Chief Leesa Shoemaker, a veteran of the Sheriff’s Office serving since 1985, leads the Jail Division and is in charge of the day-to-day functions of the Polk County Jail.

Years of planning and preparing became reality on November 1st, 2008 when Polk County opened its $68 million new jail. The 325,000 square-feet facility sits on 40 acres of land just north of Des Moines. The opening of the new facility allowed the Sheriff’s Office to house all inmates in Polk County and under one roof. With 1500 beds and the ability to expand capacity an additional 1000 beds, the jail was constructed to handle the expected growing inmate population of Polk County through at least 2030.

The Polk County Jail is the largest facility of its kind in the state of Iowa and takes advantage of the latest advances in security and jail design to house and manage Polk County’s inmates. The jail has full on-site kitchen and laundry facilities and houses medical services.

The jail was designed to have a direct supervision setting where inmates are housed in large dormitory areas instead of in traditional barred cells that most people think of when they envision a jail. In addition to the dormitory-style units, the jail has smaller high-security units to house inmates that for behavioral reasons can not function in a normal jail environment.

The jail houses an in-house drug treatment program for men and women and offers programs such as Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, and anger management classes to inmates.

Automated Phone Service
Beginning April 30, 2010, those who call the main phone number at the Polk County Jail, (515-323-5400), will reach an automated service. This system is being implemented in an effort to more quickly and efficiently provide jail-related information to the public. Details such as the jail’s address, frequently requested phone numbers, the process for depositing funds into an inmate’s account, along with other procedures are included. Please listen to the complete recorded list as the information you are seeking will likely be found in one of the options. This process will ensure that you receive accurate information which can be accessed anytime.