list all inmates who share the same first letter of their last name.
• You can list all inmates who share the same first letter of their first name.
• You can list all inmates who share the same first letter of their middle name.
• You can look up and and all inmates by age range.
• You can list all inmates who share the same last name.
• You can list all inmates who share the same first name
• You can search any and all inmates using their Offender Number, Sex, Location, or County of Commitment.

The first set of results will list their name, Offender Number, Date of Birth, and Sex. Click on the linked Inmate Name to get to the inmate's page.  

The inmate's page will have quite a bit of information, however Indiana does not publish an inmate's mugshot.

How to Deposit Money in a South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency Inmate's Account

There are four ways to deposit money in an inmate's account in the Illinois Department of Correction:

• Jpay Online Deposits
• Western Union using Send2Corrections
• Access Corrections
• United States Postal Service - Mailing a Payment

In order to do any of these you need to know the exact name the inmate is incarcerated under, and their Inmate ID#.

If you can't find the inmate and booking number online, call the IDOC at 217-558-2200.

1.  South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency and JPAY.

• First, you need to know the exact spelling of the inmate's name and inmates ID #
• You can send money to an inmate/offender's commissary/spendable account through the Send Money page.
• There are two ways to send money to an inmate/offender in {South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency using Jpay.

1. Online payments
2. Over the phone by calling 800-574-5729

2.  South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency and Send2Corrections.

First, you need to know the exact spelling of the inmate's name and the inmate ID#.

3. South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency and Access Corrections

South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency uses Access Corrections Secure Deposits (also known as 'Smart Deposit') for depositing money into an inmate's account. 

The information below provides you complete instructions regarding the South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency:
- Inmate Accounts and Deposits,
- Commissary Information,
- Depositing Money Online,
- Mailing Inmate Money, and

You can also deposit Money through:

CashPayToday for a flat fee of $6.95.
Visit www.cashpaytoday.com
 or call (844) 340-2274 to register and find a location near you.  

You will need to provide the following information: Inmate ID #, your name, address and other important information.
Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Kum & Go stores are part of the CashPayToday program.

or

ACE Cash Express  -  www.acecashexpress.com for a flat fee of $5.95 
There is a $900.00 maximum limit per cash transaction. 

4.  South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency and Mailing a Payment

All deposits must be in the form of a cashier’s check or money order.

All cashier’s checks and money orders must be made payable to: IDOC offender Fiduciary Account.

The cashier’s check or money order must include the following: offender name, offender number, sender’s name and sender’s complete address. All writing should be legible.

**Important Notes**

Money orders must reference the inmate's name and the IDOC individual in custody number.

All incoming money must be sent to the following address:

IDOC Offender Fiduciary Account
1550 L Street, Suite B
Fort Dodge, IA 50501

Iowa Department of Corrections Inmate Visitation Information

Iowa DOC Visitation Policies

The Iowa Department of Corrections utilizes the Ameelio App for applying to visit an inmate in any of their facilities. 

Ameelio is used for both in-person visits and video visits.

It is currently not available on computers, but their app can be downloaded and used on both iphones and Android Devices.

iphone users

Android users

Step 1

Apply for the right to visit an inmate.  The application must be printed signed and mailed.  If you have any questions call 319-385-9511

Application - English version

Application - Spanish version

Step 2

Mail to:

Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility
Attn: Central Records
1200 E. Washington
Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641

Ameelio Customer Support
Find additional assistance on the Ameelio’s Frequently Asked Questions
.

The Connect Support request form can be used to contact Ameelio.

Please fill out all fields and attach screenshots to help describe your issue. A Support team member will reach out to assist you. 

Iowa Department of Corrections Remote Inmate Visitation Information

Iowa DOC Visitation Policies

The Iowa Department of Corrections utilizes the Ameelio App for applying to visit an inmate in any of their facilities. 

Ameelio is used for both in-person visits and remote video visits.

It is currently not available on computers, but their app can be downloaded and used on both iphones and Android Devices.

iphone users

Android users

Step 1

Apply for the right to visit an inmate.  The application must be printed signed and mailed.  If you have any questions call 319-385-9511

Application - English version

Application - Spanish version

Step 2

Mail to:

Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility
Attn: Central Records
1200 E. Washington
Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641

Ameelio Customer Support
Find additional assistance on the Ameelio’s Frequently Asked Questions
.

The Connect Support request form can be used to contact Ameelio.

Please fill out all fields and attach screenshots to help describe your issue. A Support team member will reach out to assist you. 

Iowa Department of Corrections Inmate Phone Information (phone policy)

The Iowa DOC allows inmates to make outgoing calls to friends and family by purchasing prepaid phone time directly from the IDOC.

Local, intrastate and interstate calls cost $.11 per minute with a maximum of $2.20 for a 20 minute phone call.  International calls vary. 

Inmates can transfer money to the phone system from their commissary account.  

You may also send a money order to be added directly to a phone account.  

This form must be printed, completed and mailed with the money order following the instructions provided.  

Offender Telephone Service Form

Servicios Telefonicos Para Presos
 

South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency Physical Mail and Digital Mail Instructions

When you send mail to an inmate in South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency (see mailing address below), it gets sent to a third party service that takes the content and scans it, then forwarded to the jail to be printd out and given to the inmate.

Send all personal mail to:

Incarcerated Individual Name - Offender ID Number
South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency - Facility ID Number (See below)
PO Box 96777
Las Vegas, NV  89193

Anamosa State Penitentiary (ASP) - 1106
Clarinda Correctional Facility (CCF) - 1107
Fort Dodge Correctional Facility (FDCF) - 1114
Iowa Correctional Institution for Women (ICIW) - 1109
Iowa Medical and Classification Center (IMCC) - 1108
Iowa State Penitentiary (ISP) - 1110 
Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility (MPCF) - 1113
Newton Correctional Facility (NCF) - 1111
North Central Correctional Facility (NCCF) - 1112

South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency is using this service because all too often, inmates were receiving letters soaked in illegal liquid drugs.

The service, called Pigeonly, accepts non-privileged (legal) mail of the following types: 

Pigeonly will process the following non-privileged mail:

• Letters (including drawings)
• Greeting Cards
• Postcards
• 4x6 Photos (limit of up to 10 per parcel)
• Unbound Newsletters

As an additional service Pigeonly offers a service where you don't even have to use the USPS to send the inmate mail, but can send your letters and photos directly from your phone or computer. There are several plans; monthly and annual, that come with a fee, but save you the trouble of dealing with writing and mailing letters the old school way.

Pigeonly’s Accepted Mail Requirements

• All mail must have a return address.
• Envelopes must be no larger than 4 in. x 9½ in.
• Letters must be on paper that is no larger than 8 ½ in. x 11 in.
• Greeting Cards must be no larger than 5 in. x 7 in.
• Postcards must be 5 in. x 7 in.
• Photographs must be 4 in. x 6 in. (limit to 10 photos per parcel)

Pigeonly’s Prohibited Mail Materials

• Mail with glitter, rhinestones, stickers, or glued items.
• Greeting Cards that are electronic, have pop-ups, or are oversized.
• Photographs smaller/larger than 4 in. x 6 in.
• Photographs from 3rd-party vendors (ex. Shutterfly)
• Unused/blank envelopes, paper, stationary, and stamps.
• Official documents.
• Bulk mail.
• Personal checks and/or cash.

South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency Physical Mail and Digital Mail Instructions

When you send mail to an inmate in South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency (see mailing address below), it gets sent to a third party service that takes the content and scans it, then forwarded to the jail to be printd out and given to the inmate.

Send all personal mail to:

Incarcerated Individual Name - Offender ID Number
South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency - Facility ID Number (See below)
PO Box 96777
Las Vegas, NV  89193

Anamosa State Penitentiary (ASP) - 1106
Clarinda Correctional Facility (CCF) - 1107
Fort Dodge Correctional Facility (FDCF) - 1114
Iowa Correctional Institution for Women (ICIW) - 1109
Iowa Medical and Classification Center (IMCC) - 1108
Iowa State Penitentiary (ISP) - 1110 
Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility (MPCF) - 1113
Newton Correctional Facility (NCF) - 1111
North Central Correctional Facility (NCCF) - 1112

South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency is using this service because all too often, inmates were receiving letters soaked in illegal liquid drugs.

The service, called Pigeonly, accepts non-privileged (legal) mail of the following types: 

Pigeonly will process the following non-privileged mail:

• Letters (including drawings)
• Greeting Cards
• Postcards
• 4x6 Photos (limit of up to 10 per parcel)
• Unbound Newsletters

As an additional service Pigeonly offers a service where you don't even have to use the USPS to send the inmate mail, but can send your letters and photos directly from your phone or computer. There are several plans; monthly and annual, that come with a fee, but save you the trouble of dealing with writing and mailing letters the old school way.

Pigeonly’s Accepted Mail Requirements

• All mail must have a return address.
• Envelopes must be no larger than 4 in. x 9½ in.
• Letters must be on paper that is no larger than 8 ½ in. x 11 in.
• Greeting Cards must be no larger than 5 in. x 7 in.
• Postcards must be 5 in. x 7 in.
• Photographs must be 4 in. x 6 in. (limit to 10 photos per parcel)

Pigeonly’s Prohibited Mail Materials

• Mail with glitter, rhinestones, stickers, or glued items.
• Greeting Cards that are electronic, have pop-ups, or are oversized.
• Photographs smaller/larger than 4 in. x 6 in.
• Photographs from 3rd-party vendors (ex. Shutterfly)
• Unused/blank envelopes, paper, stationary, and stamps.
• Official documents.
• Bulk mail.
• Personal checks and/or cash.

Inmates at the South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency can also use Corrlinks to send email, which they call 'o-mail'.

The cost for each o-mail sent is $0.25

Offenders add credits to their o-mail account in the same way they do their phone account.

They request a transfer from their banking account and are charged 6% tax for o-mail credits.

O-mail credits are kept in a separate account like phone minutes.

O-mails are limited to 13,000 characters or 100 lines, whichever comes first. The 100 lines equal 2 pages maximum.

Once an inmate is convicted and sentenced for a violation of that state’s felony laws (and their sentence is more than one year in length), they are moved from the City or County Jail and sent to a State Prison in Iowa. If the violation they are convicted of is a federal crime, they will be sent to a Federal Prison, but will not necessarily be doing their time in Iowa.

Iowa State Prisons are operated and maintained by the state government and are used to confine and rehabilitate criminals. State prisons are funded by state tax money. The fund is used to provide food and clothes to inmates and to hire employees to keep the prison running. Inmates in state prison enjoy certain privileges such as TV use and recreation, both indoor and outdoor. The number of privileges allowed depends on the security level of the prison, the inmate and the overall needs of the prison on a specific day.

Iowa has minimum, medium and maximum security prisons. The Corrections Department in Iowa also maintains low (or no) security residential settings and camps where inmates assist in state property maintenance and duties such as fighting fires. Almost all prisons provide ‘jobs’ where an inmate can earn a small hourly wage and even learn a trade. Some prisons even contract with call centers and handle phone calls on issues related to their state government. Criminals who have committed a violent crime or killed someone are likely housed in a maximum security prison. If the inmate in these prisons behave, they are also eligible to recreate and/or work as well.

In Iowa Prisons rehabilitation is the stated goal but the reality is that they exist to punish inmates for their crimes and keep them from hurting or harming innocent people on the outside who follow the laws and live and act responsibly. The fact is that most prison systems are underfunded, overcrowded and are not able to spend time and money rehabilitating offenders. This is not the fault of the people hired to work in prisons, they are just victims of the lack of resources due to budgeting constraints.

State Inmate

Most states have Department of Corrections websites that allow you to type in a felon's first and last name and pull up inmates in that state.

If you need to find a sentenced inmate serving time in a state other than Iowa, go here. To find an inmate in Iowa, just scroll to the top of the page and click on the Inmate Search button.

Once you locate them click next to the inmate's name or on the link provided and it will show you which prison the inmate is housed in. If the inmate is no longer incarcerated, but is on parole/probation or discharged, it will tell you that as well. In addition, many state prison inmate pages show recent mug shots.

Federal Inmate

The federal prison system has its own inmate locator called the Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator.

Type in the inmate's name and it will tell you where he or she is incarcerated and their projected release date. It also lists released federal prison inmates and the date they were released.

Federal inmates who are moved from one prison to another will show as "No longer in federal custody" on the system until they reach their next federal prison destination. This movement can take a few days to several months to complete, so keep checking back to find out where the inmate was taken.

ICE Inmates

The ICE Detainee Lookup allows friends, family members and interested parties to locate illegal and/or undocumented immigrants that are in the United States without permission.

Has the Inmate been recently arrested?... Try a County Jail

In many cases, the person you are looking for has either not been convicted or sentenced or has been sentenced and is awaiting transport to a State or Federal Prison and is still incarcerated in a City or County Jail.

To locate that person, go here to first find the State, and then the County where they were originally arrested or have been transported to. From there you can begin your search in our databases that contain the names and information of millions of inmates.

Jailexchange.com has all information on every jail and prison in the United States.