What are Iowa Inmate Records?

Inmate records in Iowa are public records that consist of police reports, arrest warrants, booking paperwork, RAP sheets, fingerprints, mugshots, court records, and correctional facility records as the offender moves through the justice system.

Iowa’s Department of Corrections is the government agency in charge of inmate records, and they make it easy to search for offenders online. Along with the basic information of name, birth date, physical description, gender, and race, these records may also include detailed information about the person’s crimes, their punishment, and where they stand in terms of their sentencing.

Some Iowa inmate records are easy to find, but others may take a bit of searching, and you may have to consult the police department records or court documents for the full story. 

Iowa Prison and Jail System

Iowa has nine state prisons. Each has a varying level of security for high-low risk inmates. Some operate satellite facilities as well. The state is split into eight districts with the facilities spread out within them. The state also offers work release programs to low-risk inmates. The Iowa Department of Corrections is in charge of all state prisons.

Many inmates will be released on parole, or in place of prison, they may be sentenced to probation. The state has various community corrections offices to supervisor those offenders.

Iowa has roughly half the number of inmates in local county jails (4,300) as there are in prison (9,000). They also have 3,700 inmates located in federal prisons within the state. The local law enforcement agency operates each county jail.

How to Search for Inmates in Iowa

Iowa’s Department of Corrections has an inmate search tool you can use to find someone incarcerated within the state. The search form offers you name fields (first, middle, last), a birth date selector, gender selection option, or you can search by offender number, location, offense, or county.

Once you enter your criteria and search, the results will show a list with the offenders’ name, number, birth date, and gender. From there, you can click on their name to get more information. You won’t see a mugshot, but you will see information about their crimes, sentencing, and possible parole or probation dates.

You can also use third-party tools like InfoTracer to quickly and easily find someone in jail or prison in Iowa.

Types of Jails in Iowa

How to Contact, Send Money to or Visit an Inmate in Iowa

To visit an inmate in Iowa prison, you must first fill out an application and submit it to the Central Visiting Authority. Once approved, you can visit during designated days/times.

Offenders are allowed to email through the Corrlinks.com system. However, you can also send mail to an offender by following these explicit directions.

You can send money to an inmate in Iowa using the instructions detailed on this page. 

Iowa prisons also allow inmates to make outgoing phone calls to loved ones. You can purchase prepaid phone cards for someone living in an Iowa prison. Follow these instructions here. 

Police Departments in Iowa

Iowa Counties