Search Madison County Inmate Records

Madison County inmate records begin with the county jail roster for people currently held in local custody. A Madison County jail roster search is different from many county lookups because the public roster is a current listing, not a name-search database. The roster helps readers look up Madison County inmates by scrolling visible inmate cards and comparing the name, booking date, charge, bond, and housing code shown by the jail. Formal court charges, sentenced state custody, federal custody, and immigration detention use separate systems.

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Madison County Jail Roster Records

Madison County jail inmate records are published by the Madison County Sheriff's Office, which operates the Madison County Jail in Winterset. The official Madison County inmate roster page embeds a GMD Solutions current-booking widget under the Madison County Sheriff name. In the inspected version, the roster did not have a last-name box, booking-number field, released-inmate tab, sort tool, or date filter. It displayed current inmate cards that users scroll by hand.

The Madison County inmate roster is useful, but it has a narrow job. It shows people visible in the county jail list. It does not show court disposition, a full criminal-history record, a release history, a court calendar, or state-prison status. If a person is sentenced to Iowa prison or placed under state supervision, the better search path is the Iowa DOC Offender Search. Federal inmates use the BOP inmate locator. Immigration detainees use the ICE Online Detainee Locator. Iowa VINELink can help with custody and case notifications.

Madison County has one listed local detention facility: the Madison County Jail. The sheriff page identifies Sheriff Jason Barnes and Jail Administrator Denny Thompson, gives the jail capacity as 12 beds, and lists the sheriff as the custodian of prisoners committed to the county jail until lawful discharge. That small facility size makes status checks important. A person can appear, bond out, transfer, or move to another custody system faster than a static record page might suggest.


Use the Madison County Inmate Roster

The Madison County inmate records search starts at the county roster page or the embedded GMD booking widget. Because the widget has no visible search input, the process is closer to reviewing a live board than querying a database. The public record is card based. Each card should be read as a current custody clue, then checked against the jail or court when bond, release, or case status matters.

  1. Open the official Madison County inmate roster page and allow the embedded widget to load.
  2. Scroll the visible inmate cards. There is no public name-search box or filter in the inspected roster.
  3. Match the person by name, booking date, ID number, charge text, and cell code.
  4. Read the primary charge first, then look for an Additional Charges block on the same card.
  5. Check each bond amount line, but verify bond terms with the jail or court before relying on the figure.
  6. If no card appears, use the sheriff phone, clerk of court, DOC, BOP, ICE, or VINELink channel that fits the custody type.

A slow connection, blocked script, or iframe issue can leave the roster area blank even when the county page is working. The sheriff's main phone, (515) 462-3575, is the local fallback when the Madison County jail roster does not load or when a name is close but not certain.


Madison County Roster Search Fields

The Madison County roster field table is unusual because the public widget does not present fields to fill in. It lists current inmates directly. That matters for people who expect a last-name search, since the only public method visible in the widget is to scroll the card list and compare details. The table below reflects the captured roster controls rather than a generic jail-search form.

Field LabelTypeRequiredNotes
No visible search fieldN/AN/AThe Madison County GMD widget displayed current inmate cards directly.
Name searchNot available in widgetN/ANo last-name, first-name, booking-number, or date field was visible.
Facility filterNot available in widgetN/AOnly the Madison County Sheriff's roster was shown.
Booking date filterNot available in widgetN/ABooking date appears in results but is not a filter.
ButtonsNone visibleN/ANo Search, Submit, Clear, Reset, or Advanced Search button was visible.

That no-search design does not mean Madison County has no inmate records. It means the public-facing roster is limited to the current card display. For older jail records, incident reports, or records not shown in the widget, the sheriff's records route and Iowa open-records law become the practical path.


Madison County Inmate Record Fields

Each visible Madison County jail record is short and custody focused. The roster card shows one booking photo, a name, an ID number, a booking date labeled Date, a charge, a bond amount, a cell code, and sometimes additional charge lines. It does not show date of birth, full demographics, address, arresting agency, court date, release date, status history, statute code, or a court disposition. A roster charge is an allegation tied to booking, not a conviction.

FieldWhat It Shows
Mugshot imageOne booking image above the card, with image text tied to the inmate ID.
NameLast name, first name, and middle name in uppercase card format.
ID NumberAn eight-digit public identifier. The county did not publish a format explanation.
DateBooking or intake date in YYYY-MM-DD format. No booking time is shown.
ChargePrimary booking charge as plain text, without a statute code or offense class.
Bond AmountDollar amount for the listed charge. Terms must be verified with the jail or court.
CellShort public housing code, such as DORM, MED, or WH.
Additional ChargesOptional extra charge names and bond lines on some cards.

The public card should be treated as a starting point. Formal case status belongs in Iowa Courts Online, where court records after a Madison County arrest show filed charges, hearings, disposition entries, and court financial items when public. Custody status can also be affected by a hold or detainer. A detainer is a notice or request from another agency that can delay release even when one visible bond line appears low or zero.


Madison County Inmate Access Channels

Madison County inmate records use a chain of access channels, not one master database. The county roster is the first stop for current local jail custody. The sheriff's office is the phone and in-person fallback. The Madison County Clerk of Court and Iowa Courts Online handle filed court cases. The Iowa DOC locator is for state custody and supervision. Federal and immigration searches move outside the county system.

NeedWhere to LookScope
Current Madison County jail custodyOfficial inmate rosterVisible county jail inmate cards.
Custody or bond clarificationMadison County Sheriff's Office, (515) 462-3575Local custody, release, and visit questions.
Public record or incident materialSheriff documents and forms portalOfficial document route, including the linked accident or incident copy request.
Formal charges after bookingIowa Courts OnlinePublic court docket and case status after filing.
Sentenced state custodyIowa DOC Offender SearchState prisoners and supervised offenders.
Federal prison custodyBOP by-name searchFederal inmates from 1982 to present.
Federal pretrial custodyU.S. Marshals Southern District of IowaRegional federal pretrial custody channel.
Immigration detentionICE locator instructionsICE custody or CBP custody over 48 hours.
Sheriff mobile appNo Madison County Iowa sheriff app locatedThe county roster is web based, not app only.

Madison County Jail Contact

The Madison County Jail is the only detention facility found in the county facility map. It is a county jail, not a state prison and not a federal or ICE facility. The sheriff page lists the jail as a 12-bed facility and places the sheriff's office and jail at the public-safety address in Winterset. Winterset Police use the same public-safety address, but no separate city jail roster or city detention facility page was located.

Madison County Jail

1012 N John Wayne Drive
PO Box 517
Winterset, IA 50273

(515) 462-3575

Operated by Madison County Sheriff's Office

Capacity: 12 beds

People held at the jail include pretrial detainees, people serving short county sentences, people held for court, and people listed by the sheriff booking widget. Once a person is sentenced to state prison or state supervision, the Madison County jail roster is no longer the best lookup. That record shifts to the Iowa Department of Corrections system.


Madison County Booking Records

Madison County does not publish a detailed booking manual, but the roster and sheriff page support a clear local custody path. An arrest or court commitment may come from the sheriff's office, Winterset Police, another local agency, or a court order. The sheriff receives people committed to the jail and keeps custody until lawful discharge or transfer. Booking creates the public items seen on the roster: ID number, date, photo, charge, bond amount, and cell code.

The roster does not show every item that may exist inside the jail file. Fingerprints, property inventory, medical screening, full classification notes, address, arresting officer, probable-cause details, warrant numbers, and internal jail notes were not visible in the public widget. Iowa Administrative Code chapter 201-50 provides a statewide jail-facility framework, including jail operations and classification standards, but it does not publish Madison County's internal intake notes.

Cases added to Iowa court case management take one business day to appear in Iowa Courts Online, according to the Judicial Branch guide. After the case appears, data updates in real time. That timing explains why a new booking may be on the Madison County inmate roster before the formal court case can be found online.


Madison County Jail Visitation

Madison County visitation is published on the sheriff page, and the rules are simple but specific. Regular visitation is Sunday afternoon. Visitors must be adults and must bring a current photo ID. Registration is first come. Special visits are not self-scheduled through the roster or a web vendor; they are directed to the Jail Administrator or Sheriff.

Visit TopicPublished RuleSource Notes
Regular jail visitationSundays, 1:00 PM to 5:00 PMOfficial sheriff page.
Visitor ageMust be 18 years of ageOfficial sheriff page.
ID requirementCurrent photo ID requiredOfficial sheriff page.
RegistrationFirst comeOfficial sheriff page.
Special visitsDirected to Jail Administrator or SheriffNo online special-visit form was located.
Holiday or lockdown changesNot publishedCall before traveling.

Note: Confirm custody and visit access with the jail before traveling, especially around holidays, court transport, or a recent release.


Madison County Mail and Funds

The sheriff page did not publish an inmate-mail format, postcard-only rule, book vendor rule, legal-mail procedure, online deposit vendor, lobby kiosk, phone provider, video-visitation provider, commissary vendor, fee schedule, tablet program, or deposit limit. Those gaps should not be filled with vendor names from other counties. Madison County jail mail, money, phone, and commissary details should be confirmed through the sheriff's office before sending funds or mail.

TopicMadison County Finding
Mailing address1012 N John Wayne Drive, PO Box 517, Winterset, IA 50273.
Required inmate name or ID formatNot published in the official sources reviewed.
Online depositsNo official vendor located.
Commissary vendorNo official vendor located.
Phone or video vendorNo official vendor located.
Fees and pricingNot published in the reviewed sheriff materials.

Note: Call the jail before mailing property, sending money, or relying on an online vendor that is not linked by Madison County.


Madison County DOC and Federal Searches

Madison County jail inmate records cover local custody. The Iowa DOC locator covers a different stage. It can be searched by first name, middle name, last name, offender number, sex, location, offense, county of commitment, and name-search mode. The DOC public profile can show name, offender number, sex, age, location, offense, tentative or supervision discharge date, commitment date, board decision information, and charges table details. DOC records are updated weekly and can change quickly.

Federal and immigration searches are separate again. BOP covers federal inmates from 1982 to present and has by-name fields for first, middle, and last name, race, sex, and age, plus number-search options. ICE searches can use an A-number or biographical information. The U.S. Marshals Southern District of Iowa is the regional channel for federal pretrial custody questions. None of those systems is a Madison County jail roster, and none should be expected to show the county's current booking cards.

Booking
Jail intake step that creates the public card details, such as photo, date, charge, bond, and cell.
Charge
An allegation tied to booking or court filing. It is not the same as a conviction.
Detainer
A request or notice from another agency that may affect release or transfer.
DOC
Iowa Department of Corrections, the state system for prison custody and supervision.

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