Inmate and Family Support
The Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office is committed to providing resources to both our inmates and their families. This includes property releases, money, clothing, and mail delivery, as well as visitation. If you're looking for more info on behalf of a current or former inmate, please review the below information.
Getting Property Released
The Black Hawk County Jail will release inmate property within the following criteria:
- If the inmate in question has been transported to prison, the inmate will have the opportunity to have their property picked up by a designated person. This will only occur after the inmate has left our facility. Property not picked up within 5 days of notification will be destroyed.
- If the inmate has left our facility, for permanent placement elsewhere, their property will go with them at the time of transfer.
- In situations requiring a demonstrated need, an inmate may request permission from the housing sergeant to have the personal property released to a specified person that is not incarcerated. If this request is approved by the sergeant and you are the person that the inmate has specified to pick up the property, you will be contacted to arrange a time to come to the Sheriff’s Office to get that property.
Dropping Off Court Clothing
If an inmate needs clothing brought in for court, the clothing must be dropped off by his/her attorney. You will have to make arrangements to get the clothing to the attorney, so he/she can bring them to the jail.Court clothes should not be dropped off any earlier than two days prior to and no later than 8:30 a.m. on the day of the inmate's scheduled court date.
Inmates are not allowed to have court clothing dropped off for initial appearances. The inmate will go before the judge or magistrate in the clothing he/she was wearing at the time of arrest or in an inmate uniform.
Paying for Room and Board
Below, you will find information in regard to paying for room and boarding fees at the Black Hawk County Jail.
Fee Schedule
- Booking Fee: $25.00
- Room and Board Fee: $70.00 per day
Payments can be brought in or mailed to the sheriff's office.
Billing Information
Contact 319-291-5029 during normal business hours to obtain the following account and billing information:
- Balance due
- Payment plan adjustments
- Copy of the payment plan
- Check on any credits
Failure to Keep Payment Arrangements
Failure to keep payment arrangements will result in any or all of the following:
- Driver's License revocation
- Refusal to renew vehicle registration
- Withholding of Iowa State Income Tax Refund
- Contempt of Court charges
- Garnishments/Executions of Wages/Assets
- Liens on Real Property
- Forfeiture of money owed to you by Clerk of Court
- Collection by County Attorney
- Collection by the Department of Revenue and Finance with a 10% late penalty attached
Sending an Inmate Money
The process for depositing money to an inmate commissary account has been updated.
Send Money via Delivery Service
Inmates can receive money for their account by money orders or certified cashier's checks sent to the jail using a delivery service (i.e., USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.). Money orders and cashier's checks must be filled out with the inmate's name and mailed to the following address:
[Inmate's Name]
Black Hawk County Jail
225 East 6th Street
Waterloo, IA 50703
*Please include a return address.
Deposit Money in Person
Cash can no longer be brought to the front counter at the sheriff's office. Cash and or credit cards can be used to deposit money in an inmate's account by using the kiosk at the front lobby entrance. The kiosk in the lobby entrance is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
Deposit Money Online
Money can also be deposited online at: team3.inmatecanteen.com.
This is for inmate commissary only and cannot be applied to inmate phone accounts.
Sending an Inmate Mail
While incarcerated at the Black Hawk County Jail, inmates have several methods of communication with family, friends, their attorney, and the court. Where not prohibited by law, court order, or jail rules, inmates may communicate via the US Postal Service, inmate telephone system, video visitation system, or electronic messaging system.
Mail can be sent to inmates at the following address:
[Inmate Name]
Black Hawk County Jail
225 East 6th Street
Waterloo, IA 50703
*Include a return address on any correspondence sent.
*All personal mail is subject to search.
Incoming Inmate Mail
Letters and drawings sent to inmates at the Black Hawk County Jail must adhere to the following:
- Letters and drawings must be typed or written with a pen or pencil. Colored pencils, crayons, paint, felt pens, markers, etc. will not be accepted.
- Paper must be free of stains, stickers, tape, perfume, glitter, lipstick, etc.
- Content or letters must be only communication or correspondence. Sending items such as food, drink, stationary, stamps, etc. is not allowed.
The following subjects are considered banned content by the jail staff and will not be distributed to inmates:
- Martial arts, boxing, wrestling
- Tactical maneuvers, firearms, weapons, etc.
- Unlawful substances
- Tattoo and body piercing
- Sexually explicit or inappropriate/provocative content
- Racist or inflammatory material
- Gang-related material, symbols, hand gestures, etc.
- Any material that poses a safety or security threat to staff or the facility
- Obscene material
Mail sent to an inmate containing any of the above will be returned to the sender in its entirety.
Obscene Material as Defined by Iowa Code 721.8(5):
"Obscene Material" is any material depicting or describing the genitals, sex acts, masturbation, excretory functions or sadomasochistic abuse which the average person, taking the material as a whole and applying contemporary community standards with respect to what is suitable material for minors, would find prurient interest and is patently offensive; and the material, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, scientific, political or artistic value.
Any and all legal mail will not initially be opened. Legal mail will be taken to the inmate where it will be opened in front of a staff member and the inmate, and will remain in the possession of the inmate.
Mail for inmates no longer in the Black Hawk County Jail will be returned to the sender, and will not be forwarded.
Outgoing Inmate Mail
Inmates may write and receive as many letters as they wish, and when not prohibited by law, court order, or jail rules; inmates may communicate via the US Postal Service, inmate telephone system, video visitation system, or electronic messaging system. Communication is restricted from other inmates of the Black Hawk County Jail, and to inmates of other jails or prisons. Third-party mail, telephone calls, or video visits to communicate with other inmates or prisoners are not allowed.
If an inmate's attorney is a member of the Public Defender's Office, or for court correspondence, this may be sent via the mail or electronic messaging system. If an inmate's attorney is in private practice, inmates will need to send correspondence through the US Mail.
Inmates can also use the electronic messaging system to submit a request to jail staff, kitchen staff, medical staff and some outside agencies. There is no cost to the inmate to send these requests, however, excessive or frivolous requests are against jail rules and could result in disciplinary action against the inmate.
Inmates wishing to send letters through the mail are only able to use envelopes purchased through the jail commissary. No stamps or envelopes can be sent to an inmate.
Inmate Books and Newspapers
The Black Hawk County Jail provides a variety of reading material for inmates while incarcerated. New books and magazines are added to the library as they become available. Inmates are not allowed to accumulate an excessive number of books or magazines in their cells so all inmates have an opportunity to select reading material. Inmates are allowed no more than three books or magazines in their cell at one time, no more than three newspapers at one time, and may have up to three religious books in their cells at one time.
Individual magazine subscriptions are not allowed for inmates.
Inmates who wish to receive a newspaper subscription must make arrangements for payment from outside of the jail. Newspaper subscriptions cannot and will not be paid through inmate commissary accounts.
Only books of a religious, educational, or legal nature are allowed to be sent to inmates, under the following circumstances:
- Any book an inmate wishes to receive must be first approved by the Jail Administrator. This must be done by the inmate submitting the request to the Jail Administrator on the tablet system.
- Books must be sent directly from a publisher, or other approved source (Amazon.com). Nothing from a third party will be allowed.
- The seller's information must be included in the request to the jail administrator. Books that are approved to be sent will count toward an inmate's total allowed books (three). No books will be stored or mailed outside of the jail for an inmate that exceeds the allowed number of books. Any books received that are not pre-approved will be returned to the sender.
The Black Hawk County Jail has a law library available to inmates at no cost via the inmate tablet system. Inmates are free to use this whenever the tablets are distributed by the pod officer.
Setting Up a Phone Account
NOTICE: On March 26, 2023, the phone contract with GTL phone services will end with the Black Hawk County Jail. On that date, CIDNET, the current video visitation provider will take over phone services for inmates.
Family and friends of inmates who have account balances with GTL should be aware of this change to minimize the amount of money remaining on the account at the end of this contract. If you need to request a refund of funds still on your GTL phone account, call 1-800-786-8521.
As this transition takes place, family and friends who have a current account with CIDNET can simply add on the phone service option to communicate with their loved ones.
For those without an account, this can be set up at: customer.cidnet.net/register.
To set up an inmate video visitation account with CIDNET, you can:
- Visit https://customer.cidnet.net.
For help, view the CIDNET Friends and Family Guide. If you have problems with an existing account, call 888-231-3393.
Visiting an Inmate
While in the Black Hawk County Jail, inmates are entitled to reasonable contact with their families and friends, unless this privilege has been restricted by disciplinary sanctions for a specified period of time.
- General population inmates may receive one local visit per weekday for up to 30 minutes.
- Maximum security inmates are allowed two visits per week, up to 30 minutes each, unless restricted for disciplinary or other reasons.
- Special Housing Unit (SHU) inmates are allowed one visit per week for up to 30 minutes each unless restricted for disciplinary or other reasons.
Scheduling a Visitation
All visits must be scheduled on the CIDNET friends and family portal. Visitors must complete a CIDNET Account before arriving at the jail to visit an inmate. On-site visits must be completed by the individual who scheduled the visit. No other visitors will be allowed during the scheduled visitation time, or for the remainder of the day. To set up an inmate video visitation account with CIDNET, you can:
- Visit https://customer.cidnet.net.
- For help, view the CIDNET Friends and Family Guide.
- If you have problems with an existing account, call 888-231-3393.
Remote visits can be scheduled any time there is an available block on CIDNET's website. There is a fee determined by CIDNET for all remote visits. You are only billed for the data used during the visit, so if the visit is canceled or cut short for any reason, you will only be billed for the time both parties are connected on the call.
Local visits must be set up on your own devices and must be scheduled 24 hours in advance. Visitors cannot set up an account at the sheriff's office. Any and all visits and accounts must be set up via the CIDNET link above prior to visiting an inmate. There is no fee for local visits. Due to COVID protocols, disciplinary action, etc., visit availability is subject to change with little or no notice. All local visits take place at the kiosks in the lobby of the Sheriff's Office/Jail.
Inmate Visitation Hours
- A1: Monday - Friday: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
- A2: Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM | 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM
- A3 Lower Tier: Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
- A3 Upper Tier: Monday - Friday: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
- B-F Pods: Monday - Friday: 8:15 AM - 9:00 AM, 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM, 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM, Monday - Thursday: Additional - 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
- F-Pod Maximum Security Inmates: Call to see when available.
- F-Pod Administrative Segregation Inmates: Wednesday only 7:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Visitation schedules can change with little to no notice. The sheriff's office does its best to hold to the schedule, but we reserve the right to change or cancel visitation as needed. We apologize in advance for any inconveniences a disruption in visitation may cause you. Be advised that A Pod visitation varies depending on the inmate's exact placement and situation, including but not limited to disciplinary actions or COVID protocols.
The visitation system is maintained by CIDNET. Please contact them regarding any technical or billing issues you may have.
Visitation Policies and Procedures
- Visitors must be at least 18 years old and have a non-expired government-issued photo ID.
- Visitor parking is not allowed in our front parking lot during our normal business hours. This lot is reserved for sheriff’s office business only.
- Persons under 18 years of age are not allowed in the visitation waiting area.
- Children accompanying visitors may not be left unattended for any reason.
- Food and drinks are not allowed at the visitation or the visitation waiting area.
- Profanity, cursing and derogatory remarks are not allowed. Keep the noise down to a minimum.
- Do not use your cell phone when checking in for visits.
- Shorts and skirts can not be shorter than mid-thigh.
- Pants must be worn at the waist.
- Headwear of any kind is not allowed, unless for a verified religious reason and pre-approved by jail staff.
- Lockers are available for the storage of valuables.
Visitors who violate any of these rules may be restricted and possibly banned from visiting inmates in the future.
Getting an Inmate Out of Jail
To get an inmate out of jail prior to final court disposition you can utilize either of two methods.
- Post Cash Bond
- Post Bond through a Bonding Agency
Cash Bond
To post a cash bond, first, verify the amount of the bond with the jail by calling 319-291-2587 ext. 5244 or checking this website.
During regular business hours, take the cash and go to the Black Hawk County Courthouse, first floor, and present the cash to the Clerk of Courts. A certificate will be given to you verifying the bond is paid. Bring that certificate to the front counter of the sheriff's office and give it to the attendant.
After regular business hours, bring the correct cash amount directly to the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office.
Bonding Agency
To post bond utilizing a bonding agency, you need to contact one of the various agencies in the area. The phone numbers for the agencies can be found in the phone book or via Google search. The bonding agencies will work with you and come up with the terms and conditions of posting bond for an inmate's release. The bonding agencies are completely separate from the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office, and the sheriff's office does not recommend or discredit any bonding agency.