Polk County Jail, IA Bail & Bonds

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Polk County Jail

Address:
1985 NE 51st Place
Des Moines, IA 50313
Phone:
515-323-5400

If a cash bond (or bail) has been set, you may pay the amount in full at the Polk County Clerk of Court office.

500 Mulberry Street
Room 212
Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: 515-286-3772

Checks are not acceptable for bond.

If the judge ordered that a surety bond may be posted, you may use a bonding company. Search online for a licensed bond agent for Polk County.
You would enter into an agreement with the bonding company, which would post a bond for a fee.
If the judge ordered that 10% may be posted, you may pay 10% of the bond amount to the clerk of court office.
You may be able to use a credit card to pay online. Check with the Clerk of Court first on this.
If you post bond for someone else, this is public information, and you will be listed as a payor on the other person’s case, so you may want to use a bonding company unless you are absolutely sure that the person will show up in court.

Who do I call to find out the Bond for an Inmate?

Please call the jail at 515-323-5400 for the type of bond and any information that is required for a particular individual at Polk County Jail.
A bond is set according to a court-approved schedule.
The purpose of the bond is to assure the offender's appearance in court.

Instructions on how to post Bail or Bond in Polk County

Because Polk County and Iowa can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Polk County Jail at 515-323-5400, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, right after an arrestee has been booked.

Ask the staff at the Polk County Jail or the Polk County Court Clerk these specific questions:

Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
Where do I go to pay it?
Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released.

This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.

Option 1 - How to Post Bail using Cash for a Defendant at Polk County Jail

The first option, a cash bond, is to pay the full bail amount in cash, cashier's check, or money order. Personal Checks are not accepted.

Depending on the crime, this amount could be anywhere from $100 to $75,000 or more.

To pay a cash bond, go to Polk County Jail or to the court where the bail hearing occurred. Going directly to the jail will quicken the release of the defendant as any bail paperwork processed at the court will have to be transferred to the jail.

Cashier's Checks and Money Orders may be made out to Polk County Jail where the defendant is being held, but usually to the Polk County Sheriff's Office or to the Polk County Court.

To purchase money orders visit any Western Union, Moneygram or Post Office.

Option 2 - How to Post a Private or Surety Bond for a Defendant at Polk County Jail

In the event that someone does not have the full bond amount available to him or her, there is what is called a private bond or surety bond.

This is an agreement made with a bail agent or bondsman who will post the full bail amount. In return, the defendant and/or cosigner will pay a premium to the bail agent. This premium will be 10-15% of the full bail amount.

For example, if bail is posted at $5,000, then the premium will cost approximately $500-$750.

A bail agent will often require some form of collateral, for example, a lien on a house, a car or jewelry. This is to ensure that if the defendant skips bail, or does not appear in court, the bail agent has some sort of compensation for the full bail amount being paid.

Remember, by making an agreement with a bail agent the signatory takes responsibility for paying the full bail amount if the defendant does not appear in court.

Option 3 - How to Post a Property Bond for a Defendant at Polk County Jail

If you are a landowner in Polk County you may be able to post a property bond. Property within Polk County may be used as collateral to bail someone out. All owners of the property must be present to sign the bond in order for this to happen.

To find if property located outside of Polk County can be used as collateral, call a local bail or bond agent or contact a defense lawyer.

Click here for additional information on how to post bail at Polk County Jail.

Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Polk County Jail?

Anyone over the age of 18 who can produce a valid government-issued photo ID can post bail. Accepted forms of ID include a Photo Driver's License, Passport, or Motor Vehicle issued ID.

In many circumstances, if the defendant has the resources, they can post their own cash bail from jail.

Surety Bonds are arranged by a third party, typically a Iowa state licensed Bail Bond firm.

Juveniles may only be bailed or bonded out of custody by a parent or legal guardian.

Polk County Justice System Flowchart

When will the Cash Bail or Collateral be returned to me?

Money or collateral will not be returned until the defendant's court case is finished, so realistically it could take several months to years, depending on the severity of the charges. If a defendant posts his or her own bail, Polk County Court may retain whatever amount of fines or fees have accumulated throughout the trial.

What happens to my Bail or Collateral if the Defendant misses Court?

The Polk County Judge may order a failure to appear warrant for the person's arrest or the Judge may order a Bail Commissioner's Letter be issued that will be sent to the person with a new court date.

If cash bail was paid, the entire amount may be forfeited.

Polk County Jail Inmate Mail Policies and Address - What Can You Send, and Where?

For inmates receiving mail in the Polk County Jail there are different addresses and policies depending on the inmate's status, as well as what type of mail they are receiving; personal mail, legal mail, subscriptions or books sent from a third-party such as Amazon.

All mail is to be shipped to the Polk County Jail:
(Inmate's Complete Name)
Polk County Jail
1985 - NE 51st Place
Des Moines, IA 50313-2517

For complete information on mail policies, what you can send an inmate and what address to send them, check out our Inmate Mail page.

How Inmates Can Use a Tablet to Access Services at Polk County Jail

To find out how to get access to a tablet for inmate read the following:

1. First, Register or Sign In to GettingOut/GTL

2. Purchase the services you want for your Polk County Jail inmate.
3. All inmates have free access to the tablets to read their letters from family & friends, but there are many other services available to keep your inmate busy while incarcerated... such as Games, Books, Music and Movies. These other services come with fees that you can pay for when you pay for phone service.

To learn more about Tablet Rentals for inmates, including the cost, all the services available and everything else you need to know, check out our Tablet Rental Page.

How to Communicate with an Polk County Jail Inmate by Mail and by Email

To mail or email an inmate in Polk County follow these steps:

When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please follow these instructions:

All mail sent to an inmate at the Polk County Jail must include the sender's name and mailing address in the top left corner of the envelope or postcard.
All mail must include the facility's address, as well as the inmate's name and assigned number.
Failure to include your return address will most likely result in your mail NOT being delivered and your letter destroyed.
The Polk County Jail has a zero-tolerance policy regarding mail violations.
All the information you need to understand mail and email policies can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.

Emailing Messages & Photos

Facility_name_1} contracts with GTL GettingOut, the same service that handles iInmate Phone Systems and Video Visitation, for sending secure messages and photos between you and your inmate.

If you are not already registered, do so here, or Log in.

Then use the Facility Finder to:
1. Select Polk County Jail,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.

Messages can be up to 500 characters long, including punctuation. At the bottom of your message there is a 'character countdown' feature.
After you click the “CONTINUE” button, you can review the cost to send your message to your inmate. You can also attach credits for your inmate to reply to your message. Be sure to accept the Terms and Conditions and click the “SEND” button for your message to be successfully delivered to your inmate.
You can also send your Polk County inmate photos and videos.

Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call 866-516-0115

Go here to this FAQ to get answers to how the transition to ViaPath from GTL and gettingout will affect your account.

All the information you need to understand mail and email policies for Polk County can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.

How to visit an inmate in Polk County Iowa using Video Visitation or visiting an inmate at the jail

To visit an inmate in Polk County follow these steps:

In addition to visiting inmates at the jail, Polk County Jail uses a video visitation service called iWebVisit.com.
In order to visit with your inmate online or at the Polk County Jail Video Kiosk, you must first register with iWebVisit .
Registering is free.
Next, select “Choose A Facility” and then select Polk County Jail. This will become your “Default” facility each time you log in.
Next, Click “Schedule a Visit” and enter your inmate's name and inmate number.
Select either “Visit Now” or “Schedule Visit Later” and choose an available date and time.
After your visit payment is processed, you may begin visiting your inmate in Polk County at your scheduled time.

Who do you contact if you are having any problems arranging the remote video visit of an inmate in Polk County?
Call iWebVisit support at 775-434-8748. They are available 7 Days a week (5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. EST)

For full instructions on all the benefits of using IC Solutions to visit a Polk County inmate, visiting an inmate at the jail itself, rates, policies, rules, dress codes, bringing children, attorney and clergy visits and more, go to our official Visit Inmate Page.

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Polk County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Polk County Jail follow these steps:

Select Iowa, then select Polk County Jail, and then select the 'Send a Package Order' option.
Register and create an account with Access Securepak, for Polk County.
Choose the inmate and the products you want shipped to them, and input your payment method.
NOTE: There may be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in Polk County at any one time.

For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Polk County Jail check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Polk County.

How to Send Money to an Inmate in Polk County

To send commissary money to an inmate in Polk County Jail follow these steps:

Register with Access Corrections by creating an account.
Select Iowa, then select Polk County Jail, and then the inmate you want to send money to.
Choose the amount of money you want to send, and input your payment method.

For all information on how to Send Money to an inmate's account check out our full money and commissary guide for Polk County Jail.

How an Inmate Makes a Phone Call to You or Others from Polk County Jail

To set up a phone account so that your inmate can call you from Polk County do the following:

1. Enroll in an account with Securus Technologies.

2. Choose one of three account types, Securus Debit, Advance Connect or Direct Bill.
3. Choose [facility_name_1}, then connect with your inmate.
4. If you have any questions, call Securus: 972-734-1111 or 800-844-6591.

To find out fees, how to's, calling times, limits on phone calls and other systems Securus has do that you can communicate with your Polk County inmate, check out our Inmate Phone Page.
NOTE: All of your inmate's phone calls are recorded and stored. It is advised not to discuss their pending case.