Iowa State Penitentiary

Iowa State Penitentiary offers free in-person and video visits for approved friends and family. You'll schedule every visit through the Ameelio app—Ameelio handles scheduling, but the facility makes approval decisions. To get approved, print the visitor application, sign it, and mail it in. Electronic applications aren't accepted. Each adult submits their own application; minors go on a parent or guardian's form. When you arrive, expect security screening: pat-downs, metal detectors, ion scanners, electronic-device checks, or visual searches. Refuse a search and you won't get in. Dress rules are enforced. Shoes are required. Miniskirts, above-the-knee shorts, muscle shirts, see-through clothing, and halter tops aren't allowed. Denied visitation? You can appeal in writing to the Central Visiting Authority at Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility.

Electronic messaging at Iowa State Penitentiary runs through O-mail (CorrLinks). Register at www.corrlinks.com to send messages—each one costs $0.25. Keep your notes tight: messages max out at 13,000 characters or 100 lines (about 2 pages). For phone contact, the facility doesn't accept incoming calls. Your loved one has to call you, and they'll need to add your number to their approved calling list first. Local, intrastate, and interstate calls run $0.06. International rates vary by destination. Iowa law also authorizes an inmate telephone fund, which supports offender benefits like legal services, religious accommodations, education, and victim-related purposes.

All incoming non-legal mail for Iowa State Penitentiary goes through Pigeonly's central processing facility. Don't send mail directly to the institution—it'll just get rerouted to the processor anyway. Address your envelope with the incarcerated person's full name, inmate/booking number, and facility code 1110. Pigeonly opens all non-legal mail and creates a color digital scan that gets delivered to the facility. Originals aren't returned—they're retained and eventually destroyed under the processor's policy. You can send photos through U.S. Mail using the Pigeonly addresses too. Pelipost is the approved photo print provider for ISP, with 4x6 and 5x7 prints allowed (limit 10). Legal or privileged mail works differently—mark it appropriately and follow the facility's rules rather than using the central processing address.

Commissary funds for Iowa State Penitentiary go through Iowa DOC's centralized banking system at Fort Dodge Correctional Facility—not the penitentiary itself. To mail funds, send cashier's checks or money orders only to: IDOC Offender Fiduciary Account, 1550 L Street, Suite B, Fort Dodge, IA 50501. Include the inmate's name and ID so the deposit doesn't get delayed or returned. Prefer online or phone deposits? You've got options. Access Corrections takes deposits at www.accesscorrections.com (fees start at $3.49) or by phone at 1-866-345-1884. JPay accepts Visa/MasterCard at www.JPay.com, with fees typically $3.95–$10.95; call 1-800-574-5729 for phone deposits. Western Union Send2Corrections is another route—use the inmate's commissary number and facility name, or call 1-800-634-3422 (option 2).