Mail service is provided while you are in custody. Correspondence should be mailed to:

(Inmate’s name)
Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center
17262 Lark Ave
Mason City, IA 50401

The full name and address of the person sending mail to you must be included on the envelope. Packages will not be received.

Incoming mail, except those from your attorney and certain other officials, will be opened and inspected for contraband and other matters of concern to the security, safety and control of the jail.

You may receive newspapers only if they come directly from the publisher. Old newspapers are to be disposed of immediately and properly. No stockpiling is permitted.

We reserve the right to withhold the delivery of any incoming mail which does not show the name and address of the sender or which otherwise violates these rules. Such mail will be placed in your personal property and will be returned to you upon your release from custody.

Attempting to send or receive mail or messages except by the methods stated above is a violation of jail rules. This includes any attempts to smuggle out letters or to get around the rules in any other way.

Mail will be processed and delivered/sent the day it is received. Exceptions to this will be holidays and weekends, at which time the mail will go in/out the next normal business day.

The money that you have with you at the time you were admitted to the jail will be deposited into your commissary account. During your stay in the jail, you may buy items from the jail commissary and the amount you spend will be deducted from the money in your account. You are not allowed to have money on your person or in your cell while in custody. When you are released, the money remaining in your account will be returned to you in the form of a debit card.

While you are here, family or friends may deposit money to your commissary account 24 hrs/day 7 days/wk by using either of 2 methods:

• The money kiosk in the jail lobby using cash or debit or credit cards
• Go to www.jailatm.com to use debit or credit cards only

You can release money from your commissary account or your personal property to members of your family, friends, attorney or bondsman. You must sign a release form for any money or personal property you release. Your money or personal property cannot be released to another inmate.

You are not allowed to transfer money from your account to another inmate’s account.

Money can be transferred out from commissary to the inmate phone system to make phone calls.

All personal property you had with you when you entered the jail will be inventoried and stored. Your property will be returned to you upon your release.

You will be permitted to have a limited amount of personal items, such as a family photo (no Polaroid), letters and legal documents. All items kept in your cell are subject to the approval of the Jail Supervisor. A large accumulation of items will not be permitted and the items kept will be neatly stored or displayed.

The jail staff will not deliver or exchange items of property between inmates located in different cell blocks or exchange items from your lockers.

The jail reserves the right to dispose of any personal property left behind or not picked up by family or friends. The jail will only keep these items for a period of 30 days after your release. Once the 30-day period expires, all property is destroyed.

While you are here, you can contact family or friends using collect calls on the inmate phone system.  You are also able to transfer money from your commissary account to the inmate phone system in order to make calls.

For problems with the inmate phone system call 866-797-5778.

All telephone calls to your attorney are set up for a free call (except for calls made at the time of booking). If your attorney wants to talk with you or has new developments in your case, he/she will accept your call. If not, your attorney will not accept your call.

Constant calls to your attorney, which result in harassment to him/her will be reported to the jail staff and disciplinary action will be taken against you.

You cannot call your attorney at home unless the jail staff has been told to permit this by your attorney.

See Jail inmate population report for total bond

You can bond someone out of jail 24 hrs/day 7 days/week. 

If you look at the inmate listing or the outstanding warrant list, you can use a bondsman if the citation, charge or warrant lists cash/surety (sometimes shows as c/s).

Bondsman contact information:

• North Iowa Bail Bonds: 641-430-4541
• Lederman Bail Bonds: 641-423-1899
• Moore Bail Bonds: 515-573-0417

The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office has a ZERO-TOLERANCE policy for Sexual Misconduct of any kind!

It is our Agency’s mission to provide a safe, humane and secure environment for all inmates, from the Threat of Sexual Misconduct by inmates or by staff and to be free from retaliation in reporting Sexual Misconduct.

ALL allegations of Sexual Misconduct will be fully investigated and treated in a confidential and serious manner. If an alleged incident of Sexual Misconduct occurred, the person(s) responsible will be subject to in-house disciplinary action and/or Criminal Prosecution.

The Cerro Gordo County Jail has adopted a no smoking policy. Smoking will not be allowed at any time for any purpose while you are in custody. Smoking is prohibited on the property including the parking lot and all grounds around the law enforcement center.

See inmate jail population for cell assignments

When you are assigned to a housing unit, you will be given a visitation list on which you can list four (4) visitor names. You will be allowed to change these names once every thirty (30) days. Sergeants will approve this list prior to visitors being allowed.

1. Visitation is scheduled by housing units and is on a first come first serve basis.
2. Visits are limited to 15 minutes.
3. Visits may be canceled or suspended without notice, based on discipline or security reasons
4. Visitors can be denied a visit for several reasons – i.e. visitor name not on the visitation list, inmate not allowed visitors because of discipline or other reasons, not the correct scheduled time for the housing unit.
5. All visitors must show valid government ID and check in with the visitation officer prior to visiting.
6. Each inmate is permitted two (2) visits per day with no more than 4 total people per session.
7. Visitors must be 18 or older.No one under the age of 18 is allow into the facility (to wait or otherwise).
8. Visitors arriving on days when visitation is not allowed will not be allowed a visit.No exceptions to the visitation rules is allowed.
9. Proper attire is required at all times.Shoes and shirts must be worn; suggestive clothing, see through fabrics, halter or tube type tops, short shorts and mini-skirts will not be permitted.Appropriate underclothing is required.
10. Visitors appearing to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be admitted into the center and WILL BE ARRESTED.
11. Wallet and car keys are the only personal items that may be taken into the public visitation room.Items such as weapons, sharp objects, purses, satchels, diaper bags, smoking materials, chewing gun, phones, radios, TV’s, cameras etc. are not allowed.
12. Eating and drinking are prohibited inside the public visitation room.  Smoking is prohibited on all sheriff’s office property including outside.
13. If a visitor leaves the video visitation area, they will not be allowed to re-visit.
14. Hanging up the handset on the visitor’s visitation carrel will terminate the visit.
15. Loud talking, excessive emotionalism or any other type of disruptive behavior will not be permitted in the public visitation room.
16. If you experience a problem with the audio or video during the visit, please notify the visitation officer.Do not attempt to adjust the picture or sound yourself.
17. Visitations are not “rescheduled.” If the inmate is not able to visit because of court proceedings, attorney visits or other reasons, they will have to wait until the next assigned visitation day/time.
18. Persons released from jail or prison in the last 30 days will not be allowed to visit without prior approval of the jail administrator.Visitors are required to disclose this information prior to scheduling a visit.

Attorneys, bondsmen or law enforcement officers who have a professional need to conduct an inmate non-contact visit should notify the jail when they first enter the jail.

Attorneys may visit during normal working hours of the Sheriff’s Department 8:00am - 5:00pm.

Failure to comply with any of these policies as posted in the visitation room will result in denial of admission.