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Winnebago County Jail Information

Address

Winnebago County Jail
216 South Clark Street
Forest City, IA 50436

Phone Number

Phone: (641) 585-3632

The Winnebago County Jail is located at 216 South Clark Street in Forest City, IA and is a medium security county jail operated by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department.

This page will tell you all the information about anything you might want to know about the Winnebago County Jail, such as how to locate an inmate at the Winnebago County Jail, the jail’s phone number and address, intake procedures and booking, court information and records, and lots more.

Introduction

The purpose of this guide is to offer information and tips that you need to make going to jail a little less stressful. If you have questions, feel free to ask them, and any comments or feedback that would help other people in the same situation will be much appreciated.

Winnebago County Jail Inmate Search

Do you have a family member or friend that is in jail and don’t know how to contact them? Do you know a family member or friend that’s been arrested and you don’t know how to locate them?

In order to find out who is in jail at the Winnebago County Jail you will need to use the search form.

Inmate Search

First Name

Last Name

State

Who’s In Jail

The Winnebago County Jail Inmate Search is a roster of individuals who are in jail, which includes current status, and visiting hours. You can get the same information for anyone processed or discharged within the past 24 hours. Inmates are listed alphabetically by last name. You’ll be able to locate the information quicker if you have their name, birth date, or inmate ID Number.

Winnebago County Jail Policies and Procedures

Intake Procedures

The jail intake procedure at the Winnebago County Jail is made up of these steps:

You will be placed in a waiting area or cell. If the jail is really busy, you will have to wait a while to get processed.

You must answer some basic questions, such as your full legal name, address, birth date and an emergency contact, and they’ll also ask about your psychological and medical history. Next, you will be issued an inmate number and your fingerprints will be taken. Then, any personal property you have will be taken away from you and stored until you get released.

You will be allowed to use the telephone so you can contact a member of your family, friend, or loved one.

If you are expected to be released quickly, you might get to skip the jumpsuit and keep wearing your own clothes, otherwise you you will be given a jail uniform.

Discharge Procedures

When you finally post bail, you will be allowed to leave jail. This process may take from 15 minutes to hours or even all day long. In simple terms, the faster you can post bail, the faster you will be released. Also, it might depend on whether you’ve been given a cash bond amount or if the magistrate has to determine how much to set your bail at. For a minor offense, you will simply be booked and get released without having to post bail. When you get to the end of your sentence and have a discharge date, you should plan to get released at any time that day – but usually in the morning.

Winnebago County Jail Visitation

In order to have visitors, inmates have to give the name and date of birth of each visitor to the Winnebago County Jail in advance of the visit. Your visitor’s information will go into the visitors log for the inmate that requested the visitor. Every visitor is required to provide identification. Anyone that gets to visitation or without a visiting order will not be allowed to attend visitation.

The Winnebago County Jail visitation procedures change often, so we suggest that you call the jail at (641) 585-3632 before you go.

Visiting Hours

Day	Visiting Hours
Monday	9:00am – 5:00pm
Tuesday	9:00am – 5:00pm
Wednesday	9:00am – 5:00pm
Thursday	9:00am – 5:00pm
Friday	9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday	9:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday	9:00am – 5:00pm

Visitation Rules

To visit someone at the Winnebago County Jail you must have your name on their approved visitation list.

Be sure to bring your up to date government issued ID or driver’s license when you go to visit or you will not be allowed to enter.

No mobile phones are allowed at Winnebago County Jail, and you will be searched before entering. Personal belongings are not allowed. Anybody probation, parole, or other community corrections supervision must get the permission of both the superintendent and their individual supervising officer prior to a visit. Usually is not normally approved.

If a visitor is under the age of 18 is related to the inmate, they will have to be accompanied by an adult family member or guardian to include a member of the inmate’s extended family. If the visitor is younger than 18 years of age and is not a family member of the inmate, this visitor must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Sending Mail to Inmates

This is what you need to know about sending letters, photos, postcards, greeting cards and even magazines to an inmate at the Winnebago County Jail. Incoming and outgoing inmate mail at the Winnebago County Jail is always searched and inspected for contraband that might threaten the security, safety or well-being of the facility, its staff, and inmates. Inmates can only receive metered, unstamped, plain white postcards no larger than 4″ x 6″ as mail. The writing on the postcard has to be in pencil or blue or black ink. If it has a stamp on it, it will get returned. If you write in green ink, then it will get returned. If you send any other kind of mail will be returned to the sender. If there is no return address on it, then the unauthorized mail will be stored in the inmate’s locker until the inmate gets release.

Do not include any of these things in the mail that you send to an inmate: any kind of threat to jail order, any description of the manufacture of weapons, bombs, incendiary devices, or tools for escape; do not encourage or advocate any kind of violence, hate speech, or racial or ethnic supremacy. Inmates are not allowed to write to other inmates.

Mailing Address

The mailing address for the Winnebago County Jail is:

Winnebago County Jail
216 South Clark Street
Forest City, IA 50436

Here is how you should address the letter:

[INMATE’S FULL NAME]
[INMATE ID]
Winnebago County Jail
216 South Clark Street
Forest City, IA 50436

The Winnebago County Jail mail policy can change, so you should visit the official website before you send a letter.

Sending Other Things to an Inmate

There are strict procedures that you must follow to send anything to an inmate at the Winnebago County Jail. This includes sending money for to spend in the commissary, sending regular mail or photos, sending money for phone calls, and even postcards.

This page covers everthing you need to know about the Winnebago County Jail to help you follow these procedures and guidelines. If you have questions, or there is something that you were looking for, but did not find, please contact us using the contact link in the site menu.

Public Records

Warrant Inquiry

If you think you might have an outstanding warrant, you can find out by checking the arrest warrants inquiry on the Winnebago County jail website or call the court directly. You have to have their first and last name. Or, you can just go the jail in person and ask the officer in charge. Bear in mind that if you do have an outstanding warrant, you will be taken into custody immediately.

Arrest Record Search

If you know a person’s name, and possibly an arrest date, contact the Winnebago County jail, on the phone, in person, or you can check online. Records of arrests are a matter of public record and the information is accessible by the public.

Court Records

Court Records are public records and available to anyone. These records include a case file that contains a court docket and any of the documents and filings filed in your court case. You can access your court records on the website, or at Clerk of Court office in the county where the case was filed.

Criminal Records

Each state maintains a record of people’s criminal background. These state databases are linked together so you are able to track criminal histories from another state. You can go to the Winnebago County Courthouse and inquire, or check the website. It is helpful to know the county, and in the event that the crime was in a different state, you might have to pay for a more complete search.

When you look up a person’s crminal records you will be able to get a listing of all the arrests, charges, or convictions for any crimes they may have committed, which could include DUI or DWI, drug offenses, kidnapping, sexual offenses including rape, assault, violent crimes including assault, battery and murder, or breaking and entering, theft, larceny.

Money & Commissary

The procedure to send money to Winnebago County Jail jail inmates might change, so review the Winnebago County Jail site before you send funds to an inmate.

How To Send Money to an Inmate at Winnebago County Jail

You will have your own ‘bank account’ while in jail. This money is used to purchase items from the Commissary. Family and friends can deposit money into this account for you, and any money you earn while in prison will also be deposited into your account. Outside money can be paid in to your account via a money order, cash or check. If someone sends a check or money order, make sure that they write your inmate ID on it. The maximum amount you are allowed in your account is $290 per month.

Guidelines For Sending Money To An Inmate

Before you send any money you should find out what online money transfer companies the jail your inmate is incarcerated in uses. The exact method that the Winnebago County Jail uses changes frequently, so it is best to call them at (641) 585-3632 to get the current payment method.

You may be required to be on the inmate’s visitation list in order to send them money, and be aware that they may have a limit on how much you deposit at one time, like $200-300 at a time, or a limit on how much money may be in the inmate’s account at one time.

Some of the money transfer firms being used by various facilities include JPay, MoneyGram, AccessCorrections, OffenderConnect, Touchpayonline, JailATM, WU, smartdeposit, and tigercommissary.

If an inmate has fines or are required to pay restitution then they will be subject to garnishment of their commissary/trust account. If the inmate has a garnishment, then money to pay them will be taken from the inmateâ€™s bank account. In some cases it may be a percentage or the entire amount of the obligation, but the actual percentage depends on the circumstances. We recommend that inmates talk to the counselor at their facility and try to find out. You can also try to make an arrangement so that only a percentage of your commissary funds are taken, instead of all your funds take at one time.

Commissary

The commissary is the Winnebago County Jail store. You can buy a number of things here, like toiletries, snacks and writing supplies. Bear in mind that you will probably want to buy things from the commissary daily, and any infractions will get that privilege taken away from you.

The Commissary will sell an assortment of different products that the inmate can buy if they have money in their account. These items include clothes, shoes, small snacks and other food items, in addition to hygiene products such as soap, shampoo, and disposable razors for shaving. The commissary also sells other things like books and magazines, televisions and radios, playing cards, headphones, MP3 players, and electronic tablets. They also sell everything need to write home to family, friends, and loved ones: paper, envelopes, and stamps. If an inmate is indigent and cannot afford paper and stamps, the jail will provide these things to an inmate who has not had any money in their commissary account for at least 30 days.

Phone Calls & Phone Usage Policy

Phone calls that inmates are allowed to make from the Winnebago County Jail are collect calls or through a pre-paid phone account . Jail phone calls are usually more costly than phone calls made at home. There are certain restrictions about when and how often you can use the phone, but inmates should keep in mind that there are a limited number of phones, so all the inmates must share phone time. If you break the jail rules, your ability to use the phone may be limited or eliminated completely, as part of the punishment.

Phone Number: (641) 585-3632

How To Save Money on Inmate Calls

Correctional facility phone service companies have exclusive contracts at every facility that they operate the phone services for, which means that they they control how much it costs to make phone calls. The profits these phone service providers make from all of the inmate phone calls are split with the facility, so there is no incentive for the jail or the counselors at the facility to show inmates or their family how to save money on inmate phone calls at the Winnebago County Jail. The prices are posted and there are at least two different prices based on where the inmate is calling. The following three things will determine how much an inmate phone call will cost: Where you are located; Where your inmate is located, What type of phone number you have.

For example, if your inmate is in federal prison, if you get a new local number then this will decrease your inmate’s phone call rate from $.21 per minute to only $.06 per minute.

For state prisons and local jails finding out how to decrease your inmates phone charges is more difficult. ArrestedResources.com keeps up to date with all of the changes that affect your inmate’s calling rate and in most cases is able to offer you an inmate calling number that will save you significantly on how much it costs you to call your inmate. There are some circumstances where we will not be able to save you any money, and therefore we will not offer you an inmate calling number. In these cases, the jail has set their phone call rates in a way that nobody can save you money.

For more detailed information on how to save on inmate calls at Winnebago County Jail, click the link below.

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