What Happens During Intake at South Iowa Detention: A Parent’s Step-by-Step Guide

One of the first things that happens at SIADSA is a shower. It's a standard part of the intake routine and happens early in the process.

Your child's clothing and personal items get inventoried and placed in a property bag. This keeps everything organized and accounted for while they're in custody.

If your child arrives with money, staff document it and store it in a secured area. If you have any say in what comes through the door, keep it simple - skip the extra cash or valuables. Everything has to be logged and stored.

Issued Clothing

• ✓ Clean underwear
• ✓ T-shirt
• ✓ Shoes
• ✓ Socks
• ✓ Uniform
• ✓ Bra (issued to females)

Once the initial steps wrap up, your child gets assigned a room. This is part of settling them into the facility's daily routine.

They'll receive a Juvenile Handbook, and staff will walk them through the basic rules and expectations. Think of it as the foundation for daily life inside - what's allowed, what isn't, and what's expected of them.

Early in the process, a staff member gets assigned to work with your child on an individualized care plan. In plain terms: someone is responsible for understanding what your child needs and building a plan around those needs while they're at the detention center.

Medical staff get involved early too. A nurse and nurse practitioner will see your child as soon as possible for a physical and to assess any medical needs. If you're worried about health concerns, know that this step is built into the intake timeline so issues can be identified and addressed quickly.