South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency

All visits at South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency must be prearranged—call ahead to schedule and sign in individually on the visitor log when you arrive. Bring a photo ID; you won't get in without one. Visitors must be 18 or older, or be a parent/legal guardian. Minors under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and step-parents or step-grandparents need pre-approval from the Facility Director. Up to three qualified visitors are allowed per visit. Juveniles are limited to one visit per day and are pat-searched afterward. Visits last 30 minutes on school days (evening blocks) and 1 hour on weekends, holidays, or non-school days (morning, afternoon, and evening blocks). Leave non-essential items in lobby lockers or your vehicle—nothing can be exchanged with juveniles. The campus is smoke-free, and visits can be denied, canceled, or ended for safety or security reasons.

Phone contact at South Iowa Area Detention is tightly scheduled and identity-verified. If you're a legal guardian calling to speak with your child, you'll need a secret code word—use it every time you request contact. Juveniles get one 15-minute call per day during non-school hours, and calls must wrap up by 8:00 p.m. Once a juvenile reaches Level 3 Day 14, a second daily call may be allowed to a pre-approved relative. Calls to a juvenile's worker or attorney aren't direct—detention staff place those during regular business hours (9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.). The facility asks that you avoid requesting calls during Breakfast (7:30–8:00 a.m.), Lunch (11:30–12:00 p.m.), Group (3:30–4:30 p.m.), and Supper (4:30–5:00 p.m.). Calls go through a vendor-style outbound system to approved numbers.

Intake at South Iowa Area Detention Service Agency is structured around safety and basic needs. On admission, juveniles shower while staff inventory their clothing and personal items, placing everything in a labeled bag for secure storage. Any money is documented and secured by the facility. Youth receive clean underwear, a t-shirt, socks, shoes, and a uniform (females also get a bra), then are assigned a room. Each juvenile gets a Juvenile Handbook—staff explain the basic rules, answer questions, and assign someone to develop an individualized care plan. A nurse and nurse practitioner see the juvenile as soon as possible for a physical and medical assessment. After intake, they join the group for regular activities. Education is mandatory unless the juvenile provides written proof of a GED or diploma. One important note: discussing other people's crimes with a juvenile can affect future visits or calls.