The Lee County Inmate Population
Lee County has a local jail system and a separate state prison system inside the same county. The Lee County Jail is operated by the Lee County Sheriff's Office from the Montrose sheriff office. It handles local arrests, pretrial detention, short county sentences, people awaiting bond, and possible agency holds. Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison is different. It is an Iowa Department of Corrections prison for sentenced state prisoners and should not be mixed with the county jail count.
That split matters for every Lee County inmate population question. A person arrested by the sheriff, Fort Madison police, Keokuk police, Iowa State Patrol, or another local agency may first be booked at the county jail. If charges are filed, case records move to Iowa Courts Online. If the person is sentenced to prison or placed on parole, probation, or work release, Iowa DOC Offender Search becomes the better locator. Federal defendants, sentenced federal prisoners, and immigration detainees use BOP, U.S. Marshals, or ICE systems.
Lee County Inmate Population Statistics
The strongest current population figures located for Lee County are state prison figures for Fort Madison, not a current county jail dashboard. Official county pages did not publish a current Lee County Jail capacity, current jail count, annual booking total, or demographic table in the sources captured. The only jail-specific population figure located from a high-authority source was historical: Prisoners of the Census republished BJS 2013 data showing Lee County Jail local average daily population of 54.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Date |
|---|---|---|
| Lee County population | 33,555 | Lee County About page, captured June 2026 |
| Lee County Jail local ADP | 54 | Prisoners of the Census / BJS jail data, 2013 |
| Iowa State Penitentiary capacity | Approx. 760 | Iowa DOC ISP facility page, captured June 2026 |
| Fort Madison current count | 722 | Iowa DOC daily statistics, June 12, 2026 |
Lee County Inmate Population Trends
Trend data is strongest for Iowa State Penitentiary. The old Fort Madison prison population was listed as 972 in 2012 by Prisoners of the Census. Later DOC and PREA sources show lower modern ISP counts after the current prison opened. The county jail side is thinner. No official current Lee County Jail daily count or multi-year jail trend table was located, so the jail trend should be treated as a documented data gap instead of filled with third-party estimates.
| Year / Date | Facility / Measure | Count / Capacity | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Iowa State Penitentiary population | 972 | Historical state facility data at old Fort Madison site. |
| 2013 | Lee County Jail local ADP | 54 | Historical jail figure from BJS data republished by Prisoners of the Census. |
| FY23 | ISP average population | 727.32 | Iowa DOC annual PREA report source snippet. |
| 06/12/2026 | Fort Madison current count | 722 | Iowa DOC daily statistics. |
Lee County Custody Systems
Current custody can look different depending on timing. A person may be in the Lee County Jail before a court case appears. A person may have a court case after release. A person may be in Iowa DOC custody after sentencing, even if the case began in Lee County. Iowa State Penitentiary also houses state prisoners from across Iowa, so a Fort Madison prison count is not the same thing as Lee County Jail population.
| Question | Best Starting Point | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Is the person in local jail now? | Lee County Jail phone | No official county-hosted roster was located. |
| Were charges filed after arrest? | Iowa Courts Online | The court docket indexes public filings and proceedings. |
| Was the person sentenced to prison? | Iowa DOC Offender Search | DOC covers prison, parole, probation, work release, and county of commitment. |
| Is it a federal or ICE matter? | BOP, USMS, or ICE | Those systems are separate from county jail and Iowa DOC custody. |
Laws Governing Lee County Inmate Records
Iowa public-record law frames most Lee County jail record requests. Iowa Code Chapter 22 defines public records, gives people the right to examine and copy public records unless another law limits access, and allows lawful custodians to charge for some work. Lee County Sheriff's Office records guidance also cites Iowa Code 22.8(4), which permits a good-faith delay while the office decides whether a requested record is confidential or releasable.
Key access rules:
Iowa Code Chapter 22 defines public records and the public right to examine or copy them, subject to exceptions.
Iowa Code 22.7 lists confidential records, which can affect juvenile, medical, investigative, victim, and protected jail information.
Lee County Sheriff's records request page cites Iowa Code 22.8(4) for review delays when confidentiality must be decided.
Search Lee County Inmate Population
No direct official Lee County Iowa jail roster was located on the county or sheriff website in the research sources. That changes the lookup order. For a same-day arrest or current Lee County Jail custody question, call the jail direct line first. Have the full legal name, date of birth if known, arrest date, arresting agency, and possible spelling variations ready. If staff cannot release the detail by phone, use the sheriff records request process.
- Call Lee County Jail at 319-376-2355 for current local custody.
- Use VINELink Iowa for custody status and victim notification when available.
- Search Iowa Courts Online after charges are filed.
- Use Iowa DOC Offender Search for sentenced prisoners or community supervision.
- Check BOP or ICE ODLS for federal or immigration custody.
Past Lee County Inmate Records
Past jail records are most likely to require a public-records request. The Lee County Sheriff's Office records page says to complete the records request form and return it by mail or email. The first 30 minutes of staff time are free. Additional staff time and physical copies, discs, or flash drives are billed. If records can be emailed, the page says the paper, disc, or flash-drive fee is waived. The bill must be paid before records are released.
Requests are ordinarily processed within 10 business days. The sheriff page also says the custodian may take up to 20 calendar days to decide whether records should be released when confidentiality review is needed. A useful request names the person, date of birth, arrest or booking date, arresting agency, case number if known, and the specific records requested, such as booking record, arrest report, jail log, or booking photograph.
Lee County Inmate Record Fields
A current Lee County Jail public roster field inventory could not be captured because no official county roster was located. For jail custody, the public record may come from jail phone confirmation, a sheriff records release, a VINE status result, or a later court docket. DOC and court systems have their own fields, and each one answers a different question.
| Record Source | Likely Public Details | Main Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Lee County Jail phone | Current custody or routing information when releasable. | Not a full public database. |
| Sheriff records request | Booking, arrest, incident, jail, or mugshot records subject to review. | Fees, timing, redactions, and exemptions may apply. |
| Iowa Courts Online | Case number, filed charges, docket entries, hearings, bond orders, and dispositions. | Does not prove current jail custody. |
| Iowa DOC Offender Search | Name, offender number, location, offense, county of commitment, and status fields. | Updated weekly and not for county jail bookings. |
Lee County Detention Facilities
Facility pages should be read by role. The county jail is the local booking point. Iowa State Penitentiary is a state prison physically in Lee County. DOC field offices support probation, parole, and supervision but do not hold people overnight like a jail. Federal and ICE custody is a lookup path serving Lee County cases, not a local Lee County detention building found in official sources.
- Lee County Jail - local pretrial detainees, county sentences, recent arrests, and agency holds handled by the sheriff.
- Iowa State Penitentiary - sentenced Iowa DOC prisoners at the maximum-security prison in Fort Madison.
- Iowa DOC 1st District Lee County North Office - probation, parole, field services, and supervision contacts in Fort Madison.
- Iowa DOC 1st District Lee County South Office - community corrections and supervision contacts in Keokuk.
- Federal / ICE custody serving Lee County - BOP, USMS, and ICE lookup routes when custody is outside county and state systems.
Lee County Inmate Population FAQ
How big is the Lee County inmate population? Current official Lee County Jail population was not located in county sources. The historical jail ADP located was 54 in 2013 BJS data. Iowa DOC daily statistics listed Fort Madison at 722 on June 12, 2026, but that is Iowa State Penitentiary, not the county jail.
How do I search the Lee County inmate population? Start with custody stage. Call Lee County Jail for current local custody, use Iowa Courts Online for filed charges, Iowa DOC Offender Search after sentencing or supervision, and BOP or ICE for federal or immigration custody.
Does Lee County publish a jail roster online? A direct official Lee County Iowa web roster was not located on the sheriff or county pages reviewed. The sheriff pages instead provide the jail phone, VINE and Iowa Courts Online links, and a records request process.
Why does a Lee County search point to Fort Madison? Fort Madison is home to Iowa State Penitentiary. It is a state prison in Lee County, so it appears in local inmate population research, but it is not the Lee County Jail.
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