Iowa State Penitentiary Overview
Iowa State Penitentiary, often shortened to ISP, is operated by the Iowa Department of Corrections. The DOC facility page identifies ISP as a maximum-security state prison in Fort Madison in Lee County. It is not a county jail, not a local booking center, and not the place to search for most same-day Lee County arrests. It houses sentenced Iowa DOC prisoners.
The current prison was built in 2014 and opened in 2015, according to the DOC facility page. Iowa DOC named Janie Mendez as warden in an April 2, 2026 news release. The prison's public role in Lee County search results can be confusing because ISP sits inside Lee County, but its population comes from statewide prison commitments. A person moved from Lee County Jail to ISP should be searched as a DOC offender, not as a current county jail inmate.
The official ISP facility page is shown in the source image below. The linked source is the Iowa Department of Corrections page for Iowa State Penitentiary.
The facility source supports the prison-specific address, security level, warden, capacity, visiting, and program details used here.
Iowa State Penitentiary Population
ISP has several source-specific population and capacity figures, and they should not be flattened into one number. The DOC facility page lists capacity as approximately 760. Iowa DOC Daily Statistics for June 12, 2026 list Fort Madison with a current count of 722, capacity of 612, and medical/segregation count of 153. A DOC annual PREA report source snippet identified ISP as a maximum-security prison for men with capacity to house 790 individuals and an FY23 average population of 727.32.
| Measure | Figure | Source note |
|---|---|---|
| Facility page capacity | Approx. 760 | Iowa DOC ISP facility page, captured June 2026. |
| Daily current count | 722 | Iowa DOC Daily Statistics, Fort Madison, June 12, 2026. |
| Daily capacity field | 612 | Iowa DOC Daily Statistics, Fort Madison, June 12, 2026. |
| Medical/segregation | 153 | Iowa DOC Daily Statistics, Fort Madison, June 12, 2026. |
The daily statistics screen is also a useful way to compare ISP with the rest of the Iowa prison system. The source image below links to the Iowa DOC Daily Statistics page.
Daily DOC figures can change, so use the source date when citing a count or capacity number.
Search Iowa State Penitentiary Records
Use Iowa DOC Offender Search for Iowa State Penitentiary inmate lookup. The DOC search covers prison, parole, probation, work release, and other Iowa DOC statuses. It is updated weekly, and the DOC disclaimer says records are public information under Iowa Code 904.601(1), but accuracy is not warranted and information can change quickly.
- Open Iowa DOC Offender Search, not the Lee County Jail roster path.
- Search by first, middle, and last name, or use an offender number if known.
- Use the location filter for Iowa State Penitentiary when you need to narrow the prison placement.
- Use county of commitment when the sentence came from Lee County, but remember ISP also houses people from other counties.
- Confirm status and visit eligibility with ISP before planning mail, money, or travel.
| DOC field | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Name | Search by first, middle, and last name, with matching options. |
| Offender number | Directs the search when the DOC number is known. |
| Location | Can identify Iowa State Penitentiary or First Judicial District status. |
| County of commitment | Helps tie a state DOC record to a Lee County sentence when available. |
Iowa State Penitentiary Contact
Use ISP's prison contact for facility-specific questions about a sentenced prisoner, visiting, facility rules, and DOC family services. Use Lee County Jail only for local jail custody. The two systems do not answer the same question, even when a Lee County court case led to the prison sentence.
Iowa State Penitentiary
2111 330th Ave.
PO Box 316
Fort Madison, IA 52627
319-372-5432
Visit questions: 319-376-4850
Iowa State Penitentiary Visits
ISP visitation is a DOC prison process. The research states that reservations are made in the Ameelio App only. The current in-person limit is one visit per visiting week, the visiting week runs Friday through Monday, and incarcerated people in segregation status do not have contact visits. Visitors are subject to search, including pat down, metal detectors, electronic ion scanners, other electronic devices, or visual searches. Refusal means entrance is denied.
| Visit type | Days and times | Length | Scheduling |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-person | Saturday 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 2:30 p.m.; Sunday 8:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 2:30 p.m. | 2 hours | Ameelio App only. |
| Video | Monday 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. | 50 minutes | Ameelio App only. |
| Attorney | Contact the prison directly if an approved attorney needs manual in-person scheduling. | Not stated | Facility contact. |
Iowa State Penitentiary Mail
Iowa DOC non-legal mail uses Pigeonly for scanning and delivery. The DOC mail page says non-legal mail is opened, scanned into a digital color copy, printed, and delivered to the proper Iowa DOC facility. Originals are not returned and are temporarily stored, then securely destroyed under DOC policy. ISP's mailing code is 1110. Legal mail follows a different path and should be handled under DOC rules.
The DOC money page says Western Union can be used. The sender needs the recipient's commissary number and the correctional facility name. The DOC family services pages also route families to visiting information, communications, money, care packages, books, attorney contact, and admission-to-prison resources.
| Service | Provider or detail |
|---|---|
| Non-legal mail | Pigeonly scanning and printed delivery under Iowa DOC mail rules. |
| Facility code | ISP code 1110. |
| Money deposit | Western Union with commissary number and correctional facility name. |
The captured source below links to the Iowa DOC mail rules page.
Use the DOC mail source before sending photos, cards, newsletters, or other non-legal mail because format rules can be strict.
Iowa State Penitentiary Programs
ISP program information in the research comes from Iowa DOC sources. Iowa Prison Industries programs include cabinetry, recreation, and woodworking. Southeastern Community College programs include Basic Literacy, English as a Second Language, and High School Equivalency Diploma preparation. U.S. Department of Labor items include ACTIV, apprenticeships in cabinetry, food service, and housing, LTRH Program, and Thinking for a Change.
Recent DOC news also matters for ISP facility context. Iowa DOC announced Janie Mendez as the new warden on April 2, 2026. The DOC also reported the death of inmate Gerald Steven Parker at Iowa State Penitentiary in a May 5, 2026 press release. Those items are prison news and conditions context, not county jail records.
Note: Confirm custody, visit approval, and mail format with Iowa State Penitentiary before traveling or sending items.