The jail serving Monroe County sits at:
103 2nd Ave.
Albia, IA 52531
and adults arrested on felony or misdemeanor charges are booked here.
Most arrests come from the sheriff’s own deputies, joined by police from cities and towns in the county that do not operate a jail. During intake, staff take photographs and fingerprints, inventory belongings, look for active warrants and complete a health screening before deciding where to house each person.
The Iowa State Patrol and other state officers also book arrests here, and federal agencies such as the U.S. Marshals and ICE may hold people at this jail too.
Since 2018, Iowa law (Senate File 481) has barred cities and counties from adopting sanctuary policies and requires local law enforcement to comply with federal immigration detainer requests, with state funding at risk for agencies that refuse. A person placed in federal immigration custody after leaving the jail can be found with the ICE Online Detainee Locator.
Arrest information comes from the sheriff’s official booking list (opens in a new tab) or an official statewide jail list. Where the county allows it, entries can include a booking photo, each charge and the arresting agency. Questions about a specific record can go to the Monroe County Jail at 641-932-7815.
Intake may wrap up in two hours or stretch across a whole day, depending on how many people are ahead in line at booking.
Iowa courts can release people on their own promise to appear, on an unsecured bond or on cash or surety bail. Under Iowa Code 811.3, insurance companies doing business in the state may serve as sureties, and only peace officers or properly licensed bail enforcement agents who have notified local law enforcement may arrest a defendant who skipped bail (Iowa Code 811.12). An arrested person must be taken before a magistrate without unnecessary delay, and a warrantless arrest requires a judicial finding of probable cause within 48 hours. More on posting bail is on our Bail page.
Calling the jail directly at 641-932-7815 is usually the fastest way to learn whether a friend or relative is in custody.
Depending on the system, you may reach an automated name search or a staff member. To protect privacy and avoid mix-ups, staff often ask for the person’s date of birth.
A fresh arrest may not show up in jail records for several hours.
Prefer to search online? Try the Monroe County Jail Booking Roster.
After the arrest and Miranda warning, the person is transported to the Monroe County jail run by the sheriff, sometimes by way of a city police station, where booking begins.
Iowa law gives anyone held at a place of detention the right, without unnecessary delay after arriving, to call, consult and see a family member or an attorney of their choice, or both. Beyond that, lawyers typically advise saying nothing about the case, because jail conversations and calls may be recorded and used in court.
Booking officers take a booking photo and fingerprints and go over the person’s background, health and state of mind. In some serious cases a DNA sample may also be collected. Warrant checks cover Monroe County, other Iowa jurisdictions and national databases.
In operating-while-intoxicated (OWI) cases, refusing a chemical test leads to revocation of the driver’s license under Iowa’s implied consent law, and officers may obtain a warrant for a blood draw by medical staff.
A strip search may follow, in which the person undresses, squats and coughs in front of an officer. Many jails also use a metal detector or body scanner much like airport security.
Staff ask about medical conditions, prescriptions, allergies, drug and alcohol use, suicidal thoughts, tattoos, gang membership and any safety concerns. These answers decide housing, classification and whether a nurse or mental health worker needs to see the person.
The jail takes and logs all personal belongings and keeps them until release. With written permission from the person in custody, property can often be handed over to a family member or friend.
That includes clothing, cash, purses, wallets, cell phones, rings, earrings, body piercings and watches. Glasses can be held for security reasons, and laces are pulled from any shoes the person is allowed to keep.
Once intake is finished, the person can use the phone to reach family or a lawyer and to begin setting up bond or bail.
People who stay in custody until their first appearance are issued a uniform, sandals or slip-on shoes, bedding, a towel and toiletries by the Monroe County Jail.
A shower is usually required before housing, and some jails apply a delousing treatment for lice or scabies.
The process runs from roughly one hour to a day or more. The number of arrivals, available staff and how cooperative the person is all make a difference.
An intoxicated or aggressive arrestee may sit in a holding cell for a few hours before officers can safely finish booking.