Des Moines Police Jail

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The Des Moines Police Jail is located at 25 East 1St Street in Des Moines, IA and is a medium security police department jail operated by the Des Moines Police Department.

This page tells you all the information about everything related to the Des Moines Police Jail, like how to find an inmate at the Des Moines Police Jail, the jail’s phone number and address, intake procedures and booking, court information, and much much more.

Top 10 Searches for Des Moines Police Jail

1. Des Moines Police Jail Information
2. Des Moines Police Jail Inmate Search
3. Polk County Inmate Search in Des Moines, IA
4. What Are the Visitation Rules for Des Moines Police Jail
5. Des Moines Police Jail Visitation Hours
6. How To Save Money on Inmate Calls at Des Moines Police Jail
7. Des Moines Police Jail Care Packages
8. What is Inmate Commissary?
9. How to Send Money to an Inmate at Des Moines Police Jail
10. How to Search Polk County Arrest Records

Introduction

This guide is meant to give you all the advice and information you need to make going to jail a lot easier. If you have a specific question, just ask them, and any feedback or comments that would be beneficial to others is appreciated.

Des Moines Police Jail Inmate Search

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Who’s In Jail

The Des Moines Police Jail Inmate Search is a list of individuals who were arrested and are now in jail, including custody status, and times you can visit. You can also find the same information on anyone booked or discharged in the past 24 hours. Inmates are listed in alphabetical order by last name. You’ll be able to get the information more quickly if you’ve got their full name, date of birth, or inmate ID Number.

Des Moines Police Jail Policies and Procedures

Intake Procedures

The jail intake process at the Des Moines Police Jail takes you through each of the following steps:

You will be placed in a waiting area or cell. When the jail is busy, it will take a while to get processed.

The first step is that you have to answer a bunch of questions, such as what is your full legal name, your address, date of birth and a contact person, and they’ll also ask about your psychological and medical history. Next, you’ll be given an inmate ID and you will get fingerprinted. Then, Any property you have will be taken away from you and will be stored until you are released.

You will be allowed to make a telephone call in order to call family, friends, or loved one.

If you are expected to be released shortly, you might get to wear your own clothes, but if you are not expected to make bail quickly you you will be given a jail uniform.

Discharge Procedures

When you post bail, you will get released from jail. This process takes between 30 minutes to hours or even all day long. So, the faster you post bail, the quicker you will get discharged. It also can depend on whether or not you’ve got a bond amount or if a magistrate still needs to figure out the bail amount. For a minor offense, you will be booked and get released without having to post bail. When you get to the end of your sentence and are given a date of your release, you should plan to get discharged between 9am and noon.

Des Moines Police Jail Visitation

To have visitors, you have to give the name and date of birth of each visitor to the Des Moines Police Jail in advance of any visit. Your visitors will be put into a log of approved visitors as an authorized visitor. Every visitor will be required to provide a photo ID when visiting. Any visitors arriving late or any visitors that are not approved to visit will not be able to attend visitation.

The Des Moines Police Jail visitation procedures frequently change, so you should call the jail at 515-283-4836 before you visit an inmate.

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Visitation Rules

In order to visit someone at the Des Moines Police Jail you have to be on the inmate’s approved visitation list.

Be sure to take your up to date government issued ID or valid driver’s license when you go to visitation or you will not be allowed to enter without it.

No phones are allowed at Des Moines Police Jail, and you will be searched before entering. No personal belongings. Anyone on must obtain the permission of both their individual supervising officer and the superintendent before visiting. Usually is not going to be approved.

If the 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 a visitor is younger than 18 years old and is not related to the inmate, the minor 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 magazines to an inmate at the Des Moines Police Jail. Incoming and outgoing inmate mail at the Des Moines Police 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.

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Sending Other Things to an Inmate

There are strict procedures that you must follow to send anything to an inmate at the Des Moines Police 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 Des Moines Police 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 have an outstanding warrant for your arrest, you are able to check the court records on the Polk County court website or you are able to call the jail directly. You have to have the person’s first and last name. Or, you can just go the jail in person and ask the officer in charge. Keep in mind that if there is a warrant for your arrest, you will be taken into custody immediately.

Arrest Record Search

If you have a first and last name, as well as their arrest date, contact the Polk County jail, by phone, go there in person, or find out online. Records of arrests are in the public record and these records are accessible by the public.

Court Records

Court Records are public records and available to anyone. Court Records include a court case file that includes a court docket and all documents filed in the court case. You can access the court records on the internet, or at the Polk County Clerk of Court in the jurisdiction where the case was filed.

Criminal Records

Each and every state maintains records of a person’s criminal background. These state databases are linked together and you can track criminal convictions from other states. You can go to courthouse and inquire, or you can check online. It helps to know which county the crime occurred in, and in the event that the crime was in a totally different state, you may have to pay a fee for a more intensive search.

When you look up a person’s crminal records you will get a report detailing any arrests, charges, or convictions that may be on a person’s record for DWI or DUI, drug offenses, kidnapping, rape or other sexual assault, violent crimes, or theft.

Money & Commissary

The process for sending money to Des Moines Police Jail jail inmates are always changing, so it would be best to double check the Des Moines Police Jail site before you send any funds.

How To Send Money to an Inmate at Des Moines Police 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 Des Moines Police Jail uses changes frequently, so it is best to call them at 515-283-4836 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 inmate’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 Des Moines Police Jail store. Inmates can buy several different things here, like toiletries, snacks and writing supplies. Keep in mind that you will probably want to use the commissary daily, and any infractions will cause you to lose commissary privileges.

The Commissary will sell an assortment of different items that inmates can buy if they have enough money in their trust account. These items include clothes, shoes, small snacks and other food items, as well as hygiene products like 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

The only phone calls that Des Moines Police Jail inmates are allowed to make are made through a jail approved pre-paid phone account or phone card . Phone calls made in jail are generally pricier than phone calls made at home. There is no limit to when you can make phone calls, how long you can talk, and how often you can make calls, but bear in mind that there are a limited number of phones, so all the inmates must share phone time. If you break the rules and are disciplined, your ability to use the phone may be limited or forbidden.

Phone Number: 515-283-4836

How To Save Money on Inmate Calls

Correctional facility phone service companies have a monopoly at each facility that they operate, which means that they they control how much it costs to make phone calls. The profits these phone service providers make off of all phone calls that inmates make are shared 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 Des Moines Police Jail. The prices are posted and there are at least two pricing tiers based on where the inmate is calling. These three things will determine the cost of an inmate phone call: 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 the other correctional facilities like state prisons, and local and county jails finding out how to lower your inmates phone charges can be 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 a lot of money on calling your inmate. There are some circumstances where we won’t be able to save you money on your inmate calls, and in these cases we will not offer you an inmate calling number. In these cases, the jail or prison has set their inmate calling prices in a way that nobody will be able to save you money.

For more detailed information on how to save on inmate calls at Des Moines Police Jail, click the link below.

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