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Iowa has an incarceration rate of 550 per 100,000 people (including prisons, jails, immigration detention, and juvenile justice facilities), meaning that it locks up a higher percentage of its people than almost any democratic country on earth. Read on to learn more about who is incarcerated in Iowa and why.

17,000 people from Iowa are behind bars

Additionally, the number of people impacted by county and city jails in Iowa is much larger than the graph above would suggest, because people cycle through local jails relatively quickly. Each year, at least 40,000 different people are booked into local jails in Iowa.

Rates of imprisonment have grown dramatically in the last 40 years

Also see these Iowa graphs:

• total numbers rather than rates.
• Women’s prisons: Incarceration Rates | Total Population
• Men’s prisons: Incarceration Rates | Total Population

Today, Iowa’s incarceration rates stand out internationally

In the U.S., incarceration extends beyond prisons and local jails to include other systems of confinement. The U.S. and state incarceration rates in this graph include people held by these other parts of the justice system, so they may be slightly higher than the commonly reported incarceration rates that only include prisons and jails. Details on the data are available in States of Incarceration: The Global Context. We also have a version of this graph focusing on the incarceration of women.

People of color are overrepresented in prisons and jails

Iowa's criminal justice system is more than just its prisons and jails

See detailed data on incarceration and supervision numbers and rates by state.

Reports and briefings about Iowa's criminal legal system:

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• People on probation in Iowa are saddled with onerous rules and conditions they must follow every day or risk incarceration.
• Prisons in Iowa have tablets, but they may be being used to restrict incarcerated people’s access to books and sap them of the little money they have.
• With an incarceration rate of 550 per 100,000 residents, Iowa locks up a higher percentage of its people than almost any democratic country on earth.
• Prisons in Iowa force incarcerated people and their families — some of the most vulnerable members of society — to subsidize mass incarceration.
• 74% of people in Iowa jails have not been convicted of a crime, meaning they're legally innocent. There are simple steps the state can take to reduce this number. Why isn't it?
• Iowa releases roughly 106,648 men and 34,190 women from its prisons and jails each year. What is it doing to support them upon reentry?
• In Iowa prisons, incarcerated people can be fined for breaking even minor rules — and even charged "restitution" for attempting self-harm
• Iowa is one of a handful of states reviving harsh drug laws straight out of the '90s
• People on parole in Iowa can be sent back to prison for "associating" with anyone who has a felony or misdemeanor conviction — even loved ones who are trying to support them
• The parole board in Iowa is releasing 41% fewer people and holding 16% fewer hearings since the pandemic started
• Black people in Iowa are incarcerated at a rate 9.1 times higher than white people.
• Iowa's choice to criminalize "failure to appear" may be hurting public safety
• The cost of incarcerating older people is incredibly high, and their risk of reincarceration is incredibly low, yet 12% of people in Iowa prisons are over the age of 55. Why is the state keeping so many older people locked up?
• Iowa makes it difficult or even risky for incarcerated journalists to tell their stories.
• Iowa is one of 20 states that locks up some people convicted of sex offenses in shadowy "civil commitment" facilities, long after their sentences are over — and often indefinitely
• In Iowa, 17,000 people are incarcerated and another 31,200 are on probation or parole.
• Iowa charges up to 25¢ for an e-message to or from prison.
• Jails in Iowa charge up to $3.15 for a 15-minute phone call, reaping profits for companies, while prisons charge $1.65 for a 15-minute call.
• Some Iowa prisons are replacing incarcerated people's personal mail with scans, stifling family contact
• Iowa suspended its $3 medical copays in prisons at the beginning of the pandemic for flu related medical visits — but should eliminate them entirely.
• People in Iowa prisons with more than $6 in their commissary account do not qualify for the $3.50 credit to purchase basic hygiene items and supplies for legal mail.
• Iowa prisons charge families up to a 32% fee to transfer money to an incarcerated loved one.
• We gave Iowa a failing grade in September 2021 for its response to the coronavirus in prisons.
• How many COVID-19 cases in Iowa communities can be linked to outbreaks in correctional facilities? (data from our report Mass Incarceration, COVID-19, and Community Spread)
• We graded the parole release systems of all 50 states - Iowa gets an F
• Iowa incarcerates women at a rate of 110 per 100,000 residents — higher than almost any democratic country on earth.
• People in Iowa prisons earn as little as 27¢ an hour for their work.

Other resources

• Research on Iowa in our Research Library