Inmates

Polk County inmate information is maintained by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for people who need to check current jail custody, recent bookings, recent releases, or records for inmates released within the past year. This page explains how the official inmate systems are organized, what information each search provides, how booking and release records differ from court case information, and what county rules apply to visitation, inmate mail, photographs, property, and certain jail-related charges.

Polk County Inmate Information

The primary public source for Polk County jail records is the Sheriff’s Office Jail & Arrest Information portal. The system separates inmate information into several record types rather than placing every record in a single search.

The available information includes a current inmate listing, bookings from the previous 24 hours, bookings from a prior date, releases from the previous 24 hours, releases from a prior date, and a search covering inmates released during the previous 365 days. Choosing the correct record type is important because a person who appears in a booking list may no longer be in custody, while a person who was released weeks or months ago will not be found through a recent-release list.

The Sheriff’s Office also states that inmates with federal charges are not included in the current inmate, booking, and release lists described on its jail information pages. A failure to find a person in these records therefore should not automatically be treated as proof that the person was never arrested or is not being held elsewhere.

Which record should you use?

The county’s inmate tools are designed around different stages of the jail record. Before searching, identify which of the following best matches the information you need:

Current Inmate Listing: for people currently in the custody of the Sheriff.

Bookings Previous 24 Hours: for people booked into the Polk County Jail during the most recent 24-hour period.

Bookings Prior Date: for bookings recorded on the prior date.

Releases Previous 24 Hours: for people released from the jail during the most recent 24-hour period.

Releases Prior Date: for releases occurring on the prior date.

Released Inmate Search: for Polk County Jail records involving inmates released during the previous 365 days.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office also maintains an official Jail and Arrest Information page explaining these categories and the limitations that apply to the records.

Current Custody and Bookings

Current inmate listing

The Current Inmate Listing is the appropriate place to begin when the main question is whether someone is presently in the custody of the Polk County Sheriff. It is different from the booking lists, which show admission activity during a defined period. Someone may appear in a recent booking list but later have an inactive status or appear in release information.

Because the current listing concerns custody, it is generally more useful than a recent booking record when trying to determine whether an inmate is still being held. The Sheriff’s Office specifies that inmates with federal charges are not included.

Recent booking records

Booking records show people admitted to the Polk County Jail during a specific period. They should not be treated as a current custody list or as proof of the outcome of a criminal case.

Previous 24 hours

The official Bookings Previous 24 Hours list displays recent jail admissions. The published table includes the inmate’s name, age, book date, status, and a link to view the individual record.

This view is useful when an arrest or booking is believed to have occurred recently. Because it covers a rolling 24-hour period, it can contain bookings from two different calendar dates. That distinction matters when comparing the list with the separate Prior Date page.

Prior date bookings

The Bookings Prior Date page organizes jail bookings around the previous calendar date. Like the 24-hour list, the displayed information includes the inmate’s name, age, booking date, status, and an individual record option.

A person can appear on both the prior-date list and the previous-24-hours list when the booking time falls within both periods. That overlap is expected because the two pages use different time frames.

Reading booking results

Recent booking tables include a status field that may display values such as Active or Inactive. The county’s published material provides the status as part of the record, but users should avoid assigning a legal meaning to that field beyond what the jail record actually shows. If the question is whether a person remains in custody, the current inmate listing and any available release information should also be reviewed.

The booking date is likewise a jail record date. It should not be confused with a court hearing date, sentencing date, case disposition date, or release date. Those are separate events and may be maintained through different government systems.

Release Records and Searches

Recent release lists

Polk County provides separate lists for inmates released during the previous 24 hours and inmates released on the prior date. The Releases Previous 24 Hours page displays the person’s name, age, and released date, along with an option to view the record.

Release information is particularly useful when a recent booking record still appears in search results but the person may already have left the jail. Comparing booking and release information can help distinguish a recent admission from current custody without assuming that a booking entry remains current indefinitely.

The prior-date release list serves a similar purpose for the previous calendar date. As with bookings, a release can appear in both date-based views when it falls within the applicable time ranges.

Released inmate search

For older release records, the county provides a Released Inmate Search covering Polk County Jail records for inmates released during the previous 365 days.

Name and inmate number searches

The released-inmate search provides two methods. Users can search by first and last name, or they can search by inmate number. An inmate number can be particularly useful when a name is common or when spelling may be uncertain, provided that the correct inmate number is already known.

The 365-day limit is significant. This search should not be treated as an unlimited historical archive of all former Polk County inmates. A record outside that period does not fall within the stated scope of the released-inmate search.

Arrest Records and Case Status

Arrest does not establish guilt

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office expressly warns that an arrest record is not proof or an indicator of guilt. Jail information documents custody, bookings, releases, and related arrest records; it does not establish that a person was convicted of the charge associated with an arrest.

The Sheriff’s Office also states that information obtained from the inmate website should not be relied upon for legal action. Users are advised by the county to verify accuracy through the arresting agency or Iowa Courts Online.

Case disposition is separate

The Sheriff’s Office does not provide case disposition through the Polk County inmate website. A disposition concerns what happened in the court case, which is different from the jail’s record of a booking or release. The county directs users seeking disposition information to Iowa Courts Online.

This distinction prevents several common errors. A booking date is not a conviction date. A release date does not explain how a case was resolved. An inactive jail status does not, by itself, show whether charges were dismissed, a sentence was imposed, bond was posted, or another court action occurred.

Court date information

Questions about a court date, court time, or courtroom number are handled through the Clerk of Court rather than the jail inmate search. The Sheriff’s Office Jail How Do I page directs users with those questions to the Clerk of Court at 515-286-3765.

Public jail court proceedings may also be viewed in the lobby of the jail through closed-circuit television, according to the Sheriff’s Office. For arrest information or police reports, the county directs users to the arresting agency.

Information to Prepare

Having the same identifying information used by the county’s search pages can make the search more focused. Depending on the record type, useful details include:

The person’s first and last name.
The inmate number, when known.
An approximate booking date if the arrest was recent.
An approximate release date if the person has already left the jail.
The distinction between a current-custody search and a historical release search.

Age is displayed in the recent booking and release tables and can help distinguish people with similar names after results appear. The county’s released-inmate search itself uses first name, last name, or inmate number as the published search fields.

Name spelling matters

When searching by name, use the most accurate spelling available. Records may include middle names or multiple surnames, and the recent booking tables can display names in a last-name-first format. If a first search does not produce the expected result, confirm that the correct record category and time period are being used before assuming that no record exists.

It is also useful to remember the federal-charge exclusion. The Polk County inmate pages specifically state that inmates with federal charges are not listed in the current, booking, and release information described by the county.

Visiting a Current Inmate

People planning a visit should rely on the Sheriff’s Office official inmate visitation instructions rather than assuming that jail visits are available without advance scheduling.

The county requires visitors to pre-register 24 hours in advance. Registration must be under the legal name of the primary visitor. Visitors who are 18 or older must have valid picture identification, such as a driver’s license, state identification card, passport, or military identification. Visitors under 18 must be accompanied and supervised by an adult.

Visits must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance and may be scheduled up to three weeks ahead. The county also warns that an inmate who is at court, on a work assignment, in a class, meeting with an attorney, or participating in another program may be unavailable for a scheduled visit at that time.

Public visitation hours

Published on-site visitation hours are Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. There is no on-site public visitation on Friday or Saturday.

Public remote visitation is available Sunday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., but visits are not permitted daily from 11:00 a.m. to noon, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., or 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Sheriff’s Office notes that visitation hours may be adjusted for holidays or other events.

Individuals are allowed one on-site visit and one remote visit at no cost per week under the county’s published rules. Inmates may have up to five remote visits per day.

Rules that can end visits

Personal visits are monitored and recorded. The county prohibits unauthorized communication between inmates, drugs or drug paraphernalia, guns, violent imagery, gang-related clothing or symbols, pornographic images, recording or taking pictures of visits, third-party calls, and inappropriate or sexually explicit conduct.

Visitors must not conduct a visit while operating a motor vehicle. A visitor who appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs may not be permitted to visit. The county also states that prospective visitors with pending felony charges known to facility staff may be denied access. Violations can result in termination of a visit, loss of future visitation privileges, or possible criminal prosecution where applicable.

Mail, Property, and Photographs

The Sheriff’s Office publishes inmate mail and property procedures on its Jail How Do I page. Following these rules can prevent mail or personal items from being rejected.

Mail sent to inmates

Mail for an inmate must enter the jail through the United States Postal Service. The sender’s complete name and address must appear in the return-address portion of the envelope. The county states that mail without a complete sender name and address will be returned to the Post Office.

The envelope should identify the inmate by the inmate’s complete name and be addressed to the Polk County Jail. The jail mailing address appears in the department list at the end of this article.

Photograph limits

An inmate may have a total of five photographs in personal possession. Photographs must measure 4 by 6 inches or smaller. Polaroid-type photographs are not accepted.

Photographs must be mailed to the inmate. The jail does not accept them through an in-person drop-off.

Property pickup rules

Property belonging to inmates who remain in custody is released Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

For an inmate transferred to Oakdale, the inmate must complete a Property Release before the transfer. That release identifies who may receive the property, and photo identification is required when the property is picked up.

The Sheriff’s Office does not accept packages or other personal property for inmates. The county also states that jail staff and the Sheriff’s Office are not responsible for lost or stolen items. Property left for more than 10 days is considered abandoned and will be discarded.

Court clothing

Clothing for a jury trial appearance may be brought in only with prior approval from the jail. A maximum of two outfits is allowed. The Sheriff’s Office directs approved court clothing deliveries to Court Staging during its published weekday hours.

Inmate Room and Board

Polk County also publishes information about charges for time spent in custody on the Inmate Room & Board page. According to the county, Iowa Code 356.7 authorizes a sheriff’s office to seek reimbursement from inmates who are convicted in state court, and the Polk County Jail charges inmates for time spent in custody according to the applicable statutory guidelines.

A person who receives a bill has 10 days from the sentencing date to make full payment or enter into a payment plan with the Polk County Attorney. The county states that failure to do so may result in the Sheriff filing a Claim for Reimbursement with the court. If approved, the claim has the effect of a judgment for enforcement purposes.

People who disagree with an order approving a Claim for Reimbursement may appeal directly to the Sheriff’s Office or file an application asking the court to reexamine the decision. The county states that an application for reexamination must be filed with the court within 10 days after the order is filed.

Payments are accepted only after sentencing. The county permits payment in person at the Polk County Jail or by mail to the Jail Room & Board address provided below.

Jail Reports and Population Records

People looking for broader jail population information rather than an individual inmate can use the Sheriff’s Office Jail Reports page. The county describes its Weekly Jail Status Report as a weekly snapshot of inmates in the custody of the Sheriff.

This type of report serves a different purpose from the inmate search. The inmate system is designed around individual custody, booking, and release records, while the weekly report provides a snapshot of the jail population. Someone trying to determine the status of one specific person should use the individual inmate records rather than treating a population report as a substitute.

Common Inmate Search Mistakes

Using bookings as a roster

A recent booking list is not the same as the current inmate listing. The booking page records admissions during a specified period, and some entries can show an inactive status. When the main question is current custody, use the current inmate information and review release information when appropriate.

Ignoring the search period

The previous-24-hours and prior-date pages use different periods. A record can appear in both. For older releases, the separate Released Inmate Search covers the previous 365 days. Selecting the wrong period can lead to the mistaken conclusion that a record does not exist.

Expecting federal inmates

The county repeatedly states that inmates with federal charges are not included in the inmate, booking, and release lists described on the Polk County jail information system. The county jail search therefore should not be considered a universal search for every person who may be in federal custody.

Treating arrest as conviction

An arrest record does not establish guilt, and the Sheriff’s Office does not provide case disposition through the inmate website. Court outcomes must be distinguished from jail records. Users seeking a disposition should use the court system identified by the county rather than interpreting booking or release information as a final case result.

Confusing dates and events

A book date records a jail admission. A released date records departure from the jail. A court date concerns a scheduled court proceeding, while sentencing and case disposition are separate court events. Keeping these dates separate is essential when comparing jail information with court information.

Relying on records for legal action

The Sheriff’s Office states that it does not warrant that information accessed through the inmate website is accurate or correct and advises users to verify accuracy through the arresting agency or Iowa Courts Online. The county further states that information from the website should not be relied upon for legal action.

Departments and Offices

Polk County Jail
1985 NE 51st Place
Des Moines, IA 50313-2517
(515) 323-5400
Polk County Sheriff
5995 NE 14th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50313
(515) 286-3814
Polk County Jail Room & Board
1985 NE 51st Place
Des Moines, Iowa 50313
(515) 323-5411

Inmates FAQs

Can I add money for an inmate to buy commissary items?

Yes. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office states that money may be deposited into an inmate’s commissary account for purchases available through the jail’s commissary system. The county also provides an option for purchasing a CarePack. Because payment procedures and available purchasing options can change, use the Sheriff’s official Jail How Do I page to find the current instructions rather than relying on an older payment link or unofficial inmate-information site.

Can I leave a voicemail for someone in the Polk County Jail?

The Sheriff’s Office says a voicemail message can be left for an inmate at any time through the jail’s telephone service system. The published county instructions describe the message as up to 30 seconds long and state that the service is available 24 hours a day. Check the official jail instructions before sending a message because communication procedures and charges may be updated.

How do I sign up for victim notifications involving an inmate?

Polk County directs people seeking victim notifications to first locate the person in the current inmate record and then follow the victim-notification link provided with that record. Starting from the county’s official jail instructions helps ensure that the notification registration is connected to the correct inmate rather than someone with a similar name.

Does the Polk County Jail provide medical services for inmates?

Yes. According to the Sheriff’s Office Detention page, the Polk County Jail houses medical services within the facility. The jail also has transportation responsibilities for inmate movements outside the facility, including medical appointments and transportation to or from state institutions when required.