Anamosa State Penitentiary was built in 1899 and is the oldest prison still operating in Iowa. It is medium security, in Jones County, and with roughly 1,164 people held against a listed capacity near 950 it is one of the most crowded prisons in the state. This guide covers the free video visits Iowa books through Ameelio, the paper visitor application that cannot be filed online, the Nevada mail address and its 1106 code, and the centralized money system that no longer accepts anything at the door.
City
Anamosa
County
Jones County
State
IA
Facility Type
state prison
Capacity
Approx. 950
Custody Levels
Medium
Operator
Iowa Department of Corrections
Address
406 N High St., Anamosa, IA 52205
Phone
319-462-3504
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A sounds-like name search, and why a blank record usually means released.
View ArticleA paper form Iowa will not take by email, and a 30-day wait behind it.
View ArticleOne address for the whole state, and the details that get a money order returned.
View ArticleIowa publishes its rates. It does not publish who runs the phones.
View ArticleIowa says mail sent to the prison itself comes back. Here is where it goes instead.
View ArticleOne statewide search covers all nine Iowa prisons, with a Location dropdown to narrow it to Anamosa. It offers Starts With, Matches and Sounds Like name modes, and the record returns location, offense, tentative discharge date and the latest parole board decision. Iowa's own disclaimer says the data is updated weekly.
See the full breakdownIn person Saturday and Sunday 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM in two-hour blocks, video Monday and Friday on the same hours in fifty-minute blocks, all booked in Ameelio Connect and all free. Approval comes first, through a paper application posted to Mount Pleasant, with a decision inside 30 days and an ion scan at the door.
See the full breakdownIowa centralized offender banking at Fort Dodge, so nothing goes to Anamosa. Money orders and cashier's checks go to the IDOC Offender Fiduciary Account in Fort Dodge and must carry the offender's name and number plus the sender's name and full address, or they are returned. Access Corrections, JPay and Western Union all handle electronic deposits.
See the full breakdownCalls cost seven cents a minute to the lower 48, one of the lowest published rates anywhere, and Iowa says the revenue funds legal services, education and victim services. Calls come out only, your number has to be on an approved list, and toll-free and three-way calls are blocked. Iowa names no phone vendor and publishes no call length limit.
See the full breakdownPersonal mail goes to PO Box 96777 in Las Vegas under the routing line Anamosa State Penitentiary - 1106, where Pigeonly Corrections opens and scans it. Iowa states that mail sent directly to a prison is returned to sender. Letters including children's drawings, cards, postcards, ten 4x6 photos and unbound newsletters are accepted. Pelipost is the approved photo printer.
See the full breakdown6 of 7 questions
No. The Iowa Department of Corrections states that it offers both in-person and video visits at no cost to approved friends and family. That is unusual, since most states charge for video, and it is worth knowing before you pay anyone for a service you can get free.
VisitationThrough Ameelio Connect, and only through it. Anamosa's page says reservations are in the Ameelio app only, and unlike most Iowa prisons it publishes no phone fallback for manual scheduling. You need to be an approved visitor first, and every visitor aged 13 or over needs their own Ameelio account.
VisitationIn person on Saturday and Sunday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, in two-hour blocks. Video visits run Monday and Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, in fifty-minute blocks. Anamosa publishes no cap on how many visitors can come at once, which several other Iowa prisons do publish.
VisitationTo the person's name and offender number, then the line Anamosa State Penitentiary - 1106, then PO Box 96777, Las Vegas, NV 89193. Iowa states plainly that non-legal mail sent directly to a prison will be returned to sender, so the Nevada address and the 1106 code both matter.
MailNot to Anamosa. Iowa centralized offender banking at Fort Dodge, and money orders or cashier's checks go to the IDOC Offender Fiduciary Account, 1550 L Street Suite B, Fort Dodge, IA 50501. Institutions no longer take deposits at the door. You can also send electronically through Access Corrections, JPay or Western Union.
Send MoneySeven cents a minute to anywhere in the lower 48 states, which is among the cheapest rates in the country. Alaska is 12 cents and Hawaii 14 cents. Iowa notes that its rates are lower than most states because the money funds legal services, religious accommodations, education and victim services rather than a profit share.
Phone CallsIt was, and it is back. The Iowa Department of Corrections suspended all in-person visitation at Anamosa on April 9, 2026 and reinstated it on Friday, May 8, 2026. It is worth knowing because a suspension can happen again at short notice, and the Ameelio app is where a change shows up first.
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All information on this page comes directly from official government and facility sources. How we verify information › Last verified September 9, 2026. Official source: doc.iowa.gov/districts-prisons/anamosa-state-penitentiary ›