Iowa Inmate Search
The Iowa Department of Corrections (IDOC) is responsible for providing secure accommodations to more than 8,200 people in nine facilities and managing nearly 30,800 within its community correctional facilities. Their offender search database is accessible to the public and allows users to search for records of inmates under the IDOC by name or number.
When searching by name, it's important to fill out as much information as possible in order to ensure an accurate result - however this can be difficult as some inmates may have very similar names. To help narrow down the results, you can also include additional information such as date of birth, gender, offense committed, county of the crime committed and respective charges or sentencing period.
How to find inmates in the Iowa County Jails
In Iowa, there are 96 county jails located across 99 counties. These jails incarcerate around 5,000 inmates, most of whom are short-term, non-violent offenders with a sentence of less than a year. All jail facilities are operated and managed by the county sheriff's department.
In accordance with state law, county jails must keep inmate records either in an online database or manually. Many provide searchable inmate rosters, while others maintain alphabetized lists of names. To access specific records, you'll need to request them from the jail or sheriff's office - and if a jail doesn't have an online roster publicly available you can contact their administration and/or department using the contact information listed on their websites.
Inmate Search via Third-Party Websites
Third-party websites allow members of the public to use Iowa FOIA to access records kept by state agencies for inmate information. Typically, you can quickly search for an inmate by name - but if the results are too wide-ranging, additional details may be necessary such as date of birth, eye and hair color, tattoos or scars, criminal charges and county of arrest.
There are websites that offer these services at no charge while others may require payment in order to use them. It's important to remember that these websites are independent from government and fees paid may not be reliable sources of up-to-date information. Additionally, their prices can be costly compared to what's available through other more reliable avenues.
Iowa VINELink
Victims of crime in Iowa can access inmate records with the help of VINELink. This resource is free and offered nationally to provide updates on offenders, delivered either online, via phone or email - but before you can use it you must register first. Once enrolled, you'll be able to check up on your offender as often as you'd like.
Basic Information
- Department Name Iowa Department of Corrections
- Official Website https://doc.iowa.gov/
- Currently Incarcerated Inmates http://www.doc.state.ia.us/OffenderInformation
- Visitor Application https://doc.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/op-mtv-04_f-1_visitation_application_3.pdf
- Phone Calls https://doc.iowa.gov/about-us/iowa-department-corrections-contacts
- Location 510 E 12th St, Des Moines, IA 50319, United States
- Phone Number +1 515-725-5701
