Iowa Inmate Records

Iowa has an imprisonment rate of 264 per 100,000 residents. This encompasses the approximately 8,448 inmates in state-operated prisons, about 4,050 in local jails, and around 3,600 convicted persons in federal prisons operating within the state's boundaries. At about 19.2%, violent offenses account for the most reasons individuals are sentenced to state prisons in Iowa. The state's incarceration rate is lower than the national average of 355 per 100,000 United States residents.

Several correctional facilities make up the Iowa prison system, including those operating under local, state, and federal agencies. Each of these agencies or prison/jail authorities keeps official records of all individuals incarcerated in facilities under their supervision. These records are known as Iowa inmate records, and they contain important information, including the following.

• Personal Information - Personal information contained in an inmate record includes name, gender, date of birth, age, race, weight, eye color, height, and hair color.
• Court Details - These include case number, sentence, trial details, fines awarded, and court orders.
• Arrest Information - This primarily includes charges, the date and time of the arrest, the location of the arrest, the arrest warrant, booking details, and information about the law enforcement agency that made the arrest, leading to conviction and incarceration.
• Sentencing and Release Details - These include details of the offense committed, including offense class and other details like the commitment date, incarceration location, supervision discharge date, and tentative discharge date.
• Parole Information - This shows whether an inmate is eligible for parole and states details of parole.
• Disciplinary Actions - These state details of an inmate's behavior in a correctional facility and all the disciplinary actions taken against them for violating prison/jail rules.

Are Inmate Records Public in Iowa?

Yes. Iowa inmate records are public information per Section 904.601(1) of the state's Code, and anyone may inspect them or request to make copies in any manner described by state law. Similarly, the state's Open Records Law grants members of the public the right to examine and copy any public record in the custody of any government agencies or the information contained in the public record. Such records include inmate records generated and kept by prison/jail authorities in Iowa.

However, unless their release is ordered by a court or any other individual authorized to disclose information, certain inmate records in Iowa and/or information contained in them are restricted from public access. These include sealed or expunged inmate records, juvenile records, medical information, Social Security numbers, and financial information.

What Agencies Are Responsible for Inmate Records in Iowa?

Government agencies that are key players in the Iowa prison system generally oversee inmates incarcerated in correctional facilities within the state and/or maintain records of such inmates. They include the following:

• The Iowa Department of Corrections (IDOC) - Accurate information and records regarding inmates incarcerated in Iowa are maintained by the state's Department of Corrections (IDOC). The IDOC oversees all the inmates housed in 9 correctional facilities owned and run by the state. Each of these facilities generally holds offenders convicted of severe crimes, typically felonies, against the state, and are sentenced to longer incarceration terms. The IDOC also oversees several community correctional facilities spread across 8 different districts.
• County Sheriff's Offices - Iowa has about 97 local jails under the jurisdiction and supervision of the county sheriff's offices across the state. Besides managing local jails and overseeing inmates held in local jails, county sheriff's offices are solely responsible for keeping up-to-date records and information of all the inmates in their custody. The local jails in the state primarily hold offenders convicted of and serving short sentence terms for municipal offenses, county offenses, and state offenses. They also house pre-trial offenders. In addition, some county jails in Iowa hold contract federal prisoners with the United States Marshals Service.
• Police Departments - While the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) maintains individuals' criminal history records in the state, the local police departments maintain records of all arrests made in their jurisdiction. Criminal history records typically contain arrest records, which are also found in inmate records. Even though police departments do not house inmates, the arrest records in their custody are a part of inmate records.
• Local Courts - Like the police departments, local courts do not house inmates. However, they keep records related to court cases that lead to offenders' convictions and consequent sentencing to prisons or jails. Some of these records may be found in inmate records.
• The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) - Although no federal prison operates in Iowa, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) oversees individuals convicted of federal crimes in the state and sentenced to serve prison terms in federal prisons in other states. The Bureau is also responsible for maintaining accurate information regarding such inmates.

How To Search an Inmate's Information in Iowa

Before searching for an inmate's information in Iowa, it is best to determine which correctional facility holds the inmate and the prison/jail authority in charge of the facility. This will help narrow the search, rather than looking everywhere.

Find an inmate in Iowa State Prisons

Interested individuals may find information regarding inmates serving prison terms in Iowa state-run prisons through the IDOC Offender Search system. The system permits several parameters for inmate search, including an inmate's name, sex, birthdate (or approximate range), location, county of commitment, and offender number. Click the search button after entering the available search parameter(s) in the appropriate field. The search results typically include personal information, offense details, charges, and incarceration details of the inmate whose record is sought.

Depending on what information is being sought, the IDOC Offender Search system may not provide certain details regarding inmates incarcerated in Iowa state-operated prisons. Anyone requiring detailed records about such inmates may go to the correctional facility holding them and submit an in-person request to obtain the records. The request must contain basic information that will enable the record custodian or designated employee to find the inmate's file.

Find an Inmate in Local Jail

Many of the county sheriff's offices responsible for managing the records of inmates housed in Iowa's local jails have online databases of such inmates, usually named inmate locators, inmate listings, or inmate rosters, depending on the county. These inmate search tools are often featured on the websites of the supervising county sheriff's offices. With information such as an inmate's name, booking date, inmate number, gender, and/or date of birth, anyone may be able to retrieve information about the offenders whose record is sought.

If a local jail does not have an online inmate search tool or if a person needs to access more comprehensive information about an inmate, visiting the local jail facility where the inmate is housed in Iowa is advised. The record custodians are always available to disseminate publicly available inmate records to requesters who opt to retrieve information in person, provided the requesters can present the custodians with basic details to facilitate such searches.

Find an Inmate in Federal Prison

There are no federal prisons in Iowa. However, individuals convicted of federal crimes in the state are still made to serve prison sentences in BOP correctional facilities in other states. Records of such inmates from 1982 to the present may be accessed by looking up the inmates on the BOP Inmate Locator. The BOP Inmate Locator is designed to allow members of the public to find inmate records by name and/or BOP register number, and typical search results include an inmate's full name, release date, location, date of birth, sex, and race. Interested persons may search for federal inmates' information by visiting the prison where they are incarcerated.

How Can I Access Old Inmate Records?

The IDOC Offender Search system has information about former inmates incarcerated in Iowa state prisons. However, such information is often limited to inmates' names, offender numbers, date of birth, charges, and end date (release date). Nevertheless, the Iowa State Archives holds old government records, which may include records of previously incarcerated inmates in the state. Interested persons may contact the State Archives to determine if the inmate record they seek is in the file of the agency. Similarly, if the old inmate whose record is sought was incarcerated in a federal prison, requesters should check with the National Archives.

Another way to access records of former inmates in the state is through reliable third-party record service providers like Iowapublicrecords.us. These sites update their databases regularly with inmate records collected from official sources. Such records may be accessed by paying the providers a small fee.

Alternatively, if a former inmate was incarcerated in any of Iowa's state-run prisons, anyone may obtain the record of such an inmate by submitting an Open Records Request to the IDOC. For those convicted of federal crimes and incarcerated in federal prisons, submit a FOIA request to the BOP to access information regarding them. Furthermore, anyone who wishes to retrieve detailed information about an old inmate who served a prison/jail term in an Iowa state prison or local jail may do so in person. However, they must first identify the correctional facility where the former inmate whose record is sought was incarcerated and provide basic information to help facilitate a thorough search.

Can I Find an Iowa Inmate Record for Free?

Yes. Online resources like the Offender Search system and inmate search tools managed by the IDOC and county sheriff's offices, respectively, allow anyone to look up inmate records for free in Iowa. The same applies to the BOP Inmate Locator, which offers free access to records of inmates convicted in the state for federal crimes but housed in out-of-state federal prisons. However, none of these inmate search resources can provide information regarding inmates outside the jurisdiction of their supervising prison/jail authority.

With third-party websites like Iowapublicrecords.us, members of the public are offered centralized access to detailed information regarding all inmates in the state, regardless of where they are incarcerated. However, these sites typically charge users a small fee before such persons can retrieve any inmate record from their databases.

Jails and Prisons in Iowa

The classification of correctional facilities in Iowa, based on the type of management, is listed below:

• State Prisons - Iowa has 9 state-run prisons alongside several community correctional facilities under the supervision of the state's Department of Corrections. The community correctional facilities in the state serve as an alternative to prison or jail. They provide correctional supervision and services in a community arrangement.
• Local Jails - At least 97 county jails managed by different county sheriff's offices contribute to public safety in Iowa.

State Prisons in Iowa

The table below shows a list of all the state prisons in Iowa and their security levels:

Private Prisons in Iowa

Iowa has no private prisons.

Iowa Inmate Statistics

• Iowa Incarceration Rate - 264 per 100,000 residents
• Male Incarceration Rate - 480 per 100,000 males
• Female Incarceration Rate - 45 per 100,000 females
• Youth Custody Rate - 77 per 100,000 youths
• Number of Prisoners in Private Prisons - 0
• Black/White Imprisonment Disparity - 9.3:1
• Latino/White Imprisonment Disparity - 1.4:1
• Number of offenders under community supervision: 1,320 per 100,000 people
• Number on probation - 1,030 per 100,000 people
• Number on parole - 277 per 100,000 people
• Felony Disenfranchisement Rate - 1.1%

* Source: United States Bureau of Justice Statistics