Scheduling Your First Visit at Iowa State Penitentiary: How to Use the Ameelio App
Planning your first visit to Iowa State Penitentiary? Here's the essential: you'll book through the Ameelio app, but only after you've been approved as a visitor.
At Iowa State Penitentiary - like all Iowa Department of Corrections facilities - visits aren't scheduled by phone. You can't just show up and hope for the best, either. Everything goes through the Ameelio app: in-person visits and video visits alike. The upside? Both options are free for approved friends and family members.
Heads up: You must be approved by the Iowa Department of Corrections before you can schedule an in-person or video visit.
- Download the Ameelio app - This is the only way to schedule Iowa DOC visits (in-person or video), so start here.
- Create your account - Use your own information so your account matches your visitor status.
- Find and add the person you want to visit - Use the search tools in the app to locate them and connect your account to their profile.
- Submit the visitor information the app asks for - If you’re not already approved, you’ll need to complete the Iowa DOC visitor approval process before you’ll be able to schedule.
- Schedule your visit once you’re approved - After approval is on file, you’ll use the app to choose and book either an in-person visit or a video visit.
Note: Ameelio can’t approve or deny visitation. If you’re waiting on approval, that decision is handled by facility staff, not Ameelio support.
Iowa DOC offers both in-person and video visits at no cost to approved visitors. Either way, you'll book through Ameelio. The difference is purely logistical: in-person means driving to the facility and going through check-in, while video visits happen remotely. Same scheduling process, different experience.
Reminder: Approval and availability are controlled by the facility. If you don’t see scheduling options yet, the next step is usually to confirm your approval status.
Ameelio support handles app issues - account setup, password resets, technical glitches. They can't approve or deny your visitation request. That's the facility's call. So if you're wondering "Why am I not approved?" or "Why can't I book yet?" - those answers come from facility staff, not Ameelio.
Tips First Time Users
- ✓ Take screenshots of any error messages before you close the app.
- ✓ Keep any visit confirmations (or approval notifications) saved on your phone.
- ✓ Double-check that you’re signed into the correct Ameelio account before you try to schedule.
- ✓ If you’re stuck in “waiting” status, be patient - approvals are handled by facility staff, not Ameelio.
- ✓ When you contact support, include the screenshots and a clear description of what you were trying to do when it failed.
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