How to send messages, photos, and packages
Staying connected with someone at Polk County Jail mostly happens through phone and video. Most inmates can use the phones daily from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm, but all calls are collect-only—no incoming calls allowed. Calls may be recorded. The phone vendor is Viapath/gettingout. Inmates also receive two 5-minute video visits per week and up to 10 minutes of phone calls per week for free. Since Polk uses third-party vendors, you'll need to create and verify an account (and possibly validate your phone number) before receiving calls or scheduling video visits. Before a video visit, test your device, camera, and connection. Follow the vendor's scheduling and payment steps if you want additional time or paid services.
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
Mail at Polk County Jail goes through a third-party processor, so the address and envelope contents matter. Follow the exact format below to make sure your letter or money order gets accepted—not returned.
Polk County Jail switched to a TextBehind/Viapath mail scanning system in mid-February 2024. This changes where you send letters and what gets rejected—double-check the address and rules before mailing anything.
Phones are generally available daily from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm. All calls are collect-only, incoming calls aren’t allowed, and calls may be recorded. Polk lists Viapath/gettingout as its phone vendor.
Inmates receive two 5-minute video visits per week. They also get up to 10 minutes of phone calls per week for free.
Usually, yes. Polk uses Viapath/gettingout, and you'll typically need to create and verify an account with them—often including phone-number validation—before you can receive calls or schedule video visits.
Send letters to TextBehind's Phoenix, MD P.O. Box for scanning and digital delivery. The vendor keeps the originals, and they may be destroyed after 60 days if not requested.
No. TextBehind and the jail commonly reject books, magazines, and newspapers. Paperback books from the public aren't accepted. If books are allowed, they must ship directly from the publisher—Amazon and other reseller shipments get refused.
Put only the money order in an envelope and mail it via USPS to the jail’s local street address designated for money-order deposits. Address it using the inmate’s full booking name so the deposit can be credited correctly.
Bring your photo ID. Polk County Jail requires it for entry, and you'll be turned away without one. Before you leave home, double-check that it's in your pocket or purse.
Posting bail can get confusing fast—especially when you're trying to help from out of town. Here's how it works at Polk County Jail, including what changed under SB48 and the ways families can actually pay when bail is available.
Polk County Jail uses Viapath for inmate deposits. Add money online at www.gettingout.com, or call 866-516-0115 to deposit by phone. Both options work for funding an inmate's trust/commissary account.
